18 Days in Japan: Our Experience and Our Itinerary

Let’s start with the obvious: this isn’t “the perfect Japan itinerary” — it’s just ours, shaped by our interests, our pace, and the number of days we had. Someone else’s version will have more beaches, less shopping, or a different order of cities. But if you’re planning a similar 18-day trip and want to see Tokyo, Fuji, Osaka, and Kyoto without rushing, this route is a solid starting point.

Our 18-Day Japan Itinerary

We’re counting 18 days including the arrival and departure days. In broad strokes, the route looked like this:

• Days 1–3 — Tokyo. Arrival at Haneda Airport, first taste of the city.
• Days 4–5 — Fuji. An early train out of Tokyo, two days by Mount Fuji, and an evening transfer toward Osaka on day two.
• Days 6–9 — Osaka. Osaka itself, one day at Universal Studios Japan, and one day trip to Nara.
• Days 10–13 — Kyoto. An evening transfer from Osaka, walks through the city and its temples, one day in Arashiyama.
• Days 14–18 — Tokyo. Back to the capital for the last stretch, deliberately left open for shopping, right up until departure.

Now let’s go through each leg in more detail: how we got around, what we fit in, and what’s worth knowing if you’re planning something similar.

Days 1–3: Tokyo — First Impressions

We flew into Haneda Airport (HND) and spent our first 2.5 days in Tokyo before heading out to Fuji. That’s enough time for a first taste of the city — enough to see a handful of landmark spots and feel the contrast that draws people to Tokyo in the first place: ancient temples a few steps from skyscrapers and neon streets.

We won’t repeat the full list of places here — that’s its own big topic, and we’ve already covered it in detail: the Shibuya Sky observation deck, Shibuya Crossing, the Sensō-ji and Meiji Shrine temples, Tokyo Tower and Skytree, Akihabara, Shinjuku, and more — the whole list with opening hours, coordinates, and tips is in our Tokyo guide.

Heads up: if you’re planning something similar, 2.5 days in Tokyo at the start of the trip is really just an introduction. We deliberately saved the bulk of our Tokyo time for the end of the trip (more on that below), and used the first days to hit the most iconic spots without overloading ourselves before an early departure to Fuji.

Days 4–5: Fuji — How to Get There and What We Fit In

On the third day of the trip, we left Tokyo early in the morning — on the very first suitable train, to make the most of the daylight at Fuji.

How to Get to Fuji from Tokyo

We took the direct Fuji Excursion train to Kawaguchiko Station — one of the most convenient options, since the train runs without transfers.

Book ahead — tickets sell out fast, and trying to grab them the same day gives you a real chance of missing out. In theory you can travel standing, but the ride takes about two hours, so a reserved seat booked in advance is noticeably more comfortable.

After buying tickets, you need to print them at the station. After payment you get a detailed guide on exactly where and how to do it.

You can also reach Fuji by other trains with transfers, or by bus — though buses carry the risk of getting stuck in traffic. We chose the Fuji Excursion and were very happy with it.

We’ve already covered the actual viewpoints around Fuji in detail — Chureito Pagoda, views straight from the road, Lake Kawaguchiko, and more — in a separate guide to the best Mount Fuji views. Around Kawaguchiko itself we got around on rented bikes — there are plenty of rental shops, most open around 8 a.m., and it’s the easiest way to cover the lake’s surroundings in a day.

The Transfer from Fuji to Osaka via Mishima

On the evening of the second day, we headed onward toward Osaka. The route was: a bus from Kawaguchiko to Mishima Station, then a shinkansen the rest of the way to Osaka.

Bus tickets for Kawaguchiko – Mishima.

The logic behind this transfer is simple: Mishima is a stop on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line, so it’s closer and faster to head there directly from the Fuji area than to backtrack to Tokyo first and catch a train to Osaka from there. From Mishima onward, Mishima → Osaka was a shinkansen ride, same as from Tokyo Station — just boarding from a different point on the same line.

Days 6–9: Osaka, Universal Studios, and Nara

We spent 3.5 days in Osaka. One day went to Universal Studios Japan, another to a day trip to Nara, we also made it out to the mountain temple Katsuo-ji, and the rest of the time we explored Osaka itself.

We got around the city by metro — it’s clean, convenient, and covers all the key spots. Open Google Maps, type in your destination, and the app shows you the line, the station, and the travel time.

We’ve covered Osaka in full detail elsewhere — Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Shinsekai with the Tsūtenkaku tower, Kuromon Ichiba Market, and the shopping districts of Shinsaibashisuji and American Village — in a separate Osaka guide.

