Detailed picks
Every stop we marked "must" in the verified itineraries, by city, with the hour when it is empty.
417 attractions in 32 cities. Every place that comes from an itinerary links to its full day.
Start here
Pick a city and a number of days, and we will suggest 5 must-see places to start with.
East Tokyo, around Senso-ji and the Skytree. Excellent for temples, old streets and viewpoints. Staying here is quieter and cheaper than the centre, but less convenient for nightlife.
Asakusa · Temple
The ancient temple in Asakusa. Entry to the grounds and to the main hall is free, including the Kaminarimon gate and Nakamise street. Arrive before 08:00 to see it ahead of the groups, or after 20:00 when it is lit and empty.
Price checked November 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Asakusa and Sumida · Viewpoint
The tallest tower in Japan, 634 meters. Since April 2026 each day has its own price according to demand: the 350-meter deck from ¥1,800 on the website and up to ¥3,600 on busy days. At the counter on site you pay ¥500 more.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Asakusa · Shopping
800 meters of shops for chefs: Japanese knives, plastic food as a souvenir, and ceramics. Free to walk around, tax-free with a passport in most shops. A knife goes in the checked suitcase and not in hand luggage. Most shops are closed on Sundays.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Asakusa and Sumida · Free
The red gate with the giant lantern (4 meters, 700 kilos) at the entrance to Senso-ji, with the gods of thunder and wind on either side. Free, always open, and photographed at every hour. At 07:00 you can photograph it empty.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Asakusa and Sumida · Street
The 250-meter street of stalls from the gate to the temple, operating since the 17th century: ningyo-yaki (small cakes filled with adzuki), grilled senbei and fans. The stalls open at about 09:00 and close at 17:00. Entry is free, and ¥500 is an estimate of spending on a snack at the stalls.
Our own photo, September 2026
Asakusa and Sumida · Free
A park on both banks of the Sumida River, facing the Skytree. One of the oldest sakura spots in Tokyo (an avenue from the Edo period), and in summer this is where you watch Tokyo's big fireworks at the end of July. Free.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Asakusa and Sumida · Cruise
A 40-minute cruise from Asakusa to Hamarikyu or to Odaiba, passing under 12 colorful bridges. ¥1,000 for Asakusa to Hinode, and ¥1,600 to Odaiba with a change. The futuristic boats designed by Leiji Matsumoto (Himiko and Emeraldas) are the experience with kids. Hotaluna has been out of service since January 2026.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Asakusa and Sumida · Free
A small garden next to the Ryogoku sumo arena, with a pond designed to move with the tide of the Sumida River. Free. A 20-minute stop after the Edo-Tokyo Museum or before a sumo bout.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: bethom33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Asakusa and Sumida · Free
A small center near Senso-ji that shows 50 traditional crafts of Tokyo: brushes, knives, fans and lanterns. Free, two floors, half an hour. Closed on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Price checked September 2026
West Tokyo: fashion, parks and Meiji Shrine. You walk between Harajuku, Omotesando and Shibuya. Highly recommended as a base for anyone who wants shopping, restaurants and transport close by.
Harajuku · Shrine
Tokyo's great Shinto shrine, inside a planted forest of 100 thousand trees. Entry to the shrine is free. The inner garden (Meiji Jingu Gyoen), which is especially beautiful in June with the irises, costs ¥500 separately.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Shibuya · Street and cityscape
The most famous crossing in the world. Free. The best view is from the cafe on the second floor of Starbucks in the QFRONT building, or from the walkway of Shibuya Station. Around 18:00 on weekdays the crowd is at its peak.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Shibuya and Harajuku · Park
The large park in central Tokyo, right next to Meiji Jingu: lawns for a picnic, rockabilly dancers at the entrance on Sundays, and yellow ginkgo trees in November. Free and always open. In sakura season it is one of the main hanami spots.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shibuya and Harajuku · Street
About 350 meters of crepes, colorful popcorn and ¥300 shops. The shops open at about 10:00, and before 11:00 you can still walk. With kids and teenagers this is the street that works best in Tokyo. Entry is free, and ¥800 is an estimate of spending on a crepe and sweets.
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Shibuya and Harajuku · Free
An avenue of zelkova trees with brand buildings by major architects: Prada by Herzog and de Meuron, Tod's by Toyo Ito, Dior by SANAA. Free to look. Behind it: Cat Street for vintage shops.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
South-central Tokyo, with digital art, Tokyo Tower and restaurants. Good for a polished evening and for museums. A good base for a modern, relatively quiet area, but usually expensive.
Azabudai · Digital art
The digital art museum at Azabudai Hills. Dynamic pricing: from ¥3,400, depending on the day and time, and ¥200 more at the door. You must book in advance, weekends sell out days ahead. There is no map, you wander and discover.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Domenico Convertini from Zurich, Schweiz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Minato · Viewpoint
A 1958 tower in orange and white. The Main Deck at 150 meters costs ¥1,500, and the Top Deck tour at 250 meters costs ¥3,300 online or ¥3,500 at the counter. Open until 23:00, and from the Main Deck the view at night is just as good.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: David Kernan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Free
The temple of the Tokugawa family, with the red Tokyo Tower behind it: the classic photo of old and new Japan. Free. Rows of small Jizo statues with red caps and pinwheels, in memory of children who were never born.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Rijksmuseum / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Roppongi and Minato · Museum
A contemporary art museum on floor 53 of Roppongi Hills. ¥2,300 on weekdays and ¥2,500 on weekends, ¥200 less online. The price changes with the exhibition. Open until 22:00, later than any other museum in the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Igbofur / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Viewpoint
An observation deck on floor 52 of Roppongi Hills. ¥2,400 at the counter or ¥2,200 online. From here you see both Tokyo Tower and the Skytree in one frame, which you get from neither of them. Open until 22:00.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Tom Purves / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Free
A wavy glass building by Kisho Kurokawa, with no permanent collection: only changing exhibitions. Entry to the building is free, exhibitions are ¥1,500 to ¥2,200. The cafe on top of the inverted cone is worth the visit by itself.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Nick-D / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Free
The artificial beach facing Rainbow Bridge, with a small Statue of Liberty and a view of the Tokyo skyline at sunset. Free. You do not swim here, you stroll. The walk across Rainbow Bridge itself is free and takes 30 minutes.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Candida.Performa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Free
A mall in Odaiba with a large food floor, and the official Gunpla store, Gundam Base, on floor 7. The Unicorn statue that stood out front was removed at the end of August 2026. Free. Odaiba's answer to rain, and also a reasonable place for lunch with kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ITA-ATU / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Museum
Closed for renovation from 1 October 2026 to 22 April 2027, reopening on 23 April 2027. The museum of science and innovation in Odaiba, ¥630 for the permanent exhibition. The heart of it is Geo-Cosmos, the globe in the atrium. The robot ASIMO gave its last show here in March 2022. Good for kids from age six. Closed on Tuesdays.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Free
A 798-meter suspension bridge between Shibaura and Odaiba, lit at night. You can cross it on foot on two free walkways (30 minutes, closed on certain Mondays and in severe weather).
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roppongi and Minato · Museum
A museum of traditional Japanese art in Tokyo Midtown, in a building by Kengo Kuma: ceramics, glass, lacquer and kimono. About ¥1,500 depending on the exhibition, closed on Tuesdays. There is a tea room inside.
Price checked September 2026
West Tokyo, around the busiest station in the world. Gardens, shopping, bars and nightlife. An excellent base for a first trip thanks to superb transport, but the area is loud.
Shinjuku · Garden
A national garden of 58 hectares in the heart of Shinjuku, with three styles: Japanese, English and French. ¥500. Closed on Mondays, except in sakura season (25 March to 24 April) and during the chrysanthemum exhibition in November. Bringing in alcohol is forbidden.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shinjuku · Viewpoint
An observatory at 202 meters, free, and on clear days you can see Mount Fuji. The South Observatory is open until 22:00 on most days, and the North one closes in the afternoon. Since 2024 a light show has been projected every evening on the front of the building. The free alternative to Shibuya Sky.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Eavesdropper6735 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Shinjuku and Nakano · Shopping
A mall from the 60s that has become a temple for collectors: Mandarake on four floors with rare manga, watches, vintage toys and trading cards. Quieter and cheaper than Akihabara. Free, 5 minutes from Nakano Station.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Shinjuku · Food
About 60 places to eat and drink in narrow alleys by the west exit of Shinjuku, more than half of them yakitori or motsuyaki. Some charge a seat fee and many take cash only. Not kosher. Entry is free, and ¥3,000 is an estimate of the spend for a meal and a drink.
Photo: Grendelkhan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shinjuku · Night
Six alleys with about 200 tiny bars of 5 to 8 seats, each with a personality of its own. Look for a 'no cover charge' sign in English. Do not take photos without asking. Open from about 20:00. Entry to the alleys is free, and ¥2,000 is an estimate of spending at one bar including the seat charge.
Photo: Cory Doctorow / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Shinjuku · Free
The park below the skyscrapers of Shinjuku, with an artificial waterfall, a small shrine and a playground. Free. The place to sit for 20 minutes between the Metropolitan Government Building and the station, and in spring there are cherry blossoms.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shinjuku · Good with kids
A complex in Ikebukuro with a rooftop aquarium (¥2,600 to ¥3,200 depending on the date), a planetarium, a Pokemon Center, and Namja Town. Tokyo's big answer to rain with kids. Entry to the complex is free, the attractions are paid.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Asanagi / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Between Tokyo Station, Marunouchi and the Imperial Palace. Suits history, gardens and architecture. Very convenient for trains, less so for anyone looking for a lively evening.
Central Tokyo · History and garden
The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, on the remains of Edo Castle. Free, but closed on Mondays and Fridays. From the foundation of the main keep there is a view of Marunouchi. An hour and a half is enough.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tsukiji and Ginza · Market
The outer market of Tsukiji, which stayed even after the auction moved to Toyosu. Entry is free and the food is paid. Arrive 07:00 to 09:00, most stalls close at 14:00, and the market is closed on most Wednesdays and Sundays.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hamamatsuichiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Garden
A garden of the shogun's family from the 17th century between skyscrapers, with a pond that fills with seawater according to the tide and a tea house on an island. ¥300, and matcha with a sweet at the Nakajima tea house for about ¥850. A yellow field of rapeseed blossoms in March, cosmos in September.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Ermell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Garden
The oldest feudal garden in Tokyo (1629), with a lake, a Chinese full-moon bridge and a maple forest, in the shadow of the Tokyo Dome stadium. ¥300, open 09:00 to 17:00. In the fall foliage at the end of November it is lit in the evening.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Kimon Berlin, Gribeco / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ginza · Culture
You do not have to sit for four hours: a single-act ticket (makumi) for the upper gallery costs ¥500 to ¥2,500 depending on the length of the act. Buy online from 12:00 the day before, or at the counter on the day itself, from 10:00, about 20 reserved seats, by cash or credit card (since 2 October 2026). An audio guide in English is available to rent.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Bittercup / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Tokyo · Garden
A garden of rocks around a pond, with a path of stepping stones over the water. Only ¥150, one of the cheapest in Tokyo. Half an hour is enough, and you pair it with the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Carlquist, Sherwin John, 1930-2021 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Book ahead
A digital installation that you walk through barefoot in water. Dynamic pricing: from ¥3,600 on the cheapest days, and from ¥4,800 in early November 2026. You must book ahead. Closed on 5 November, 3 December and 14 January. Come in shorts or roll your pants up, the water reaches your knees.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Sasa0403 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Free
The wholesale fish market that replaced Tsukiji in 2018: free viewing galleries over the tuna hall, and sushi bowls in the morning at the Senkyaku Banrai complex. For the auction itself you need a lottery a month ahead.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Arne Müseler / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 de)
Central Tokyo · Free
The red brick building from 1914, restored in 2012, with two decorated domes. Free. From Marunouchi Plaza you see it reflected in the glass of the towers, and the best photo is from the KITTE rooftop.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Free
A free green rooftop facing Tokyo Station, with a terrace that looks straight onto the platforms and the departing Shinkansen. Open on weekdays 11:00 to 23:00, and on weekends and holidays until 22:00. At its best at sunset.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Tokyo · Free
The bridge from which all distances in Japan are measured, in the stone version from 1911 with lion statues. Free. The expressway above it is planned to go underground by 2040, and then it will look the way it does in the prints again.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Project Kei / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Museum
The art collection of the Mitsui dynasty in a neoclassical bank building from 1929 in Nihonbashi: tea utensils, ceramics and scrolls. About ¥1,200 depending on the exhibition, closed on Mondays. Quiet and little known to tourists.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Free
A shrine on a hill in Akasaka with a tunnel of red torii gates on the stairs (Tokyo's version of Fushimi, without the line). Free. Monkey statues, not foxes, and the spectacle of the Sanno festival in June in even-numbered years.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Immanuelle / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Central Tokyo · Museum
A full-size reconstruction of an Edo neighborhood from 1840 inside a hall: houses, a rice shop, a fire tower, and lighting that takes the neighborhood from morning to night in about a quarter of an hour, again and again through the day. ¥400. Small, excellent with kids, and almost without tourists.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: DryPot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
North-east Tokyo, with a park, museums, a market and an old-neighbourhood feel. Good for a relaxed day and for families. Affordable and fairly quiet as a base, with good train access.
