Discover Japan: The Self-Launched Edition

Land at Haneda or Narita and take the airport train (Keikyu Line or Narita Express, ~£6-25) into central Tokyo. Base yourself in Asakusa, Ueno or Akasaka — pick a hostel dorm or capsule hotel from ~£25-35/night. Spend the evening wandering your neighbourhood: grab konbini dinner (¥600-900) or a bowl of ramen, sort a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the station (¥500 deposit, top up £15-20) and activate a pocket wifi or eSIM if you haven't already. Buy a 7-day Japan Rail Pass now (order online in advance, ~£220) or plan to buy individual Shinkansen tickets — the pass only pays off if you do the long hauls, and this itinerary has three big train days, so the pass is usually worth it.

🚌Airport train into Tokyo (~£6-25)

🛏Hostel dorm/capsule in Asakusa or Akasaka (~£30)

• →IC card setup
• →Neighbourhood walk
• →Konbini dinner

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Kanazawa (~2.5 hrs, ~£95 one-way or covered by JR Pass). Drop bags at your guesthouse — a hostel or budget ryokan in central Kanazawa runs £20-30/night. Afternoon: walk the Higashi Chaya geisha district's wooden teahouse lanes, then sample gold-leaf ice cream and local sake at a free-to-enter shop. Evening group-style dinner optional — grab oden or Kanazawa curry at a local counter for ~£8-12.

🚌Hokuriku Shinkansen Tokyo–Kanazawa (~£95, or covered by JR Pass)

🛏Hostel or budget ryokan, central Kanazawa (~£25)

• →Higashi Chaya geisha district walk
• →Kanazawa street food

Morning at Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens (£2 entry — go early, it's stunning). Walk next door into Kanazawa Castle park (free gardens), then 15 minutes across town to the Nagamachi Samurai District for its earthen walls and canals (free to wander; the Nomura-ke samurai house is ~£3). Lunch at Omicho Market — grilled scallops and crab legs for ~£10-15. Optional afternoon: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (£3-6) or the Myoryuji Ninja Temple (£6, book by phone/hotel as tours only). Top up with a Kanazawa loop bus day pass (~£3).

🚌Loop bus day pass (~£3), all on foot otherwise

🛏Hostel or budget ryokan, central Kanazawa (~£25)

• →Kenroku-en Garden (£2)
• →Nagamachi Samurai District (free)
• →Omicho Market lunch
• →21st Century Museum (£3-6, optional)

Take the limited express to Toyama and change onto the Hida limited express up through the Hida mountains to Takayama (~2.5 hrs total, ~£50, JR Pass covers it). Check into a minshuku-style guesthouse or hostel (£18-28) — the tatami-and-futon experience without the tour markup. Afternoon: stroll Takayama's old merchant streets (Sanmachi Suji), sample hoba miso and mitarashi dango, and visit the Takayama Jinya historic government house if time allows (~£3). Evening: local Hida beef skewers or soba for ~£10-15.

🚌JR Hida limited express via Toyama (~£50, JR Pass covers)

🛏Guesthouse/minshuku, Takayama (~£25)

• →Sanmachi old town walk
• →Takayama Jinya (optional, ~£3)

Morning at Hida no Sato, the open-air folk village of thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses — catch the Sarubobo bus from Takayama Station (~£1 each way) plus ~£3 entry. Spend a couple of hours wandering the houses and craft workshops. Afternoon: the sake breweries along Sanmachi (tastings ¥300-400 each), rent a bike (~£6 for the day) or hike the Higashiyama walking trail past shrines. Optional day trip to Shirakawa-go (bus ~£12 each way) if you want the UNESCO village — doable but makes a long day.

🚌Local Sarubobo bus to Hida no Sato (~£2 return)

🛏Guesthouse/minshuku, Takayama (~£25)

• →Hida no Sato folk village (£3)
• →Sake brewery tastings (~£3)
• →Bike rental (~£6, optional)

Long travel day: Takayama to Nagoya on the Hida limited express (~2.5 hrs), then Shinkansen Nagoya to Hiroshima (~2 hrs), total ~£120 (JR Pass covers). Check into a budget hotel or hostel near Hiroshima Station (£20-30). Late afternoon at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum — the museum is ~£1.5 and closing time is 5-6pm, so go straight there. Walk the A-Bomb Dome and cenotaphs at dusk. Dinner: Hiroshima okonomiyaki at a counter (Okonomi-mura has dozens of stalls, ~£7-10).

🚌Hida express to Nagoya + Shinkansen to Hiroshima (~£120, JR Pass covers)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel near Hiroshima Station (~£25)

• →Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (~£1.5)
• →A-Bomb Dome and Peace Park
• →Okonomiyaki dinner

Take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi (~30 min, covered by JR Pass) then the JR ferry across (covered) or Matsudai ferry (~£1.5). Catch the Itsukushima Shrine torii at low or mid tide — check tide tables the night before, it's the whole game. Ride the ropeway up Mt Misen (~£9 return) with a short summit walk for Seto Inland Sea views, or hike up free (~1 hr each way). Back on the mainland by evening; cheap dinner near the station.

