Sensoji Temple
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
With towering gateways and a five-storied pagoda, this busy temple in Asakusa is a standout. If you have time for just one temple in Tokyo – make it this one.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Recommended itinerary:
Where to go and what to see in Japan to get the most from your trip – a 10-day itinerary from destination expert and Japan travel writer Rob Goss.
Editor note – Rob has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Kyoto destination guide and Tokyo destination guide.
Start the day at Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, then take the Ginza Line a couple of stops to Ueno for the vast collection of Japanese art and artefacts at the Tokyo National Museum.
For lunch in Ueno, try Ichiran Ramen. Like all the best ramen joints, just be ready to queue.
Near Ueno, visit the Yanaka area’s traditional shopping street (Yanaka Ginza), then explore the winding backstreets for contemporary art venues like SCAI the Bathhouse.
Afterwards, stop for locally made craft beer at Yanaka Beer Hall, which also serves izakaya food.
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
With towering gateways and a five-storied pagoda, this busy temple in Asakusa is a standout. If you have time for just one temple in Tokyo – make it this one.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Japan’s oldest and largest art and cultural museum, is a must-see for anyone interested in Japan’s fascinating history. Collections include samurai armour and swords, ancient Buddhist sculptures even tea ceremony utensils.
Best for ages: 8+ | £6 | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
A collection of six excellent in one park, including the Tokyo National Museum. Also one of the city’s most popular sites for hanami in Cherry Blosssom season.
Best for ages: 6+ | Varies | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Having avoided damage from the great quake of 1923, the bombs of World War Two and the attention of developers, this mellow, retro and rickety neighbourhood is reminiscent of ‘old Tokyo’.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Begin with the traditionally landscaped Hamarikyu Gardens before a short walk to the food stalls of Tsukiji Outer Market.
While in Tsukiji, don’t miss the sushi. Sushizanmai is one of many places here that serve super-fresh sushi for lunch at excellent prices.
In the afternoon, head to the upscale Ginza district for its plush department stores and international boutiques, or try a tea ceremony at the nearby Imperial Hotel.
If you fancy splurging on dinner, try the teppanyaki at Ukai Tei.
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
The wholesale fish market has moved to Toyosu island, but much of it gets delivered back to Tsukiji – browse the stalls and have a sushi breakfast – restaurants open at 5am.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
A swanky retail complex in Ginza – a plush district in the heart of the city, home to high-end department stores and boutiques.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
From mega-malls and swanky boutiques to food markets and traditional craft stores, Tokyo has all the shopping bases covered.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
The traditional tea ceremony, practiced for centuries, combines all the formality and ritual of traditional Japan, capped by a cup of thick green tea.
Best for ages: 13+ | £20 | Up to 4 hours
Have a morning of contrasts, with the serene Meiji Jingu Shrine and Harajuku’s Takeshita-dori street, an epicentre for quirky youth fashions.
For a high-calorie, sweet-toothed lunch on Takeshita-dori, try Marion Crepes.
From there, take an afternoon walk along the boutique-lined Omotesando-dori and on to Shibuya for the iconic Shibuya Crossing.
A few stations away in Shinjuku, dinner could be Hokkaido-style mutton barbecue at Youichi, before bar hopping in Shinjuku’s Golden Gai district.
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Surrounded by 170 acres of lush forest, this calming, functioning shrine in otherwise heaving Harajuku is one of central Tokyo’s most tranquil spots.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
The place to come to discover the latest urban street fashions on Cat Street, as well as the colourful teen trends on the narrow and frequently ram-packed Takeshita-dori (street).
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Like a thousand-person scrum, this is purportedly the world’s busiest road crossing – with as many as 3,000 people crossing at any one time. Grab a photo from above at the Crossing View observation deck.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Hundreds of cherry trees, combined with an entrance fee and no-alcohol policy, make the lawns of this park a great hanami spot for families.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Take the Bullet Train to Nagano (80 minutes), where a first stop should be the sprawling Zenko-ji Temple complex.
Near the temple, lunch on hand-made soba noodles with a side of tempura at Fujikian.
In the afternoon, head just outside Nagano City for Shibu Onsen, a quaint town known for its traditional ryokan inns and onsen (hot-spring baths).