Ueno and Yanaka · Park and museums
The large park of Ueno, with five museums, a zoo and Shinobazu Pond. The park itself is free. One of the most crowded sakura spots in Tokyo, and at the end of March it is full from 08:00.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Ueno · Museum
The largest Japanese collection in the world: samurai swords, armor, kimono and Buddhas. An hour and a half in the main building (Honkan) is usually enough. ¥1,000 per adult, under age 18 and over 70 free. Closed on Mondays.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Ueno and Akihabara · Shrine
A shrine founded, by tradition, in 730, on the hill above Akihabara, which has become the shrine of the tech companies: it sells charms to protect computers and phones, and there are collaborations with anime series. Free. The grounds are always open, and the charm counter 09:00 to 18:00. In the shop next door: amazake since 1846.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Street
A shopping street of 170 meters in a neighborhood that was only lightly damaged by the earthquake and the bombings: 60 small shops, menchi katsu from the butcher, senbei, and cats carved in wood on the shops. Free. The 'Yuyake Dandan' steps at the entrance are the sunset spot.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Doricono / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Free
A shrine whose present buildings were completed in 1706, with a tunnel of small torii gates on a slope and 3,000 azalea bushes that bloom in April. The 1945 bombings damaged some of the buildings, and they were restored. Entry is free. The azalea garden opens only during the April festival, for a donation of ¥500 to ¥1,000 depending on the bloom. Mori Ogai's former house, moved into the shrine grounds, costs ¥300, on weekends and holidays. Completely quiet, 10 minutes from Yanaka.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Wiiii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Historic building
The mansion of the Iwasaki family, founders of Mitsubishi, 1896: a Western wing in British style beside a Japanese wing. ¥400. Included in the annual pass to the nine metropolitan gardens at ¥4,000.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Wiiii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Museum
Ueno's museum of nature and science: a whale skeleton at the entrance, dinosaurs, and an exhibition on the Japanese islands. ¥630, free for ages 18 and under. The dome theater is an extra ¥500. At its best with kids in the rain.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Museum
The only building in Japan by Le Corbusier, a World Heritage site. The Matsukata Collection: Monet, Rodin (The Gates of Hell and The Thinker in the forecourt, free), Van Gogh. ¥500 for the permanent collection, and ¥1,000 from 20 March 2027. Closed on Mondays.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Good with kids
The oldest zoo in Japan, 1882. ¥600. Since January 2026 it has had no pandas: the twins were returned to China, and there is currently not a single panda in Japan. Closed on Mondays. A free electric bus runs between the two parts of the zoo, because the old monorail was discontinued.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: pelican / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Ueno and Yanaka · Garden
An Edo-period strolling garden around a pond, built after 88 scenes from Japanese poetry. ¥300. The autumn foliage at the end of November is the peak, and then there are evening illuminations for a separate fee.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: kylehase / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
West Tokyo, outside the centre, with the Ghibli Museum and Inokashira Park. Good for a relaxed half day. Not recommended as a main base for most travellers, unless you want a local neighbourhood.
Mitaka and Kichijoji · Anime
The museum of Studio Ghibli in Mitaka. ¥1,000, plus a ¥110 fee from the November 2026 tickets on, but you cannot buy on site: tickets are sold in advance only, for a fixed date and time, and they are snapped up on the day they go on sale. Closed on Tuesdays, and photography inside is forbidden.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Fotointheworld / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Mitaka and Kichijoji · Free
A park with a pond near Kichijoji, where Miyazaki used to walk. Entry is free, and a boat for 30 minutes costs ¥800 (rowboat) or ¥1,000 (swan or pedal boat). The legend: couples who row together break up. The Ghibli Museum is in the western part of the park.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Htanaungg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mitaka and Kichijoji · Food
Alleys of a former black market in Kichijoji, today tiny eateries and bars. Quiet at lunchtime, in the evening full of locals and not tourists. The menchi-katsu of the butcher Satou at the corner of the alleys, ¥350, with a line. Entry is free, and ¥1,200 is an estimate of spending at a few stalls.
Photo: Stephen Kelly from San Francisco, CA, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Good attractions that are not clustered in one of the main areas. Check the location before adding them to the same day.
Akihabara and Kanda · Free
The electronics and anime district: Radio Kaikan (10 floors, most of them figures and cards), Animate, Mandarake for secondhand, and gachapon machines on every corner. Radio Kaikan and Animate open at 10:00 and Mandarake at 12:00, so this is an afternoon. Free to wander.
Price checked November 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Viewpoint · Tokyo, Shibuya
The open rooftop on floor 47, with a view over all of Tokyo, and on clear days of Mount Fuji too.
Vintage · Tokyo, West
Secondhand clothing shops a short walk from one another: Flamingo (mostly from the US and Europe, and the company runs four more shops in th
Rides · Tokyo, Maihama
In the first two hours the lines are short.
Rides · Tokyo, Maihama
At the time on your Standby Pass: Rapunzel (boats with lanterns, for all ages), Anna and Elsa, and Peter Pan (3D, with Premier Access).
Show · Tokyo, Maihama
The big night show on the harbor waters, since 2022: ships, fountains, projections on the volcano and fireworks.
East Kyoto, with Kiyomizu-dera, historic lanes and Gion. A must for wandering early in the morning or in the evening. Recommended as a base for a traditional atmosphere, but less convenient for trains.
Higashiyama · Temple
The temple with the terrace that hangs over the valley. ¥500, after a rise from ¥400. Open from 06:00, and that is the only hour when you can see it without a crowd. On illumination evenings (in 2026 in spring, on 14 to 16 August and on 21 to 30 November) the temple is open until 21:30.
Price checked November 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Higashiyama and Gion · Temple
A hall 120 meters long holding 1,001 gilded Kannon statues in rows. ¥600. Photography is not allowed inside, and that actually helps. Half an hour, and you pair it with the national museum across the street.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Stephen Kelly / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Temple
The oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, 1202, with the painting of the twin gods Raijin and Fujin and with dragons on the ceiling. ¥600. Less crowded than its neighbors in Gion, and that is the reason to go.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: HAGAT hOMSZE / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
Gion's shrine, always open and free, with hundreds of paper lanterns that light up in the evening. In July the Gion Matsuri festival sets out from it. Behind it is Maruyama Park, and this is the right way to enter Higashiyama.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
The oldest park in Kyoto, behind Yasaka Shrine, with a famous weeping cherry tree that is lit at night at the end of March. Free. In sakura season there are food stalls and picnics here until late.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DANIEL JULIE from Paris, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
The largest Sanmon gate in Japan (24 meters) and a huge hall of the Jodo sect. The grounds and the gate are free, the gardens are ¥300 to ¥500. The 70-ton bell rings on New Year's Eve, and 17 monks operate it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Temple
A quiet temple in Higashiyama with four gardens, giant camphor trees at the entrance, and a tatami veranda where you can sit facing the garden. ¥600. On spring and autumn evenings there is a blue night illumination, almost without people.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Temple
A temple built by the widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1606: a sand and stone garden, a small bamboo grove and tea houses that tradition says were designed by Sen no Rikyu. ¥800, or ¥1,200 with Entoku-in. In spring and in autumn foliage season there is a night illumination.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
A sloping stone lane with wooden houses from the 19th century, ceramics and sweets shops, on the way to Kiyomizu-dera. Free. The legend: whoever falls here will die within three years, so go slowly. At 08:00 it is completely empty.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 京都新観光提言懇談会メンバー / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
A five-story pagoda from 1440 that stands inside a neighborhood, the photo most identified with Kyoto. The street around it is free. Sometimes you can go in up to the second floor for ¥400, depending on the weather and the day.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashiyama and Gion · Museum
A museum from 1897 with a collection of Buddhist art, scrolls and ceramics, in a historic brick building and a modern wing by Yoshio Taniguchi. ¥700 for the collection, more for exhibitions. Closed on Mondays. Across from Sanjusangendo.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Corpse Reviver / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Gion and Higashiyama · Historic streets
The geisha district. The main street is free, but the private alleys are closed to visitors: since 2024 entering Kosode-koji alley carries a fine of ¥10,000, and photography on the private roads has been forbidden since 2019. Walk on the main streets only.
Price checked September 2026
Higashiyama and Gion · Free
The shrine of 'cutting and tying': a huge stone covered in paper slips that you crawl through to cut a bad tie and tie a good one. Free, always open. Strange, impressive and unusual in Gion.
Price checked September 2026
South Kyoto, home of Fushimi Inari. Arrive at opening time to get away from the crowds. Usually not a main base, but a good morning stop to combine with the rest.
Fushimi · Shrine
Ten thousand red torii gates up the mountain. Free and open 24 hours. Up to the first gate it is always crowded. If you continue 30 minutes uphill you reach the Yotsutsuji junction and are almost alone. The full walk to the top: two and a half hours.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Fushimi · Temple
A Zen temple with the Tsutenkyo bridge over a valley of maples and the modern garden by Mirei Shigemori from 1939. Combined ticket ¥1,000. At the peak of the autumn foliage (14 November to 6 December) there is no combined ticket: the bridge is ¥1,000 and the Hojo garden ¥600, the garden price from 1 November 2026.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Fushimi · Temple
A huge complex on a slope, a World Heritage site, with the oldest pagoda in Kyoto (951). In the regular season ¥1,000 for two areas and ¥1,500 for three. In spring, from 20 March to the third Sunday of April, ¥800 for one area and ¥1,800 for three. The way up to Upper Daigo is a one-hour climb.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Fushimi · Museum
A brewery from 1637 with a museum on sake making with original tools. ¥600, including a tasting and a souvenir. Since 1 July 2026 no cash is accepted. A self-guided visit of 40 to 60 minutes with explanations in English. Closed during Obon and at New Year.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Fushimi · Free
Kyoto's district of 20 sake breweries, with a canal, warehouses clad in charred wooden boards and weeping willows. Free to wander. The Jikkokubune boat ride is ¥1,900 in season, and Torisei is for sake from the barrel (closed on Mondays).
Price checked September 2026
The Kinkaku-ji area and quieter temples. Pair it with Ryoan-ji, not with Higashiyama on the same day. Less practical as a base for a first-time visitor.
Northern Kyoto · Temple
The Golden Pavilion on the Mirror Pond. ¥500. The route is one-way and takes 40 minutes, and there is no entry to the building itself. On weekdays before 09:30 or after 16:00 it is less crowded.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jaycangel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Northwest Kyoto · Temple
An imperial temple with a palace and a pagoda. ¥800. The dwarf sakura trees (Omuro) bloom in mid-April, among the last in Kyoto, so this is the place to come to if you missed the season.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northwest Kyoto · Free
A complex of 22 sub-temples tied to the tea ceremony. The grounds are free, and each sub-temple charges separately: Daisen-in and Zuiho-in (¥400 to ¥500) are the beautiful gardens. Complete quiet, with no groups.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Carlquist, Sherwin John, 1930-2021 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Northwest Kyoto · Free
The oldest shrine in Kyoto (678), a World Heritage site, with two white sand cones in the courtyard that symbolize sacred mountains. Free. In the north of the city, and on the way to it there is a street of traditional houses along a canal.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Fg2 assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Northwest Kyoto · Garden
The first botanical garden in Japan (1924), in the north of the city: a large greenhouse, a metasequoia avenue and a sakura area with 500 trees. ¥500 for the garden, and the greenhouse is included. Large, relatively cheap, and almost only locals.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northwest Kyoto · Zen temple
The famous rock garden: 15 stones on raked gravel, and, as the common story goes, from any point you see only 14. ¥600. Half an hour is enough, and you arrive early because the room is small and fills up.
Price checked November 2026
West Kyoto, by the bamboo, the river and the temples. Suits a full day that starts early. Staying here is pretty and quiet, but far from the centre, and mainly worth it for a ryokan night.
Arashiyama · Nature and temples
The bamboo avenue of Arashiyama. Free and always open. From 09:30 it is almost impassable. If you arrive at 07:00 you get it empty, and that is the only recommendation that really matters here.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Arashiyama · Book ahead
An imperial villa from the 17th century, considered the peak of Japanese architecture, with a strolling garden and tea houses. ¥1,000, only on a one-hour guided tour, and you book on the Imperial Household Agency website a month ahead. There is no entry on your own.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Carlquist, Sherwin John, 1930-2021 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Arashiyama · Garden
The villa of a samurai film actor from the 30s at the edge of the bamboo forest, with a garden on the hillside and a view over Kyoto. ¥1,000, including matcha and a cookie.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Arashiyama · Temple
The main Zen temple of Arashiyama, and a garden that has not changed its form since the 14th century. ¥500 for the garden, and another ¥300 to enter the buildings. The back gate of the garden opens straight onto the bamboo avenue, and that is a shortcut that saves you the line.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Arashiyama · Temple
A former imperial palace in northern Arashiyama, with the 1,200-year-old Osawa Pond, the oldest in Japan. ¥800 for the halls area, and ¥500 for the Osawa Pond area only. A filming location for samurai films, and in September there is moon viewing here from dragon boats.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Yanajin33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Arashiyama · Temple
A temple on a slope in Arashiyama with a thatched gate, a small pagoda and steps between maples. ¥600. In autumn foliage season it is one of the most beautiful places in Kyoto, and still with a quarter of the people of Tenryu-ji.
