Category: Itineraries

Plan ahead with our routes and itineraries, including the best places to discover Japan while traveling by rail, how to get there and getting around with the JR Pass.

5 days in Tokyo itinerary and what to do

You’ve got just five days to explore one of the largest, most vibrant cities in the world – Tokyo, Japan. With the help of this travel guide, you’ll be able to make the best use of your time – and your Japan Rail Pass – to glimpse all that the Neon City has to offer.

This guide is designed to appeal to travelers with a wide range of interests, including anime and manga fans, history buffs, foodies, and nature lovers. If one “day” of this itinerary is more interesting to you than another, feel free to expand that day’s activities while omitting others. You can also check our Tokyo 3-day itinerary if you plan to stay shorter!

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Best things to do in Osaka: 3 days itinerary

You’ve got three days – three days to tour the second largest city in Japan. What should you see first? Can you taste the best that Osaka has to offer in just three days? With the help of this travel guide, yes you can. We’ll help you hit the highlights and provide helpful information along the way.

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Plum blossoms in Japan: Best places and 2018 forecast

People throughout the world are familiar with the famous Japanese cherry blossoms. They may have attended any of the numerous cherry blossom festivals held each year in the United States and elsewhere, or they may have thrilled to the sound of “Sakura Sakura”, a traditional Japanese folk song celebrating this beautiful flower.

Before the cherry blossoms emerge, however, another beautiful tree graces the island of Japan. Mid-February marks the start of spring and the beginning of the plum blossom season. If you want to see the plum blossoms in 2018, keep on reading!

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Taking the Hokkaido Shinkansen with the Japan Rail Pass

Japan is a wondrous, exotic land, full of iconic places, pop-culture galore, and a perfect marriage between the old and the new.

Among one of Japan’s most iconic symbols is the Shinkansen bullet train, an incredible piece of engineering and technology that links major cities in Japan in just a few hours. Throughout the years, Japan has been expanding and improving its railway system to cover the majority of each island and facilitate traveling all together.

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Best cherry blossom festivals and viewing spots in Japan

Japan is famous for its flowering cherry trees. These trees are much sought after around the world. Cherry blossom festivals are held in such diverse regions as Washington, Vancouver, Paris, Stockholm, and Spain’s Jerte Valley. Still, Japan remains the premier location in the world for viewing the cherry blossoms or attending a cherry blossom festival, especially when seeing Japan by train.

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Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka with the JR Pass

Japan is one of the most culturally rich and diverse countries of our century. When going through the streets, hills and castles of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, you will be taken through time, history and places of breathtaking views and mesmerizing moments.

In this article, you will find how to get from Tokyo to Kyoto, Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto to Osaka (frequent train trips among travelers) with the bullet train and using just your Japan Rail Pass.

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Kumano Kodo pilgrimage with the JR Pass

What is the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage? The term kodo means “old ways,” and Kumano Kodo refers to a network of hiking trails laced throughout the southern reaches of the Kansai region, on the Kii Peninsula. The trails have been used for more than 1,000 years and are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue reading “%s”

10 days in Japan: Travel itinerary

One of the best ways to get to know what Japan has to offer is to explore the best-of-highlights route from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka. This itinerary allows you to see most of Japan’s famous landmarks and truly get a taste of the culture.

You will travel from the modern wonders of Tokyo, past the natural beauty of the Japanese Alps, all the way to the traditional and ancient Kyoto. The best thing about it? You can do it all in just 10 days!

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10 Best Places to See Autumn Leaves in Japan

What is the best time to visit Japan? This is a common question among first time travelers. Many would say that the sakura cherry blossom season in the spring is the best, and it is certainly among the most popular. However, there is another feature of the changing season in Japan that is not to be overlooked.

A favorite Japanese pastime is called momijigari or koyo – both are terms describing the viewing of autumn leaves in Japan. Continue reading “%s”

Japan in 7 days: Travel itinerary

Visiting Japan for the first, second or even third time can be scary. It is not an easy task to get around in Tokyo or figure out what to see from the countless number of giant temples, beautiful parks, large shopping streets and fresh restaurants.

That is why we have prepared our top “7 days in Japan” itinerary and recommendations so that you can travel, see and explore the greatest sights of the country with your Japan Rail Pass.

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