Essential Japan: 10-Day Self-Launched Adventure

Touch down in Tokyo and make your way into the city. Take the Narita Express (N'EX) or Limousine Bus from Narita (~£15–20) or the Keikyu Line from Haneda (~£10). Check into your hostel in a central neighbourhood like Asakusa, Shinjuku or Shibuya. Spend the afternoon exploring freely — Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa is free and unmissable, and the Imperial Palace East Gardens are also free to visit. For something quirky, book a slot at the Dawn Avatar Robot Café (from ~£13) where robots operated by people with disabilities serve you. In the evening, wander to a nearby izakaya or ramen shop to fuel up after your journey.

🚌Narita Express (N'EX) from Narita Airport to central Tokyo ~£15; or Keikyu Line from Haneda ~£10. IC card (Suica/Pasmo) recommended for all local travel — top up at any station.

🛏Budget hostel dorm in central Tokyo (e.g. Khaosan Tokyo Origami, BnA Alter Museum, or Book and Bed Tokyo) — ~£18–22/night

• →Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa — Free
• →Imperial Palace East Gardens — Free
• →Tsukiji Outer Market browse — Free
• →Metropolitan Government Building observation deck — Free
• →Dawn Avatar Robot Café (optional, book in advance via their website) — ~£13

Start your morning at Shibuya Crossing — arrive early to beat the crowds and watch the famous scramble from above at the Mag's Park free viewing area or grab a coffee window seat at the Starbucks overlooking the intersection. Visit the Hachiko statue just outside Shibuya station. Then head underground (literally) to a depachika food hall beneath a major department store for lunch — bento boxes from ~£5. Walk to Yoyogi Park to eat, then stroll to Meiji Jingu Shrine (free). Head north to Harajuku's Takeshita Street for the full pop-culture overload. In the evening, explore Omoide Yokocho ('Memory Lane') in Shinjuku for yakitori skewers and cold Sapporo. Round off the night with karaoke — booths cost around £5–10/hour per person.

🚌Tokyo Metro day pass ~£6, or pay-as-you-go with Suica card (~£2–3 per journey)

🛏Budget hostel dorm in central Tokyo — ~£18–22/night

• →Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko Statue — Free
• →Depachika food hall lunch browse — Free entry, food from ~£5
• →Yoyogi Park — Free
• →Meiji Jingu Shrine — Free
• →Harajuku Takeshita Street — Free
• →Omoide Yokocho yakitori dinner — ~£8–12
• →Karaoke in Shinjuku (optional) — ~£8–12

Check out of your Tokyo hostel and head to Tokyo Station for the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train to Kanazawa (~2.5–3.5 hours). If you have a JR Pass (recommended for this itinerary — 7-day or 14-day pass covers most routes), this is fully covered. Without a pass, tickets cost around £60–80 each way. Arrive in Kanazawa by early afternoon. Check into your pod hostel (e.g. Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku or a local pod hostel). Spend the afternoon exploring Kenroku-en Garden (~£2) and the adjacent Kanazawa Castle Park (free outer grounds). In the evening, head to the Katamachi and Korinbo bar district for izakaya dining and sake — Kanazawa is famous for its fresh seafood, especially snow crab and sushi.

🚌Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa ~£65 (or covered by JR Pass). Local Kanazawa Loop Bus day pass ~£5

🛏Pod hostel in Kanazawa (e.g. Kanazawa Station area pod hostel) — ~£20–28/night

• →Kenroku-en Garden — ~£2
• →Kanazawa Castle Park (outer grounds) — Free
• →Omicho Fresh Market browse — Free
• →Izakaya dinner in Katamachi — ~£12–18

Today is all about wandering Kanazawa's beautifully preserved historic districts on foot — no guide needed. Start with the Higashi Chaya Geisha district: stroll the atmospheric alleyways, peek into traditional chaya teahouses and visit the free Shima Teahouse museum (£5 entry for the interior). Walk south to the Nagamachi Samurai District (free to wander, ~£5 for the Nomura Samurai House museum). Visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art for its permanent collection (free) — the famous 'swimming pool' installation is included. Grab lunch at a local soba or ramen shop (~£7). The afternoon is yours: consider a traditional tea ceremony at one of the local teahouses (~£8–12).

🚌Kanazawa is walkable between key sights — no transport cost needed today

🛏Pod hostel in Kanazawa — ~£20–28/night

• →Higashi Chaya Geisha District walk — Free
• →Shima Teahouse interior (optional) — ~£5
• →Nagamachi Samurai District walk — Free
• →Nomura Samurai House museum (optional) — ~£5
• →21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (permanent collection) — Free
• →Traditional tea ceremony at a local teahouse (optional) — ~£8–12
• →Oyama Shrine — Free

Catch the morning limited express train from Kanazawa toward Kyoto (change at Maibara or take the direct service via the Thunderbird/Shinkansen connection — ~2.5 hours, covered by JR Pass). Arrive in Kyoto by midday. Check into your hostel in Gion, Kyoto Station area, or Higashiyama (e.g. Piece Hostel Kyoto or K's House Kyoto). Grab an afternoon bus (day pass ~£5) to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion, ~£3) and then Nijo Castle (~£5). In the early evening, head to the Gion district to wander the historic streets — dusk is prime time to spot maiko (apprentice geisha) heading to appointments along Hanamikoji Street. The walk is free and utterly magical.

