How to Plan a Trip to Japan

HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO JAPAN

Planning a holiday to Japan is unlike planning almost anywhere else.

The country offers an extraordinary variety of experiences, from the energy of Tokyo and the timeless traditions of Kyoto to mountain villages, coastal landscapes, hot spring inns and some of the finest food in the world. The challenge isn't finding places worth visiting. It's deciding which ones belong in your holiday.

For many people, the planning starts years before they ever book a flight. An article catches their eye. A friend returns from Japan full of stories. They watch a documentary, discover Japanese food or promise themselves that one day they'll finally make the trip. Then, gradually, "one day" becomes next year.

That's usually when the questions begin.

How long should you stay? When is the best time to visit? Is two weeks enough? Should you start in Tokyo or Kyoto? Is Hiroshima worth the journey? How much should you budget? The more you research, the more it can feel as though everyone has a different opinion.

In reality, there are very few right or wrong answers.

There are, however, better decisions for different types of traveller.

One couple may dream of exceptional food, boutique hotels and wandering through neighbourhoods with no fixed plan. Another family may want bullet trains, castles, hands-on experiences and plenty to keep children engaged. Someone visiting Japan for the second time will probably be looking for something completely different from someone making their first visit.

The best itinerary for one traveller can be entirely the wrong itinerary for another.

That's why we believe planning should never begin with a list of famous places.

Instead, begin by asking yourself one simple question.

What do you want this holiday to feel like?

Do you picture peaceful mornings exploring temple gardens before the crowds arrive? Long evenings discovering Tokyo's restaurants? Time to walk in the mountains? Relaxing in a traditional ryokan? Introducing your children to a culture unlike anything they've experienced before?

Once you can answer that question, almost every other decision becomes easier.

One of the biggest mistakes we see is people trying to fit too much into a single holiday. It's completely understandable. Japan is a long way from home, and many travellers worry they may never have the opportunity to return. The temptation is to squeeze in one more destination, one more famous sight or one more overnight stop.

Ironically, that's often the quickest way to enjoy less of Japan.

Japan's transport network is so efficient that ambitious itineraries can appear perfectly sensible. A three-hour train journey doesn't sound particularly demanding until you add packing, checking out, navigating busy stations, finding your next hotel and settling in before you head out again. Repeat that every couple of days and a surprising amount of your holiday is spent travelling rather than experiencing Japan.

We've found that the holidays people remember most aren't usually the busiest ones.

They remember finding a tiny restaurant they would never have chosen from a guidebook. They remember sitting in an outdoor hot spring as evening fell, wandering through Kyoto after most visitors had gone home, or spending an extra afternoon somewhere they hadn't expected to enjoy quite so much.

Those moments rarely happen because an itinerary is full.

They happen because it has enough space.

That's the philosophy behind this guide.

Rather than telling you where you must go, we'll help you understand the decisions that shape a successful holiday. We'll explain how long to stay, when to travel, how to build a route that makes sense, where to spend your budget and, just as importantly, the common mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Throughout the guide we'll explain not only what we recommend, but why.

Because a good itinerary tells you where you're going.

A great itinerary explains why each place deserves to be there.

‍