✿Travel guide

Japan Travel Guide: Itinerary, Tips and Must-See Places

A 12-day route from Barcelona, with 9 nights in Japan, visiting Tokyo, Hakone, Nara, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Takayama, Gero and Osaka.

▣ Day-by-day route

Tips

What to eat ♡ Personal experience

⛩ Plan your trip to Japan

Japan itinerary

Full day-by-day itinerary of my 12-day trip.

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Tips before traveling

Everything you need to know before your trip to Japan.

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Red torii gates in Kyoto for a Japan guide

What to see in Japan

Must-see places and hidden gems.

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What to eat in Japan

Typical dishes, must-try restaurants and sweets.

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▣ My day-by-day route through Japan

Regarding the duration: the 12 days include round-trip flights from Barcelona. The sightseeing tour of Japan begins on day 2, with arrival in Tokyo, and ends on day 11, with the return flight from Osaka.

Outstanding Day 1 in Tokyo, night in Shibuya during a Japan tour

Day 1: Tokyo

Asakusa, Ginza, Akihabara, Shibuya Sky and Street Kart.

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Landscape of Hakone during day 2 of the Japan route

Day 2: Tokyo and Hakone

Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, sumo in Sumoland and night in Shinjuku.

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Face of a deer in Nara for day 3 of the Japan route

Day 3: Nara and Kyoto

Bullet train, Todai-ji, Nara deer, Gion and Nintendo KYOTO.

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Red torii gates of Fushimi Inari on day 4 in Kyoto

Day 4: Kyoto

Sanjusangendo, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Tenryu-ji and Arashiyama.

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Floating Torii gate of Miyajima during the excursion to Hiroshima

Day 5: Hiroshima and Miyajima

Otorii, Itsukushima, food at IWAMURA, Peace Park and Genbaku Dome.

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Stone lantern and pond of Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa during day 6 of the Japan tour

Day 6: Kanazawa

Kenrokuen, Omicho Market, Higashi Chaya, massage, and Samurai Mac.

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Gassho-zukuri house in Shirakawa-go during day 7 of the Japan itinerary

Day 7: Shirakawa-go

Gassho-zukuri houses, Takayama, sake tasting and overnight stay in a ryokan in Gero.

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Glico sign in Dotonbori during day 8 of the Japan tour

Day 8: Osaka

Dotonbori, Glico, takoyaki, Rikuro, Osaka Castle and Midosuji at night.

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Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan during day 9 of the Japan tour

Day 9: Universal Studios Japan

Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Express Pass and farewell to Japan.

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▧ What to see in Japan

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka

Excursions

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Typical Japanese food

Discover the flavors of Japan: from good ramen to traditional sweets.

Ramen

Sushi

Gyozas

Takoyaki

Mochi

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Hello Kitty shopping at Don Quijote Japan

Shopping guide

Don Quijote in Japan

Discover what to buy, how tax free works, interesting facts about Donki, and the purchases I made during my trip.

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Suimeikan ryokan garden in Gero Onsen, Japan

Japanese culture

Onsen in Japan

What an onsen is, how it works, its rules, tattoos, and my honest experience at Gero Onsen and Suimeikan.

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♡ My experience traveling to Japan

I traveled for 12 days through Japan with Sildavia Viajes on the «Best of Japan» tour . Here’s my itinerary, my recommendations, and the details I would repeat.

See my experience