The Golden Route (Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka) is the classic first trip to Japan for good reason. The usual version has a weak spot, though: it goes straight down the Tokaido line and back the same way. This loop goes out on the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa instead, one of the best-kept old cities in the country, with a side trip to the farmhouses of Shirakawa-go. From there it continues to Kyoto and returns to Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen, so you never repeat a journey.
The core version takes 18 days, and you choose how to do Kansai: stay in Kyoto the whole time and visit Osaka and Kobe as day trips, or split it with three nights in Osaka, which makes Kobe and the old onsen town of Arima easy. With 21 days, stop for two nights on the way back to Tokyo: Lake Ashi in Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi under Mount Fuji, or the temples and beaches of Kamakura.
*Accommodation (sharing a room) and trains, 18 days, middle version. International flights not included.
The route at a glance
Tap or click the map to open it at full size.
Prices are per room for two per night. Ryokan prices include dinner and breakfast. ⭐ = famous / worth it · ⭐⭐ = splurge.
Stop by stop
Tokyo 東京
Nights 1–4 · Neon, shrines & the best food city on earth
Plan
- Asakusa and Senso-ji early in the morning, then Ueno or Akihabara
- Meiji Shrine and Harajuku, Shibuya crossing at dusk, then Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai
- Ginza, Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace gardens, teamLab, Odaiba
- Get your IC card (Suica or PASMO) on day 1; it works on every train and bus on this trip, in every city
Where to stay
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier high floors over Ginza, 5 min to Tokyo Station¥30–45k
- Hotel Gracery Shinjuku the Godzilla hotel, right in Kabukicho¥22–35k
- ⭐⭐ The Okura Tokyo Tokyo's classic grand hotel, rebuilt in 2019¥80k+
Also worth seeing
Where I eat
Kanazawa 金沢
Nights 5–7 · Geisha districts, samurai lanes & a perfect garden
Plan
- Day 5: Hokuriku Shinkansen Tokyo → Kanazawa (~2 h 30–3 h). Afternoon in the Higashi Chaya teahouse district, gold-leaf ice cream included
- Day 6: Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens, Kanazawa Castle, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
- Nagamachi samurai lanes, the Ninja Temple (guided tours, book ahead), seafood bowls at Omicho Market
- Day 7: Shirakawa-go as a day trip, or move there for the night (next stop)
Where to stay
- Hyatt Centric Kanazawa modern hotel right at the station¥25–40k
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa central, between the station and the old town¥15–25k
- ⭐⭐ Asadaya a tiny, 150-year-old ryokan with only a handful of rooms¥120k+
Also worth seeing
Shirakawa-go 白川郷
Day trip, or night 7 · Thatched farmhouses in the mountains
Plan
- Bus from Kanazawa Station (~1 h 15–1 h 30), reserve seats online. These are the only easy public transport links
- Ogimachi village: the steep thatched gassho-zukuri houses, the Wada House museum, the Shiroyama viewpoint above the village
- As a day trip: go on the first bus and come back in the late afternoon (night 7 in Kanazawa)
- Overnight: sleep in a farmhouse inn. When the last tour buses leave around 16:00, the village goes quiet, and the morning is yours
Where to stay
- ⭐ Farmhouse minshuku (gassho inns) family-run thatched houses, shared baths, dinner by the irori hearth¥25–40k
Kyoto 京都
Nights 8–12 (or 8–15) · Temples, gardens & old wooden streets
Plan
- Day 8: Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga, then the Thunderbird to Kyoto (~2 h 15 in total)
- Fushimi Inari's torii tunnels at sunrise, Kiyomizu-dera, the lanes of Ninenzaka and Gion in the evening
