Touch down, ship the bags, and chase lantern light
Senso-ji Temple at Night
Touch down in Tokyo and hit the ground walking. Ship your big suitcases ahead to Kyoto via Takuhaibin (genius move — travel light for the next week with just backpacks). Take the airport train to Asakusa, your Tokyo home base. By 7:30 PM, the massive red lanterns of Senso-ji Temple glow like beacons through the warm night air. Grab casual yakitori on the walk back. Welcome to Japan.
Nakamise-dori
Nakamise-dori
Tokyo After Dark
Tokyo after dark
Yakitori
First night yakitori
Arrival day — take it easy. Land at Narita or Haneda. Before leaving the airport: find a Takuhaibin luggage forwarding counter (Yamato Transport / Kuroneko, look for the black cat logo) and send your large suitcases to your Kyoto hotel (¥2,000–3,000 per bag, arrives in 1–2 days). You won't need them until Jun 5 — travel light with backpacks until then. From Narita: Keisei Skyliner to Ueno (36 min, ~¥2,520), transfer to Ginza Line to Asakusa (5 min). From Haneda: Keikyu Line or monorail to central Tokyo, then subway to Asakusa (~45 min total). Check into hotel. Rest if needed — you just flew across the world. ~7:30 PM: Walk 10 min to Senso-ji Temple. The giant Kaminarimon gate and lanterns are illuminated but the crowds are gone. Grab yakitori from a street stall on the way back.
02
Thu · May 28
Ueno Park & Yanaka Old Town
Ease into Tokyo — pandas, parks, and the city's most charming backstreets
Ueno Park
Jet lag? What jet lag? Ease into your first full day with a relaxed stroll through Ueno Park — one of Tokyo's great green lungs. Visit the zoo (pandas!), rent a swan boat on Shinobazu Pond, or duck into the Tokyo National Museum for samurai armor and ancient scrolls. After lunch, walk north into Yanaka — Tokyo's most charming old-town neighborhood, where narrow lanes wind past temples, old-school sweet shops, and a legendary cat colony in the cemetery.
Ueno Park
Ueno Park
Yanaka
Yanaka backstreets
Yanaka Temples
Yanaka temples
Jet-lag day — everything is close and walkable, nap anytime. ~9:30 AM (or whenever you wake up): Ginza Line from Asakusa to Ueno (1 stop, 3 min). Ueno Park and Zoo are a 5 min walk from the station. Ueno Zoo (¥600/adult, free for kids under 12) opens at 9:30 — the giant pandas are the star attraction. Shinobazu Pond has swan boats (¥700/30 min). Tokyo National Museum (¥1,000/adult, free under 18) if the kids are into samurai armor and ancient swords. ~1:00 PM: Lunch in Ueno’s Ameyoko market street (cheap, lively, great street food). ~2:00 PM: Walk 15 min north into Yanaka. No subway needed — just wander. The old streets, temples, and Yanaka Cemetery cat colony are the attraction. ~4:00 PM: Nap break back at hotel if needed (jet lag hits around now). The whole day is self-paced — skip anything, add anything.
03
Fri · May 29
Digital Art & Neon Streets
Step into a mirror universe, then lose yourself in Tokyo's wildest neighborhoods
teamLab
Start the day at teamLab — a mind-bending digital universe where infinite flowers, fish, and cascading waterfalls swirl around you in mirrored rooms. Wade through ankle-deep water as the art responds to your every step (bring shorts!). Allow a good two hours to get properly lost in there. Afternoon: cross the world's most famous intersection at Shibuya Crossing — stand on the corner and watch a thousand people flow in every direction when the light changes. Then dive into the candy-colored chaos of Harajuku's Takeshita Street for crepes, quirky fashion, and sensory overload.
Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing
Harajuku
Harajuku
teamLab
Infinite worlds
~9:30 AM: Subway from Asakusa to Toyosu (Ginza Line to Shimbashi, transfer to Yurikamome Line — ~30 min total). ~10:00 AM: teamLab Planets (book timed entry tickets well in advance at teamlab.art — they sell out, especially weekends). Bring shorts or roll up pants — you wade through water. Allow 2 full hours. ~12:30 PM: Lunch near Toyosu or on the way to Shibuya. ~2:00 PM: Subway to Shibuya (Yurikamome + Ginza Line, ~30 min). Stand at the Shibuya Crossing scramble — best viewed from the 2nd floor of Starbucks overlooking the intersection, or just walk it. ~3:30 PM: Walk 15 min to Harajuku. Takeshita Street is a narrow lane packed with crepe shops, wild fashion, candy stores — the kids will love it. Meiji Shrine is a 5 min walk from the other end of Harajuku if you want a serene contrast. ~6:00 PM: Dinner in Shibuya or Harajuku, then subway back to Asakusa (~30 min).