Price checked September 2026
Around Shijo, Nishiki and Nijo Castle. Markets, restaurants, shopping and easy transport. The most recommended area for a first stay in the city.
Central Kyoto · Castle and history
The shogun's castle with the nightingale floors that chirp as you walk on them. ¥1,300 for entry including Ninomaru Palace, or ¥800 for the grounds without the palace. Honmaru Palace is a separate ticket at ¥1,000 and requires advance booking.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Kyoto · Market
The market alley, 390 meters long. Entry is free. The market asks you not to eat while walking, so you eat next to the stall. Most stalls close at 17:00 or 18:00.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DANIEL JULIE from Paris, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Kyoto · Free
The emperor's palace until 1868, inside a huge park. Entry is free and without advance booking since 2016, with a one-hour guided route between the gates and the halls. Closed on Mondays. The park itself is always open.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: TKdows 2026 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Central Kyoto · Museum
300 thousand manga volumes on shelves 200 meters long, in an elementary school building from 1869. ¥1,200. You can pull out any book and read on the lawn. Part of the collection is translated into English. Closed on Tuesdays.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Party Lin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Kyoto · Free
A 490-meter alley with lanterns and wooden houses between the Kamo River and Kawaramachi Street. Free to wander. From 1 May to 15 October the restaurants build wooden terraces (yuka) over the river, and then you book ahead.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Sergiy Galyonkin from Raleigh, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Kyoto · Free
The riverbank between Sanjo Bridge and Shijo, where everyone sits at equal intervals in the evening. Free. You buy a drink at a konbini and join in; it is the most Kyoto custom there is, and you can do it in any season.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Another Believer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Kyoto · Free
A hexagonal temple from 587 in the heart of the commercial city, considered the geographic center of Kyoto and the place where the art of flower arranging (ikebana) was born. Free, opens at 06:00, and there is an elevator in the building next door for a photo from above.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Kyoto · Good with kids
A touristy museum in central Kyoto with armor to try on, a sword demonstration and a ninja star workshop. From ¥3,300 when booked ahead and more at the counter, with a guided tour in English every 30 minutes. Not especially historical, but it works very well with kids in the rain.
Price checked September 2026
The Ginkaku-ji area and the Philosopher's Path, with a relaxed walk along the canal. Excellent in the morning or in cherry blossom season. A possible base for anyone who likes quiet, but the centre is more convenient.
Northeast Kyoto · Temple and walk
The Silver Pavilion and the raked sand garden, and from there the Philosopher's Path along the canal. ¥1,000 for the temple since April 2026 (children ¥500), the path is free. The path is especially beautiful in sakura season and in November.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Temple
A temple with a Buddha statue whose head is turned to look back, a pagoda on the hillside and connected wooden corridors. ¥1,000 most of the year. During the autumn treasures exhibition (November) the price is higher and the night illumination is sold separately.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
The Zen temple with a giant Sanmon gate (you go up it for ¥600) and a red brick aqueduct from 1890 that runs through the grounds. The grounds and the aqueduct are free, the Hojo garden with the tiger paintings is ¥600.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
A Roman-style aqueduct of red brick from 1890 that crosses a Zen temple, part of the Lake Biwa Canal. Free and always open. The most surprising photo in Kyoto, and behind it a path leads to a small temple with a waterfall.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
A red torii gate 24 meters high and a huge courtyard that recreates the imperial palace of 794. The courtyard is free, the garden with the ponds and the weeping cherry trees is ¥600. One of the late sakura spots in the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Garden
A garden from 1896 of the statesman Yamagata Aritomo, which uses the Higashiyama hills as a backdrop and running water from the canal. ¥600. Small, quiet, and you can sit on the tatami with matcha and look for an hour. Book ahead in season.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Northeast Kyoto · Museum
Kyoto's art museum from 1933, reopened in 2020 with an underground glass entrance: modern Japanese art and major exhibitions. The main wing is ¥730, exhibitions are separate. Closed on Mondays.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DannyWithLove / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
The rabbit shrine: rabbit statues in every corner, rabbit charms and omikuji inside a ceramic rabbit. Free. A small shrine associated with fertility and easy childbirth, and kids love looking for all the rabbits.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
A World Heritage shrine inside Tadasu no Mori, an ancient forest at the meeting of two rivers, 10 minutes from Demachiyanagi. Free. Quiet even in the middle of the day, and in summer you dip your feet in the spring at the Mitarashi ritual.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
A small temple in the forest near the Philosopher's Path, with a thatched-roof gate and two white sand mounds whose pattern changes. Free, almost empty. The inner hall opens only in April and in November.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Leo Rodman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Temple
A temple in the Yamashina hills, east of Kyoto, with steps covered in red maple leaves in autumn foliage season and door paintings with shifting perspective. ¥1,000 since March 2026. Far from the usual route, and therefore quiet even in season.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Dan Harkless / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Northeast Kyoto · Free
The shrine of the water god in the mountains north of Kyoto, with a stairway lined with red lanterns. Free. You buy a blank fortune slip for ¥200 and lay it on the water, and the writing appears. In summer the restaurants build platforms over the stream.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: nnh / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Northeast Kyoto · Temple
A temple on a mountain in northern Kyoto, where according to legend the samurai Yoshitsune learned from the tengu. ¥500 at the gate, and a short cable car for ¥200. From there a trail of an hour and a half over exposed cedar roots crosses the mountain to Kibune.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ブルーノ・プラス / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
South-central Kyoto, around the main station and To-ji. Suits arrival day, trains and day trips. Highly recommended as a base for anyone who values access and efficiency.
Kyoto Station · Garden
A garden of Higashi Hongan-ji temple, 10 minutes from Kyoto Station, with a pond, bridges and tea houses. ¥700 as a donation toward the upkeep of the garden. Almost empty at any hour, and it is the most convenient garden for half an hour before a Shinkansen.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kyoto Station · Museum
Real steam locomotives and trains, including a first-model Shinkansen. ¥1,500 per adult. A ride on a real steam locomotive costs an extra ¥300. Closed on Wednesdays. One of the best places in Kyoto with kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hahifuheho / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kyoto Station · Good with kids
An aquarium near Kyoto Station, with a section for the Japanese giant salamander. ¥2,600 per adult, after an increase that took effect on 10 February 2026. An annual pass at ¥5,800 pays for itself from three visits.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Own work / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kyoto Station · Viewpoint
The observation tower facing Kyoto Station, 100 meters. ¥1,000 from 1 October 2026. Open until 21:00. From the top you see the grid layout of the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kyoto Station · Free
A glass walkway 45 meters up that crosses the roof of the station, free, open until 22:00. You reach it by the Grand Stairway (171 steps), which turns into a screen of lights in the evening. Kids run back and forth along it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kyoto Station · Free
A large park near Kyoto Station that links the railway museum and the aquarium, with a lawn, a playground and a Japanese garden for a small fee. Free. The place for a picnic with a bento from the station when the kids need to run.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kyoto Station · Free
One of the largest wooden buildings in the world, 10 minutes from Kyoto Station, and free. Huge halls with gleaming floors, and a rope braided from hair donated by women believers to lift the beams. Shosei-en Garden belongs to it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Kyoto Station · Temple
The five-story pagoda, 55 meters, which the temple calls the tallest wooden structure in Japan. ¥800 for the Kondo and Kodo halls (since March 2025). Special openings of the inside of the pagoda cost extra. A large flea market on the grounds on the 21st of every month.
Price checked November 2026
Good attractions that are not clustered in one of the main areas. Check the location before adding them to the same day.
Walk · Kyoto, Higashiyama
2 km along the canal, between 500 cherry trees, which usually bloom in early April.
Bridge and river · Kyoto, Arashiyama
Togetsukyo Bridge crosses the Katsura River with the mountain behind it, and this is the familiar photo of Arashiyama.
Walk · Kyoto, northern Higashiyama
A stone path along a canal, named after the philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who walked it every morning.
Walk · Kyoto, the northern mountains
A trail of about 1.5 km through the forest.
East-central Osaka, around the castle and the museums. Good for a half day of history and views. A more convenient and quieter base than Namba, with less nightlife.
Osaka · Castle
The main keep, which is a modern museum with an elevator. ¥1,200 per adult, after a rise from ¥600 in April 2025. The park around it is free and always open, and the castle is impressive from the outside too.
Price checked November 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Osaka Bay · With kids
A large aquarium with a central tank of whale sharks. The adult price changes by date, from ¥2,700 to ¥3,500, and the website has a price calendar. Buy an e-ticket with a time slot in advance. The route spirals down from the top floor and takes two hours. After 16:00 it is quieter.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Osaka Bay · Viewpoint
A Ferris wheel 112 meters high next to the Kaiyukan. ¥900 for a ride of about 15 minutes. There are fully see-through cabins at no extra charge, you simply ask. In the evening the wheel itself is lit in a color that follows the weather forecast for tomorrow.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Rwendland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Osaka Bay · Book ahead
The theme park, with the Harry Potter world and Super Nintendo World. A one-day ticket starts at ¥8,400 for an adult, and the price rises by date and as tickets for that day sell. The Express Pass is separate, from ¥6,800 for four rides. Buy on the official website and arrive before opening.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: sheilaellen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Cruise
A gilded boat in the style of the Edo period that circles the moat of Osaka Castle, 20 minutes. ¥1,800. You see the walls from below, and this is the angle that explains why this castle was considered impossible to conquer.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Andrew Braun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Free
The park around the castle: giant walls, moats and 600 plum trees that bloom in February and March, before the sakura. The park is free, the keep is ¥1,200 from April 2025. You can settle for the park and it is still impressive.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Osaka Castle and city center · Free
The national mint by the river, with a free coin museum. The real reason: its sakura avenue opens to the public for one week in mid-April with 340 trees of late and rare varieties. Entry to the avenue is by advance registration online, first come first served, and registration opens in March.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Taisyo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Museum
A natural history museum in Nagai Park with a whale skeleton, fossils and the ecology of Kansai. ¥300. Closed on Mondays. A natural pairing with the botanical garden next to it, and a price that is hard to complain about.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 大阪市立自然史博物館 Osaka Museum of Natural History / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Garden
The largest greenhouse in Japan, in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park: desert, rainforest and an alpine zone under a geodesic dome. ¥500. Closed on Mondays. A strange and wonderful place for rain, and far from the tourists.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: M108t / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Free
A huge park in east Osaka built for Expo 1990: a lake, flower fields, an animal farm and the Sakuya Konohana greenhouse. Free. Locals come for a picnic, tourists almost never.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Free
Osaka's wholesale market, less known than Toyosu: a viewing deck and restaurants open from 05:00 with sashimi bowls at market prices. Free to enter the restaurant area. Do not come after 10:00.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Suikotei / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Osaka Bay · Viewpoint
An observatory at 252 meters in Osaka Bay, with a diagonal glass elevator for the last floors. ¥1,200. You see the whole bay, USJ and the mountains, and it is almost always empty.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Own work / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Osaka Bay · Free
A large park on the artificial island in Osaka Bay, with a lake, a lawn and avenues. Free. Completely quiet on weekends, and good to combine with Cosmo Tower or with the port.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: jetsun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Osaka Castle and city center · Museum
The Osaka Museum of History, where you go down from floor 10 to floor 7 through the periods of the city. ¥600. The windows give the best view of Osaka Castle, and that is reason enough by itself.
Price checked September 2026
Osaka Bay · Good with kids
An indoor Lego complex in Tempozan: a model of Osaka made of Lego, trains and building corners. From ¥2,200 when booked ahead, and meant for ages 3 to 10 (adults without a child are not admitted). Next to the aquarium, for a full day at the bay.
Price checked September 2026
Osaka Castle and city center · Garden
A garden in Osaka Castle Park with a view of the keep across the pond. ¥300. Quiet and orderly, and this is the best angle for photographing the castle without people in the picture.
Price checked September 2026
North Osaka, the Osaka Station area, shopping and viewpoints. An excellent starting point for Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Highly recommended as a base for anyone who prefers transport and an urban pace.
