Plan a sightseeing trip to Japan

Sightseeing in Japan is built around its landscapes and landmarks: Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan Studio Pass. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.

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Price bands are thirds of what Japan itself charges, not a fixed dollar figure - the cheapest third in Vietnam and in Norway are nowhere near the same number. Flights and accommodation are not included.

Your 5-day sightseeing plan for Japan

Where you stayOsaka 3 nightsKanazawa 2 nightsabout 230 km between them

5 days · packed · 14 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $1,150

  1. Day 1 Osaka

    1. Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan

      morning

      Osaka Castle

      Osaka

      Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Dates from 1583. Important Cultural Property of Japan.

    2. Universal Studios Japan Studio Pass in Osaka, Japan

      afternoon

      Universal Studios Japan Studio Pass

      4.888,974 reviewsOsaka · from $82 · 8.9 km from Osaka Castle

    3. Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Kyoto: Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option

      5.02,796 reviewsKyoto · from $9

    4. Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience in Osaka, Japan

      evening

      Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience (Provided by Oukakimono)

      4.9878 reviewsOsaka · from $23

    Where to eat

    • Lunch

      Hajime

      The restaurant was opened in May 2008 and only a year and a half later received a three-star rating in the Michelin Guide, then the only restaurant in Osaka to receive that distinction.

      Osaka · 2.7 km away

  2. Day 2 Osaka

    1. Osaka Castle Park in Osaka, Japan

      morning

      Osaka Castle Park

      Osaka

      Park. Dates from 1931. Special Historic Site.

    2. Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe, Japan

      afternoon

      Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art

      Kobe · 28.2 km from Osaka Castle Park

      Museum in Japan. Dates from 2002.

    3. Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience (Optional Elegant Hairstyle/Japanese Makeup/Photography) (Ookini Kimono Rental Yasaka Shrine Gion Store)

      4.81,061 reviewsKyoto · from $27

    4. Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto

      4.7749 reviewsKyoto · from $9

  3. Day 3 Osaka

    1. Japanese Massage, Head Spa & Facial at the Temple in Osaka, Japan

      morning

      Osaka: Japanese Massage, Head Spa & Facial at the Temple (180-min)

      Osaka · from $361

    2. Sake brewery walking tour in Nada, home to Japan's No. 1 sake district in Kobe, Japan

      afternoon

      Sake brewery walking tour in Nada, home to Japan's No. 1 sake district (Kobe)

      Kobe · from $107

    3. Kyoto Arashiyama & Fushimi Inari tour in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Kyoto Arashiyama & Fushimi Inari tour

      Kyoto · from $110

    4. Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photo Shoot - Kimono Rental Misaki in Osaka, Japan

      evening

      Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photo Shoot (Osaka Castle, Osaka Tenmangu Shrine) - Kimono Rental Misaki

      4.8378 reviewsOsaka · from $28

  4. Day 4 Kanazawa

    1. Travel day

      Osaka to Kanazawa

      About 230 km by high-speed train · allow around 2h

      Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it. Klook sells Japan Shinkansen & Train Tickets, which covers this country rather than this leg - you pick the route and date at checkout.

    2. Seisonkaku in Kanazawa, Japan

      afternoon

      Seisonkaku

      Kanazawa

      Buke yashiki near Kanazawa. Dates from 1863. Important Cultural Property of Japan.

    3. Samurai Swordsmanship Lesson at a rented temple in Kanazawa, Japan

      evening

      Kanazawa: Samurai Swordsmanship Lesson at a rented temple

      Kanazawa · from $114

    4. Traditional Sushi and Japanese Cooking Class in Kanazawa in Kanazawa, Japan

      evening

      Traditional Sushi and Japanese Cooking Class in Kanazawa

      Kanazawa · from $161

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Omicho Market

      A daily market, open 9am to 5pm.

      Kanazawa · 1.3 km away

  5. Day 5 Kanazawa

    1. Kimono Rental in Kanazawa, Japan

      morning

      Kimono Rental (Provided by Kimono Rental wargo Kanazawa Korinbo Branch)

      Kanazawa · from $40

    2. Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Japan

      afternoon

      Kenroku-en

      Kanazawa · 1.2 km from Kimono Rental

      Japanese park in Kanazawa. Dates from 1676. Place of Scenic Beauty.

    3. Kanazawa Kimono Street-Walking Plan in Kanazawa, Japan

      evening

      Kanazawa Kimono Street-Walking Plan [Kanazawa Kimono Karen]

      Kanazawa · from $41

    4. VASARA Kimono and Yukata Rental in Kanazawa in Kanazawa, Japan

      evening

      VASARA Kimono and Yukata Rental in Kanazawa

      4.859 reviewsKanazawa · from $39

Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the sightseeing theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Japan.

Before you fly to Japan

The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Japan's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.

Entry

No - Australian passport holders can enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.

Japan visa and entry rules

Passport

Check your passport covers the whole trip with room to spare. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.

Check your passport against this rule

Your checklist

21 things to sort for Japan, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.

Japan travel checklist

  • Passport valid - valid for the duration of your stay
  • Take out travel insurance
  • Get an International Driving Permit

Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.

Sort these before you go

The two things worth having arranged before a sightseeing trip to Japan, compared on price.

Japan airport transfers

Klook

Private transfer

40k
60-90 min24/7Door-to-door
$120 AUD

Keisei Skyliner Popular

Fastest to Ueno and Nippori. Best if you're staying in north-east Tokyo.

41 minEvery 20 minDirect
$25 AUD

Narita Express (N'EX) Fastest

Reserved seating, luggage racks, direct to Tokyo, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Discounted round-trip ticket for foreign passport holders.

60-80 minEvery 30 minDirect
$28 AUD

Driving in Japan

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Car hire in Japan

Search by pick-up datePrices in AUDFree cancellation on many rates
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Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.

Sightseeing trip questions

Are the big landmarks worth the queue?

Some are, some are not, and the difference is usually timing rather than the place. Where a timed ticket exists the plan flags it, because the same sight at nine in the morning and at midday are different experiences.

How much sightseeing needs a car?

It depends on the destination, and the plan tells you which items sit outside the main city. If you are driving, check the International Driving Permit rules for the country first - several require one alongside your Australian licence.

Other ways to do Japan

Sightseeing trips in other countries

Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.

All sightseeing itineraries

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