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Quick answer
For 7 nights, choose one of two routes. Couples: Tokyo 3 nights, a ryokan at Lake Kawaguchiko 1 night, Kyoto 3 nights. Families: Tokyo 3 nights, Kyoto 2 nights, Osaka 2 nights, with Tokyo Disney and Universal Studios Japan. For 10 nights: Tokyo 4, Lake Kawaguchiko 1, Kyoto 3 and Osaka 2. Arrive in Tokyo, fly home from Osaka, and send your big suitcases ahead by courier.
The most common mistake on a first trip to Japan is trying to see everything. Japan rewards a slower pace: fewer hotel changes, early mornings at the famous sights, and time to simply enjoy the food. Not sure how long to stay? See our guide to how many days you need in Japan.
I was born in Japan and lived there for 26 years before moving to Dubai. These are the routes I suggest to friends here, built around the places Gulf travellers most want to see, from Shibuya and Mount Fuji to the red gates of Fushimi Inari. For where to stay and what to see in the capital, see our Tokyo travel guide.
The routes at a glance
| Couples, 7 nights | Families, 7 nights | 10 nights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 3 nights | 3 nights | 4 nights |
| Lake Kawaguchiko (Mount Fuji) | 1 night, ryokan | - | 1 night, ryokan |
| Kyoto | 3 nights | 2 nights | 3 nights |
| Osaka | - | 2 nights | 2 nights |
| Fly home from | Osaka (Kansai) | Osaka (Kansai) | Osaka (Kansai) |
Three things to decide before you book
1. Arrive in Tokyo, leave from Osaka. Book an “open-jaw” ticket: fly into Tokyo (Narita or Haneda) and home from Kansai Airport near Osaka and Kyoto. You never travel back the same way, and you save most of a day. Emirates flies to Kansai from Dubai and Qatar Airways from Doha. If there is no direct flight from your city, take the shinkansen back to Tokyo on your last day instead.
2. Send your suitcases ahead. Japan’s luggage delivery service (takkyubin) takes your suitcases from one hotel to the next, usually arriving the next day. Your hotel’s front desk arranges it. Travel with a small overnight bag, and the shinkansen, the ryokan and the walk through the station become easy, especially with children.
3. Shinkansen or private car. Between cities, the shinkansen is fast and comfortable: Tokyo to Kyoto takes about two and a quarter hours. Choose reserved seats and book early. Tickets go on sale one month before the travel date, and in busy seasons, seats for a family sitting together sell out quickly. For Mount Fuji, and for days with many stops, a private car with a driver is much easier, especially with children, elderly parents or a lot of shopping.
7 nights for couples: Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto
For honeymoon ideas to add to this route, see our guide to things to do in Japan for couples.
Day 1: arrive in Tokyo. Many flights from the Gulf land in the evening. Check in, have a light dinner near your hotel and sleep early. You will feel the time difference.
Day 2: Asakusa and Ginza. Start at Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and walk down Nakamise Street for snacks and souvenirs. Go up Tokyo Skytree nearby for the view, then spend the afternoon in Ginza for shopping and Japanese sweets.
Day 3: Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando. Cross the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing, then walk to Harajuku for its colourful street fashion, and on to the boutiques and cafés of Omotesando. Finish at Shibuya Sky, the open-air rooftop, at sunset. Sunset tickets often sell out about a month ahead, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Day 4: Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji. Drive about two hours to the lake. Climb the steps to Chureito Pagoda, the classic view of Mount Fuji behind a five-storey pagoda, then walk along Oishi Park on the lakeshore. Spend the night at a ryokan with a private onsen, where you can bathe as a couple in complete privacy. Ask for an alcohol-free dinner when you book. Our guide to private onsen has more ryokan ideas.
Local tip: Mount Fuji is often hidden by clouds, and the clearest views are usually early in the morning. Choose a ryokan with a Fuji view, and you can see it from your room at sunrise.
Day 5: to Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion. Travel to Kyoto by private car and shinkansen. In the afternoon, visit Kiyomizu-dera, then walk down the old lanes to the Yasaka Pagoda. In the evening, stroll through Gion, the geisha district.
Day 6: Fushimi Inari and Kinkaku-ji. Go to Fushimi Inari early, ideally before 8:00, when the thousands of red torii gates are quiet. It is open all day and night. In the afternoon, see Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion.
Day 7: Arashiyama, kimono and matcha. Walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove early in the morning, before the crowds arrive. Later, rent a kimono for a walk, and enjoy a matcha tea experience.