Umeda · Viewpoint
Two towers joined by a floating garden on floor 39, with an open-air deck. ¥2,000. It is most worth it 40 minutes before sunset. The escalators that hang between the buildings are half of the experience.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
A long island between two rivers with a rose garden (May and October) and a lawn. Free. Along it stand the neoclassical library building from 1904 and the red-brick Central Public Hall from 1918, with a bistro in its basement.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Nagono / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Umeda and Kita · Museum
A science museum with four interactive floors and a large planetarium. ¥400 for the exhibitions, ¥600 for the planetarium. Closed on Mondays. Excellent with kids in the rain, and located next to the National Museum of Art.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Bittercup / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Umeda and Kita · Museum
A fully underground museum in Nakanoshima, with a steel facade that recalls bamboo. ¥1,000 for the permanent collection from 1 December 2026, and ¥430 until then (Picasso, Miro, contemporary Japanese art), more for exhibitions. Closed on Mondays.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Sakai Yayoi / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
A red brick hall in Neo-Renaissance style from 1918 on Nakanoshima, one of the most beautiful buildings in Osaka. The exterior is free, and a small display in the basement is free. A guided tour of the Special Room is ¥500, booked ahead.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ttshr1970 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Umeda and Kita · Museum
The best collection of Korean and Chinese ceramics in the world (the Ataka Collection), in natural light through skylights. ¥1,800. Quiet, small, and stunning for anyone who loves pottery.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KishujiRapid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
Umeda's station complex with a plaza on the roof, bridges between the buildings, and about 20 floors of shops and restaurants. Free. The roof garden on floor 11 (the hanging plaza) is a good place to rest between trains.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KishujiRapid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
A complex next to Osaka Station with shops, restaurants and a Panasonic showroom. Free. The upper floors of the north building are a good restaurant hub for the evening, without the crowding of Dotonbori.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KishujiRapid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Good with kids
A red Ferris wheel on the roof of a mall in the heart of Umeda, 106 meters. ¥1,000, 15 minutes. One turn is enough to see north Osaka lit up.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Mstyslav Chernov/Unframe/unframe.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Umeda and Kita · Good with kids
A four-floor interactive children's museum with a play town, a maze of tubes and workshops. ¥1,500 per adult, ¥800 per child. Closed on certain Mondays. The best answer in Osaka for a rainy day with kids up to age 10.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: studio IRONY / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
Osaka's shrine of the god of learning, from which the Tenjin Matsuri festival sets out (24 to 25 July) with boats and fireworks on the river. Free. Tenjinbashi-suji street begins at its entrance.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Carlquist, Sherwin John, 1930-2021 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
The longest covered arcade in Japan, 2.6 km and 600 shops. Free. This is not a tourist arcade: butchers, tea shops, secondhand kimono and restaurants for locals at neighborhood prices.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Bytemarks / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
A rose garden at the eastern end of Nakanoshima with about 3,700 bushes, between two rivers. Free, always open. It blooms in May and in October, and from the bank you see the library building and the old city hall.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Umeda and Kita · Park
The park of Expo 1970 in Suita, with Taro Okamoto's 'Tower of the Sun' at 70 meters high, a large Japanese garden and a museum. ¥450 since April 2026, and children up to junior high school are free. You can go inside the tower with advance booking (an extra ¥930).
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Umeda and Kita · Free
The original museum, on the spot where Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles in 1958. Entry is free, and the make-your-own-cup workshop is ¥500. Smaller than Yokohama, and without lines, 25 minutes from Umeda.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Free
A 33-meter waterfall at the end of an easy forest trail 2.8 km long, 30 minutes from Umeda. Free. In autumn foliage season (end of November) it is one of the most beautiful places in Kansai, and along the way they sell maple leaves fried in tempura.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Otto Domes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umeda and Kita · Museum
A full-size reconstruction of an Osaka street from the Edo period inside a hall, with lighting that moves from morning to night. ¥600. You can rent a kimono and walk around in it. Closed on Tuesdays. Excellent with kids in the rain.
Price checked September 2026
Umeda and Kita · Free
A small shrine among the skyscrapers of Umeda, known by the nickname Ohatsu Tenjin after a tragic love story from 1703 that became a bunraku play. Free. A flea market in the first week of the month.
Price checked September 2026
South-central Osaka, the heart of the neon, the shopping and the food. Dotonbori in the evening and Kuromon Market by day. Highly recommended as a base for anyone who wants to be in the middle of it all, but loud.
Namba and Dotonbori · Street and food
The street of lights and signs on the canal, with the Glico runner. Walking is free. It is most impressive after dark. From there it is a short way to the Hozenji Yokocho food alley.
Price checked September 2026
Our own photo, September 2026
Namba and Dotonbori · Market
Kuromon Market, 580 meters of fish, meat and fruit stalls. Entry is free. Arrive 09:00 to 11:00. Some of the stalls cook on the spot, and it makes a good breakfast.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: SungMinSeung / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
A covered arcade of about 580 meters from Shinsaibashi Station to Dotonbori, with about 180 shops: Uniqlo, Daiso, drugstores, and the Daimaru department store at the north end. Tax-free above ¥5,000 in one shop on one day, and from 1 November 2026 you pay full price and get the tax back. The parallel street, Midosuji, is for the luxury brands.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Mc681 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
Osaka's youth district, the counterpart of Harajuku: American vintage, sneakers, graffiti and the Triangle Park square. Free. Less polished than Shibuya, and more interesting for fans of secondhand fashion.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Davey 88 assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
Two stone alleys two meters wide behind Dotonbori, with lanterns and small restaurants. Free to wander. The complete opposite of the neon around the corner, and you can eat good kappo and kushikatsu there.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Choi2451 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
A small temple in an alley, with a Buddha statue completely covered in moss because every visitor pours water on it as a prayer. Free, always open. Two minutes from the neon of Dotonbori, and completely quiet.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Andrew Braun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
A mall with a roof garden on eight levels, designed by Jon Jerde, above Namba Station. The garden is free. Trees, waterfalls and terraces, and it is the only place in Namba where you can sit quietly outdoors.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Free
Osaka's kitchenware street, the counterpart of Kappabashi: knives, griddles for okonomiyaki, earthenware and plastic food. Free, 150 meters, near Namba. Tax-free in some of the shops.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Wpcpey / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Culture
The national theater for bunraku puppet theater, a World Heritage art born in Osaka: a puppet a meter tall operated by three people, with a narrator and a shamisen. A full performance is from ¥6,000, and on the day of the show cheaper tickets are sold for a single act. Audio guide in English.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Culture
The home of manzai, Osaka's comedy: pairs of stand-up comedians trade roles at a fast pace. ¥5,000 on the first floor and ¥4,500 on the second. Everything is in Japanese, but the timing and the physicality come across even without a word. Book ahead.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tetsuo1968 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Namba and Dotonbori · Shrine
The shrine with the lion head, 12 meters high, whose mouth is the stage. Free, the gates are open 06:00 to 17:00. A stop of 15 minutes, five minutes on foot from Namba.
Price checked October 2026
Namba and Dotonbori · Cruise
An open boat on the Dotonbori canal, 20 minutes between the lit signs with a guide on board. ¥2,000 per adult, included in the Osaka Amazing Pass, but you exchange the pass for a timed ticket at the ticket office, and the evening sailings sell out early. It leaves every half hour from the pier next to the Don Quijote with the yellow wheel.
Price checked October 2026
Namba and Dotonbori · Museum
The only museum in the world devoted to the ukiyo-e prints of Osaka, which specialized in kabuki actors. ¥700, very small (four narrow floors), 5 minutes from Dotonbori. There is a printmaking workshop by reservation.
Price checked September 2026
South Osaka, with Tsutenkaku, Shitenno-ji and a retro atmosphere. Suits a half day and a local dinner. Usually a cheap and convenient base, but less central than Namba.
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Viewpoint and retro
The tower of the Shinsekai district. Since April 2026 it is ¥1,500, children ¥800, and the open-air deck at 94.5 meters is included. The tower slide starts on the 3rd floor and costs an extra ¥1,100. On the 5th floor is the Billiken statue, whose soles people rub.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Sandra Vallaure / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Temple
Founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, and according to the temple it was the first state temple of Buddhism in Japan. The outer grounds are free. The inner precinct (Chushin Garan) ¥500, the garden ¥300 and the treasure house ¥500. 08:30 to 16:30, and from October to March until 16:00. A large flea market on the 21st and the 22nd of the month.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Viewpoint
The tallest building in Japan, 300 meters. The Harukas 300 observatory on floors 58 to 60 costs ¥2,000. The top floor is open to the sky. On clear days you see as far as Awaji Island.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Laitche / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Good with kids
A long-established zoo (1915) in the heart of the city with giraffes, koalas and polar bears, and a view of the skyscrapers above the enclosures. ¥800 since July 2026. Closed on Mondays. A good answer for half a day with small kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: pelican / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Museum
A museum in Tennoji Park with ancient Japanese and Chinese art, in a building from 1936. ¥500 for the permanent collection, more for exhibitions. Closed on Mondays. Behind it is the Japanese garden Keitakuen, which used to be the grounds of the Sumitomo family.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Sakai Yayoi / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Free
One of the oldest shrines in Japan, in the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style that predates Chinese influence, with a steep arched red bridge (Sorihashi) over a pond. Free. At New Year two million people come here.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: wanghongliu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Free
A large sports park in south Osaka with a stadium, running tracks and courts. Free. Inside it are the botanical garden and the natural history museum, and it is a good combination for a day with kids outside the center.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Laitche / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Garden
A botanical garden in Nagai Park with 24 hectares of roses, lotus and lawns. ¥300. In autumn there is a cosmos field and a pumpkin display, and in winter an illumination. Quiet, cheap, and almost only local families.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Laitche / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Free
The shrine of the god of commerce, where at the Toka Ebisu festival (9 to 11 January) a million people come to buy bamboo branches for business luck. Free. The rest of the year it is completely quiet, near Shinsekai.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Yanajin33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Free
A large park in south Osaka with a lawn, a cafe and a terrace that looks onto Abeno Harukas and Tsutenkaku. Free. Inside it are the zoo, the art museum and the Japanese garden Keitakuen (¥150).
Price checked September 2026
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Onsen
An eight-floor onsen complex in Shinsekai, with a European wing and an Asian wing that swap between men and women every month. About ¥1,500. People with tattoos are still not admitted, and it is worth checking beforehand.
Price checked September 2026
Tennoji and Shinsekai · Free
Osaka's main mosque, open for a respectful visit outside prayer times. Free. There are a few halal restaurants around it, and it is a useful anchor point for anyone looking for food without pork in the Tennoji area.
Price checked September 2026
Good attractions that are not clustered in one of the main areas. Check the location before adding them to the same day.
Food · Osaka
According to the restaurant, kushikatsu was invented here in 1929: skewers of meat, shrimp, sweet potato and cheese in a crisp coating.
Rides · Osaka, Universal City
The green pipe leads into Mario's world in three dimensions.
Rides · Osaka, Universal City
Hogsmeade village with snow-covered roofs, Hogwarts Castle, butterbeer (¥900) and wands that trigger spells in the windows (¥5,500).
Nara Park · Temple
The temple of the Great Buddha: a bronze statue 14.98 meters tall, in a hall the temple describes as one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. ¥800, cash only. Arrive at opening time and combine it with Nara Park and Kasuga Taisha.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Netherzone / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nara Park · Nature
The open park that connects the main sites in the city, with more than 1,600 free-roaming deer. Special deer crackers, ¥200 for a bundle of 10, are sold at stands, in shops and from machines, and you must not feed them any other food.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Daniel Lu (User:dllu) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nara Park · Shrine
A Shinto shrine in the forest, with about 3,000 stone and hanging lanterns. The grounds are free, and the inner area, with a room where the hanging lanterns are lit, is ¥700. You continue to it on foot from Nara Park, and it is better to arrive while the area is still quiet.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: dconvertini / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Nara · Temple
A temple between Kintetsu Nara Station and Nara Park. The five-story pagoda has been fully covered by a restoration structure since 2025, and the work is planned to finish in fiscal year 2034, so you cannot see it. The grounds are free. The treasure hall with the Ashura statue is ¥900, 09:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:45.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Nara Park · Garden
A quiet Japanese garden near Todai-ji, in two parts: a 17th-century front garden, and a Meiji-era back garden that uses the Todai-ji gate and the mountains as borrowed scenery. ¥1,200 including a museum. Closed on Tuesdays, in late September and from the end of December to mid-January.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Kimon Berlin (Gribeco) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Naramachi · Historic streets
Old merchant streets in south-central Nara, with machiya houses, small shops and cafes. It suits the end of the day after Nara Park.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Kochizufan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nara Park · Museum
A museum of Buddhist art next to the park. A good choice for a rainy day or for anyone who wants historical context before the temples.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Western Nara · Temple
An ancient temple in western Nara with impressive pagodas. You go there when you have an extra half day in the city, and you do not squeeze it into the central park route.