🚌JR train + ferry to Miyajima (covered by JR Pass; ~£1.5 for private ferry)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel near Hiroshima Station (~£25)

• →Itsukushima Shrine and torii gate
• →Mt Misen ropeway (~£9) or hike
• →Shrine island walk

Shinkansen Hiroshima to Kyoto (~1.5 hrs, ~£80, JR Pass covers). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the Kyoto Station or Kawaramachi area (£22-32/night). Afternoon: JR Nara line two stops to Inari and walk the 10,000 torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha — free, and the further you climb past the Yotsutsuji viewpoint the quieter it gets. Head back through Gion at dusk for lantern-lit Hanamikoji Street (free). Dinner: Nishiki Market skewers or a Kyoto-style set meal ~£10-14.

🚌Shinkansen Hiroshima–Kyoto (~£80, JR Pass covers) + JR Nara line (~£1)

🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Kyoto (~£27)

• →Fushimi Inari Taisha hike (free)
• →Gion evening walk (free)

Early bus or taxi to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion (~£3, arrive at opening to dodge crowds), then city bus to Nijo Castle for its nightingale floors and shogun gardens (~£8). Walk north to Daitoku-ji's Zen temple complex and pick one subtemple (Daisen-in rock garden ~£3). A one-day Kyoto bus pass is ~£4. Afternoon: Nishiki Market graze or a coffee in the Nishijin backstreets. Evening: Pontocho alley riverside izakaya ~£12-18.

🚌Kyoto city bus day pass (~£4)

🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Kyoto (~£27)

• →Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion (~£3)
• →Nijo Castle (~£8)
• →Daisen-in Zen garden (~£3)

Do the Higashiyama loop on foot and by bus: Kiyomizu-dera (~£3) early, then down through Sannenzaka's slopes, on to Nanzen-ji's aqueduct (free), the Ryoan-ji rock garden (~£3) side trip, and finish along the Philosopher's Path to Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion (~£3). All self-ticketed, no guide needed. Alternatively join a GetYourGuide or Klook Kyoto walking/cycling tour for £25-40 if you want local context. Evening: free — try a standing sake bar in Fushimachi or kaiten sushi ~£10.

🚌Bus/subway day pass (~£5)

🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Kyoto (~£27)

• →Kiyomizu-dera and Higashiyama walk
• →Philosopher's Path (free)
• →Ginkaku-ji (~£3)
• →Ryoan-ji (~£3, optional)

Travel day: Shinkansen/limited express Kyoto to Otsuki then Fujikyuko line to Kawaguchiko (~4 hrs, ~£70 — the Fujikyuko leg isn't JR, ~£8 separately). Or take an overnight/early highway bus Kyoto to Kawaguchiko for ~£35-45 if you'd rather save cash. Check into a lakeside guesthouse or hostel (£22-30) and head straight to a public onsen (¥600-1,500, ~£3-8) — most have Fuji views, and tattoos may need a private bath. Even if the mountain's clouded in, the lake at dusk is lovely. Dinner: houtou noodles, the local miso pumpkin speciality, ~£10.

🚌Shinkansen + Fujikyuko line (~£78) or highway bus (~£40)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse/hostel, Kawaguchiko (~£26)

• →Lake Kawaguchi evening walk
• →Public onsen (~£5)

Get up early — Fuji is clearest in the morning. Walk the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi (free), or take the retro bus to Oishi Park / the Kawaguchiko Panoramic Ropeway (~£5) for the classic reflection shot. Optional: bike hire around the lake ~£8-10. Midday, highway bus Kawaguchiko to Shinjuku (~2 hrs, ~£12-15) or the Fujikyuko line back to Tokyo. Check into a Tokyo hostel or business hotel in Oji/Ueno/Asakusa (£25-35). Evening free in Tokyo.

🚌Highway bus Kawaguchiko–Shinjuku (~£14)

🛏Hostel/business hotel, Tokyo (~£30)

• →Lake Kawaguchi walk (free)
• →Panoramic Ropeway (~£5)
• →Bike rental (~£9, optional)

Free day, DIY style: Senso-ji and Nakamise street in Asakusa early, then walk the old Yanaka neighbourhood and Ueno Park's free shrines and pond (museums £4-8 if you want one). Cross town to Meiji Shrine and its forest approach (free), then people-watch in Harajuku and Shibuya's crossing. Imperial Palace East Gardens are free too (closed Mon/Fri). Finish in an izakaya in Ebisu or Golden Gai — ~£15-20. Optional Klook/GetYourGuide Tokyo food or nightlife tour £25-45 if you want a guide for one night.

🚌IC card trains/subway (~£6)

🛏Hostel/business hotel, Tokyo (~£30)

• →Senso-ji and Asakusa (free)
• →Ueno Park and Yanaka walk (free)
• →Meiji Shrine (free)
• →Shibuya and Harajuku

Final morning for souvenir shopping (Don Quijote, Nakamise) or a last temple, then airport train out (Keikyu/Narita Express ~£6-25). If you've got a late flight, station lockers (~£3-5) let you leave your bag and keep exploring — Japan has lockers at nearly every major station.

🚌Airport train (~£6-25)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Souvenir shopping
• →Final neighbourhood wander