CITY GUIDE
Tokyo
Best for a first arrival, varied neighborhoods and choosing your own mix of old and new.
Areas, bases & day routes →DESTINATIONS / JAPAN
Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka?
Tokyo is not Kyoto with more buildings, and Osaka is not just an airport connection. Give each city a role before dividing your days.
CITY GUIDE
Kyoto
Best for historic streets, religious places and a slower look at the relationship between landscape and city.
Areas, bases & day routes →
CITY GUIDE
Osaka
Best for food-led days, a contrasting Kansai base and a Kansai Airport arrival or departure.
Areas, bases & day routes →One base or all three?
For a short stay, fewer hotel changes can be a better choice than touching every city. Tokyo needs no second city to make a worthwhile trip. Kyoto and Osaka can form a Kansai stay, but a change of base still involves bags, check-in and a different journey home.
See a seven-day outline with arrival and transfer time →