04
Sat · May 30
Fish Markets & Neon Arcades
Eat everything, bike the river, conquer the arcades
Tsukiji Market
Wake up hungry. Tsukiji Outer Market by 9 AM is a sensory overload of the best kind — fresh sushi, tamagoyaki, grilled scallops on sticks, melon pan, and mochi in every color. Graze your way through the narrow alleys. After, rent Docomo electric-assist bikes and cruise along the Sumida River. End the day in Akihabara where multi-story arcades offer rhythm games, crane machines, and retro classics.
Sushi
Tsukiji sushi
Akihabara
Akihabara
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower from the river
~9:00 AM: Subway from Asakusa to Tsukiji (Ginza Line to Shimbashi, or Asakusa Line to Higashi-Ginza — ~15 min). Tsukiji Outer Market is open ~5 AM to 2 PM but 9–11 AM is the sweet spot. Graze — don't sit down for a meal, just eat from stall to stall. Must-try: tamagoyaki (sweet egg), fresh sushi, grilled scallops, melon pan, mochi. ~11:30 AM: Rent Docomo electric-assist bikes (register via app beforehand — docomo-cycle.jp, ¥165/30 min). Stations are everywhere. Ride along the Sumida River — flat, family-friendly, great views of Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower. ~1:30 PM: Return bikes near Akihabara (any Docomo station). Lunch. ~2:30 PM: Akihabara arcades. Sega, Taito Station, Super Potato (retro games). Multi-story buildings with crane machines, rhythm games, Mario Kart arcade, purikura photo booths. Most arcades are free to enter — pay per game (¥100–200). ~5:30 PM: JR Yamanote Line or subway back to Asakusa (~15 min). Last night in Tokyo — pack for tomorrow's Shinkansen. You only need backpacks!
Part 2
The Japanese Alps
May 31 – Jun 4 · 5 days
05
Sun · May 31
Bullet Train, Zenkoji & a 160-Year-Old Ryokan ✓ Booked
Trade Tokyo's neon for rice paddies, a pitch-black temple tunnel, and tatami floors
Shinkansen to Nagano
Board the Hokuriku Shinkansen and watch Tokyo dissolve into rice paddies at 170 mph. In Nagano, walk straight from the station to Shimizuya — a 160-year-old ryokan steps from Zenkoji Temple. Drop your bags and spend the whole afternoon exploring at your own pace. Zenkoji is one of Japan's most important temples, founded in the 7th century. Find the "key to paradise" by feeling your way through a pitch-black tunnel under the altar (the kids will lose their minds). Ring the giant bell. Wander the temple approach street lined with shops, snacks, and soba restaurants. Back at the ryokan: tatami rooms, paper screens, and a traditional multi-course kaiseki dinner. Your first night sleeping on futons.
Shinkansen
Hokuriku Shinkansen
Zenkoji Temple
Zenkoji Temple
Shimizuya Ryokan
160-year-old Shimizuya Ryokan
~9:30 AM Shinkansen from Tokyo/Ueno → ~11:00 AM Nagano Station (1.5 hrs). 10 min bus or 20 min walk to Shimizuya Ryokan (right next to Zenkoji). Drop bags, explore all afternoon. Kaiseki dinner at ryokan. Total transit: 1.5 hours. Next morning: 10 min bus to Nagano Station, Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto (50 min).
Face to face with one of Japan's last original castles
Matsumoto Castle
After breakfast at the ryokan, take a bus to Nagano Station and board the Limited Express Shinano through mountain valleys to Matsumoto — your Alps base for three nights. Check into the hotel, drop bags, and walk to Matsumoto Castle, nicknamed "Crow Castle" for its striking black exterior. One of only five original castles in Japan. Climb the impossibly steep wooden defensive ladders to the top floor for panoramic views of the surrounding Alps. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Nawate Street (aka "Frog Street") and Nakamachi Street's old storehouses before finding the perfect soba dinner.
Alps Panorama
Alps panorama
Castle Details
Crow Castle up close
~9:00 AM: Breakfast at Shimizuya (included). ~10:00 AM: 10 min bus to Nagano Station. ~10:30 AM: Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto (50 min, covered by JR Pass). ~11:20 AM: Arrive Matsumoto Station. Check into hotel (3 nights). Matsumoto Castle is a 15 min walk from station — go in the early afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day. The steep interior ladders take about 30–45 min to climb. Nawate Street and Nakamachi Street are between the station and castle — hit them on the walk back.
