The plan, the budget and every story from this trip, in one place.
Japan in Autumn Color
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka
Itinerary · Nov 3 – Nov 14, 2025
Day by day
- 6 days
- 18 places
- $630 on the ground
Day 1 · Mon, Nov 3
Tokyo: Shibuya & Harajuku
- Shibuya Crossing
- Meiji Shrine
- Omotesando
Get a Suica card on your phone before landing.
Day 2 · Tue, Nov 4
Hakone loop
- Lake Ashi
- Owakudani
- Hakone Open-Air Museum
The Hakone Free Pass covers the whole loop including the pirate ship.
Day 3 · Wed, Nov 5
Kyoto: Higashiyama
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Sannenzaka
- Gion
Go before 8 a.m.; by 10 the lanes are shoulder to shoulder.
Day 4 · Thu, Nov 6
Kyoto: Arashiyama
- Bamboo Grove
- Tenryu-ji
- Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso villa garden is the quiet escape from the bamboo crowds.
Day 5 · Fri, Nov 7
Nara day trip
- Todai-ji
- Nara Park
- Isuien Garden
Deer crackers are ¥200. The deer know.
Day 6 · Sat, Nov 8
Osaka food crawl
- Dotonbori
- Kuromon Market
- Shinsekai
Takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki in one evening. Pace yourself.
Estimated on-the-ground cost$630
Trip budget
What it cost
- Stay$2,30037%
- Food$1,35022%
- Transport$1,40023%
- Activities$75012%
- Other$4006%
Total$6,20012 days
Per day$517everyone together
Per person$3,1002 travelers
Flights to and from home are not included.
Stories from this trip
Food & Drink
An Osaka Food Crawl in One Night
Takoyaki, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki — and the late-night ramen that ended it.
Asia
Tokyo at Night: A First-Timer’s Neighborhood Guide
Shibuya, Shinjuku, Shimokitazawa and the alleys in between, after dark.
Asia
Kyoto in Autumn: Temples, Maple Leaves and Quiet Mornings
How to see Kyoto’s fall color without the crowds — and the three gardens we would go back for.