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Kobe Harbor · Free
An open shopping and restaurant complex on the water, with a lit Ferris wheel and terraces that look over the harbor. Free. From the Mosaic terraces you see the lit Port Tower in the evening.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Kobe Harbor · Viewpoint
A red tower in the shape of a Japanese drum from 1963, which reopened in 2024 after a renovation, with an open rooftop. ¥1,000 for the observation deck and ¥1,200 with the rooftop. The symbol of the city, and at night it is lit in red lines.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Laitr Keiows / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kobe Harbor · Free
A park on the harbor with the BE KOBE sign for photos, and a corner of the pier that was left in ruins from the earthquake of 1995 as a memorial. Free. The sunset is from here, and facing it are the Maritime Museum and the tower.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KishujiRapid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kitano · Garden
A herb garden on the mountain with a greenhouse, a teahouse and a view over all of Kobe and the bay. From April 2026: ¥2,500 round trip by ropeway including the garden, or ¥2,000 in the evening from 17:00, round trip only, except in the summer season and the Christmas season. The ropeway runs from 09:30 and the garden opens at 10:00.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Kitano · Historic district
Houses of foreign merchants on the Kitano slope, built mostly from the late eighties of the 19th century on, in European and American style. About 16 are open to the public, ¥500 to ¥1,100 each, and there are combined tickets. The streets are free. It is enough to go into one or two: the city's Weathercock House and Moegi House, ¥800 for both.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Manish Prabhune / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Sannomiya · Free
The Chinatown of Kobe, small and dense: pork baozi from Roshoki (¥120 each, a permanent line), tea eggs and sticky rice. Free to walk around. Roshoki's old shop is being rebuilt until around November 2026, and in the meantime it sells from its sister shop facing the plaza. The lion and dragon dances are at the Chinese Spring Festival.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sannomiya · Free
One of the oldest shrines in Japan (by tradition from the 3rd century), in the heart of Sannomiya among the buildings, with a small grove behind it. Free. It survived the earthquake of 1995, and that made it a symbol of the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Ethan Doyle White / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Rokko · Viewpoint
A mountain above Kobe with the Tenrandai viewpoint, whose night view is called the 'ten million dollar view'. The Rokko Cable costs ¥1,550 round trip, and the mountain bus is separate. The last cable car is at 21:10. From 29 August to 29 November 2026 entry to Tenrandai is ¥500, during the art festival.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Laitr Keiows / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Arima · Onsen
One of the oldest onsen towns in Japan, 30 minutes from Kobe: golden water rich in iron, and silver carbonated water. The public baths Kin-no-Yu and Gin-no-Yu are about ¥800 to ¥1,500. A small, pleasant town street.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · History
The heart of a visit to Hiroshima: the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph with the names of the dead, the Flame of Peace and the Children's Monument, along the river. Free and always open. Leave time for reading and a quiet walk, not just for photos.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Museum
The museum about the atomic bomb and what happened to people on 6 August 1945. ¥200. In the first hour and in the hour before last entry you can enter only with an online ticket bought in advance. Come in the morning to avoid lines.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Castle
The castle keep, rebuilt in concrete in 1958 after the bomb destroyed the original, closed to visitors on 22 March 2026. The grounds and the moat are open, and you see the keep from outside. The exhibits, swords and armor, are moving to a new museum in Sannomaru planned for spring 2027. The grounds are free. Combine it with Shukkeien Garden and do not build a whole day around the castle.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Garden
A calm Japanese landscape garden near Hiroshima Station. It suits a break between the museums, and especially the cherry blossom season.
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Shrine and nature
A classic day trip from Hiroshima to Itsukushima Shrine and the torii gate in the sea. ¥300 for the shrine, plus a ¥100 visitor tax on arrival on the island. Check the tourism association's tide table, and start early to enjoy the island before the crowds.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Viewpoint and nature
Hiking trails and a view of the Seto Inland Sea from Miyajima. The ropeway is ¥2,000 round trip, last car up at 16:00, and from the top station it is about another half hour on foot to the summit. On 20 May 2026 Daisho-in's flame hall at the summit burned down. On the November 2026 weekends (1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-23, 28-29) the ropeway must be booked online in advance. Check the weather and the return times.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Vanvelthem Cédric / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Temple
A colorful, quiet temple at the foot of Mount Misen on Miyajima, with prayer wheels along the stairs and hundreds of small stone statues. Free, the gate is open 08:00 to 17:00. It suits anyone already on the island who wants something less crowded than Itsukushima.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Hiroshima · Shopping
A covered shopping street in central Hiroshima, easy to fit into an evening or a rainy day. It suits food, shopping and a break after the Peace Park.
Memorial · Hiroshima
You start at the prefecture's Industrial Promotion Hall, about 160 meters from the hypocenter of the blast on 6 August 1945.
Central Sapporo · Free
A park 100 meters wide and 1.5 km long that cuts through the center of Sapporo: fountains, grilled corn in summer (¥400), and in February the ice sculptures of the Snow Festival. Free.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ノボホショコロトソ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Central Sapporo · Viewpoint
A tower at the eastern end of Odori Park with an observation deck at 90 meters, from which you see the whole length of the park. ¥1,200 since January 2026. During the Snow Festival this is the angle from which all the sculptures are photographed in a row.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Sapporo · Historic building
A wooden clock tower from 1878, the symbol of the city, which is considered one of the most disappointing attractions in Japan because it is small and surrounded by buildings. ¥200 for the display inside. Three minutes from the outside are enough, and that is fine.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: MIKI Yoshihito from Sapporo City,Hokkaido., JAPAN / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Maruyama · Free
The main shrine of the island (1869) inside the forest of Maruyama Park, with squirrels among the trees. Free. In spring 1,400 cherry trees. Picnics are allowed, but fire is banned in the park, so your own jingisukan grill is out of the question.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Daigaku2051 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Nishi-ku · Good with kids
The factory of the 'White Lover' cookies, in a building that looks like a European castle: a tour, a cookie workshop (¥1,500) and ice cream. ¥800. Subway to Miyanosawa Station. A must with kids, and without kids you can skip it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashi · Museum
Sapporo Brewery was founded in 1876, and the museum sits in a red-brick building. Entry is ¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 from junior high school age up to 20, and free for children. A guided tour with a tasting is ¥2,000. In the tasting room a glass is ¥450 to ¥550, and three beers are ¥1,200, including Sapporo Classic, sold only in Hokkaido. 11:00 to 18:00, with no guided tour on Mondays. A huge jingisukan hall next door.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Sapporo · Market
A small market in the city center with seafood stalls and breakfast restaurants: a rice bowl with uni, ikura and crab for ¥2,500 to ¥4,000. Touristy and expensive, but very convenient and open from 07:00. Entry to the market is free, and ¥3,000 is an estimate of spending on a bowl.
Photo: Wing1990hk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Moiwa · Viewpoint
A ropeway and a mini cable car to the summit at 531 meters, with one of the three night views of Japan. ¥2,100 round trip. Arrive for sunset and stay until dark. In winter it is minus 10 at the top, so bring gloves.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Atsubetsu · Museum
An open-air museum with 50 original buildings from the end of the 19th century that were moved from all over the island, with a horse-drawn tram in summer and a sleigh in winter. ¥1,000. An hour from the center, and it explains what the settlement of Hokkaido looked like.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Maruyama · Free
A park at the edge of the old Maruyama forest, which is a protected natural monument, next to Hokkaido Shrine and Maruyama Zoo. About 120 cherry trees, among them Ezo-yamazakura and Somei-yoshino, bloom in early May. Free. Fire is banned in the park.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: モンモン / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Central Sapporo · Free
The largest entertainment district in northern Japan: 4,000 businesses, the Nikka neon sign, Ramen Alley and izakaya lanes. Free to walk around. Safe and well lit, and in winter surrounded by piles of snow as tall as a person.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Sapporo · Museum
A museum with art from Hokkaido and a glass collection of the School of Paris and Galle. ¥510 for the permanent collection, more for exhibitions. Closed on Monday. Quiet, central, and a good solution for a snowy day.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 禁樹なずな / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ski · Sapporo, Teine
At the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, Mount Teine hosted the slalom and giant slalom for men and women, and also the bobsleigh and luge.
Dazaifu · Free
The shrine of the god of learning, from 919, where students come before exams. Free. The renovation of the main hall was completed in May 2026. On the approach street: hot umegae mochi (¥150) and a Starbucks with a wooden design by Kengo Kuma.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hakata · Free
A mall with an artificial canal in the middle and a fountain show with music every half hour. Free. A large food floor with a 'Ramen Stadium' of eight ramen shops, and a good solution for rain in Hakata.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ぱちょぴ（pacyopi） / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Fukuoka · Free
A lake 2 km around in the center of the city, with a running path, an island and bridges, and a quiet Japanese garden on the side (¥250). The park is free. The locals run here in the morning and in the evening, and it is the most beautiful park in Fukuoka.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hirho / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Maizuru · Free
The ruins of a castle from 1601 in Maizuru Park, right next to Ohori: walls, gates and a viewpoint from the spot where the keep stood. Free. One of the big sakura spots in Kyushu at the end of March.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Heartoftheworld / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hakata · Free
The shrine of Hakata, from which the Yamakasa festival sets out in July. Free, and a festival float 10 meters tall is on display in it all year. Behind it is the covered Kawabata street.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Alexwikix / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Fukuoka Bay · Free
An artificial beach on the bay with Fukuoka Tower (¥800) and the Marizon building, and a bridge to the island. Free. A good sunset over the sea, and this is the only chance in the city to sit facing open water.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hirho / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ohori · Museum
A museum in Ohori Park that reopened in 2019: ancient Asian art downstairs, and modern art upstairs (Dali, Warhol, and a dotted pumpkin by Kusama at the entrance). ¥200 for the permanent collection. Closed on Monday.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hirho / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Northern Fukuoka · Good with kids
A huge park on a sand spit facing the city, with seasonal flower fields, a water park in summer, bicycles and animals. ¥450. You get there by ferry from the port (20 minutes), and it is a full day with kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hakata · Museum
Three merchant houses from the end of the 19th century facing Kushida, with demonstrations of Hakata-ori weaving and a display about the Yamakasa festival. ¥200. Small, cheap, and it explains the city better than many big places.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Fukuoka Bay · Good with kids
A teamLab digital museum on Fukuoka Bay, smaller than the sites in Tokyo: interactive rooms of light and games that kids take part in. About ¥2,400, book online. An hour and a half.
Price checked September 2026
Nakasu · Food
About 100 street stalls with seating that open at 18:00 on the Nakasu riverbank, the tradition that survived only in Fukuoka. 8 seats at each one, ¥2,000 to ¥3,000 with a beer. Closed in the rain. There is no entry fee, and ¥2,500 is an estimate of spending on a meal and a drink.
Central Fukuoka · Free
'The kitchen of Fukuoka': a small covered market with 40 stalls of fish, mentaiko and produce, near Watanabe-dori Station. Free, open in the morning, and closed on Sunday. Completely local.
Price checked September 2026
Kenrokuen · Garden
A 17th-century garden that Ishikawa Prefecture counts among the three great gardens of Japan: ponds, the Kotoji stone lantern on its two legs, and a fountain said to be the first in Japan. ¥320. Every morning before opening you can enter free through two gates. In winter ropes are strung over the pines against the snow, and that is the photo.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Original uploader was Jovandavid at en.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Free
A castle rebuilt with traditional methods: long wooden halls with white lead roofs. The park is free, the buildings ¥320. The inner garden, Gyokusen-inmaru, with a teahouse, was restored in 2015.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Higashi Chaya · Free
A district of wooden teahouses from 1820 with dark lattices, where geigi, Kanazawa's geisha, still perform. The streets are free, the Shima teahouse is open to visitors for ¥500 and Kaikaro for ¥750. This is where Hakuichi's gold leaf ice cream (¥1,189) was born.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: ajari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Kanazawa · Market
'Kanazawa's kitchen', about 170 shops in covered lanes, which counts its years from 1721: snow crab in winter, sweet shrimp and uni. A kaisen-don bowl is about ¥1,200 to ¥2,900. Roughly 09:00 to 16:00, some restaurants open earlier, and many shops are closed on Wednesday. Entry to the market is free, and ¥2,500 is an estimate of spending on a bowl.
