Japan marries the ancient and ultra-modern with effortless grace. Once ruled from Kyoto for over a millennium and rebuilt in Tokyo after the Edo era, the country’s story is written in vermilion shrine gates, shogun gardens, and mirrored high-rises. You’ll taste it, too—ramen steam curling into the night, matcha whisked bright as spring leaves, and kaiseki meals plated like small poems.

Across seven days you’ll explore Tokyo’s headline sights, day-trip to Mt. Fuji and Hakone, ride the Shinkansen to Kyoto, and bow back to the friendly deer of Nara. Expect a rhythm of mornings at temples, afternoons in buzzy districts, and evenings around an izakaya table. Add in a food tour and a sumo show, and you’ve got an itinerary that feels both classic and personal.

Practical notes: Pick up an IC card (Suica/PASMO) or use mobile Suica for tap-and-go transit. Trains run on the dot, most eateries are cashless-friendly, and convenience stores are your 24/7 allies. Spring (sakura) and fall (foliage) are peak seasons; reserve Shinkansen seats and popular restaurants in advance.

Tokyo

Tokyo is a city of contrast and play—ancient Asakusa beside Akihabara arcades, tranquil Meiji Shrine an easy stroll from Harajuku’s cosplay lanes. It’s also where you’ll savor your first bowls of ramen, linger over third-wave coffee, and watch 1,000 people cross a street in Shibuya as if choreographed.

• Top sights: Senso-ji Temple, Meiji Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo Skytree views.
• Neighborhoods to wander: Asakusa’s old-town lanes, Daikanyama’s boutiques, Nakameguro’s canal, Shimokitazawa’s vintage racks.
• What to eat: Tonkotsu or shoyu ramen, crisp tempura, conveyor-belt sushi, yakitori and izakaya small plates, melon-pan ice cream sandwiches.

Where to stay: Search vetted stays on VRBO Tokyo or compare hotels on Hotels.com Tokyo around Shinjuku, Ginza, or Asakusa for easy transit.

Getting there and around: Fly into Haneda (closer) or Narita; search flights on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. For intercity and airport trains (N’EX, Keisei, Shinkansen), see Trip.com Trains.

Day 1 — Arrival, Asakusa beginnings, and an izakaya evening

Morning: In transit to Tokyo.

Afternoon: Land, check in, and stretch your legs in Asakusa. Walk Nakamise-dori to Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and peek at the incense burners and the five-story pagoda. Coffee pick-me-up at Suke6 Diner (river views, hearty sandwiches) or a hot matcha at Nanaya Asakusa (deep, grassy flavors).

Evening: Ease into Tokyo nights with an izakaya—think Japan’s answer to a tapas bar. Try Teyandei (Nishi-Azabu; refined small plates and sake list), Nabezo Shinjuku 3-Chome (sukiyaki/shabu-shabu with quality beef), or Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu (lively, charcoal-grilled skewers—famous film set vibes). Nightcap in Golden Gai’s six-seat bars or a calmer pour at Baird Beer Taproom Harajuku (Japanese craft ales).

Day 2 — Old Tokyo to neon: Senso-ji, Ueno, Akihabara, Shibuya Crossing

Morning: Start with Asakusa’s classic bites: Daikokuya Tempura (light, sesame-oil crisp, since 1887) or melon-pan from Asakusa Kagetsudo. Stroll the Sumida River promenade, then ride to Ueno Park for the Tokyo National Museum—samurai armor, Haniwa figures, and seasonal blossoms.

Afternoon: Duck into Akihabara for retro game shops and anime arcades. Late lunch at Udon Shin (Shinjuku; elastic house-made noodles) or Afuri (citrusy yuzu-shio ramen). If you crave views, ascend Tokyo Skytree for a panorama that stretches to Fuji on clear days.

Evening: Join the flow at Shibuya Crossing, then visit Hachiko’s statue and the Shibuya Sky rooftop for sunset glow. Dinner ideas: Umegaoka Sushino Midori (fatty tuna that draws a line for a reason), Han no Daidokoro Bettei (A5 wagyu yakiniku you grill at the table), or an omakase splurge at Sushi Tokyo Ten (Ginza branch). Finish with cocktails at The SG Club (award-winning, playful menu) or Nonbei Yokocho’s lantern-lit bars.

Day 3 — Mt. Fuji and Hakone day trip (scenic lakes, ropeway, bullet-train return)

Morning: Escape the city with a guided coach to Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station, then roll into Hakone. The air smells of cedar and sulfur, and Fuji’s snowcap—if the weather cooperates—crowns every photo.

Afternoon: Ride the Hakone Ropeway over Owakudani’s steaming vents, cruise Lake Ashi past shrine torii, and browse an onsen town. Return to Tokyo in style by Shinkansen.

Evening: Step off at Shinagawa or Tokyo Station and tuck into comfort classics: tonkatsu at Maisen Aoyama Honten (butter-tender pork cutlets) or tsukemen at Rokurinsha (rich dipping ramen on Tokyo Ramen Street).

Featured experience: Mt Fuji and Hakone 1-Day Bus Tour Return by Bullet Train

Day 4 — Meiji Shrine calm, Harajuku style, and a sumo show dinner

Morning: Walk Meiji Jingu under giant cypress and cedar—barrels of sake on one side, Burgundy wine casks on the other, a nod to Meiji-era openness. Coffee at Fuglen (Nordic-style roasts, retro interior) before browsing Harajuku’s Takeshita Street crepes and vintage shops.

Afternoon: Window-shop Omotesando’s architectural flagships, then decompress in Shinjuku Gyoen—a vast garden mixing French, English, and Japanese styles. Late lunch at Tonkatsu Tonki (Meguro; venerable counter, crisp panko) or Gyukatsu Motomura (beef cutlet you sear at the table).

