Seven days covers Tokyo and Kyoto on the Shinkansen. Fourteen days is the comfortable minimum for the capital, the temples, Osaka, and Hiroshima without treating stations as the holiday.
7 days: Tokyo and Kyoto
Three nights in Tokyo (Senso-ji, Shibuya, Meiji Jingu, a Shinjuku evening). Four nights in Kyoto — Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, and a Gion dusk. The Shinkansen takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. This pair skips Osaka and Hiroshima. Activate a JR Pass only if the maths beats two point-to-point tickets.
10 days: classic circuit
The route most first-timers from India actually take: Tokyo (3 nights) → Hakone (1 night) → Kyoto (3 nights, with a Nara day folded in) → Osaka (2 nights) → Hiroshima and Miyajima as the last full day. Compare a 7-day JR Pass to your hops and activate it on the morning you leave Tokyo for Kyoto. Indians need a tourist visa 5–7 business days ahead — hotels and an itinerary required. Book sakura rooms three months ahead.
14 days: grand tour
Keep the 10-day core, then add an overnight in Hiroshima so the Peace Memorial is not a sprint, a proper Nara day that is not stolen from Kinkaku-ji, or Kanazawa between Tokyo and Kyoto. Do not add Hokkaido in the same extra weekend — that is a second trip. A hire car is not useful in Tokyo or Kyoto; it can help in rural Kyushu if the trip turns countryside.
Insider tip: Tokyo–Kyoto about 2 hours 15 minutes, Kyoto–Osaka about 15 minutes, Osaka–Hiroshima about 90 minutes on Hikari or Sakura. A JR Pass does not cover Nozomi. After the 2023 price rise, add up the tickets before you buy. The pass can now be purchased in Japan as well as in advance.
Build a custom version in minutes with the LokaTours trip planner. Pair the days with our list of 15 must-visit places in Japan, the 20 best things to do in Japan, and the best time to visit Japan.