07
Tue · Jun 2
The Nakasendo Trail
Walk the same mountain path that samurai traveled 400 years ago
Nakasendo Trail
Lace up your hiking boots. Today you walk the Nakasendo — one of the ancient highways connecting Kyoto to Edo during the feudal era. The 5-mile section from Magome to Tsumago winds through forested mountains, past waterfalls and rice paddies, between two perfectly preserved wooden post towns. Ring the bear bells along the trail. Tsumago feels like stepping back 400 years.
Tsumago
Tsumago post town
Waterfall
Trail waterfall
Forest Path
Nakasendo forest
~7:30 AM: JR Limited Express Shinano from Matsumoto to Nakatsugawa Station (1 hr 15 min). ~8:50 AM: Local bus from Nakatsugawa to Magome trailhead (25 min, ~¥600). ~9:30 AM: Start hiking Magome → Tsumago (5 miles, 2–3 hrs, mostly downhill). The trail is well-marked with English signs. Bear bells are hung at intervals — ring them. Stop at teahouses along the way. ~12:30 PM: Arrive Tsumago, explore the post town, grab lunch. ~2:00 PM: Bus from Tsumago to Nagiso Station (10 min, ~¥300). ~2:30 PM: JR train from Nagiso back to Matsumoto (~1 hr). ~3:30 PM: Back at hotel. Feet up. Pack lunch or eat on the trail — options are limited between towns.
08
Wed · Jun 3
Kamikochi Alpine Valley
Japan's Yosemite — crystal rivers and 10,000-foot peaks
Kamikochi
Welcome to Japan's most pristine alpine valley. Kamikochi sits at 1,500 meters where the crystal-clear Azusa River winds beneath snow-capped peaks over 3,000 meters. Flat, family-friendly trails run alongside the river through pristine meadows. Cross the iconic Kappa Bridge, watch for wild macaques, and breathe some of the cleanest air on Earth.
Northern Alps
Northern Alps
Azusa River
Azusa River valley
~8:00 AM: Alpico Kamikochi Line train from Matsumoto to Shin-Shimashima (30 min). ~8:40 AM: Transfer to Alpico bus up to Kamikochi (1 hr, buy round-trip ticket at station). ~9:40 AM: Arrive Kamikochi Bus Terminal. The main trail is flat and runs along the Azusa River — very family-friendly. Walk to Kappa Bridge (10 min), then continue upstream to Myojin Pond (~1 hr each way) or downstream to Taisho Pond (~30 min each way). Pack a picnic or eat at the bus terminal restaurant. ~3:30 PM: Catch return bus to Shin-Shimashima (last bus ~5 PM — don't cut it close). ~5:00 PM: Back in Matsumoto. Private cars are banned in Kamikochi — bus is the only way in. Pack layers, it's 5–10°C cooler at 1,500m altitude. Book bus tickets in advance via Alpico: https://www.alpico.co.jp/en/
09
Thu · Jun 4
The Giant Cedars of Togakushi
A 400-year-old forest cathedral, then soba in the highlands
Togakushi Cedar Path
Day trip to Togakushi, high in the mountains above Nagano. A 2-kilometer path through 400-year-old giant cedar trees leads to the hidden Togakushi Okusha shrine. The trees are massive — some over 20 feet around — and the path feels like walking through a living cathedral. After the hike, eat soba noodles in the Togakushi highlands, where buckwheat soba is a local art form. A gentler day after two big hikes, and your last full day in the Alps.
Togakushi Highlands
Togakushi highlands
Togakushi Soba
Highland soba lunch
~7:30 AM: Limited Express Shinano from Matsumoto to Nagano (50 min, JR Pass). ~8:20 AM: Arrive Nagano Station. Walk to bus stop #7 (Zenkoji Exit). ~9:10 AM: Alpico bus to Togakushi Okusha (1 hr, ¥2,500 — reservation required, book at highwaybus.com 1 month ahead). ~10:09 AM: Arrive Togakushi Okusha bus stop. Hike the 2km cedar path to the shrine and back (~1.5 hrs). ~12:00 PM: Walk or bus to Chusha village for soba lunch. Togakushi is one of Japan's top soba regions. ~1:47 PM: Bus from Togakushi Chusha back to Nagano (1 hr). ~2:45 PM: Nagano Station. ~3:00 PM: Limited Express Shinano back to Matsumoto (50 min). ~3:50 PM: Back at hotel. A gentler day after Nakasendo and Kamikochi. Last night in Matsumoto — find a great dinner spot to celebrate.