Photo: dconvertini / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nagamachi · Free
Lanes with yellow mud walls, water canals and samurai houses. The streets are free, the Nomura house with its garden is ¥550. In winter the walls are covered with straw mats against the ice, and it is a unique sight.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hirorinmasa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A round glass museum by SANAA (2004) with 'The Swimming Pool' by Leandro Erlich: from above you see people under the water. The public zone is free. From 31 October 2026 the exhibition is ¥1,200 (¥450 until 18 October). Closed on Monday, and for the space under the pool you take a same-day queue slot from 09:00. It closes for renovation from May 2027 to about March 2028.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Aspere / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Central Kanazawa · Free
A shrine with an unusual entrance gate from 1875 that combines Japanese, Chinese and Dutch styles, with colored stained glass on the top floor. Free. Lit up in the evening, and there is no other structure like it in Japan.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: La Japonie facile / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A museum in memory of the philosopher who brought Zen to the West, in a minimalist design by Yoshio Taniguchi: a meditation room facing a still pool of water with ripples. ¥310. 45 minutes of complete quiet.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kanazawa Station · Free
A wooden gate 13.7 meters tall in the shape of a tsuzumi drum in front of Kanazawa Station, under a glass dome. Free. On every hour from sunset to midnight it is lit in colors for two minutes. In 2011 Travel + Leisure magazine chose the station as one of the 14 most beautiful stations in the world.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashi Chaya · Free
The third teahouse district of Kanazawa, on the bank of the Asano River, smaller and quieter than Higashi Chaya. Free. Two lanes of stone steps, Akari-zaka and Kuragari-zaka, climb from it to Kubo-ichi Otsurugi Shrine, and in the evening there are lanterns.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Okochuke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A museum of Noh theater, of which Kanazawa is one of the centers: antique masks, embroidered costumes, and you can try on a costume. ¥310. Small, quiet, and next to the 21st Century Museum.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Teramachi · Book ahead
The 'Ninja Temple': 23 rooms, 29 staircases, pits and hidden stairs, in a temple of the Maeda clan from 1643. ¥1,200, cash, only on a guided tour in Japanese of about 40 minutes, and only by phone reservation in advance (English is possible). The last tour is at 16:00.
Price checked October 2026
Central Takayama · Free
Three streets of dark wooden houses from the Edo period, a national preservation district since 1979, with craft shops and sake breweries that you identify by the ball of cedar branches above the door. Free. Some breweries offer free tastings (Funasaka) and some charge, and most end tastings at about 16:00.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Takayama · Free
A morning market on the riverbank, which according to the market union began in the mid-Edo period: farm women with vegetables, pickles and fruit, sarubobo dolls and mochi. Free, every day. April to November 07:00 to 12:00, and from December to March from 08:00. The best of it is before 10:00.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Takayama · Historic building
The office from which the shogun's officials ran the Hida province from 1692, and the only one of about sixty such offices whose main buildings survive: tatami rooms, a rice storehouse and the courtroom. ¥500 since April 2026, and free up to high school. April to October 08:45 to 17:00, and in winter until 16:30.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Alexkom000 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Western Takayama · Museum
An open-air museum with more than 30 old buildings, including thatched houses, moved from villages around Hida that disappeared because of dams and depopulation, around a pond. ¥700, or ¥1,000 with a combined round-trip bus ticket. 08:30 to 17:00. Quiet, and good for kids.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Mark Bucayan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Northern Takayama · Free
The shrine from which the autumn festival of Takayama sets out, at the northern end of the old town. Free, in a forest on a slope. Next to it are the floats hall and the Sakurayama Nikko-kan, a 1:10 model of the Toshogu shrine in Nikko.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Northern Takayama · Museum
Four festival floats 7 to 8 meters tall, with mechanical puppets, and the shrine's great portable shrine. The floats change three times a year. ¥1,000, including the Sakurayama Nikko-kan next to it. The festivals themselves are on 14 and 15 April and on 9 and 10 October.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Eastern Takayama · Free
A trail of about 4 km through the temple district on the hills east of town, which according to the tourism site was laid out after Kyoto: more than ten temples and shrines, old cemeteries and forest. Free, signposted. It ends in Shiroyama Park with a view over the town. There are bears in the area, so finish before sunset.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Takayama · Free
The forest and the ruins of Takayama Castle on the hill above the town, at the end of the Higashiyama trail. Free. A view over the roofs of the town. There are bears in the area, and in winter 2026 the park was closed for a month and a half because of them.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Kyla Duhamel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Takayama · Free
A red bridge over the Miyagawa River at the entrance to the old town. Free. In the illumination seasons it is lit in the evening, in autumn 2026 from 1 October to 30 November, 17:30 to 21:00. The classic photo of Takayama.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Tomio344456 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Western Takayama · Museum
A museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco with glass by Lalique and Tiffany, and furniture by Mackintosh. ¥2,000. A surprise for a mountain town, and there is an original English tram at the entrance.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Not.found.404 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shirakawa-go · Free
The main village of Shirakawa-go, World Heritage since 1995: 59 gassho-zukuri dwellings, more than 100 with the smaller buildings, with steep thatched roofs against 170 cm of snow or more. Free to walk around, 08:00 to 17:00. People live in the houses, so do not enter the yards.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shirakawa-go · Historic building
The largest gassho house left in the village, according to the village, about 300 years old, home to the family of the Edo-period village headmen, and still lived in. ¥400. The open floors show the family's household and work tools, and silkworms were raised in the attics of gassho houses.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Shirakawa-go · Historic building
A gassho house with four floors open to visitors, including an attic with work tools. ¥400, 09:00 to 16:00, closed on Wednesday. Quieter than Wada House, and you can climb all the way up and see the roof structure from inside.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Savannah Rivka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shirakawa-go · Free
The village temple, which also has a thatched roof, with a bell in its gate. The grounds are free. According to the temple, a Buddhist temple built as a gassho structure is rare.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Shirakawa-go · Free
The lower viewpoint at the northern end of the village, reached on foot in five minutes from the main street. Free. Less impressive than Shiroyama but with no shuttle and no line, and good for anyone short on time.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shirakawa-go · Viewpoint
The viewpoint from which the village is photographed in every picture. A shuttle from near Wada House, ¥300 each way, cash to the driver, every 20 minutes from 09:00, or a 20 to 30 minute climb on foot. At 09:00 the light is good and there is no line. Closed in winter, except on the illumination evenings, and then only with a viewpoint ticket.
Price checked November 2026
Shirakawa-go · Historic building
The house of a family of doctors, five floors, with old medical instruments and a large Buddhist altar. ¥400, currently 09:00 to 16:00. From the top window you can see the village.
Price checked October 2026
Shirakawa-go · Museum
The priests' house of the temple, five floors of household and farming tools, with an open hearth that smokes the thatch and preserves it. ¥400. It explains how people lived in the valley before the road arrived.
Price checked September 2026
Shirakawa-go · Free
A suspension bridge over the Sho River at the entrance to the village, which sways slightly as you cross. Free. From the main parking lot this is the way in on foot, and from the bridge you see the houses with the mountains behind.
Price checked September 2026
Shirakawa-go · Free
A flat trail between the rice fields and the houses, about 2 km in all, that runs behind the main street. Free. At 11:00, when the buses arrive, this is the place where it is still quiet.
Price checked September 2026
Central Matsumoto · Castle
One of the five original castles in Japan, black, from 1594, with a moat and swans. ¥1,200 with an online ticket and ¥1,300 at the ticket office. Inside there are six floors of very steep stairs, climbed in socks, and a collection of guns.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Matsumoto · Free
A street along the river with frog statues on every corner, old toy shops and taiyaki stalls. Free. A flea market on weekends, and this is the street that kids love in Matsumoto.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Matsumoto · Free
A street of kura storehouses with checkered black and white walls, today shops of wood crafts, sake and cafes. Free. It runs parallel to Nawate, and the two together are a pleasant hour after the castle.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Matsumoto · Museum
The museum of the city where Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929: giant dotted flowers at the entrance, a dotted drinks machine, and a permanent wing with the infinity rooms. ¥700 for the collection with an e-ticket, ¥800 at the ticket office. Closed on Monday.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Matsumoto · Free
A small shrine next to Nawate Street, between the river and the shopping street, which is considered a shrine that grants wishes. Free. Quiet, and it serves as a natural passage between Nawate and Nakamachi.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: yoppy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Matsumoto · Museum
A clock museum with a giant pendulum clock on the facade, one of the largest in Japan. ¥500 since April 2026. A collection of pocket watches, wall clocks and music boxes, and some of them are operated in demonstrations. Small, and good for a rainy hour.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Western Matsumoto · Museum
The largest private collection of prints in the world (more than 100 thousand), of the Sakai family, in a concrete building by Kazuo Shinohara. ¥1,000. They are shown in rotation, so every visit is different. Outside the center.
Price checked September 2026
Northern Matsumoto · Historic building
The first Western-style school in Japan (1876), a National Treasure, in the style of 'European as a Japanese carpenter imagined it', with angels on the sign. ¥700 at the ticket office and ¥600 with an e-ticket. It was closed for earthquake reinforcement, so check in advance.
Price checked September 2026
Asama · Onsen
A long-standing onsen town on the edge of Matsumoto, 15 minutes by bus, where people already came in the Edo period. Day-use baths from ¥500. Less polished than Hakone, and also much cheaper and quieter. Entry to the town is free, and ¥500 is an estimate of the price of entry to one bath.
Central Matsumoto · Free
From the bridges in central Matsumoto and from the top of the castle you see the snowy ridge of the Northern Alps behind the city. Free. In the clear air of winter and early spring this is the view that explains why people come here.
Price checked September 2026
Central Nagano · Temple
A temple from the 7th century around which the city was built, with a Buddha that no one has seen. The grounds are free, ¥800 for the inner area since April 2026, which includes a completely dark tunnel where you search by hand for the 'key to paradise'. Morning prayer at sunrise.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 日:Jnn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.1 jp)
Zenko-ji · Free
The approach street to Zenko-ji, paved with stone, with shops from 300 years ago: oyaki (baked dumplings filled with mountain vegetables, ¥180), seven sweets and bracelets. Free.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Togakushi · Free
Five shrines scattered in a mountain forest at 1,200 meters, linked to the myth of the sun cave and to the Togakure ninja. Free. A one-hour bus from Nagano, and the walk between the shrines is half a day.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Obuse · Free
A small town 30 minutes from Nagano, where Hokusai lived in his last years: chestnut streets, a sake brewery and the center of candied chestnuts. Free to walk around, and it is a perfect half-day trip.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Naganojmmmm / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Obuse · Museum
A museum in Obuse with late works by Hokusai, including two festival floats whose ceilings he painted at the age of 80 and over. ¥1,200, and more for a special exhibition. Small and excellent, and this is not the Great Wave but a different Hokusai.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Yudanaka · Onsen
An onsen town at the end of the Nagaden line, the base for the snow monkeys. A free foot bath next to the station, and public baths for ¥300 to ¥500. The ryokan here are much cheaper than in Hakone. Entry to the town is free, and ¥400 is an estimate of the price of one public bath.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Yamanouchi · Nature
About 160 free macaques that come down to an onsen pool built for them. ¥800, and from August 2026 you can get a ticket for a set date online. The trail from the parking lot is 1.6 km through the forest, snowy and slippery in winter. They go into the water mainly when it is cold.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Togakushi · Free
The 'Mirror Pond' in Togakushi, which reflects the mountain ridge on days without wind. Free. A 40-minute walk from the middle shrine, and in the autumn foliage and in spring it is one of the most beautiful photos in Nagano.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: koichi_hayakawa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Zenko-ji · Museum
A museum that reopened in 2021 next to Zenko-ji, with a rooftop open to the public that looks out on the mountains, and the Higashiyama Kaii wing. About ¥700. The terrace and the cafe are free, and it is a good stop after the temple.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Togakushi · Free
An avenue of 500 meters with cedars 400 years old and 40 meters tall, on the way to the upper shrine of Togakushi. Free. One of the most impressive paths in Japan, and in snow it is completely quiet.
Price checked September 2026
Skiing · Nozawa Onsen, Nagano
An adult 1-day ticket costs ¥7,800 in the regular season, 19 December 2026 to 28 March 2027, and outside those dates the price is different.
Onsen · Nozawa Onsen, Nagano
You end the skiing in hot water.
Nature · Kamikochi
You start at the Taisho-ike stop, two stops before the terminal.
Photo: photo: Qurren Taken with Canon IXY 10S / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Bridge · Kamikochi
The wooden suspension bridge that is the symbol of Kamikochi, facing the Hotaka range, 3,190 meters, with a river beneath it so clear you ca
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Sacred pond · Kamikochi
Myojin Pond lies inside the inner shrine of Hotaka: clear water, a wooden boat, and silence.
Post town · Kiso Valley
You start on one steep stone street with wooden houses, water mills and shops.
Photo: Chensiyuan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Historic building · Kiso Valley
Tsumago was the first town in Japan to preserve itself, in 1968: no visible power lines and no modern signs.
Photo: Chensiyuan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ski · Hakuba
For one day, a Happo-One-only ticket is enough.