Staying at a ryokan in Shibu, you won’t need to think about dinner: a multi-course, kaiseki-ryori meal comes with the deal.
Japan
Reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h, Japan’s iconic bullet train revolutionised high speed train travel when it first launched in 1964, only eclipsed in 2002 by new maglev trains. For locals, it’s a fast, convenient and safe means to travel between Japan’s major cities. For everyone else, it’s a must do.
Best for ages: 4+ | £90 | 2+ hours
Japan
Geothermal Japan is home to thousands of mineral-rich and bathable hot springs known as onsen. An integral part of Japanese daily life and culture.
Best for ages: 6+ | Free | 30+mins
Nagano, Kansai, Japan
A traditional ryokan in Shibu Onsen, Nagano, with its own onsen (hot spring) spa baths. An ideal place to stay for visiting the famous Snow Monkeys.
Official star rating:
In the morning, visit the bathing-loving snow monkeys near Shibu Onsen.
After, it’s a transfer to Kyoto. Catch the express train to Nagoya and then change onto the Bullet Train to Kyoto (4 hours) to arrive at your hotel for dinner.
Nagano, Chubu, Japan
See the world-famous, red-faced Japanese macaques blissfully soaking in natural hot-spring baths, then try it yourself in a traditional onsen.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free
Japan
Reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h, Japan’s iconic bullet train revolutionised high speed train travel when it first launched in 1964, only eclipsed in 2002 by new maglev trains. For locals, it’s a fast, convenient and safe means to travel between Japan’s major cities. For everyone else, it’s a must do.
Best for ages: 4+ | £90 | 2+ hours
In the morning, head to northeast Kyoto to avoid the worst of the crowds at two of the city’s top UNESCO-designated sights: the gilded Kinkaku-ji Temple and the Zen garden of Ryoan-ji Temple.
For lunch, try cooking your own okonomiyaki savoury pancakes at Katsu, near Ryoanji Station.
Then take the Randen tram to Arashiyama for the famed bamboo grove, but also the gardens of Tenryu-ji Temple, the opulent Okochi Sanso Villa, and, if time, a footbath by the station’s Kimono Forest.
Finish in Arashiyama with a dinner of unagi (char-grilled eel) at Hirokawa.
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
The stunning, gilded temple of Kinkakuji, casting its golden reflection onto an islet-studded pond, is the iconic Kyoto image. A UNESCO World Heritage site.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Translating as The Temple of the Dragon at Peace, this Zen temple’s cryptically designed rock garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ‘dry landscape’ Japanese Zen temple garden design featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Best for ages: 13+ | £3
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
The towering stalks and soft light of Arashiyama’s much-photographed bamboo grove make this iconic Kyoto sight an almost otherworldly experience.
Best for ages: 4+ | £3
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
This temple near the famous bamboo grove in Arashiyama is worth admission for its 700-year-old Zen garden. Although built around a central pond, it’s also a classic example of a garden that employs shakkei (borrowed scenery), with the surrounding mountains adding depth to each scenic point.
Best for ages: 13+ | £3
Start at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple then walk through the lovely old streets nearby, stopping for a yudofu (simmered tofu) lunch at Okabeya.
After, walk to the Yasaka Shrine and the adjoining Maruyama Park (a great cherry blossom spot in spring), before a stroll around the nearby Gion district, where early evening you might spot a geisha or two.
For dinner, indulge in teppanyaki. Near Gion, both Gion Ichidou and Kobe Misono have menus that include high-grade wagyu steak.
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Founded in the late 700s, this World Heritage temple in the Higashiyama area is best known for its five-story pagoda and main hall, the latter of which features a photogenic veranda jutting out over a maple-covered hillside.
Best for ages: 13+ | £3
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
The shrine that protects the Gion geisha district is one of Kyoto’s most distinctive sights. Entered through a roofed gateway painted a vivid vermillion, its grounds include a striking dance stage—used for performances during festivals—that’s adorned with several hundred lanterns lit each evening.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
This extremely popular spot near Gion has a giant weeping cherry tree that’s illuminated at night, plus loads of food stalls.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2 months
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Kyoto’s historic Gion quarter is the place to see Japan’s mysterious and enigmatic geisha. Dressed in colourful kimonos, complimented by elaborate hairstyles and oshiroi make-up, they’ve been entertaining Japan’s wealthy and well-connected for centuries.