Part 3
Kyoto & Ancient Culture
Jun 5 – 9 · 5 days
10
Fri · Jun 5
Mountains to the Geisha District
Two bullet trains deliver you to ancient Kyoto
Gion District
Two trains carry you from the Alps to Japan's cultural heart. Reunite with your forwarded suitcases at the Kyoto hotel! Spend the evening in Gion, Kyoto's geisha district, where paper lanterns flicker to life along stone-paved lanes at dusk. If you're lucky, spot a maiko hurrying to an appointment. End at Kiyomizu-dera Temple for sunset views.
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Higashiyama
Higashiyama
~9:00 AM: Check out of Matsumoto hotel. ~9:30 AM: Limited Express Shinano from Matsumoto to Nagoya (2 hrs). ~11:30 AM: Nagoya Station — transfer to Tokaido Shinkansen (runs every 10–15 min, no reservation needed for unreserved cars). ~12:05 PM: Arrive Kyoto Station (35 min). Your Takuhaibin suitcases from Day 1 should be waiting at the hotel! Check in, unpack, breathe. ~3:00 PM: Walk to Gion and Higashiyama. The narrow stone-paved lanes come alive at dusk with paper lanterns. ~5:30 PM: Kiyomizu-dera Temple for sunset views over the city (open until 6 PM, later during special illumination events). Total transit: ~2.5 hours plus transfer.
11
Sat · Jun 6
River Rapids & Monkeys
A scenic train, a wild boat ride, and macaques on a mountain
Bamboo Grove
Pure adventure day. Sagano Romantic Train through the Hozugawa gorge. Board a wooden boat and shoot the rapids — a thrilling 2-hour ride. Back in Arashiyama, hike up to Iwatayama Monkey Park where 120 wild macaques roam free while you survey all of Kyoto below.
Hozugawa River
Hozugawa River
Monkeys
Arashiyama monkeys
~8:30 AM: JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama Station (15 min, JR Pass). Walk 10 min to Torokko Saga Station. ~9:05 AM: Sagano Romantic Train departs (book at sagano-kanko.co.jp/en/ — tickets open 1 month before, sells out on weekends. NOT covered by JR Pass. ~¥880/adult, ¥440/child). The open-air scenic train winds through the Hozugawa gorge for 25 min. ~9:35 AM: Arrive Torokko Kameoka. Walk or shuttle to the Hozugawa boat launch (15 min). ~10:00 AM: Board wooden boat for the Hozugawa River Descent (2 hrs, ~¥4,100/adult, ¥2,700/child 4–12). Skilled boatmen navigate rapids and calm stretches. You end up in Arashiyama. ~12:00 PM: Lunch in Arashiyama. ~1:00 PM: Walk through the Bamboo Grove (free, 10 min walk from the boat landing). ~1:30 PM: Hike 20 min uphill to Iwatayama Monkey Park (¥550, open until 4:30 PM). 120 wild macaques on a hilltop with panoramic views of Kyoto. ~3:30 PM: Walk back to Saga-Arashiyama Station, JR train back to Kyoto (15 min).
12
Sun · Jun 7
10,000 Gates at Dawn
Set the alarm — Fushimi Inari is worth every lost minute of sleep
Fushimi Inari
Set your alarm for 5:45 AM. By 6:30, Fushimi Inari is nearly empty — just your family, the mountain, and thousands of vermillion torii gates tunneling up through the forest. The path climbs to the summit through a world of orange light and green shadow. 2-hour round trip. By the time you descend, the crowds arrive. You'll have had the whole mountain to yourselves.
Morning Light
Morning light through gates
Kitsune
Kitsune guardians
~6:15 AM: JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Inari Station (5 min, 2 stops, JR Pass). Shrine entrance is literally outside the station exit. ~6:25 AM: Start hiking. The first section (thousands of gates, the iconic tunnel photos) takes about 30 min. Continue to the summit for the full experience — ~2 hrs round trip at a family pace with rest stops. Lots of stairs but 8/10/12-year-olds will handle it fine. ~8:30 AM: Back at the bottom. By now crowds are arriving — you had it practically to yourselves. Train back to Kyoto. ~9:00 AM: Breakfast near the hotel (or convenience store feast — onigiri, melon pan, milk tea). The rest of the day is wide open. Fushimi Inari is free and open 24/7.
13
Mon · Jun 8
The Giant Buddha of Nara
Bow to the deer (they bow back) and meet a 50-foot bronze Buddha
Nara Deer Park
Day trip to Nara — 1,200 sacred deer roam completely free. Buy deer crackers and bow — they bow back. Step inside Todai-ji, the world's largest wooden building, to meet the 50-foot bronze Daibutsu. Don't miss the "enlightenment hole" — squeeze through a pillar opening the size of the Buddha's nostril for good luck.