Photo: Ski Mania / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Onsen · Hakuba
You finish at the big public bath of Happo Onsen, at the entrance to the village: highly alkaline water, and an outdoor pool, in the snow, f
Fujiyoshida · Free
The photo of Japan: a red pagoda, the town and Fuji in the background. Free, after 398 steps from Arakurayama Sengen Park. Fujikyu train to Shimo-Yoshida Station. In April cherry blossoms, and in November autumn foliage, and then there is a line for the photo.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Dang Son / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kawaguchiko · Free
The most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, with a promenade, swan boats (¥2,000 for 30 minutes) and a 20-minute cruise (¥1,000). Free to walk around. The mountain is visible in the morning and is covered by clouds in the afternoon.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: dconvertini / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Kawaguchiko · Free
The northern shore of the lake: lavender in June and July, red kochia in October, and Fuji rising straight from the water. Free. A shop with lavender ice cream and Yamanashi fruit, and this is the classic photo spot of the lake.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Oshino · Free
Eight wonderfully clear ponds, formed from the snowmelt of Fuji that was filtered for 80 years through the layers of lava. Seven of the ponds are free, and the eighth (Sokonuke) is inside the grounds of a paid museum, ¥300. A small village with thatched houses and food stalls, and Fuji behind. Full at midday, empty at 08:00.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 名古屋太郎 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Fujiyoshida · Free
The park where the Chureito Pagoda stands, on a slope above Fujiyoshida. Free, always open. 398 steps or a winding path, and about 650 cherry trees that bloom in mid-April.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Otto Domes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Saiko · Free
The quietest of the five lakes, with no big hotels: a restored village of thatched houses (Iyashi no Sato), caves, and cycling routes. Free. Anyone who wants Fuji without buses comes here.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Osumi Akari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kawaguchiko · Ropeway
A three-minute ropeway to a viewpoint at 1,075 meters, with Fuji on one side and the lake on the other. ¥1,700 round trip, and the ticket is valid for two days. At the top there is a swing with a view, and figures from the legend of the rabbit and the crocodile. A line on weekends.
Price checked September 2026
Narusawa · Nature
An ice cave from the eruption of 864, where the temperature stays around zero all year and there are pillars of ice. ¥350. You stoop in part of the passage, so it is not for everyone. Helmets on site.
Price checked September 2026
Narusawa · Nature
A wind cave from the same eruption, which was used as a seed store and for raising silkworms thanks to the natural cold. ¥350, and there is a combined ticket with the ice cave. Both are in the Aokigahara forest, within walking distance of each other.
Price checked September 2026
Kawaguchiko · Museum
A museum for the kimono of Itchiku Kubota, who revived a lost dyeing technique from the 16th century: giant kimono that together form one landscape. ¥1,500. The building and the garden themselves, in the style of Gaudi, are worth the entry.
Price checked September 2026
Gora · Museum
Sculptures by Henry Moore, Miro and Rodin on lawns facing the mountains, a stained-glass tower that you climb, and a Picasso museum. ¥1,800 online in advance, ¥2,000 at the ticket office. At the end of the route there is a free foot onsen.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Yūzō Fujikawa / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Lake Ashi · Free
A shrine in a forest of ancient cedars, and a red torii gate that stands in Lake Ashi. Free. For a photo at the gate there is an orderly line of 20 to 40 minutes. The path along the lake, with its Edo-period cedars, leads to Hakone-machi.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: alonfloc / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Lake Ashi · Cruise
A decorated pirate ship that crosses Lake Ashi in 30 minutes from Togendai to Moto-Hakone. ¥1,700 one way and ¥3,000 round trip since October 2025, and it is included in the Hakone Pass. Fuji is visible behind on clear days, and in the morning more than in the afternoon.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: David Monniaux / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Owakudani · Free
An active volcanic valley with yellow steam vents, at 1,050 meters. The valley itself is free, but you reach it by a paid ropeway. They sell black eggs cooked in the hot spring (¥500 for five), and each egg adds 7 years according to the legend. Closes during volcanic activity.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Owakudani · Ropeway
A ropeway that passes over the sulfur valley from Sounzan to Togendai, 30 minutes, with Fuji in front of you on clear days. ¥2,000 one way and ¥3,000 round trip since October 2025, and it is included in the Hakone Pass. Check the website in the morning to see if it is running, because it closes during volcanic activity. For maintenance a bus replaces it: between Owakudani and Sounzan from 7 to 24 December 2026, and between Togendai and Owakudani from 12 January to 26 February 2027. The Hakone Pass is valid on the bus.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Joli Rumi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Gora · Garden
A terraced French garden from 1914 with a fountain, greenhouses, and glass and ceramics workshops. ¥650, and free for anyone holding a Hakone Pass. A convenient 40-minute stop between the mountain railway and the cable car.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sengokuhara · Museum
An underground museum in the Sengokuhara forest with a strong Impressionist collection (Monet, Renoir, Picasso) and a Japanese art wing. About ¥2,200. A sculpture trail in the forest around it, and a cafe with a huge window onto the trees.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Sengokuhara · Museum
A Venetian glass museum with a crystal tunnel that sparkles in the sun and an Italian garden. About ¥1,800. Touristy and pretty, and it works well with kids and on cloudy days. There is a bead-making workshop.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Flow in edgewise / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Moto-Hakone · Free
A restored section of the historic road from Edo to Kyoto, paved with stone and shaded by an avenue of 400-year-old cedars, along Lake Ashi. Free. A walk of 30 to 60 minutes between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Moto-Hakone · Food
A teahouse with a thatched roof on the old road, which has been serving amazake (a hot rice drink with no alcohol) and charcoal-grilled mochi for 400 years. About ¥500. There is no electricity in the main room, only a hearth. A perfect stop on the walk. Entry is free, and ¥500 is the price of the cup and the mochi.
Photo: Aimaimyi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hakone-Yumoto · Free
The gateway town to Hakone, where the Romancecar stops: a main street with souvenir shops and pastries, and day-use onsen such as Tenzan (¥1,450) nearby. Also the luggage service point for hotels in the area.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Kowakidani · Onsen
An onsen water park where you wear a swimsuit: pools of wine, coffee and sake, and a separate traditional nude area. ¥3,000 for the combination, and from 17:00 an evening ticket for ¥1,200. The solution for anyone who has tattoos or is shy, and for families with kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Shrine
The gilded mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu: 500 painted carvings, the Yomeimon gate, the three monkeys and the sleeping cat. ¥1,600, and from 31 March 2026 the machines take cash only. Two hours.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Temple
The main Buddhist temple of Nikko, with three gilded Buddha statues 8 meters tall in the Sanbutsudo hall. ¥400, and the Shoyo-en garden for an extra ¥300. Less crowded than Toshogu, and in the same compound.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Free
Nikko's Shinto shrine from 782, dedicated to the mountains of the area. The grounds are free, the inner area ¥300. Completely quiet compared with Toshogu, which is 3 minutes away, and the road to Lake Chuzenji starts from here.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Free
A red lacquered bridge from the 17th century over the Daiya River, at the entrance to the shrine area. The photo from the road is free, going onto the bridge is ¥300. In the autumn foliage at the end of October its red stands against the yellow of the trees.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Lake Chuzenji · Nature
A waterfall of 97 meters from Lake Chuzenji. An elevator goes down 100 meters inside the rock to a platform facing the falls, ¥600 round trip. There is also a free viewpoint from above. In winter part of it freezes.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Jaccardc2 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lake Chuzenji · Free
A volcanic lake at 1,270 meters with Mount Nantai behind it, 45 minutes by bus from Nikko on a road with 48 hairpin turns. Free. The summer villas of the British and Italian embassies are open to visitors (¥300 each).
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Oku-Nikko · Free
The 'Dragon's Head' waterfall, which flows down a wide slope between rocks, above Lake Chuzenji. Free, with a teahouse that looks straight at it. In the autumn foliage (early October, earlier than in town) it is one of the most beautiful places in Kanto.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Oku-Nikko · Ropeway
Closed for renovation until September 2027. A three-minute ropeway to a viewpoint from which you see Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji together, the most complete view in the area. ¥1,000 round trip. You stop at it on the way up, before the lake.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Historic building
A wooden villa from 1899 with 106 rooms, where the current emperor lived as a child during the war. ¥600. A mix of Edo and Western styles, a garden with a 400-year-old weeping cherry tree, and almost no visitors.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Nikko · Free
A river gorge with a petrified lava flow and a row of about 70 Jizo statues with red caps, whose number, according to the legend, changes with every count. Free, a 20-minute trail, and almost no one there.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kinugawa · Good with kids
An Edo-period theme park: recreated streets, actors in the roles of samurai and ninja, oiran shows and a haunted house. About ¥5,800. A full day with kids, 20 minutes from Nikko by bus.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Oku-Nikko · Free
A wide waterfall that flows out of Lake Yunoko in Oku-Nikko, at the edge of the Senjogahara plain. Free. A viewing deck right at its foot, and from there an easy one-hour boardwalk across the marshland.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hase · Temple
A bronze Buddha 13.35 meters tall that has sat in the open since a tsunami swept away its hall in 1498. ¥300, and for another ¥50 you go inside the statue. A 7-minute walk from Hase Station.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: skyseeker / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Hase · Temple
A temple on a slope with a gilded wooden Kannon statue 9 meters tall, a dark cave with statues in the rock, a thousand small Jizo statues and a terrace facing Sagami Bay. ¥400. In June the hydrangeas cover the hill and there is a line with numbers.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Central Kamakura · Free
The main shrine of Kamakura at the end of an avenue with torii gates, and the center of samurai rule in the 12th century. Free. Wide steps, lotus ponds and a giant ginkgo that fell in a storm in 2010 and started to grow again.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Eastern Kamakura · Temple
A small, quiet bamboo grove, the modest version of Arashiyama, with a teahouse inside it. ¥400, and another ¥600 for matcha that you can drink among the stalks. A 25-minute walk from the center or 10 by bus.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Northern Kamakura · Temple
The first and most senior Zen temple in Japan (1253), with a huge Sanmon gate, juniper trees 750 years old and a Zen garden. ¥500. Behind it a path of steps leads to the Hansobo viewpoint, with a view over the town and sometimes of Fuji.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: ジョジョの珍妙な冒険 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kita-Kamakura · Temple
A Zen temple next to Kita-Kamakura Station, with the largest bell in Kamakura (a National Treasure) and the Shariden hall. ¥500. In the forest, quiet, and especially good for the morning before the town fills up.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Kamakura · Free
The shopping and food street of Kamakura, from the station to Hachimangu: rice crackers, sweet potato ice cream, mochi and souvenirs. Free. Very crowded on weekends, and still pleasant in the morning.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Western Kamakura · Free
A shrine in a cave that you reach through a tunnel in the rock: you wash money in the spring and, according to the belief, it doubles. Free, baskets on site. A 20-minute uphill walk from the center, and it is an experience that kids remember.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Fraxinus2 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hase · Free
The main beach of Kamakura, a 10-minute walk from the station. Free. In summer beach huts with food and showers are open, and the rest of the year it is a quiet promenade with surfers and Fuji on the horizon on clear days.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Enoshima · Island
A small island connected by a bridge, with a shrine, the Samuel Cocking Garden and the Sea Candle lighthouse for a view of Fuji at sunset. Entry to the island is free. The eno=pass day ticket for ¥1,550 covers the escalators, the garden, the lighthouse and the caves, and you can also pay for each one separately.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Dandy1022 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Enoshima · Nature
Two sea caves at the tip of the island, which you enter with a candle. ¥500. They close in high waves and in storms, so check before you go down all the steps. Inside it is cool even in August.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Rijksmuseum / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Minato Mirai · Free
The modern harbor district: Landmark Tower, a Ferris wheel, brick warehouses and a pier. Free to walk around. In the evening the whole skyline lights up, and from Osanbashi Pier you see it reflected in the water.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Kabacchi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Yokohama Bay · Free
Two brick customs warehouses from 1911 that became shops and restaurants, with a lawn facing the sea. Free. There is an event here almost always: Oktoberfest, a pancake festival, and ice skating in winter.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Minato Mirai · Museum
The museum of the inventor of instant noodles: entry ¥500, and in the workshop (¥500) you draw on a cup, choose a soup and four toppings and pack it in an inflated bag. The workshop fills up, so get a ticket online in advance. Kids go wild for it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Honmoku · Garden
A garden of 175 dunams built by a silk merchant in 1906, with 17 historic buildings moved from Kyoto and Kamakura, including a 500-year-old pagoda. ¥900. Completely quiet, and far from the center and therefore empty.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Kaz Ish / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Motomachi · Free
The largest Chinatown in Japan: 10 colorful gates, 600 shops and the gilded Kanteibyo temple (free). Baozi from the stalls are ¥300 to ¥500. Pleasant on a weekday morning, very crowded on weekends. Entry to the district is free, and ¥500 is an estimate of spending on a snack at the stalls.
