Japan 5 Day Itinerary:
Tokyo and Kyoto, Day by Day

What Does a 5-Day Japan Itinerary Look Like?

Two and a half days in Tokyo and a day and a half in Kyoto, with one train between them. Each day has its own table below; this is the whole trip on one screen.

Should You Do Tokyo and Kyoto in 5 Days?

Yes, and the decision that matters is your flight home. Flying out of Kansai saves you going back the way you came, which is worth more than almost any sight on a five-day trip.

What Should You Book Before a 5-Day Trip to Japan?

Five things, and only two of them can actually sell out on you. The rest of this plan is walk-in.

Day 1 — Land in Tokyo, Check In, One Neighbourhood on Foot

Treat this as transport, check-in and one neighbourhood. Narita is about an hour from central Tokyo, so a morning landing gives you an afternoon and an evening landing gives you dinner. Either way, nothing that needs a ticket goes on this day.

What to book for Day 1. The airport leg, your data and the subway ticket, all before you fly. Our Tokyo airport transfer guide matches each Narita route to the side of the city you are staying on. The return half of a round-trip airport ticket is wasted on this plan, because you fly home from Kansai, so buy one way.

Day 2 — West Tokyo: Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya and the Sunset Slot

Everything before the rooftop is free to walk into, which is why this day survives a slow start after a long flight. It sits here rather than on Day 3 because SHIBUYA SKY is the booking most likely to sell out, and if it does, Day 3's evening is still free to take a late slot.

What to book for Day 2. The SHIBUYA SKY slot. Web tickets are ¥2,700 for entry before 15:00 and ¥3,400 from 15:00, and a date opens at 00:00 Japan time two weeks ahead; our Shibuya Sky tickets guide covers the bands. The night is the part a phone will not plan for you, so the guided Shinjuku food walk is the one tour worth adding here: Klook lists it at three hours, with three food stops and a Golden Gai drink.

Day 3 — East Tokyo: Senso-ji Early, Tsukiji, then teamLab Planets

The old town first, then the bay. Senso-ji's main hall opens at 06:00, or 06:30 from October to March, on the temple's published hours read on 21 October 2026. An early start here buys the quiet that this temple does not have by mid-morning. Pack tonight: Day 4 is your only train.

What to book for Day 3. teamLab Planets, without exception. The official store sells nothing on site, the adult price moves by date from ¥3,800, and parts of it are walked barefoot through water, as our teamLab Planets tickets guide explains. The Tsukiji walk is the optional part of the day: three hours, with 08:30 and 11:00 departures from Tsukiji Hongan-ji as listed.

Day 4 — Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen, Then Kiyomizu-dera and Gion

The spine of the trip. Tokyo to Kyoto on the Tokaido Shinkansen is about 130 minutes on JR Central's figure, read on 25 October 2026, so a 09:00 train still leaves you the whole afternoon in Kyoto. Hotel check-in is usually mid-afternoon, so hand your bags to the front desk on arrival.

What to book for Day 4. The seat first, then the Gion night walk, which Klook lists as a three-hour small-group evening through the backstreets and Hanamikoji; our Gion night walking tour guide covers which to pick. Kiyomizu-dera is ¥500 at the gate, read on 29 October 2026.

Day 5 — Fushimi Inari at Dawn, Arashiyama, and the Train to Kansai Airport

Your last morning has the easiest start of the trip. Fushimi Inari is about 10 minutes from Kyoto Station on the Kyoto City tourism guide's figure, and it is free and open before the coaches arrive. Arashiyama fits if your flight leaves in the evening. If it leaves before about 16:00, stop after Fushimi Inari.

What to book for Day 5. Your exit. The Haruka one-way ticket to Kyoto is ¥2,700 for an adult from 1 November 2026, read off JR West on 25 October 2026. If you fly home from Tokyo instead, take the shinkansen back and allow the 130 minutes plus the airport run; that trade is in the table at the top. If you would rather hand the morning to a guide, Klook lists a full-day tour of Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera leaving from the Hachijo side of Kyoto Station.

Do You Need a JR Pass for 5 Days in Japan?

No. There is no whole-country pass shorter than seven days, and at ¥50,000 online or ¥53,000 as an overseas Exchange Order, it costs far more than this route does in single tickets, whichever way you fly home.

Pass prices read off japanrailpass.net on 5 November 2026. Single tickets: this plan is Narita Express, shinkansen and Haruka; the return is Narita Express and shinkansen, both ways. The shinkansen and Narita Express fares are this site's rounded regular-season reference fares (September 2026), so confirm yours at booking: smartEX states ¥200 less off-peak, ¥200 more at peak and ¥400 more in top season. The pass also does not cover the Nozomi without a supplementary ticket. Our JR Pass guide works the break-even for longer trips, and Tokyo to Kyoto compares the train with the bus.

How Much Does a 5-Day Trip to Japan Cost?

From ¥29,440 per adult for the transport and tickets on this plan, before hotels and food. Every row carries its source and date; flights, hotels and meals are in our Japan travel budget guide, because a made-up average would be worse than none.