So you finally decided to visit Japan but you don’t know where to visit in Japan. Well luckily, we have some monkeys stationed in Japan so we’ll try to help you out. Many first-time visitors of course want to visit Tokyo, Japan’s metropolis. I mean Tokyo is Japan (!) or is it? Well it surely is a big, or rather crowded part of Japan. It has a lot to offer, museums, restaurants, bars, nerdy stuff, cool stuff, yeah you name. It’s the capital of the third largest economy in the world so of course you can find most things in Japan, and then some.
Japan itinerary – Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara (2 weeks)
Lets assume that you have 2 weeks in Japan. I would start by taking a flight to Tokyo, the city you might have heard so much about. Spend 3-4 days here and visit the major areas like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ginza, Harajuku, Asakusa as well as parks, museum and so on that might interest you.
Next, you take the bullet train (Shinkansen) to either Osaka or Kyoto. This will be your base for about 5 days. If you like to stay in a city with more traditional temples, choose Kyoto. If you enjoy a busier city, choose Osaka. In either case you’ll be able to visit both as much as you want as only 30-60 minutes separates the cities. Also, when you stay here, take a day-trip to Nara. It will be a day-trip that you will surely remember. To spark your interest and imagination, Nara is a city where deer run around freely around the city. You’ll be able to interact with the animals as you walk around. Nara also the world’s largest Buddha bronze statue (Toudai-ji).
When you are done with Osaka/Kyoto-area it’s time to head back to Tokyo again. The remaining days you could use to visit places you missed the first days and do some shopping before heading home.
This is a very brief and not detailed itinerary. But hopefully it gets the ball rolling on where to visit in Japan. It’s a popular route amongst first-time visitors. We would also like to mention that if a itinerary like this seems appealing to you, you should consider purchasing a Japan Rail Pass or Willer Express Bus Pass. Taking the train in Japan is VERY expensive.