- Arashiyama: the bamboo grove early, Tenryu-ji, the monkey park; Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, and Ryoan-ji's rock garden
- Day trip to Nara: the giant Buddha of Todai-ji and the bowing deer in the park (~45 min)
- Kyoto-only version: stay until night 15 and add day trips to Osaka (~15–30 min) and Kobe (~50 min)
Where to stay
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo central, walk to Gion and Nishiki Market¥20–35k
- Cross Hotel Kyoto stylish hotel by the Kamo River¥25–40k
- ⭐⭐ Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto built around an Edo-period garden, with its own hot spring¥120k+
Where I eat
Osaka 大阪
Nights 13–15 · Street food, Kobe beef & Arima Onsen
Plan
- Day 13: 15–30 min from Kyoto by JR or private railway. Osaka Castle, then Dotonbori and Shinsekai for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu
- Day 14: Kobe: the harbour, the Kitano district of old foreign houses, Nankinmachi Chinatown, and Kobe beef for lunch
- In the afternoon, take the bus or train up to Arima Onsen (~30 min from Kobe): one of Japan's oldest hot-spring towns, with rust-coloured kinsen (gold) and clear ginsen (silver) water. Stay for an evening soak
- Day 15: Umeda Sky Building, Kuromon Market, or a half day at Himeji Castle (~1 h)
Where to stay
- Cross Hotel Osaka a few steps from Dotonbori¥25–40k
- Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka above Osaka Station, easy for Kobe days¥18–30k
- ⭐⭐ Conrad Osaka on the top floors of a tower in Nakanoshima¥80k+
Hakone, Fuji or Kamakura 箱根・富士・鎌倉
21-day version · 2 nights · Pick one stop on the way back
Plan
- Hakone & Lake Ashi: Shinkansen to Odawara, then the Hakone loop on the Free Pass: mountain railway, cable car, the ropeway over the steaming Owakudani valley, a pirate ship across Lake Ashi to the torii in the water. A ryokan night with a private bath
- Lake Kawaguchi (Fuji Five Lakes): Shinkansen to Mishima, bus around Mount Fuji (~2 h). The Chureito Pagoda, lakeside walks, a room facing Fuji; highway bus to Shinjuku afterwards (~2 h)
- Kamakura: ~1 h south of Tokyo by JR. The Great Buddha, Hase-dera above the sea, Hokoku-ji's bamboo garden, the Enoden line to Enoshima island
- Option: the onsen towns of Yugawara and Atami are just south of Odawara, an easy detour from Hakone
Where to stay
- ⭐ Fujiya Hotel (Hakone) historic hotel from 1878, onsen and old-world dining room¥50–80k
- ⭐⭐ Hakone Ginyu every room has a private bath above the valley¥120k+
- ⭐ Kozantei Ubuya (Kawaguchiko) ryokan where every room faces Mount Fuji¥60–100k
- Hotel Metropolitan Kamakura modern hotel next to Kamakura Station¥20–35k
Tokyo 東京
Nights 16–17 (21 days: 18–20) · Last shopping & a final feast
Plan
- Day 16: Tokaido Shinkansen Osaka or Kyoto → Tokyo (~2 h 15). Sit in seat E for the view of Mount Fuji
- The Ghibli Museum (book weeks ahead), Shimokitazawa or Kichijoji, last shopping in Ginza
- Last day: Haneda is ~30 min from central Tokyo, Narita ~1 h
Where to stay
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier high floors over Ginza, 5 min to Tokyo Station¥30–45k
- Hotel Gracery Shinjuku the Godzilla hotel, right in Kabukicho¥22–35k
Budget
Estimates for October at ¥150 ≈ US$1 · ¥165 ≈ €1. Ranges, not promises.
| Version | Accommodation (2 people) | + Trains (per person) | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 days, value: business hotels, one farmhouse night | ≈ ¥380k | ≈ ¥55k | ≈ ¥245k |
| 18 days, middle: the first hotel at most stops | ≈ ¥470k | ≈ ¥55k | ≈ ¥290k |
| 21 days: + two nights in Hakone, Kawaguchiko or Kamakura | + ¥60–140k | + ¥10k | + ¥40–80k |
| + Splurge: Asadaya, Hotel The Mitsui or Hakone Ginyu | + ¥80–120k | + ¥40–60k |
My recommendation
Take the middle version, about ¥290k per person for 18 days. If you add one thing, take the 21-day version with a Hakone ryokan. Prices in Kyoto and Tokyo climb sharply in cherry-blossom season and in November.
