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A path through rows of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto.

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Tour code ASJ-GR-06-OSA · Ash012

Kyoto, Nara and Mount Fuji on the way to Tokyo

Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Mt Fuji and Tokyo

Six days from Osaka to Tokyo, with two nights in Kyoto, the deer of Nara Park, a Shinkansen ride and a hot-spring night near Mount Fuji.

Plan my tripDay by day

At a glance

Length
6 days, 5 nights
Route
Osaka to Tokyo
Regions
Kyoto and Kansai · Mount Fuji · Tokyo and Kanto
Seasons
Any season
Style
Culture · City · Hot springs

The classic route from west to east. Kyoto and Nara come first at a walking pace, the Shinkansen and then the road carry you to Mount Fuji for a hot-spring night, and the journey ends among the lanterns of Asakusa in Tokyo. A private car and a guide stay with your group.

These are sample itineraries. Our team prepares a tailored quote for your trip; service reservations are confirmed separately once the arrangements are agreed.

Highlights

  • Osaka Castle and an evening in Dōtonbori on arrival
  • Kiyomizu-dera, the Higashiyama lanes and Fushimi Inari
  • Nara Park, Tōdai-ji and the Arashiyama bamboo grove
  • A Shinkansen ride and a hot-spring evening near Mount Fuji

Suits a first visit with less time, in any season. One Shinkansen ride and a drive link Kyoto and the Mount Fuji area, and the first and last days follow your arrival and departure times.

Plan my trip

Illustrated route map

Terrain: NOAA ETOPO1.
  1. OsakaDay 1 · arrival; one night
  2. KyotoDays 2–3 · two nights
  3. NaraDay 3 · the deer and Tōdai-ji, with Arashiyama
  4. Mt Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi)Day 4 · by Shinkansen; a hot-spring night
  5. TokyoDays 5–6 · one night, then the airport

Lines show the order of the visits and how they connect, not exact driving routes.

Day by day

A suggested journey, day by day, adjusted to your dates and interests.

  1. Day 1Osaka Castle and Dōtonbori

    Met at Kansai Airport, you head into Osaka for a first look at the castle from the green of its park. In the evening, Dōtonbori lights up along the canal, with neon signs and street-food stalls at every step.

    Night in Osaka

    Programme details

    Osaka on arrival

    • Kansai Airport
    • Osaka Castle (from the park)
    • Dōtonbori

    Met at Kansai Airport. Osaka Castle from its park and an evening in Dōtonbori. Night in Osaka.

    The Dōtonbori canal in Osaka at night, its neon signs reflected in the water, with a sightseeing boat.
    Dōtonbori, Osaka

  2. Day 2Temples on the hillside

    Kiyomizu-dera stands on its wooden stage above the trees, and the old lanes of Higashiyama lead down past small shops. In the afternoon, the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari climb the hillside; walk as far up as you like.

    Night in Kyoto

    Programme details

    Kyoto

    • Kiyomizu-dera
    • Higashiyama lanes
    • Fushimi Inari Taisha

    Kiyomizu-dera, the Higashiyama lanes and Fushimi Inari. Night in Kyoto.

    The Yasaka pagoda at sunset, seen from a terrace in Kyoto's Higashiyama district.
    Yasaka pagoda, Higashiyama · photographed in autumn

  3. Day 3Nara and the bamboo grove

    Nara Park and the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji fill the morning, with the deer wandering among the visitors. The afternoon takes you to the bamboo grove of Arashiyama, on the western edge of Kyoto.

    Night in Kyoto

    Programme details

    Nara and Arashiyama

    • Nara Park
    • Tōdai-ji
    • Arashiyama bamboo grove

    Nara Park and Tōdai-ji in the morning, the Arashiyama bamboo grove in the afternoon. Night in Kyoto.

    Temple buildings, an old cedar and deer below Nigatsu-dō at Tōdai-ji.
    Below Nigatsu-dō, Tōdai-ji, Nara · photographed in spring

  4. Day 4East by Shinkansen

    The Shinkansen carries you east, and the road continues to the foot of Mount Fuji. Lake Kawaguchi and Oishi Park, with the flowers of the season, lead to an evening hot-spring bath; on a clear day the mountain fills the view, but it is never promised.

    Night near Mount Fuji

    Programme details

    East to Mt Fuji

    • Shinkansen
    • Lake Kawaguchi
    • Oishi Park

    The Shinkansen east, then by road to Lake Kawaguchi and Oishi Park. A hot-spring bath in the evening; night near Mt Fuji.

    A red sightseeing boat crossing Lake Kawaguchi, with snow-capped Mount Fuji under a clear sky.
    Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji

  5. Day 5Spring water, then Asakusa

    The clear spring ponds of Oshino Hakkai in the morning, then the road to Tokyo. In Asakusa you find the great lantern of Sensō-ji, the stalls of Nakamise street, and the Skytree seen from the Sumida river.

    Night in Tokyo

    Programme details

    Mt Fuji to Tokyo

    • Oshino Hakkai village
    • Sensō-ji, Asakusa
    • Tokyo Skytree, seen from the Sumida river

    Oshino Hakkai, then Tokyo: Asakusa and the Skytree from the river. Night in Tokyo.

    The five-storied pagoda of Sensō-ji in Asakusa against a blue sky, above the temple buildings and trees.
    Sensō-ji, Asakusa

  6. Day 6Departure

    A last breakfast in Tokyo, then the transfer to Narita or Haneda at the end of the journey.

    Programme details

    Departure

    • Narita or Haneda Airport

    Transfer to Narita or Haneda.

A day-by-day sample. Times of day are not promised; the order can change on the ground.

What your proposal can include

  • Airport transfers by car
  • Private car with driver
  • Guide
  • Hotels
  • Hot-spring baths
  • Shinkansen tickets
  • Admission tickets

Your proposal names exactly what is included, for your dates and your group.

Good to know

  • Mt Fuji is often behind cloud later in the day; the view is never guaranteed.
  • The first and last days follow your arrival and departure times.

Start from this tour

Open the planner, or write to us. We answer with questions, then with a plan and a quote.

Plan my tripContact

Mention the code ASJ-GR-06-OSA · Ash012 when you write.

Where this tour comes from An outline route prepared by Asahi; the stops are suggestions until the plan is made with you.

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Photo credits

The photographs on this page are real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, shown under the licences listed. Creators are named as they are published there. They are resized and cropped for display.

Pictures from material supplied by Asahi VietLife say so; their creator and licence are those of the source page.

  • Fushimi Inari-taisha, KyotoPhoto by Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands Resized and cropped.CC BY 2.0via Wikimedia Commons
  • Dōtonbori, OsakaPhotograph supplied by Asahi VietLife. Photo by Juliana Barquero; Unsplash License.
  • Yasaka pagoda, HigashiyamaPhoto by Moyan Brenn from Italy Resized and cropped.CC BY 2.0via Wikimedia Commons
  • Below Nigatsu-dō, Tōdai-ji, NaraPhoto by DimiTalenCC0 1.0via Wikimedia Commons
  • Lake Kawaguchi and Mount FujiFrame from video material supplied by Asahi VietLife. Video by ochii_kai; Pixabay Content License.
  • Sensō-ji, AsakusaPhoto by Stephen Kelly from San Francisco, CA, USA Resized and cropped.CC BY 2.0via Wikimedia Commons