Best for ages: 10+ | Free
Take a train south to Nara, the capital before Kyoto in the 700s, to spend the morning visiting Todai-ji Temple and other UNESCO sites around Nara Park.
For lunch, navigate by the park’s snack-hungry deer for noodles or tea and sweets at the thatched Mizuya Chaya teahouse.
Use the afternoon to take in the stores and traditional sights of Naramachi, Nara’s old quarter.
Before the train back to Kyoto, stop at Junpei for dinner and drinks at a classic izakaya.
Nara, Kansai, Japan
Nara was Japan’s first permanent capital, from 710 to 794. Today, it’s revered for eight locations making up the ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’ World Heritage site.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Nara, Kansai, Japan
One of Japan’s most famous and historically significant temples. It was built in 752 as the head of all provincial Buddhist temples, and instantly became a seat of power to rival the shogun. Today, it’s also renowned for the 15-metre-high bronze statue of Buddha (Daibutsu) in the main hall.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Nara, Kansai, Japan
This UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to 768, is the shrine of the once-powerful Fukjiwara clan and an outstanding example of kasuga-zukuri architecture. Nara’s most important shrine is also renowned for hundreds of bronze lanterns, donated by worshippers and lit twice a year during for lantern festivals.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Nara, Kansai, Japan
Meaning ‘garden founded on water’, Isuien is a gorgeous Japanese garden dating back to the 17th century. It’s filled with ponds, colourful acer trees and a smattering of traditional tea houses.
Best for ages: 13+ | £6
Start the day with a stroll through Nishiki, Kyoto’s oldest and most vibrant food market: pick on street snacks and shop for authentic souvenirs. After, for the afternoon, sign up for a traditional tea ceremony in English at Maikoya.
If you haven’t before now, stay the night at a traditional ryokan inn. Central Kyoto has many to choose from, but if you want to splurge on one of the city’s finest, try Hiiragiya. You’ll dine on an intricately arranged multi-course kaiseki dinner, included in the price.
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Stretching along five shop-lined blocks, Kyoto’s oldest food market immerses visitors in Kyoto’s culinary heritage. Over 100 stalls and restaurants offer all and anything food related.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
The traditional tea ceremony, practiced for centuries, combines all the formality and ritual of traditional Japan, capped by a cup of thick green tea.
Best for ages: 13+ | £20 | Up to 4 hours
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
The pinnacle of Japanese cuisine, this traditional dinner features a succession of up to 12 dishes, artfully presented and culinarily sublime. Tastes range from the familiar to the wonderfully indecipherable.
Best for ages: 18+ | £100 | 3-4 hours
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Japan oozes tradition and there’s no better way to immerse yourself in it than a night at a ryokan, a traditional inn.
Best for ages: 18+ | £0 | 1 night
In the morning, head to Fushimi Inari Shrine for a photogenic stroll through its torii gateway-lined pathways.
Afterwards, there are several simple restaurants for lunch near the shrine, but for something sweet try the green tea parfait at Sando Chaya.
Fushimi is also a major sake-making district, with close to 40 breweries; sign up for a tour and tasting at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.
Take an early evening shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Kyoto back to Tokyo for your flight home, but before boarding, buy a bento box for an on-train dinner.
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
One of Japan’s most sacred shrines, Fushimi Inari’s thousands of torii gateways also make it one of the country’s most Instagrammable sights.
Best for ages: 6+ | £2
Kyoto, Kansai, Japan
Learn about and sample some of Kyoto’s best sake at this engaging museum-slash-brewery in Fushimi.
Best for ages: 13+ | £4
Japan
Reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h, Japan’s iconic bullet train revolutionised high speed train travel when it first launched in 1964, only eclipsed in 2002 by new maglev trains. For locals, it’s a fast, convenient and safe means to travel between Japan’s major cities. For everyone else, it’s a must do.
Best for ages: 4+ | £90 | 2+ hours