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Japan 2026

Jan 24 – Feb 3, 2026

An eleven-day route through Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, Hakone, the Fuji Five Lakes area, and Tokyo.

  • Osaka
  • Kobe
  • Nara
  • Kyoto
  • Hakone
  • Kawaguchiko
  • Tokyo
Destination
Japan
Days
11
Planned stops
133

Day 1 · Osaka

Land in Osaka

Saturday, January 24

5 stops
  2. Transit 17.5 km
  3. Walk 0.26 mi
  4. Walk 300 ft
  5. Walk 0.25 mi

Day 2 · Osaka

Full Osaka Day

Sunday, January 25

12 stops
  2. Drive 1.9 mi
  3. Walk 0.93 mi
  4. Walk 0.23 mi
  5. Walk 0.61 mi
  6. Walk 200 ft
  7. Walk 0.82 mi
  8. Walk 0.59 mi
  9. Drive 2.3 mi
  10. Drive 3.3 mi
  11. Drive 1.2 mi
  12. Walk 0.35 mi

Day 3 · Osaka → Kobe

Kobe day trip

Monday, January 26

14 stops
  2. Walk 1.1 mi
  3. Walk 0.55 mi
  4. Transit 7.7 km

    Follow signs for the Shinkansen. Purchase a "Non-reserved" (Jiyu-seki) ticket for Shin-Kobe. Board any westbound Shinkansen (Nozomi, Hikari, Sakura, or Kodama). It is the very next stop.

  5. Transit 36.6 km
  6. Walk 0.31 mi
  7. Transit 2.0 km
  8. Drive 2 mi
  9. Walk 0.35 mi
  10. Walk 0.13 mi
  11. Walk 0.41 mi
  12. Drive 19.5 mi
  13. Walk 1.1 mi
  14. Transit 4.8 km

Day 4 · Osaka → Nara → Kyoto

Nara to Kyoto

Tuesday, January 27

15 stops
  2. Walk 0.52 mi

    Choose the "Rapid Express" (Kaisoku-Kyuko). This is the fastest train (about 35–40 minutes) and costs the same as the local train.

  3. Transit 32.7 km
  4. Drive 0.57 mi
  5. Walk 0.74 mi
  6. Walk 0.32 mi
  7. Walk 0.15 mi
  8. Walk 0.39 mi
  9. Walk 1.3 mi
  10. Drive 26.7 mi
  11. Drive 1.8 mi
  12. Walk 0.55 mi
  13. Walk 0.36 mi
  14. Walk 0.3 mi
  15. Walk 0.27 mi

Day 5 · Kyoto

Fushimi Inari/Gion

Wednesday, January 28

18 stops
  2. Walk 0.16 mi

    Local or Sub-Express train heading towards Yodoyabashi or Naka-shoshima.

  3. Drive 2.6 mi
  4. Walk 0.65 mi
  5. Walk 0.4 mi
  6. Walk 400 ft
  7. Walk 0.94 mi
  8. Drive 2.5 mi
  9. Walk 0.99 mi
  10. Walk 0.31 mi
  11. Walk 0.2 mi
  12. Walk 400 ft
  13. Walk 0.18 mi
  14. Walk 200 ft
  15. Walk 0.54 mi
  16. Walk 0.48 mi
  17. Walk 0.31 mi
  18. Walk 0.22 mi

Day 6 · Kyoto

Arashiyama and Team labs

Thursday, January 29

13 stops
  2. Walk 0.32 mi
  3. Drive 5.7 mi
  4. Walk 0.62 mi
  5. Walk 0.22 mi
  6. Walk 0.28 mi
  7. Walk 0.25 mi
  8. Walk 0.13 mi
  9. Walk 400 ft
  10. Drive 4.7 mi
  11. Drive 2.5 mi
  12. Drive 3.1 mi
  13. Transit 4.5 km

Day 7 · Kyoto → Hakone → Kawaguchiko

Hakone loop and Fuji

Friday, January 30

12 stops

  1. Drop carry-ons at the front desk and complete the Takkyubin form for the Tokyo hotel.

  2. Drive 2.3 mi

    Take Shinkansen Hikari 642 to Odawara and sit on the left side (Seat E) for a chance to see Mt. Fuji near Shizuoka. If the Hakone loop is too much, travel from Kyoto to Mishima and take the Fujikyu Express Bus from the south exit to Kawaguchiko Station.

  3. Transit 399 km

    Follow signs for the Odakyu Line. Buy the two-day Hakone Free Pass at the ticket machines or counter; it covers Hakone transit. Continue on the Odakyu Line for the Hakone Tozan Railway.

  4. Drive 3.8 mi

    Walk across the same platform to board the mountain-climbing Hakone Tozan Railway (small red cars).

  5. Drive 5.3 mi
  6. Transit 1.3 km
  7. Transit 1.5 km
  8. Transit 2.6 km

    Take the Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus (Line W) to Gotemba Station.

  9. Drive 6 mi
  10. Transit 28.6 km
  11. Transit 28.0 km

    Fujikawaguchiko

    Kawaguchiko Station

    Ask the information booth to call Lake Land at +81 555-72-1831 for a shuttle.

  12. Walk 1.4 mi

Day 8 · Kawaguchiko → Tokyo

Kawaguchiko area

Saturday, January 31

10 stops
  2. Walk 1.4 mi
  3. Walk 200 ft

    Fujikawaguchiko

    Kawaguchiko Station

    Take the Green Line sightseeing bus to Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba.

  4. Drive 3.2 mi
  5. Walk 0.53 mi
  6. Walk 0.53 mi
  7. Drive 3.2 mi
  8. Drive 64.4 mi
  9. Drive 7.1 mi
  10. Walk 0.72 mi

Day 9 · Tokyo

Harajuku, Akihabara, Odaiba

Sunday, February 1

20 stops
  2. Transit 3.3 km
  3. Walk 0.76 mi
  4. Walk 0.81 mi
  5. Walk 300 ft
  6. Walk 0.24 mi
  7. Transit 10.4 km
  8. Walk 0.29 mi
  9. Walk 0.18 mi
  10. Walk 0.13 mi
  11. Walk 0.27 mi
  12. Walk 0.2 mi

    Tokyo · Chiyoda

    Akihabara Station

    Take the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line southbound to Shimbashi Station.

  13. Transit 3.9 km
  14. Transit 7.8 km
  15. Walk 0.43 mi
  16. Walk 0.47 mi
  17. Walk 0.18 mi
  18. Transit 7.8 km

    Tokyo · Minato

    Shimbashi Station

    Follow signs out of the Yurikamome gates and into JR Shimbashi Station. Board a southbound train on the JR Yamanote Line (green) or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line (blue).

  19. Transit 3.7 km
  20. Walk 300 ft

Day 10 · Tokyo

Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku

Monday, February 2

13 stops
  2. Drive 8.4 mi
  3. Walk 0.22 mi
  4. Walk 0.2 mi
  5. Walk 0.24 mi
  6. Walk 0.51 mi
  7. Drive 7.6 mi
  8. Walk 0.18 mi
  9. Walk 200 ft
  10. Walk 0.19 mi
  11. Walk 0.46 mi
  12. Drive 3 mi
  13. Walk 0.85 mi

Day 11 · Tokyo

Setsuban Festival

Tuesday, February 3

1 stops