Japan Itinerary 2 weeks or 3 weeks: My Route + Best Time to Visit & Travel Tips 🇯🇵✨

When you think of a Japan road trip, you might immediately picture neon lights in Tokyo, temples in Kyoto and sushi on a conveyor belt. And yes — all true. But what stuck with me most from our trip of just over 3 weeks through Japan, were the contrasts. From high-tech trains to little deer in Nara Park. From sleeping in a pod hotel to waking up on a modern art island with the most stunning views.

Whether you’re planning a 2-week Japan itinerary or, like us, you’ve got a bit more time. In this blog I’m sharing my real route (because let’s be honest: everyone wants the best route and to get the most out of their trip). I’ll also tell you when the best time to visit Japan is, how to travel smart by train, and I’ll share a creative tip to capture your memories in a unique way. Because a phone full of photos is fun — but a photo book that looks like a Pinterest post? Better. ✨

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📍 Where is Japan, and how do you get there?

Japan is located in East Asia, between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, and consists of four main islands. It takes about 11 hours to fly there. We flew into Tokyo ourselves — sometimes a bit more expensive than Osaka, but more practical for our route.

Tip: use Google Flights or Skyscanner to find your flight to Japan, and set up price alerts to get the best deals.

🌸 Best time to visit Japan: choose your season wisely

Japan is beautiful all year round, but there are a few things you definitely don’t want to miss:

• March/April: sakura season! 🌸 (Just make sure to plan well — the bloom doesn’t last long.)

• October/November: autumn colors, super fairytale-like.

• January/February: for those who want snow (and snow monkeys in Nagano!), but keep in mind it can get very cold.

🗺️ Planning our Japan road trip (3 weeks)

We did a mix of car, bullet train and local trains. With the Japan Rail Pass you travel affordably and incredibly comfortably. Everything runs on time, and the views along the way are honestly a treat. Are you torn between a 2-week Japan trip or a longer one? In two weeks, you can definitely see a lot — like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka — but if you have the time, 3 weeks is ideal. That way you can also add the Japanese Alps, or a creative art island like Naoshima. In this blog I’m sharing our personal 3-week route, but a lot of stops can be shortened or combined smartly if you’re traveling for a shorter amount of time.

Text continues below the photo. You can find my Japan photobook template here.

View our travel schedule for a 3-week Japan road trip

🚉 Tokyo (5 nights)

We started and ended our trip in Tokyo, Japan.

Tokyo itself? A mix of everything: temples in Asakusa, shopping in Harajuku, sushi in Tsukiji and light art at TeamLab Planets. Truly everything that makes your heart beat faster. Check out my hotspot tips for Tokyo here.

🚗 Matsumoto & the Japanese Alps (3 nights)

After Tokyo we rented a car (did you know they drive on the left in Japan?) and drove to Matsumoto. We stayed at Onyado Nono Matsumoto, a modern Japanese hotel with an onsen and a traditional breakfast. From there we visited Sangaku Park in the Japanese Alps: nature, peace and impressive mountain landscapes. On the way back to Tokyo we drove via the route with views of Mount Fuji. A small village where you can see the mountain in a super cinematic way (if it’s not too foggy).

🚅 Kyoto (3 nights)

After a stopover in Tokyo (that’s where the train station was where we had to depart), we traveled by bullet train to Kyoto, Japan. We stayed at Tune Stay Kyoto, a hostel with private rooms, a cinema in the lobby and a cozy vibe. Kyoto is the cultural heart of Japan: temples, bamboo forests, traditional Japanese buildings, craftsmanship and so much history that you can feel in every building. Check out my tips and Kyoto hotspots here!

Fun tip: some temples and train stations have stamp passports (goshuin). A stamp book with a unique stamp for every place/station. So fun and such a beautiful keepsake for your photo book. You know, the one I mentioned earlier… Just make sure to bring a notebook!

🍜 Osaka (5 nights)

We traveled on to Osaka, Japan by train, where we stayed at the Granbell Hotel Osaka. This city is rougher, livelier, and above all: streetfood heaven. Think takoyaki, okonomiyaki and izakayas on every corner. Dotonbori is the most well-known area, but we also loved simply wandering into small streets and discovering surprising little restaurants. We had an amazing multi-course dinner at a special Wagyu beef restaurant — it was delicious, calm and personal! Check out my Osaka hotspots that I’d recommend here.

🎨 Naoshima Art Island (2 nights via Tamano)

This might have been my favorite part of the trip. We stayed at the bizarre and brilliant Keirin Hotel 10: part of a cycling track where people bet on races (think horse racing, but with bikes). A view of the stadium, super modern and truly a unique experience. From there we visited Naoshima, the artistic island full of nature, stunning views, installations, architecture by Tadao Ando, art by James Turrell and the famous pumpkin sculpture. A must-see for creatives and museum lovers.

🚄 Back to Tokyo (3 nights)

Our trip ended back in Tokyo, for a last few days to enjoy the city and have a calm ending. In the meantime (while we were in Osaka and Kyoto) we were able to think about what we’d still want to eat one more time or what we had missed. Also nice: by then we knew how everything worked, so the city almost felt like coming home.

📸 Creative side note: don’t forget to capture your memories

You take so many photos during your trip. Think: windows in a little alley, Mount Fuji in the distance, rice fields, vending machines… But: will they all just stay floating around in your phone afterwards?

That’s why I designed a Japan scrapbook template: digital, creative and perfect for anyone who wants to capture their trip in a unique way. You fill it in (you can customize the photos), export the pages as images, and upload them into a photo book tool like Once Upon for example. Just as beautiful as your Pinterest board — but with your own memories. 💕📖 You can find my template here.

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🧳 A few more practical tips for your trip to Japan

• Japan visa: as a Dutch citizen, you get a visa on arrival for up to 90 days (free).

• Japan map: download Google Maps offline in advance.

• Japan Travel app: perfect for train routes and departure times.

• Japan Rail Pass: you need to buy this well before departure through official sellers — it will be sent to you by mail.

Want to read more practical tips? You can do that here, because I’ve got a few more up my sleeve!

Hope you feel inspired and that my tips and itinerary help you out! Let me know if you have any questions — and which tips you’re taking with you on your trip.