Todai-ji
Todai-ji Temple
Nara Park
Nara Park
~9:30 AM: JR Miyakoji Rapid from Kyoto Station to Nara Station (45 min, JR Pass — faster than Kintetsu and covered by pass). ~10:15 AM: Arrive Nara. Walk 10 min through the shopping arcade toward Nara Park. Buy deer crackers (shika senbei, ¥200) from vendors — the deer know what the crackers look like and will mob you, so be ready! Bow to them and they bow back. ~11:00 AM: Todai-ji Temple (¥600/adult, ¥300/child). The Daibutsu hall is staggering — world's largest wooden building housing a 50-foot bronze Buddha. Find the pillar with the "enlightenment hole" (same size as Buddha's nostril) and let the kids squeeze through. ~12:30 PM: Lunch in Nara (lots of options near the park). Wander Naramachi, the old merchant quarter, if you have energy. ~2:30 PM: JR train back to Kyoto (45 min). ~3:15 PM: Back in Kyoto with the whole evening free.
14
Tue · Jun 9
Kyoto Free Day
No schedule. No agenda. Just follow your curiosity.
Kamo River
Your day. Sleep in. Wander Nishiki Market — Kyoto's 400-year-old "kitchen." Rent bikes along the Kamo River. Find a hidden temple (Kyoto has over 2,000). Get lost in a department store basement food hall. Or sit in a traditional tea house and watch the world slow down.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Kyoto
Kyoto by bike
Sleep in! No alarms, no trains. Some ideas for the day: Nishiki Market is a 5 min walk from Shijo-Karasuma — graze on pickles, matcha sweets, fresh mochi, and skewered everything. Rent bikes near the hotel and cruise along the Kamo River path (flat, scenic, easy for kids). Hidden temples worth finding: Tofuku-ji (spectacular gardens, way fewer tourists than Kiyomizu-dera), Nanzen-ji (free grounds, beautiful brick aqueduct the kids can climb around). Department store basement food halls (depachika) at Takashimaya or Daimaru on Shijo are mind-blowing — free samples everywhere. Last night in Kyoto — consider a special dinner. Pack tonight for tomorrow's Shinkansen to Tokyo.
Part 4
Homeward Bound
Jun 10 – 11 · 2 days
15
Wed · Jun 10
Return to the Hub
One last Shinkansen ride and a ramen farewell
Tokyo Skyline
One final Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Last-minute souvenir missions: Kit Kat flavors at Don Quijote, Pokémon Center for the kids. Farewell dinner: find a ramen shop with a ticket machine and slurp your final bowl. Tsukemen, tonkotsu, or spicy tantanmen?
Ramen
Last-night ramen
Shopping
Souvenir hunting
~10:00 AM: Check out of Kyoto hotel. Tokaido Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo Station (2 hr 15 min, JR Pass — Hikari trains run every 30 min, Nozomi runs more often but is NOT covered by JR Pass). ~12:15 PM: Arrive Tokyo Station. Store luggage in coin lockers (¥400–700) or take it to your hotel first. Afternoon: souvenir blitz. Don Quijote in Asakusa or Shibuya for Kit Kats, snacks, weird gadgets. Pokémon Center Tokyo (Ikebukuro Sunshine City or Tokyo Station area). Character Street in Tokyo Station basement for last-minute gifts. ~6:00 PM: Farewell ramen — find a shop with a ticket machine (Fuunji in Shinjuku, Rokurinsha in Tokyo Station, or anywhere with a line out the door). Check into hotel.
16
Thu · Jun 11
Sayonara, Japan
Full hearts, full suitcases, a million memories
Homeward Bound
Pack up, grab one last convenience store onigiri, and take the airport express. You hiked ancient trails, rode bullet trains, fed wild deer, threw shuriken, crossed Shibuya, shot river rapids, and walked through 10,000 gates at dawn. Not bad for 16 days. See you next time, Japan.
Sayonara
Sayonara
Check your flight time and work backwards. For Narita: Narita Express (N'EX) from Tokyo Station (~1 hr, runs every 30 min, ~¥3,250). For Haneda: Tokyo Monorail from Hamamatsucho (~15 min) or Keikyu Line from Shinagawa (~20 min). From Asakusa, the Asakusa Line runs direct to Haneda on some trains (~45 min). Arrive at the airport 3 hours before international flights. The airport departure halls have excellent last-chance souvenir shops — royce chocolate, Tokyo Banana, regional Kit Kats. Grab a final onigiri from the convenience store for the road.
Senso-ji Temple at Night
Nakamise-dori
Tokyo After Dark
Yakitori