Day 8: fly home from Kansai Airport, about 75 minutes from Kyoto by train or car.
7 nights for families: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka
This route keeps hotel changes to two and puts a theme park at each end of the trip. For more ideas by age, see our guide to things to do in Japan with kids.
Day 1: arrive in Tokyo and rest.
Day 2: Asakusa, Skytree and teamLab. Visit Senso-ji and Nakamise Street in the morning, then Tokyo Skytree. In the afternoon, children love teamLab Planets, a digital art museum where you walk through light and water. Some rooms have shallow water you walk through barefoot.
Day 3: Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea. Book tickets in advance. Halal food is very limited inside the parks, so bring snacks and plan dinner outside.
Day 4: to Kyoto. Take the shinkansen in the morning. In the afternoon, visit Kiyomizu-dera and the lanes around the Yasaka Pagoda.
Day 5: Fushimi Inari and Nara. See Fushimi Inari early, then take the train to Nara Park, about 45 minutes away, where friendly deer bow for biscuits.
Day 6: Universal Studios Japan. Move to Osaka and spend the day at USJ. Super Nintendo World is the highlight for children, and on busy days you need a timed entry ticket or an Express Pass, so book ahead. As at Disney, bring snacks.
Day 7: Osaka. See Osaka Castle and the huge Kaiyukan Aquarium, then end with the lights and street food of Dotonbori.
Day 8: fly home from Kansai Airport.
10 nights: add Disney, Nara and Osaka
The 10-night route follows the couples’ route, with three extra days:
- One more day in Tokyo for Tokyo Disney, teamLab Planets or shopping
- Nara as a day trip from Kyoto, so you do not change hotels
- Two nights in Osaka: one day at Universal Studios Japan, and one for Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan Aquarium and Dotonbori, before flying home from Kansai Airport
- Tokyo and Osaka have many halal restaurants. Kyoto has fewer, and around Lake Kawaguchiko they are rare, so ask your ryokan for a halal or alcohol-free dinner in advance
- Plan where you will eat each day before you go out, and book popular halal restaurants ahead
- Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports all have prayer rooms. Our guide to whether Japan is Muslim-friendly explains how to find halal food and prayer spaces
Beat the crowds at the famous spots
The places on this route are the most popular in Japan, and they are busy. A few habits make a big difference:
- Go early. Fushimi Inari, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Chureito Pagoda are calm before 8:00 and crowded by 10:00
- Book ahead. Shibuya Sky at sunset, Tokyo Disney, USJ and teamLab all sell out on busy days
- Avoid weekends and Japanese holidays at the theme parks if you can
- Use a private car for days with many stops, so you are not carrying bags or waiting for taxis
Change the route with the seasons
- Cherry blossom season (late March to early April): the most beautiful and busiest time. Book hotels months ahead
- Autumn leaves (November): Kyoto is at its best. Crowds are similar to spring
- Winter (December to February): clear skies make it the best season to see Mount Fuji, and the theme parks are quieter
Our guide to the best time to visit Japan explains each season in more detail.
Let a Japanese local plan your route
Every family travels differently. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what you love, and we will build this route around you: the right hotels, a private car where it helps, halal restaurants booked in Japanese and prayer times planned into each day. Start a free chat.
Would you rather travel privately, with your own car and hand-picked hotels? See our private Japan tours from Dubai.
Is 7 days enough for Japan?
Yes, for a first trip. Seven nights is enough for Tokyo and Kyoto with either Mount Fuji or Osaka. If you want to see all four without rushing, choose 10 nights.
Should I start in Tokyo or Kyoto?
Start in Tokyo. Most flights from the Gulf arrive there, and the city is easy for your first days while you adjust to the time difference. Kyoto then feels calm and special at the end.
Should I buy a JR Pass?
Usually not for these routes. Since the price rose in 2023, single shinkansen tickets for Tokyo to Kyoto and Kyoto to Osaka cost less than a 7-day pass.
Is the shinkansen OK with small children?
Yes. Trains are smooth, clean and quiet, with space for strollers at the end of each carriage if you reserve those seats. Children under 6 travel free without their own seat.
Where should we stay in Tokyo and Kyoto?
In Tokyo, stay near a major station such as Tokyo Station, Ginza or Shibuya, so trains and the airport are easy. In Kyoto, stay near Kyoto Station for the shinkansen, or in the Gion and Higashiyama area to walk to the old streets.