🚌Train Kanazawa to Kyoto ~£50 (or JR Pass). Kyoto city bus day pass ~£5

🛏Budget hostel dorm in Kyoto (e.g. Piece Hostel Kyoto or K's House Kyoto) — ~£18–22/night

• →Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion — ~£3
• →Nijo Castle — ~£5
• →Gion District evening walk — Free
• →Hanamikoji Street geisha spotting — Free

Rise early for Fushimi Inari-Taisha — arrive before 8am to have the iconic vermillion torii gates nearly to yourself. The hike to the summit of Mt Inari takes 2–3 hours and is free. In the afternoon, book a Kyo-Yuzen traditional dyeing workshop independently via GetYourGuide or directly through Kyoto Yuzen studios (e.g. Kodai Yuzen-en or Kyoto Yuzen-Kobo) — workshops cost ~£15–25 and you take home a hand-dyed handkerchief or phone case. The afternoon is free: rent a bicycle (~£8/day) and explore Arashiyama bamboo grove, or wander the Nishiki Market ('Kyoto's Kitchen') for street food. For dinner, try yudofu (tofu hotpot) or kaiseki-lite at a local restaurant — a Kyoto speciality.

🚌JR Inari Station (2 stops from Kyoto on JR Nara Line, ~£1.50). Bicycle rental for the afternoon ~£8

🛏Budget hostel dorm in Kyoto — ~£18–22/night

• →Fushimi Inari-Taisha & Mt Inari hike — Free
• →Kyo-Yuzen traditional dyeing workshop (book via GetYourGuide or direct) — ~£18–25
• →Nishiki Market food browse — Free entry, snacks ~£5–8
• →Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (optional by bike) — Free
• →Kiyomizu-dera Temple (optional) — ~£3

Take the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima (~1 hour, covered by JR Pass, or ~£40 without). Check into a family-run guesthouse or a budget hostel in central Hiroshima — many offer traditional tatami-style rooms with futons, which is a wonderful cultural experience. Head straight to the Peace Memorial Park: the A-Bomb Dome is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hauntingly preserved. The Peace Memorial Museum (£1.20 entry) is one of the most powerful and important museums in the world — allow 2–3 hours. The evening is yours to explore: seek out Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a layered savoury pancake cooked on a teppan grill in front of you. Okonomimura ('Okonomiyaki Village') — a multi-storey building dedicated entirely to this dish — is the place to go, with meals from ~£7.

🚌Shinkansen Kyoto to Hiroshima ~£40 (or JR Pass). Hiroshima tram/streetcar to Peace Park ~£1.50

🛏Family-run guesthouse or budget hostel in Hiroshima (e.g. Hiroshima Hana Hostel or a local minshuku) — ~£20–28/night

• →Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park — Free
• →A-Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome) — Free
• →Peace Memorial Museum — ~£1.20
• →Okonomimura for Hiroshima okonomiyaki dinner — ~£7–10

Take the JR San'yo Line train from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi (~25 min, ~£2.50, or JR Pass), then a JR Ferry to Miyajima Island (~10 min, ~£2 or JR Pass). The famous floating Otorii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine is best seen at high tide — check tide tables in advance. Entry to Itsukushima Shrine is ~£2. Hike up Mt Misen (535m) through the forest — the trail takes 90 minutes each way and the panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea are outstanding. Watch out for the famously cheeky sacred deer. Return to Hiroshima by early evening for a relaxed final night — try some local sake or explore the covered Hondori shopping arcade.

🚌JR train Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi ~£2.50 (or JR Pass). JR Ferry to Miyajima ~£2 (or JR Pass). Return same route.

🛏Family-run guesthouse or budget hostel in Hiroshima — ~£20–28/night

• →Itsukushima-jinja Shrine & Floating Torii Gate — ~£2
• →Mt Misen hike (free trail, or ropeway option ~£8 one way) — Free/£8
• →Sacred deer encounters — Free
• →Miyajima street food (momiji manju maple cakes) — ~£3–5

Hop on the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka (~1 hour, ~£30 or JR Pass). Check into a hostel in Namba or Shinsaibashi — this puts you right in the heart of the action. Head to Dotonbori: walk the famous canal strip, gawk at the giant Glico running man sign, and browse the restaurants serving takoyaki (grilled octopus balls, ~£4) and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers). Try a conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi) restaurant — Japan's first was invented in Osaka, and budget chains like Kura Sushi or Hamazushi are brilliant value (~£8–12/person). In the evening, explore the retro Shinsekai district and the Tsutenkaku Tower area. For a nightcap, Osaka's bar scene in Namba or Amerika-mura is lively and affordable.

🚌Shinkansen Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka ~£30 (or JR Pass). Osaka Metro day pass ~£5

🛏Budget hostel dorm in Osaka/Namba (e.g. Grids Osaka Namba or Hostel 64 Osaka) — ~£18–22/night

• →Dotonbori District self-guided walk — Free
• →Glico Man & canal — Free
• →Takoyaki street food — ~£4
• →Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) dinner — ~£8–12
• →Shinsekai District & Tsutenkaku Tower area — Free (tower entry optional ~£6)
• →Osaka Castle (optional) — ~£7

Check out of your hostel and spend your final morning exploring any last Osaka gems. If you haven't tried them yet, grab a bowl of Osaka-style udon or a taiyaki fish waffle from a street stall. Explore the covered Kuromon Ichiba Market ('Osaka's Kitchen') for a final foodie fix — vendors serve fresh seafood, wagyu and local produce from early morning. Head to Kansai International Airport (KIX) via the Haruka Express (~45 min, ~£12) or the more budget-friendly Nankai Airport Express (~35 min, ~£7). Sayonara, Japan!

🚌Nankai Airport Express to Kansai International Airport ~£7, or JR Haruka Express ~£12

🛏Check out — no accommodation

• →Kuromon Ichiba Market — Free entry, snacks ~£5–8
• →Final street food breakfast — ~£4–6
• →Shinsaibashi shopping arcade browse — Free