12-Day Self-Launched Golden Route: Tokyo to Osaka

Land at Narita or Haneda and get into the city on the cheapest rail option: the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Nippori/Ueno (~£14, 40 min) or the monorail/subway from Haneda (~£4). Check into a hostel or budget business hotel in Shinbashi, Asakusa or Ueno. Spend the afternoon easing in: stroll the Shinbashi area or Ueno Park and pick up a SUICA/PASMO IC card (~£1.5 deposit, top up as you go) — it works on almost every train, bus and konbini in the country.

🚌Keisei Skyliner Narita–Ueno ~£14, or Haneda monorail+subway ~£4. City subway ~£1.20/ride

🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Shinbashi/Asakusa/Ueno (~£25, dorm ~£15)

• →Airport rail transfer
• →IC card purchase & top-up
• →Evening stroll in Shinbashi or Ueno Park

Do the exact circuit the guided tour covers, under your own steam. Start early at the Imperial Palace Gardens and Nijubashi Bridge (free, closed Mondays), walk to Tokyo Station for the red-brick facade, then ride the subway to Asakusa for Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise-dori. In the afternoon take the Yamanote Line to Harajuku for Meiji Jingu Shrine and Takeshita Street, finishing at Shibuya Crossing and the Hachiko statue at dusk. Budget a 24-hour Tokyo Metro pass (~£3.50) or just tap with your IC card.

🚌24-hour Tokyo Metro pass ~£3.50; Yamanote Line rides ~£1.20 each

🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Tokyo (~£25)

• →Imperial Palace Gardens & Nijubashi Bridge (free)
• →Senso-ji Temple & Nakamise-dori (free)
• →Meiji Jingu Shrine (free)
• →Harajuku & Takeshita Street
• →Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko statue

Replicate the tour's Fuji day with a self-bookable day tour from Shinjuku (GetYourGuide or Klook, ~£55-70 incl. bus and guide) covering Oishi Park, Arakura-Fuji Sengen Shrine (the Chureito Pagoda shot), the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station when roads are open, and the Oshino Hakkai spring ponds. Cheaper DIY alternative: highway bus Tokyo–Kawaguchiko (~£12-15 each way, book on Willer or the Fujikyu site) plus the local Kawaguchiko sightseeing bus (~£8 day pass). Either way, leave early — views are clearest in the morning.

🚌Guided day tour from Shinjuku ~£60, or highway bus ~£27 return + local bus pass ~£8

🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Tokyo (~£25)

• →Arakura-Fuji Sengen Shrine & Chureito Pagoda
• →Oishi Park (Lake Kawaguchi)
• →Mount Fuji 5th Station
• →Oshino Hakkai ponds

The tour leaves this as a free day; make it yours. Options: Akihabara for electronics and arcades, Nakano Broadway for vintage manga and figures, a day trip to Kamakura (~£7 return on the JR Yokosuka Line, Great Buddha at Kotoku-in ~£2), or the teamLab digital art museums (~£22, book online in advance). Evening: cheap and excellent ramen or standing sushi in Yurakucho under the train tracks.

🚌IC card fares ~£3-7, or Kamakura return ~£7

🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Tokyo (~£25)

• →Akihabara or Nakano Broadway
• →Optional Kamakura day trip (Great Buddha ~£2)
• →Optional teamLab tickets ~£22

Head to Tsukiji Hongwan-ji Temple early to watch the morning ritual, then graze the Tsukiji Outer Market — tamagoyaki skewers, grilled scallops, tuna sashimi, mochi — roughly 4-5 tastings for £15-20. Wander past Namiyoke Shrine, then spend the afternoon at the Sumida riverbank or Ginza's free depachika food halls. Book a small-group market food tour on GetYourGuide (~£55) if you want the guided version.

🚌Subway to Tsukiji/Higashi-Ginza ~£1.20

🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Tokyo (~£25)

• →Tsukiji Hongwan-ji morning ritual
• →Tsukiji Outer Market food tastings (~£18)
• →Namiyoke Shrine

Ride the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£75-85 if bought individually). Consider a 7-day Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass (read the coverage rules carefully) if you're doing lots of regional trains, but for this itinerary point-to-point tickets are often similar. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel near Kanazawa Station, then walk to Kenrokuen Garden (~£2 entry) and the Higashi Chaya geisha district for gold-leaf ice cream and old teahouses. Evening at Omicho Market or a cheap izakaya.

