Country guide
Japan travel guide
Japan shows up in 2 curated routes on TripsCircle, with 6 destinations and 58 hand-picked places along the way. The most common route styles are culture and scenic drives. Trips run 7–9 days.
- Destinations
- 6
- Places
- 58
- Curated routes
- 2
- Trip lengths
- 7–9 days
- Routes favor
- Jan – May and Jul – Aug
Where our routes go in Japan
Tap a dot to open that destination's guide.
6 destinations in Japan
Ordered by how many of our curated routes stop there, then by how many places we have picked.
Best of Japan
Our curated picks by theme, drawn from the places our route editors chose for their routes.
- Best restaurants13 picksKuromon Ichiba Market · Omoide Yokocho · Nishiki Market
- Best bars & cafés7 picksPontocho Alley · Furano Wine Factory · Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
- Top things to do26 picksDotonbori · Hokkaido Shrine · Senso-ji
- Best outdoor spots10 picksFarm Tomita · Arashiyama Bamboo Grove · Mount Tengu
Places worth planning around
A short sampler from the 58 places in Japan, starting with those featured on the most of our routes.
OutdoorsArashiyama Bamboo Grove
Path through towering bamboo stalks in western Kyoto's Sagano district.
SeeDotonbori
Canal-side strip of giant neon signs, the Glico runner and street food stalls.
DoKitaichi Glass
Glassworks and shops; Kitaichi Hall is lit by 167 oil lamps.
EatOmoide Yokocho
Smoky postwar alley of tiny yakitori stalls by Shinjuku station.
OutdoorsFarm Tomita
Famous lavender farm with striped flower beds and lavender soft serve.
EatGanso Ramen Yokocho
Narrow alley of small ramen counters in Susukino, home of Sapporo miso ramen.
Curated routes through Japan
2 routes with at least one stop here.
Best time to visit Japan
Of the 2 routes here with a recommended season, at least half point to Jan – May and Jul – Aug.
Climate averages (NASA POWER, 2001–2025) for 6 of our destinations here: August is the warmest month, with average highs near 83°F (28°C), and January the coolest at about 36°F (2°C). September is the wettest, around 6.8 in (172 mm) of rain, and February the driest at about 3.1 in (78 mm).
NASA POWER is a gridded model (roughly 50 km cells), so coastal and mountain spots read as regional averages.
Weather by destination
Getting around Japan
Legs between consecutive stops on our routes. Distances are straight-line estimates, not driving distances.
- Sapporo → Otaruabout 33 km (20 mi) straight-line
- Kyoto → Osakaabout 43 km (27 mi) straight-line
- Otaru → Furano and Bieiabout 123 km (77 mi) straight-line
- Tokyo → Kyotoabout 360 km (224 mi) straight-line
Planning a trip to Japan
How many days do you need for a trip to Japan?
Our 2 curated routes with stops in Japan run 7–9 days.
What are the best places to visit in Japan?
Going by how often our route team includes them, the most-featured destinations in Japan are Kyoto, Osaka, Otaru, Tokyo and Furano and Biei. Kyoto alone has 10 hand-picked places in our guides.
When is the best time to visit Japan?
At least half of our routes here recommend Jan – May and Jul – Aug. NASA POWER averages put the warmest weather in August and the most rain in September.
Where can I find the best restaurants in Japan?
See our curated picks: best restaurants in Japan, chosen from 13 places in our curated routes. We also have lists for bars & cafés, things to do and outdoor spots.
Nearby countries
Take your crew to Japan
Start from one of our Japan routes in TripsCircle, then shape it together: shared itinerary, polls for the big decisions, split expenses and packing lists.