A week is just enough time to do Japan's classic Golden Route properly without spending half of it on trains. Here's the ultimate seven-day itinerary for Japan.
Japan has become one of the best overseas trips an Australian can take for good reason. Direct flights run from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Cairns, the flight time from the east coast sits around nine and a half hours, and the time difference is only an hour or two, so you land without the jet lag that wrecks the first two days of a European holiday.
Here's how to spend seven days in Japan across Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Before you book your one-week trip to Japan
Australians enter Japan visa-free for up to 90 days with no form, no fee and no embassy appointment. You will want to register on Visit Japan Web before you fly, which generates a QR code for immigration and customs and saves you the slowest queue in the arrivals hall.
Day 1: Land in Tokyo
Overnight flights from the east coast get you into Haneda or Narita in the morning, which means you have a full day up your sleeve. Don't waste it on anything ambitious. Drop your bags in Shinjuku or Shibuya, pick up a Suica card (you can add one straight to Apple Wallet before you even land), then walk. Shibuya Crossing at dusk, a bowl of ramen (you can't go wrong at Tokyo Ramen Street), and tuck in for an early night.
Day 2: Old Tokyo and new Tokyo
Start early at Sensō-ji in Asakusa, before the tour buses arrive, then work your way through Ueno or Yanaka for a slower slice of the city. In the afternoon swing to the opposite extreme: Akihabara for the electronics chaos, Harajuku for the street fashion or teamLab for the digital art. Book teamLab tickets well ahead, as they sell out.
Day 3: Day trip to Hakone
Hakone is the easiest Mt Fuji fix from Tokyo, and the loop of cable cars, a pirate ship across Lake Ashi and an onsen soak makes a genuinely good day out. If the forecast is cloudy, Nikko's shrines and waterfalls are the better call and roughly the same distance. Either way you're back in Tokyo for dinner.
Day 4: Shinkansen to Kyoto
The Shinkansen connects Tokyo and Kyoto in around two hours 15 minutes on the fastest services. Grab a bento from the station platform, sit on the right-hand side for a shot at Fuji, and you'll be in Kyoto by early afternoon. Spend the evening in Gion, then head to Fushimi Inari after dark when the torii gates are lit and almost empty.
Day 5: Kyoto proper
Arashiyama's bamboo grove first thing, then the monkey park if you've got kids in tow. Kinkaku-ji, the golden pavilion, is worth the crowds. Break the temple run with lunch at Nishiki Market, which is where Kyoto actually eats. Choose a hotel in central Kyoto.
Day 6: Nara, then on to Osaka
Nara is 45 minutes from Kyoto and delivers the famous bowing deer, plus Tōdai-ji and its enormous bronze Buddha. Do it as a half day, then continue to Osaka in the afternoon and check into a hotel near Namba. Dōtonbori is one of the best experiences you can have in Osaka, and there's nothing quite like it back in Australia.
Day 7: Osaka and home
Osaka Castle in the morning, Kuromon Ichiba Market for one last round of street food, then out through Kansai International. Flying home from a different city to the one you arrived in saves you a full day of backtracking, and a multi-city search will often price it within a few dollars of a standard return.
How to book your trip to Japan for less
Japan fares from Australia swing hard between seasons, so flexibility is where the savings are. Use Whole Month searchto see a full calendar of prices at once, which usually reveals that shifting your trip by a week or two knocks hundreds off. Set a Price Alert on your preferred dates and we'll let you know when the fare moves. And if you're not locked into Japan yet, Explore Everywhere will show you what else your budget buys from your home airport.
Discover more Japan travel tips
Still deciding when to go? Our guide to the best time to visit Japan breaks down cherry blossom crowds, autumn colour and ski season, and if you're after more ideas for your week, start with the best things to do in Japan or these cool things you can't miss. Travelling on a tight budget? Here's how to travel Japan on a shoestring. And if Hakone has you hooked, our guide to exploring Mount Fuji covers everything from the best viewpoints to the climbing season.