🚗 Trains include the Hokuriku Shinkansen Tokyo → Kanazawa, Kanazawa → Kyoto via Tsuruga, the Shirakawa-go bus, local trains in Kansai and the Tokaido Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Not included
- International flights
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees, the Hakone Free Pass, ropeways and tours
- Late March to early April and November: up to +50% in Kyoto
Booking & practical tips
JR Pass?
Usually not worth it for this route: the Japan Rail Pass got much more expensive in 2023, and the long journeys are spread over 2–3 weeks. Price single tickets against the Hokuriku Arch Pass, which covers Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto/Osaka.
Luggage
Send big suitcases ahead by takkyubin (hotel front desks handle it, delivery the next day). Many Shinkansen also require a reservation for oversized luggage.
Kansai: one base or two?
Kyoto-only means no hotel change and quiet evenings; Osaka means cheaper hotels, better nightlife and easy Kobe and Arima trips. Both work. Osaka is the better pick if you want the onsen night.
Seasons
Cherry blossoms: Tokyo and Kyoto late March to early April, Kanazawa a week later. Autumn colours: Kanazawa early November, Kyoto mid to late November. Summer is hot and humid; winter is calm and cheap, with snow in Shirakawa-go.
Book early
Kyoto in spring and autumn, the Shirakawa-go farmhouse inns and Hakone ryokans sell out months ahead. Ghibli Museum tickets go on sale on the 10th of the month before.
Eat
Sushi and wagyu in Tokyo, gold-leaf sweets and seafood in Kanazawa, kaiseki and tofu in Kyoto, takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Osaka, Kobe beef in Kobe.
Pick your version
18 days · Kyoto as the only base
- Tokyo (4 nights)
- Kanazawa (3), with a Shirakawa-go day trip
- Kyoto (8), with day trips to Nara, Osaka and Kobe
- Tokyo (2)
18 days · Kyoto + Osaka
- Tokyo (4 nights)
- Kanazawa (2) + Shirakawa-go farmhouse (1)
- Kyoto (5), with a Nara day trip
- Osaka (3), with Kobe, Arima Onsen and Himeji
- Tokyo (2)
21 days · with Fuji or Kamakura
- Tokyo (4 nights)
- Kanazawa (3)
- Kyoto (5)
- Osaka (3)
- Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi or Kamakura (2)
- Tokyo (3)
Frequently asked questions
Is 18 days too long for a first trip?
No. It's what makes this route relaxed: four nights in Tokyo, three in Kanazawa, and enough Kyoto time to see the famous sights early and the quiet ones in the afternoon.
Should I base myself in Kyoto or also stay in Osaka?
Kyoto-only is calmer, with no hotel change. Splitting with Osaka means cheaper hotels, better nightlife and easy trips to Kobe and Arima Onsen. If the onsen night matters to you, add Osaka.
Is Shirakawa-go worth an overnight stay?
If you can book a farmhouse inn, yes: after the last tour buses leave around 16:00, the village is completely different. Otherwise, a day trip from Kanazawa is easy.
Is the JR Pass worth it?
Usually not since the price increase in 2023. Single tickets for Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Tokyo cost less than the national pass. Price the Hokuriku Arch Pass for the Kanazawa leg.
Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi or Kamakura for the 21-day version?
Hakone for a ryokan night and a mountain loop, Lake Kawaguchi for the best views of Mount Fuji, Kamakura for temples and the sea without changing trains much. Fuji is clearest from late autumn to winter.
Comments
Questions, tips, your own experience?
Done this route, planning it, or found a great ryokan I missed? Leave a comment below. Please keep it friendly and on topic.
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