Klook
Private transfer
40k$120 AUD
Japan sightseeing on a budget
Doing Japan on a budget means the cheapest third of what is worth doing: Osaka Castle, Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option. Activities in this plan start from about $9.
Your 5-day sightseeing plan for Japan
Where you stayOsaka 3 nightsNagoya 2 nightsabout 140 km between them
5 days · packed · 10 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $221
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Day 1 Osaka
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morning
Osaka Castle
Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Dates from 1583. Important Cultural Property of Japan.
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afternoon
Kyoto: Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option
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evening
Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience (Provided by Oukakimono)
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evening
Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience (Optional Elegant Hairstyle/Japanese Makeup/Photography) (Ookini Kimono Rental Yasaka Shrine Gion Store)
Where to eat
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Lunch
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.
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Day 2 Osaka
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morning
Osaka Castle Park
Park. Dates from 1931. Special Historic Site.
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afternoon
Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art
Museum in Japan. Dates from 2002.
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evening
Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto
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evening
Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photo Shoot (Osaka Castle, Osaka Tenmangu Shrine) - Kimono Rental Misaki
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Day 3 Osaka
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morning
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Former imperial palace. Dates from 1337.
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afternoon
Kiyomizu-dera
Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Dates from 778. National Treasure of Japan.
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evening
Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Historical Buddhist temple located in Osaka, Japan. Dates from 1496.
Just turn up -
evening
Kyoto Kimono Rental - Traditional Kimono Experience & Japanese Makeup & Photography Service (Provided by Okimono-ya Kiyomizu Store)
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Day 4 Nagoya
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Travel day
Osaka to Nagoya
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.
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afternoon
Nagoya Castle
Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. Dates from 1532. Important Cultural Property of Japan.
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evening
VASARA Kimono and Yukata Rental in Nagoya
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eveningalso worth doing
Tea Ceremony Experience (Nagoya)
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Day 5 Nagoya
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morning
Toyota Automobile Museum
Science museum in Aichi, Japan. Dates from 1989.
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afternoon
Nagoya Mosque
Mosque in Japan. Dates from 1998.
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eveningalso worth doing
Maid Cafe & Dining Experience: Maidreamin HYPER (Nagoya)
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eveningalso worth doing
Maid cafe experience at Maidreamin (Nagoya)
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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.
Passport
Check your passport covers the whole trip with room to spare. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
21 things to sort for Japan, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- 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
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Keisei Skyliner Popular
Fastest to Ueno and Nippori. Best if you're staying in north-east Tokyo.
$25 AUD
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Narita Express (N'EX) Fastest
Reserved seating, luggage racks, direct to Tokyo, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Discounted round-trip ticket for foreign passport holders.
$28 AUD
Driving in Japan
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Car hire in Japan
Search live prices
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.
Budget sightseeing questions
What counts as budget here?
The lowest-priced third of everything worth doing in that country, measured against that country's own prices rather than a fixed dollar figure. A budget day in Norway and a budget day in Vietnam are not the same number, and pretending otherwise would just describe the exchange rate.
Does a cheaper plan mean a worse one?
No, and the ordering is the same either way: everything is ranked on its review score first, so a budget plan is the best-reviewed cheap things rather than the cheapest things. Flights and accommodation are not included in any of these figures.
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
Japan wellness itinerary
Hot springs and spa days, but also gyms, yoga, hiking and open water. Rest and movement, not one or the other.
Japan food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Japan highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
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.
🇮🇩 Indonesia sightseeing itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇹🇭 Thailand sightseeing itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.
🇻🇳 Vietnam sightseeing itinerary
E-visa required - and Australians legally can't drive here.
🇵🇭 Philippines sightseeing itinerary
Visa-free for 30 days, with a compulsory eTravel registration.