5-Day Mini Golden Route: Tokyo + Kyoto

Overview

Mini Golden Route in 5 days: 2 Tokyo + 2 Kyoto + 1 day-trip. Japan's most popular combo.

• Hotel base: 2 Tokyo + 2 Kyoto
• Transit: Hikari shinkansen Tokyo→Kyoto 2h15, ¥13,640 (or 7-day JR Pass ¥50,000)
• Budget: ¥178,000/person

Day 1 — Tokyo arrival + Asakusa

• Sensoji + Skytree + Akihabara

Day 2 — Modern Tokyo

• Shibuya + Harajuku + Shinjuku Kabukicho

Day 3 — Shinkansen + Kyoto Higashiyama

• AM Hikari shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto 2h15
• PM: Yasaka Pagoda + Kiyomizu + Pontocho dinner

Day 4 — Arashiyama + Fushimi

• AM Sagano bamboo + Tenryu-ji
• PM Fushimi Inari (3–4h)

Day 5 — Day-trip Nara or Osaka

• Option A: Full-day Nara deer
• Option B: Osaka Castle + Dotonbori
• PM shinkansen back to Tokyo / fly out from Kansai

Hotels

• Tokyo: APA Shinjuku ¥10,000
• Kyoto: Citadines Karasuma-Gojo ¥11,000

JR Pass cost analysis

• Singles: round-trip shinkansen ¥27,280
• 7-day JR Pass: ¥50,000 → does NOT pay off
• → Buy single shinkansen tickets, save ¥22,000

Tip

Book shinkansen early on smartEX or at the JR counter in Tokyo Station (3 days ahead is fine).