Two Weeks in Japan: Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchiko, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka & Himeji (Nov. 22–Dec. 7, 2025)
In January 2020, I decided it was finally time to prioritize travel. That month, I booked a flight to Tokyo to spend two weeks in Japan in November 2020. But as we all know, the universe had very different plans.
I'm so incredibly grateful that this long-awaited two-week trip finally became a reality! From Saturday, November 22nd to Sunday, December 7th, I spent 4.5 days in Tokyo, 1.5 days in Lake Kawaguchiko, 4.5 days in Kyoto with a day trip to Nara, and 3 days in Osaka with a day trip to Himeji.
It was a whirlwind trip where I feel like I barely scratched the surface of all that Japan has to offer, but it was the perfect introduction to a country I already can’t wait to return to.
Summary of my 2 week itinerary in Japan
Bullet point summary of my 16 day trip visiting Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchiko, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Himeji
Day 16: Tokyo back to Chicago
Revisiting Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden before flying home from Haneda Airport to Chicago O’Hare
Day 15: Day 4 in Osaka and Return to Tokyo
Sumiyoshi Taisha, Osaka Castle & Nishinomaru Garden, the Nakanoshima area, Umekita Park, and Umeda Sky Building & Kuchu Teien Observatory in Osaka. Return to Tokyo in the evening.
Day 14: Day 3 in Osaka - Minoh Falls and Minami (South Osaka)
Minoh Falls, Shitennō-ji, Shinsekai, Namba Yasaka Jinja, Hōzenji Yokochō, Amerikamura, Bar Nayuta, and Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera
Day 13: Himeji Day Trip and Osaka at Night
Mount Shosha, Koko-en Garden, and Himeji Castle in Himeji. Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street, & Dōtonbori in Osaka
Day 12: Day 5 in Kyoto - Eastern Kyoto. Day 1 in Osaka - Namba
Kiyomizu-dera, Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka Preserved Districts, Ginkaku-ji, Philosopher’s Path, Shinnyo-do, Eikandō, Nanzen-ji in Kyoto. Namba in Osaka
Day 11: Day 4 in Kyoto - Fushimi, Northern Kyoto, and Central Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Taisha, Tōfuku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Nijō Castle, Kyoto Tower, Beer at Kyoto Beer Lab, and Dinner at Sushiiwa Kyoto
Day 10: Day 3 in Kyoto - Arashiyama District
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Temples in Arashiyama, Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama, and Togetsukyo Bridge
Day 9: Day 2 in Kyoto - Day trip to Nara from Kyoto
Nara Deer Park, Kōfuku-ji, Yoshikien Garden, Isuien Garden, Tōdai-ji, Nigatsu-dō, Mount Wakakusa, and Kasuga Taisha
Day 8: Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto and Gion and Higashiyama in Kyoto at Night
Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto. Yasaka Shrine and the Kōdai-ji at night
Day 7: Lake Kawaguchiko
Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko, Chureito Pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park, Tenku No Torii, Haha No Shirataki Waterfall, Lake Kawaguchi Maple Corridor, Nagasaki Park, Oishi Park, and dinner at Cooliya
Day 6: Day 5 in Tokyo - Shinjuku and Shibuya
Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Shibuya, Yoyogi Park, and Shibuya Sky Observation Deck
Day 5: Day 4 in Tokyo - Chiyoda, Bunkyō, and Shiba Park
Hibiya Park, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Kitanomaru Park, Chidorigafuchi Moat, Yasukuni Shrine (all in the Chiyoda neighborhood), Koishikawa Karakuen Garden in Bunkyo, Tokyo Tower in Shiba Park, and dinner at Sky Lounge Stellar Garden in the Park Prince Tower
Day 4: Day 3 in Tokyo - Toyosu Area, Nezu Shrine, Ueno Park, and Asakusa
Tsukiji Outer Market, TeamLabs Planets, Nezu Shrine, Ueno Park, Nakamise Shopping Street, Sumida Park, Tokyo Skytree , Senso-ji Temple , Asakusa Observatory
Day 3: Day 2 in Tokyo - Showa Kinen Park, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and Shinjuku
Showa Memorial Park, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Kabukicho. Omoide Yokocho
Day 2: Day 1 in Tokyo - Landing in Tokyo and Wandering Around Shinjuku
Landing in Narita, commuting to Tokyo, and Shinjuku