A Day at Universal Studios Japan

We gave a full day to Universal Studios Japan — the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World zones included. The park is big, and it genuinely deserves a whole day rather than half a day squeezed between other plans.

Good to know: lines for the most popular rides can run 1–2 hours, and they thin out noticeably after lunch — most visitors arrive in the morning.

A Day at Nara Park

We set aside another day for a day trip to Nara — Japan’s ancient capital, where sacred deer wander the streets freely. We got there from Osaka by train to Kintetsu-Nara Station.

We’ve put together the full Nara route — the deer, the Tōdai-ji and Kasuga Taisha temples, the park, and what to eat — in a separate Nara guide.

Katsuo-ji Temple in the Mino Mountains

We also made it out to Katsuo-ji — an old Buddhist temple founded in 727, tucked into the Mino mountains north of Osaka. It’s known for its hundreds of daruma dolls: you buy one, make a wish, and leave it at the temple — then come back to give thanks if the wish comes true. At the entrance you’re given a blank postcard for a stamp rally — you collect stamps around the grounds, and by the end they form a complete picture.

Good to know: you can get there by bus from Minoh-kayano Station (running from 9 a.m.) or, as we did, by taxi from the same station.

Days 10–13: Kyoto

In the evening after Osaka, we moved on to Kyoto on a regular train — about 30 minutes on the way. We spent 3.5 days there — walking the city and getting to know its landmarks.

Kyoto is a city where old Japan quite literally lives on the street: the thousands of torii at Fushimi Inari, the Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji, the geisha district of Gion, narrow Pontocho, and Kiyomizu-dera perched on its wooden platform above the hillside. The full list of places, opening hours, and practical tips is in our Kyoto guide.

Buses and the metro are the easiest way to get around Kyoto — for frequent trips, it’s worth getting a day pass, sold at Kyoto Station.

We set aside one of our Kyoto days for Arashiyama — a district on the west side of the city with a bamboo forest, a monkey park, and quiet temples tucked into the woods. We’ve covered the full Arashiyama route in a separate guide to the Arashiyama bamboo forest.

Days 14–18: Back to Tokyo and Shopping

From Kyoto we headed back to Tokyo by shinkansen and spent our remaining 5.5 days there before departure.

We deliberately kept these days free for shopping — no rushing between sights, just working through shops at our own pace, picking up souvenirs, clothes, and everything else we hadn’t gotten to earlier in the trip.

Why so many days: Tokyo is enormous, and shopping there easily stretches across several days simply because the interesting shopping districts are scattered across the city and each has a very different character.

Among the districts that suit shopping specifically, which we’ve already covered in our Tokyo guide:

• Ginza — international brands, designer boutiques, and tax-free shopping.
• Takeshita Street in Harajuku — youth culture, vintage finds, merch, and accessories.
• Shimokitazawa — vintage shops and independent boutiques, without the crowds.
• Akihabara — anime, manga, gaming, and electronics.

Tip: don’t cut it close on your last day before the flight — leave a buffer for packing, especially if you ended up shopping more than planned.

What to Know Before a Trip to Japan

A few practical points that come in handy regardless of which exact route you choose:

• Book the shinkansen in advance. On popular routes — like the Fuji Excursion or the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line between Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto — seats get snapped up fast in season. Book as soon as you’ve settled on your dates. Between Osaka and Kyoto it’s about 30 minutes on a regular train.
• Metro and buses within cities. In Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo alike, city transit is easy to plan through Google Maps: the app shows you the line, the platform, and the real-time travel time.
• Paying your fare. An IC card (Suica, ICOCA) is convenient for metro and buses — accepted almost everywhere, and it saves you from wrestling with ticket machines every time.
• Print your tickets if required. For some trains booked online (like our Fuji Excursion), the ticket needs to be printed at the station — after payment you usually get clear instructions on where to do it.

Online shinkansen booking service.

Every spot from our Japan guides, along with 130+ other locations across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Fujikawaguchiko, is pinned on our Japan Google Map — ready to open on your phone before you even land.

From our shop

Japan Google Map – 130+ Handpicked Locations (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara & Mount Fuji)

130+ personally visited locations across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara & Fujikawaguchiko – photo spots, cafes, temples, and entertainment – ready to open in Google Maps.

Google Maps

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Our Takeaways

18 days turned out to be the right amount of time for this particular route: two days at Fuji never got squeezed into one rushed day, Osaka and Kyoto didn’t blur into one hazy week, and the last days in Tokyo didn’t have to be sacrificed for one more sight — we’d deliberately set them aside for shopping, and it was worth it.

If you’re planning a similar trip, this route suits travelers who want to combine major cities, the nature around Fuji, and a relaxed final stretch before the flight home, without trying to cram it all into a single week.

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