Neon, temples and street food at 285 km/h — Japan's classic first pass.
Before flights, per person
11 days · 3 cities · 5h 39m in transit
$498
Excludes international flights
Between cities
$242
3 trains
Every night's bed
$256
10 nights across 3 cities
Priced for a reference start of 1 Dec 2026, per person. Every fare is a real one — read from the operator or the fare harvest on a stated day — and the beds are researched rates. Pick your real dates and every number reprices.
Tokyo
🇯🇵 4 nights · Day 1–4 · HND
4
Train · Tōkaidō Shinkansen Hikari · 2h 40m · $116
Kyoto
🇯🇵 3 nights · Day 5–7 · KIX
3
Train · JR Special Rapid · 29m · $5
Osaka
🇯🇵 3 nights · Day 8–10 · KIX
3
Train · Tōkaidō Shinkansen Nozomi · 2h 30m · $121
Back in Tokyo
🇯🇵 the trip ends where it started
Full itinerary
Stay · 4 nights · Day 1–4
Tokyo
Your accommodation
Edo Tokyo Hostel
from $26/night
$108 · 4 nights
Backpacker-friendly hostel in Tokyo.
Free things to do in Tokyo
Free
Sensō-ji at 7am + Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, and free at any hour — before the crowds it's a different building. Nakamise's stalls open later, around nine.
Free
Shibuya → Shinjuku night walk
Scramble crossing, then Golden Gai's two-seat bars, where cover charges are normal.
Tamagoyaki on a stick, tuna you can't afford, coffee you can. The inner market moved to Toyosu; the outer lanes stayed put.
Journey
Train
2h 40m
Day 5
Tōkaidō Shinkansen Hikari
$116
Tokyo → Kyoto
¥13,320 unreserved (¥13,850 reserved, standard season). Book on SmartEX — seat on the right (E) side for Fuji.
Stay · 3 nights · Day 5–7
Kyoto
Your accommodation
Backpackers Hostel K's House Kyoto
from $26/night
$91 · 3 nights
Free things to do in Kyoto
Free
Fushimi Inari at dawn
6am, and the gates are yours for an hour.
Free
Nishiki market grazing
Kyoto's kitchen — tofu doughnuts to tako tamago.
Free
Gion at dusk
Hanamikoji lane — look, don't photograph the geiko.
Journey
Train
29m
Day 8
JR Special Rapid
$5
Kyoto → Osaka
¥580 flat. Turn-up-and-go — no reservation needed.
Stay · 3 nights · Day 8–10
Osaka
Your accommodation
Riverside HOSTEL CHILLAX Namba
from $19/night
$57 · 3 nights
Free things to do in Osaka
Free
Dōtonbori food gauntlet
Takoyaki, kushikatsu, the Glico man — kuidaore, eat till you drop.
Free
Osaka Castle park and moats
The park, moats and stonework cost nothing and open at dawn — the ticket is only for the keep, a 1930s concrete rebuild with a lift in it.
Free
Kuromon market breakfast
Grilled scallops and uni before 10am.
Journey
Train
2h 30m
Day 11
Tōkaidō Shinkansen Nozomi
$121
Osaka → Tokyo
¥13,870 unreserved (cars 1–2; ¥14,720 reserved — and all seats are reserved over Golden Week, Obon and New Year). Left side (A) this direction for the Fuji encore.
Back in Tokyo
Fly out, or stay longer — the booking links stop, you don't have to.
Before you go
The gaps the itinerary above doesn't cover.
Data that works on landing
An eSIM activates before you fly, so maps and transport apps work the moment you land instead of after finding wifi.
Travel insurance
10 nights in Japan. Policies differ on cancellation cover and on whether the activities on this itinerary are included.
We don't recommend one over the other and we're not licensed to advise on insurance. Read each Product Disclosure Statement against your own trip and circumstances.