Asahi VietLife
The Nijūbashi stone bridge and the Imperial Palace moat in Tokyo.

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Tour code ASJ-GR-07 · Ash001

From Tokyo’s lanterns to the lights of Osaka

Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka

Seven days from Tokyo to Osaka: old Tokyo, a night near Mount Fuji, the torii of Lake Ashi and two nights among the temples of Kyoto, ending in the lights of Dōtonbori.

Plan my tripDay by day

At a glance

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

The classic first journey through Honshu: Tokyo, an evening hot-spring bath near Mount Fuji halfway, and two nights in Kyoto to see its temples at a walking pace. A private coach and a guide stay with your group from Narita to Kansai.

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

Highlights

  • Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera and the thousand gates of Fushimi Inari
  • The street food of Osaka, and the deer of Nara when time allows
  • A night near Mount Fuji with an evening hot-spring bath
  • Two nights in Kyoto, then a free afternoon and evening in Dōtonbori

Suits a first visit to Japan, and groups who want the classics without rushing. Day 3 is long on the road. The route runs in every season, with the scenery of the time of year, and shopping is left to your free time in Ginza, Akihabara and Dōtonbori.

Plan my trip

Illustrated route map

Terrain: NOAA ETOPO1.
  1. TokyoDay 1 · arrival; one night
  2. Mt Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi)Day 2 · the ropeway; a night near Mt Fuji
  3. HakoneDay 3 · Lake Ashi and Ōwakudani
  4. HamamatsuDay 3 · a night on the way to Kyoto
  5. KyotoDays 4–5 · two nights
  6. NaraDay 5 · from Kyoto, if time allows
  7. OsakaDays 6–7 · one night, then Kansai Airport

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

An open circle and a light line mark a visit made only if time allows, or instead of another.

Day by day

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

  1. Day 1From the palace moat to the lanterns of Asakusa

    We meet you at Narita in the morning and head straight into the city. The outer gardens of the Imperial Palace open onto wide lawns and old stone bridges over the moat. In Asakusa, the great lantern of Sensō-ji and the stalls of Nakamise street give a first taste of old Tokyo, before a view of the Skytree from the banks of the Sumida. The evening is yours, in Akihabara or in Ginza.

    Night in Tokyo

    Programme details

    Tokyo on arrival

    • Narita Airport
    • Imperial Palace (outer gardens)
    • Sensō-ji, Asakusa
    • Nakamise street
    • Tokyo Skytree, seen from the Sumida river
    • Akihabara or Ginza

    Met at Narita in the morning. The outer gardens of the Imperial Palace, Sensō-ji and the Nakamise street in Asakusa, a view of the Skytree from the Sumida river, then time in Akihabara or Ginza. 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

  2. Day 2Lake Kawaguchi, at the foot of the mountain

    The road leaves Tokyo for Lake Kawaguchi, one of the five lakes at the foot of Mount Fuji. The panoramic ropeway lifts you above the water for a wider view; on a clear day the mountain fills the horizon, but clouds often gather later in the day, so the view is never promised. Honchō street in Fujiyoshida and Oishi Park, with whatever flowers the season brings, complete the day, which ends in a hot-spring bath.

    Night near Mount Fuji

    Programme details

    Tokyo to Mt Fuji

    • Lake Kawaguchi
    • Mt Fuji panoramic ropeway
    • Honchō street, Fujiyoshida
    • Oishi Park

    Lake Kawaguchi, the panoramic ropeway, Honchō street in Fujiyoshida and Oishi Park (flowers by season). 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

  3. Day 3Spring water, and a torii at the water’s edge

    The morning belongs to Oshino Hakkai, a village of clear ponds fed by spring water from Mount Fuji. In the afternoon, the vermilion torii of Hakone shrine stands at the edge of Lake Ashi while the sightseeing boats pass. Ōwakudani, the steaming valley known for its black eggs, is added only if time allows. A long day on the road ends in Hamamatsu, on the way to Kyoto.

    Night in Hamamatsu

    Programme details

    Mt Fuji to Hakone

    • Oshino Hakkai village
    • Hakone shrine torii on Lake Ashi
    • Ōwakudani (black eggs)

    Oshino Hakkai in the morning, then the torii of Hakone shrine on Lake Ashi with the sightseeing boats passing; Ōwakudani if time allows. Night in Hamamatsu, on the way to Kyoto.

    The red torii of Hakone Shrine standing in Lake Ashi, with the wooded shore behind it and the lake in front.
    Hakone Shrine torii on Lake Ashi

  4. Day 4Kyoto, from the wooden stage

    The morning is for the road west to Kyoto. In the afternoon, Kiyomizu-dera stands on its great wooden stage above the trees, and the sloping lanes of Higashiyama lead down past small old shops, at a walking pace.

    Night in Kyoto

    Programme details

    Hamamatsu to Kyoto

    • Kiyomizu-dera
    • Higashiyama lanes

    On to Kyoto. In the afternoon, Kiyomizu-dera on its wooden stage and the lanes of Higashiyama below it. Night in Kyoto.

    The Yasaka pagoda at the head of a stone-paved lane in Higashiyama, Kyoto, at dusk, with two visitors in kimono seen from behind.
    Yasaka pagoda and the Higashiyama lanes, Kyoto

  5. Day 5The golden pavilion and a thousand gates

    Kinkaku-ji in the morning, its golden pavilion mirrored in the pond. After lunch, the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari climb the hillside one after another; walk as far up as you like. If time allows, the day ends with the deer of Nara Park.

    Night in Kyoto

    Programme details

    Kyoto and Nara

    • Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
    • Fushimi Inari Taisha
    • Nara Park

    Kinkaku-ji in the morning, the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari after lunch, and the deer of Nara Park if time allows. Night in Kyoto.

    The Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji reflected in its pond among pine trees.
    Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

  6. Day 6Osaka, at your own pace

    Leaving Kyoto, you see Osaka Castle from the green of its park: an outside view, not a visit inside. The afternoon and the evening are free around Dōtonbori, where the canal, the neon signs and the street-food stalls are at their liveliest after dark.

    Night in Osaka

    Programme details

    Osaka

    • Osaka Castle (from the park)
    • Dōtonbori

    Check out of Kyoto. Osaka Castle seen from its park, then a free afternoon and evening around Dōtonbori. Night in Osaka.

    The canal and neon signs of Dōtonbori at night.
    Dōtonbori, Osaka

  7. Day 7A last morning in Osaka

    A free morning for one more walk or a last gift, lunch, then the transfer to Kansai Airport.

    Programme details

    Osaka departure

    • Kansai Airport

    A free morning, lunch, then the transfer to Kansai Airport.

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 coach
  • Guide
  • Hotels
  • Hot-spring baths
  • Meals
  • Ropeways and cable cars
  • Admission tickets
  • Cultural experiences

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.
  • Day 3 is a long day on the road, from Mt Fuji through Hakone to Hamamatsu.
  • The first and last days follow your arrival and departure times.
Poster “Travel Japan, 6 days 5 nights”: Mt Fuji framed by red maples, with photos of the stops on a dotted path.
Featured on Asahi’s poster “Travel Japan”The poster shows a programme of another length on a similar route (6 days 5 nights); the journey on this page is 7 days and 6 nights.

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

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Mention the code ASJ-GR-07 · Ash001 when you write.

Where this tour comes from From the company’s own itinerary documents, rewritten for this site: only the days in Japan are counted.

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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.