Kantō
Tokyo
Thirteen cities in one. Late-night alleyways, quiet shrines and the best eating in the world — if you know where to look.
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7 Days
Japan in 7 Days
Tokyo → Hakone → Tokyo
Overview
Seven days is enough for one city and one escape — and not much else. The mistake most first-timers make is adding Kyoto to a week and spending two of their seven days in transit.
This route keeps Tokyo as the base, adds a night of hot springs and mountain air in Hakone, and uses day trips for variety. You unpack twice instead of five times.
Sara Lindqvist · Updated 22 February 2026
Check train optionsFind your stay
- Best for
- First visit, short holiday
- Pace
- Relaxed
- Bases
- Tokyo ×5, Hakone ×1
- Rail
- Point-to-point tickets
- Season
- Any
Day by day
The route, one day at a time
Each day is a suggestion, not a schedule. Swap freely — the order is what matters.
Day by day itinerary
- Day 1
Arrive in Tokyo
Land, take the train into the city and stay awake until a normal bedtime. A short walk and an early dinner in your own neighbourhood is enough.
Set up your IC card on your phone at the airport while you have Wi-Fi.
Base · Tokyo - Day 2
West side introduction
Meiji Jingū at opening, Harajuku's backstreets, then Shibuya and dinner in Ebisu. Jet lag makes an early start easy — use it.
Base · Tokyo - Day 3
Old Tokyo
Asakusa and Sensō-ji first thing, the Yanaka lanes for the afternoon, and a river or rooftop view at sunset.
Base · Tokyo - Day 4
To Hakone
Travel out mid-morning, check into a ryokan, spend the afternoon at the open-air museum or on the lake, then dinner and an onsen soak.
Send your large bag ahead to your Tokyo hotel and travel with an overnight bag.
Base · Hakone - Day 5
Mountain morning, back to the city
A clear morning may give you Fuji. Return to Tokyo by afternoon and spend the evening in Shinjuku.
Base · Tokyo - Day 6
Choose your Tokyo
A museum morning, Shimokitazawa or Nakameguro in the afternoon, and a proper dinner you booked before you flew.
Base · Tokyo - Day 7
Last morning
A depachika food hall for gifts, a final coffee, then the airport with time to spare.
Base · Tokyo
Route map
Where this trip takes you
Map coming soon
Tokyo → Hakone → Tokyo
Stay
Where to stay
- Tokyo
- Five nights in one hotel. Shinjuku or Tokyo Station for connections; Ebisu for calm.
- Hakone
- One night in an onsen ryokan with dinner included.
Book ahead
Things to book
- Your Hakone ryokan
- Small inns sell out earliest, particularly at weekends.
- One destination restaurant
- Counters take reservations a month or more ahead.
- Timed-entry attractions
- Digital art museums and observation decks release slots in advance.
Travel tips
What we'd do differently
Budget
Planning your budget
We don't publish sample prices — rates move constantly. Here is where the money actually goes.
- Accommodation
- The largest single line. Rates swing heavily by season and district.
- Rail
- Modest on this route — mostly local trains and one return to Hakone.
- Food
- Easy to eat extremely well without spending much; the range is enormous.
Before you go
Guides for this trip
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