🚌Hokuriku Shinkansen Tokyo–Kanazawa ~£80

🛏Guesthouse or budget business hotel, Kanazawa (~£22)

• →Kenrokuen Garden (~£2)
• →Higashi Chaya district
• →Omicho Market

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen or local train to Toyama/Shin-Takaoka, then a bus into the mountains — or simply book the Nohi Bus Kanazawa–Shirakawa-go return (~£25-30, reserve ahead). Wander the gassho-zukuri farmhouses, climb to the Shiroyama viewpoint, and continue to Ainokura in Gokayama (~£6 local bus) for the quieter, less-visited village. A self-bookable small-group tour from Kanazawa on Klook/GetYourGuide costs ~£60-75 if you'd rather not plan buses. Return to Kanazawa for the night.

🚌Nohi Bus Kanazawa–Shirakawa-go return ~£28 + Ainokura local bus ~£6

🛏Guesthouse or budget business hotel, Kanazawa (~£22)

• →Shirakawa-go village & Shiroyama viewpoint (free)
• →Ainokura Village, Gokayama
• →Optional Zuisenji Temple & Inami woodcarving street (free)

Take the Thunderbird limited express from Kanazawa to Kyoto (~2 hrs 15, ~£45) or the shinkansen via Tsuruga. Check into a hostel in Kawaramachi or near Kyoto Station (~£25 dorm, ~£40 private). After dark walk Pontocho Alley, spot the Izumo-no-Okuni statue by the Kamo River, then loop through Gion: Yasaka Shrine, Hanamikoji Street, and optionally a Gion Corner cultural show (~£28, book ahead) for tea ceremony, bunraku and koto in one sitting.

🚌Thunderbird limited express Kanazawa–Kyoto ~£45

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Kyoto (~£25)

• →Pontocho Alley walk
• →Yasaka Shrine & Gion
• →Hanamikoji Street
• →Gion Corner show optional ~£28

Be at Fushimi Inari by 7am to walk the torii gates before the crowds (free), then ride to Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion (~£3) and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (free). In the early afternoon take the Kintetsu Line from Kyoto to Nara (~40 min, ~£6) for Todai-ji Temple and the Great Buddha (~£5), feeding the sika deer in Nara Park (deer crackers ~£1.50). Return to Kyoto in the evening.

🚌Kyoto bus/subway ~£5 + Kintetsu Kyoto–Nara return ~£12

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Kyoto (~£25)

• →Fushimi Inari torii walk (free)
• →Kinkaku-ji (~£3)
• →Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (free)
• →Todai-ji & Great Buddha (~£5)
• →Nara Park deer (crackers ~£1.50)

Short hop to Osaka on the JR Special Rapid (~30 min, ~£4). Drop bags at a hostel in Shinsaibashi/Namba (~£22 dorm, ~£35 private), then visit Osaka Castle (~£3 museum) and its surrounding park. Evening is pure Dotonbori: the Glico Man sign, Hozenji Temple's moss-covered alley, and a takoyaki/okonomiyaki crawl (budget ~£15). If you have energy, the Umeda Sky Building rooftop (~£12) is open late.

🚌JR Special Rapid Kyoto–Osaka ~£4; Osaka subway ~£2.50

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Osaka Shinsaibashi/Namba (~£22)

• →Osaka Castle & park (~£3)
• →Dotonbori & Glico Man
• →Hozenji Temple alley
• →Optional Umeda Sky Building ~£12

Do it as a long day trip: JR Sanyo Shinkansen Osaka–Hiroshima (~1h25, ~£55 each way; a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass at ~£95 can work out cheaper — buy before you travel). Take the JR Sanyo Line and the ~10-minute ferry to Miyajima (~£6 return incl. visitor tax) for Itsukushima Shrine's floating torii, then back on the mainland for Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the A-Bomb Dome (park free, museum ~£1.50). Last shinkansen back to Osaka around 20:00.

🚌Shinkansen Osaka–Hiroshima return ~£110, or 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima Pass ~£95; Miyajima ferry ~£6

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Osaka (~£22)

• →Miyajima ferry & Itsukushima Shrine
• →Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & A-Bomb Dome
• →Peace Memorial Museum (~£1.50)

Depending on your flight, take the Nankai Rapi:t or Airport Express from Namba to Kansai Airport (~£5-9, 40-45 min) or the JR Haruka from Osaka Station (~£10). If you have a late flight, squeeze in one last bowl of kushikatsu in Shinsekai or a morning coffee in Nakazakicho before heading out.

🚌Nankai Airport Express Namba–KIX ~£5.50 (Rapi:t ~£9)

🛏—

• →Kansai Airport transfer
• →Optional last-minute Shinsekai wander