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Yokohama Bay · Free
A promenade on the sea with roses that bloom in May and October, and the passenger ship Hikawa Maru from 1930 moored at the end (¥300 to go aboard). The park is free, and from here everything is on foot.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Minato Mirai · Ropeway
A 5-minute urban ropeway (2021) over the water, between Sakuragicho Station and the Unga Park pier. ¥1,000 one way. In the evening the cabins are lit, and from them you see the towers and the Ferris wheel.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Osumi Akari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Noge · Free
A small city zoo on a hill, with free entry: lions, giraffes, a petting corner and a picnic spot. Closed on Monday. The free solution with kids in Yokohama, a 10-minute walk from Sakuragicho.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Minato Mirai · Museum
An underground maritime museum next to the tower, with the history of the port of Yokohama and models of ships. ¥500 for the museum itself, and there is a combined ticket with the sailing ship Nippon Maru. Good with kids and in the rain.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Kestrel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shin-Yokohama · Museum
A recreated Tokyo street of 1958 in the basement, with several ramen shops from different regions of Japan. ¥450 entry, and a small portion is ¥600 to ¥1,100 at each stall so that you can taste several. 20 minutes by train from the harbor.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Motokoka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Yokohama Bay · Free
An international pier whose roof is a wavy wooden plaza open to the public, free and open all night. From there the skyline of Minato Mirai is reflected in the water: the best photo of Yokohama.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Doricono / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Temple · Uji
You start at the hall from 1053 that stands on a pond.
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Himeji · Castle
The largest and most beautiful original castle in Japan, a National Treasure and a World Heritage site, with a maze of gates and white walls. From 1 March 2026: ¥2,500 for an adult, and children up to 18 are free. Combined with Kokoen for ¥2,600. The price depends on where you live and not on citizenship: residents of Himeji pay ¥1,000.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Himeji · Garden
Nine walled gardens in Edo style, built in 1992 on the remains of the samurai quarters beside the castle: a tea garden, a pine garden and a carp pond. ¥400, or combined with the castle. In the autumn foliage they are lit in the evening.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Western Himeji · Nature
A forested mountain west of Himeji, which you go up by ropeway, with Engyoji Temple at the top. Bus 8 from the station, 25 minutes. There is a combined ticket for the bus, the ropeway and the temple for about ¥2,700, which is worth it.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Umako / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Mount Shosha · Temple
A temple complex from the 10th century in the mountain forest, with three huge wooden halls on pillars, where scenes from 'The Last Samurai' were filmed. ¥800, and another ¥500 for the minibus that saves the walk inside. Complete quiet after the castle.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Himeji · Free
The straight avenue from the station to the castle, a kilometer long, with wide sidewalks and fountains. Free. The castle is visible from the end of the platform at the station, and the walk to it takes 15 minutes and builds up the impression.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: SRIA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Himeji · Museum
A museum in a red brick military warehouse from 1905, just east of the castle. ¥210 for the permanent collection. Western art and local artists, and from the lawn in front of it there is a fine angle for a photo of the castle.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Southern Himeji · Garden
A botanical garden on a hill south of Himeji, with a greenhouse, a rose garden and sakura. About ¥210. Completely quiet, and in the same complex there are also a small aquarium and an amusement park for kids.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Northern Himeji · Free
A mountain shrine north of Himeji, dedicated to the god of epidemics, and a place where people come for business prayers. Free. You go up by car or on a long walk, and there are almost no tourists, with a view over the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Corpse Reviver / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Himeji · Good with kids
A small zoo inside the castle grounds, with elephants, giraffes and a children's train. ¥250, children ¥50. Dated and not impressive, but very cheap and right under the walls, and it saves the parents after the castle.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Drivephotographer / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Mount Shosha · Ropeway
A four-minute ropeway to Mount Shosha, ¥600 one way and ¥1,000 round trip. Closed for maintenance in February and March. From the upper station it is a 20-minute walk through the forest to the temple, or a minibus for an extra fee.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Takobou at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mount Koya · Free
The largest cemetery in Japan: 200 thousand gravestones covered in moss under cedars hundreds of years old, along a path of two km. Free and always open. Start from Ichinohashi bridge and not from the parking lot, and that makes all the difference.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mount Koya · Temple
The head temple of the Shingon sect: rooms with doors painted with gold leaf, a kitchen that fed 2,000 monks, and the largest rock garden in Japan (140 rocks). ¥1,000, including tea and a sweet in the guest room.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tomomarusan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Mount Koya · Free
The sacred precinct that Kobo Daishi planned in 816, the heart of the mountain: pagodas, halls and a pine tree on which, according to the legend, the ritual tool he threw from China landed. The grounds are free, and entry to the Golden Hall and to the Daito pagoda is ¥500 each.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Mount Koya · Temple
A vermilion pagoda 48.5 meters tall in the heart of the Danjo Garan, with a three-dimensional mandala of statues and paintings on the pillars inside it. ¥500. One of the most impressive interiors in Japan, and almost always empty.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mount Koya · Free
The Hall of Lanterns (Torodo) at the end of the cemetery, with more than 10,000 burning lanterns, and behind it the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. Free. Photography is forbidden beyond the last bridge, and this is strictly kept.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mount Koya · Museum
The treasure museum of Mount Koya: statues, scrolls and mandalas from the 9th century onward, many of them National Treasures. ¥1,300. The display changes with the seasons, and this is the place to understand Buddhist art.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Mount Koya · Historic building
Two carved mausoleums from 1643, of Ieyasu and of his son Hidetada, at the edge of the town. ¥200. Small and ornate in the style of Nikko, and almost no one gets to them.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mount Koya · Free
The main gate, 25 meters tall, at the western end of the town, with two carved guardians. Free. Next to it is a viewpoint over the mountains of Wakayama, and the sunset from there is the most beautiful moment of the day in Koya.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Nagono / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kudoyama · Free
A temple at the foot of the mountain in Kudoyama, where women prayed when they were not allowed to go up. Free. It is known for dozens of embroidered breast-shaped figures that women donate for health, and it is a stop on the Choishimichi pilgrimage trail.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mount Koya · Free
A circular trail of 7 km around the mountain, which women walked when they were forbidden to enter the town, until 1872. Free. Forest, lookouts and quiet, and this is the way to see Koya from above.
Price checked September 2026
Nachi · Free
One of the three grand shrines of Kumano, on the mountain, with a three-legged crow (Yatagarasu) as its symbol. The shrine grounds are free, the treasure hall is ¥300. It is next to the waterfall, and it is a blend of Shinto and Buddhism.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Nachi · Nature
The tallest waterfall in Japan in a single drop, 133 meters, which is itself the deity of Hiryu Shrine. The shrine at its foot is free, the close viewing platform is ¥300. You drink the sacred water from a cup for ¥100.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 玄史生 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hongu · Free
The head shrine of the three Kumano shrines, in the forest, in a plain unpainted wooden building. Free. 158 steps along an avenue of cedars, and at the information office next to it you get the Kumano Kodo pilgrim passport stamped.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tim Notari from Tanabe-Shi Wakayama-Ken, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hongu · Free
The largest torii gate in the world, 34 meters, in black steel, standing on the spot where the shrine stood until a flood swept it away in 1889. Free. You stand under it and it fills your whole field of view.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Yanajin33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shingu · Free
The third of the three shrines, in Shingu near the river mouth, in bright vermilion. Free. In the courtyard is a 1,000-year-old nagi tree, whose leaves are considered a protective charm for pilgrims.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tetsuhiro Terada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Kumano · Free
A thousand-year-old network of pilgrimage trails in the Kii Mountains, a World Heritage site together with the Camino de Santiago. Free. The Nakahechi section from Takijiri to Hongu is the classic one, and takes two days with a night in a village.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Gohachiyasu1214 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kumano · Free
600 meters of 267 moss-covered stone steps in the forest, the famous section of the Kumano Kodo trail, with a pair of 800-year-old cedars at the entrance. Free. You can rent Heian-period pilgrim clothes for photos (¥3,000).
Price checked September 2026
Nachi · Free
A red three-story pagoda next to Nachi Shrine, with the waterfall behind it: the photo identified with Kumano. The grounds are free, and going up the pagoda is ¥500. It is at its most beautiful in the morning, when the light comes from the side.
Price checked September 2026
Katsuura · Food
The largest tuna port in Japan, where the fish are never frozen. The auction is at 07:00 with a free viewing deck, and tuna bowls at the restaurants by the market cost ¥1,500 to ¥2,500. The auction and the deck are free, and ¥2,000 is an estimate of spending on a bowl.
Shingu · Free
A shrine on a cliff above Shingu, reached by 538 very steep stone steps from the 12th century, with a giant rock at the top (Gotobiki-iwa) that is considered the place where the gods came down. Free, with a view of the sea at the end.
Price checked September 2026
Onsen · Wakayama, Nachi-Katsuura
A huge hotel on a cliff, famous for the Bokido bath: a natural cave open to the sea, where you sit in the hot water while the waves break a
Ski · Niseko
The 'Niseko United' ticket for all 4 resorts (Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village, Annupuri): ¥13,500 a day in peak season, 24 December 2026 to
Photo: Lasthib / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Onsen · Niseko
You finish at an onsen in Annupuri, with an outdoor pool between piles of snow and spring water that warms you to the bone.
Street · Otaru
The street where the banks sat when Otaru was the 'Wall Street of the North'.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Canal · Otaru
The canal dates from 1923, with stone warehouses and a promenade with 63 gas lamps.
Photo: 爵士迷 at Chinese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Market · Hakodate
You start at a market with 250 stalls, next to the station.
Historic district · Hakodate
Straight slopes that run down to the sea.
Viewpoint · Hakodate
The city sits on a narrow strip of sand between two bays, and from the summit (334 meters) it looks like a lit-up hourglass.
Historic garden · Nagasaki
The villa of Thomas Glover, the Scot who sold weapons and ships to the samurai who toppled the shogun, and who built the Kirin brewery.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Viewpoint · Nagasaki
From 333 meters the harbor is an amphitheater of lights, one of Japan's top three night views.
Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Memorial and museum · Nagasaki
You start on 9 August 1945, 11:02.
Volcanic nature · Beppu
You start in the hells district.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Bathhouse · Beppu
You finish at a bathhouse that has run since 1879, in a wooden building from 1938.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Shuri · World Heritage
The palace of the Ryukyu kings in Chinese red, which burned down in October 2019. The red roof is already standing, and the interior opens to the public on 23 November 2026. The park is closed all day on 22 November and on the morning of 23 November. Until then you enter the work area and watch carpenters rebuild the hall by hand. ¥400 today, and from that date the price rises to ¥1,000. Entry to the main hall is by advance online booking for a set half-hour slot, and sales open on the 1st of the month, two months ahead, at 13:00.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Naha · Free
1.6 km of Naha's main street, which rose from the ruins of the war and is therefore called 'the Miracle Mile': souvenirs, Okashi Goten (purple sweet potato cookies), and Blue Seal ice cream. Free. The arcades that branch off it are more local.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Central Naha · Market
The public market, renovated in 2023: blue fish, coconut crabs and Okinawan pork. You buy a fish downstairs (¥1,500) and the restaurants on floor 2 cook it for ¥500. Closed on Mondays and on the fourth Sunday of the month. Entry to the market is free, and ¥2,000 is an estimate of spending on a fish and having it cooked.
Photo: Naha Mama Pavilionz / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Shuri · Garden
A summer garden of the Ryukyu kings from the 18th century, a World Heritage site: a pond, arched stone bridges and an Okinawan-style pavilion with a red tiled roof. ¥400. Completely quiet, 15 minutes from Shuri.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Naha · Free
The only beach inside the city, below a highway bridge, with a lifeguard and a jellyfish net. Free. Swimming from April to October. Not the prettiest beach on the island, but 20 minutes from Kokusai-dori.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: BORSHEM 2000 GONGAMU / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Naha · Free
A shrine on a cliff above the beach, the highest-ranking shrine in Okinawa, rebuilt after the war. Free. From the terrace you see the sea and the bridge, and it is a good spot for sunset in the city.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 松岡明芳 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Shuri · World Heritage
The mausoleum of the Ryukyu kings from 1501, carved in limestone, a World Heritage site, next to Shuri Castle. ¥300. Three chambers and a stone courtyard, and it is the only original structure in the area that survived the war.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Omoromachi · Free
A duty-free store in Omoromachi, unique in Japan: you buy tax-free even without flying abroad, and collect at the airport. Free to enter. Brands, and an air-conditioned place for an hour that is too hot.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: NORTLAUKAU 26088 JP / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Omoromachi · Museum
A museum and an art museum in Omoromachi, in a building that looks like a modern Ryukyu castle: the history of the kingdom, the war, and the American period. ¥530 for the museum. The best explanation of Okinawa.
Price checked September 2026
Tsuboya · Free
A stone-paved street of potters from 1682 with old kilns and open studios, where you buy shisa lions and cups for awamori. Free, and the pottery museum is ¥350. A quiet place a minute from Kokusai-dori.
Price checked September 2026
Nature · Tateyama, Toyama
You step out of the cable car into a cedar forest.
Nature · Tateyama, Toyama
Murodo, at 2,450 meters, is the highest point of the route, and an hour and a half here is the heart of the day.
Attraction · Tateyama, Toyama
You come out of the Kurobeko tunnel onto the tallest dam in Japan, 186 meters, and walk along its crest, 492 meters, with the lake on one si
Ski · GALA Yuzawa, Niigata
Ride the Diligence gondola, 8 seats, to the top station at about 800 meters, where the Cheers rest house stands.
