VISITING JAPAN | The Ultimate 2 Week Itinerary | Abroad Blog

i wish i saw this first when i first went to japan :/

Moira Villareal

It is!

Catt Lewis

What the name of the retro game bar in Osaka? Is it Space Station?

Lee Pinchbeck

Khaosan World, my favorite hostel! I stayed in that very one in Asakusa just this July. It has my favorite vending machine--the fried foods one with yakisoba and takoyaki and the like!

Denver Dauthe

That's pretty amazing all managed to do that under the £1,000 budget (to even half of what it was £536) and to visit nice places all in 2 week plan. Great Itinerary planning, thanks for this!

Aaron Bailey

Thanks for the article, coming for 3 weeks end of March next year. Have a similar itinerary in mind

Luke Beaman

Thank you. Now i have to rethink my plans for march - again. .__. Asimo... hmmm...

I did a very similar itinerary for my 2 weeks in Japan - definitely manage to see enough to satisfy but not exhaust. Still super keen to get back to see more though - hopefully next year. We splashed out a bit & got the JR Rail Pass though & just caught the bullet trains everywhere - really handy & no sacrificing sleep on the bus.

Caraniel

I'd go there after the first few days in Tokyo. Bullet train up to Sendai, visit fox village, then fly from sendai airport to Osaka via low cost airline (and do Kyoto and Osaka in reverse).

Abroad in Japan

Most good hostels have lockers, but I'd recommend keeping your wallet and other key possessions with you at all times in a rucksack

Abroad in Japan

September - November or, March to June

Abroad in Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government building has a nice observation deck and is free. It really gives you an idea of how vast the area is. I quite liked the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto. Absolutely packed with tourists (though no worse than Fushimi-Inari-Taisha and with more room to maneuver around selfie-taking obstacles), but it was still a great visit. It pairs well with a visit to nearby Tenryu-ji or Okochi-Sanso Villa. The villa is a bit off the beaten path and I was surprised at how empty of tourists it was compared to Arashiyama, because it's gorgeous. If you're willing to pop for a business hotel instead of a hostel, japanican.com (run by JTB) had a lot more options than other booking sites. There was a much wider variety of options for areas to stay in compared to the usual travel booking sites. For a two-week stay, the Japan Rail Pass was a good deal. The one-week pass seems a bit too expensive, but for two weeks we did enough traveling on the shinkansen and inter-city JR-run routes that it definitely worked out in our favor overall. One use for the pass I didn't expect was to get around Tokyo, we could sometimes use JR lines instead of the subway to save a few more yen. Buses will be cheaper, but the rail pass really opens up the possibilities for day trips from major cities, and the shinkansen is an experience in itself. Definitely get an IC card (Suica/Pasmo/etc) for getting around the subway or local buses, too. They're not just for locals!

Leo

ありがとうございます！ You just saved me hours of mucking about on Odigo.

Thanks Chris!~ What month(s) would you recommend visiting when using this guide?

Martijn Dijksen

How to fit Fox Village in there is the real question. :D

Laura Beaumont

I'm travelling alone to Japan in January and I'm a little scared to stay in shared rooms (having stuff being stolen etc.), would you still recommend staying in them?

Absolutely - my new favourite way to travel Japan

Abroad in Japan

I would recommend using Airbnb for accommodations. Much cheaper, and still really good.

*smashes open the piggy bank to find only copper coins* One day though. One sweet day. I'd like to visit Harajuku and Meiji shrine on a Sunday to see the kids all dressed up, and traditional Japanese wedding parties.

Mz. Ultraviolence

I was gonna say the same thing! How convenient!

Valerie Tan

Perfect timing. I'm just planning a two weeks trip to japan ^^