Evening: Dive into Japan’s national sport in an intimate arena and learn why wrestlers feast on protein-packed hot pot. It’s part culture lesson, part show, wholly fun.

Featured experience: Tokyo Sumo Entertainment Show with Chicken Hot Pot and Photo

Post-show drinks? Try Omoide Yokocho’s smoky yakitori alleys or Bar Benfiddich (apothecary-like cocktails) if you can snag a seat.

Kyoto

Kyoto is Japan’s heart—1,000+ temples and shrines, tea houses tucked behind sliding doors, and lanes where geiko glide at dusk. Between vermilion gates and rock gardens, the city rewards unhurried mornings and quiet corners.

• Top sights: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Nijo Castle.
• Food to seek: Kyoto-style kaiseki, yuba (tofu skin), matcha sweets, saba-zushi (mackerel sushi), delicate obanzai home-cooking.

Where to stay: Browse townhouses and ryokan-style stays on VRBO Kyoto or compare hotels on Hotels.com Kyoto. Gion, Kawaramachi, and near Kyoto Station make great bases.

Tokyo → Kyoto: Ride the Tokaido Shinkansen in the morning (Nozomi ~2h15; reserved seat ~¥14,500). Book seats and see schedules on Trip.com Trains. Flying isn’t typical for this hop, but nationwide options are on Trip.com Flights.

Day 5 — Bullet train to Kyoto, Fushimi Inari, Pontocho by night

Morning: Depart Tokyo by Shinkansen. Grab an ekiben (station lunchbox)—try beef sukiyaki or salmon bento—and watch Japan slide by in a blur of tiled roofs and tea fields.

Afternoon: Drop bags and head to Fushimi Inari Taisha. Walk through thousands of vermilion torii; continue 30–45 minutes uphill for quieter paths and Kyoto views. Snack stops nearby: Inari sushi at a local stall, or matcha soft-serve.

Evening: Stroll Pontocho Alley, a lantern-lit lane along the Kamogawa. Dinner ideas: Izuju (Kyoto-style pressed mackerel sushi near Yasaka Shrine), Gion Nanba (seasonal kaiseki; book ahead), or Torito Pontocho (yakitori, river breezes). Nightcap at L’Escamoteur (whimsical, old-world cocktails) or a serene tea at Camellia Gion.

Day 6 — Kyoto icons and Nara’s bowing deer (guided), Osaka eats after dark

Morning: Join a full-day guided tour that stitches together Kyoto’s big sights and Nara’s world heritage in one neat arc. Typical stops include Kiyomizu-dera’s wooden veranda, Kinkaku-ji’s golden reflection, and Nara Park’s friendly deer.

Afternoon: In Nara, visit Todai-ji’s Daibutsu (Great Buddha) and try fresh yomogi mochi at Nakatanidou (famous rapid-pounding). Return to Kyoto—or, if energy allows, continue 30–45 minutes to Osaka for dinner.

Featured experience: From Kyoto / Osaka: Kyoto Must-see Spots & Nara Park One Day Tour

Evening: If you’re up for Osaka’s neon, hop over for an expert-led food crawl through hidden eateries—skewers, takoyaki, and kushikatsu where locals go. Otherwise, dine back in Kyoto at Honke Owariya (since 1465; elegant soba) or Yudofu Sagano (Arashiyama; tofu-focused set menus by the river).

Optional featured experience: Osaka Food Tour: 13 Dishes at 5 Local Eateries

Day 7 — Arashiyama morning or Nijo Castle, last bites at Nishiki Market, departure

Morning: Early Arashiyama: a quiet Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji’s strolling garden, and coffee at % Arabica by the river or at Weekenders Coffee (courtyard roastery near Karasuma). Alternative: Nijo Castle’s creaking “nightingale” floors and landscaped moat.

Afternoon: Snack through Nishiki Market—grilled eel skewers, tamagoyaki omelets, yuba doughnuts—then pick up tea and sweets for home. Depart from Kyoto Station by Shinkansen back to Tokyo (~2h15) or head to Kansai International Airport (KIX) from Kyoto Station (~1h15 by limited express). Search trains on Trip.com Trains and flights on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com.

Tokyo & Kyoto — Extra food and coffee cheat sheet

• Tokyo breakfasts/coffee: Onibus Coffee (Nakameguro; light roasts, canal-side), Koffee Mameya Kakeru (Omotesando; tasting-style coffee flight), Sarabeth’s Shinjuku (Western brunch comfort).
• Tokyo lunches: Tempura Kondo (Ginza, light, seasonal), Kyubey (sushi institution), Afuri (yuzu ramen refresh).
• Kyoto sweets/tea: Tsujiri Gion (matcha parfaits), Kagizen Yoshifusa (warabi mochi in a historic teahouse).
• Kyoto casual eats: Musashi Sushi (conveyor belt; quick and kid-friendly), Menya Inoichi (clear, delicate ramen broth), Omen (udon with seasonal veg).

Estimated intercity travel and costs: Tokyo ⇄ Kyoto on Nozomi: ~2h15, about ¥14,500 reserved seat one-way. Kyoto ⇄ Osaka: 30–45 minutes by JR Special Rapid, ~¥580–¥1,100 depending on route. Airport trains: Tokyo–Haneda ~25–40 minutes; Tokyo–Narita ~60 minutes by N’EX; Kyoto–KIX ~75 minutes by Ltd. Express Haruka. Use Trip.com Trains for schedules and seat reservations.

In one vivid week you’ll taste the breadth of Japan: lantern-lit lanes, temple courtyards, mountain air near Fuji, and chopsticks poised over steaming bowls. With fast trains and well-placed stays, this 7-day Tokyo and Kyoto itinerary leaves you satisfied yet eager to return for the islands still unexplored.