International · Japan
Japan
Japan · sea level to 3,776 m (Mt Fuji)
From neon-lit Tokyo crossings to silent bamboo groves in Kyoto, Japan is the one destination that makes every Indian traveller feel they have arrived in the future and the ancient past simultaneously — all on one bullet-train ticket.
Japan delivers a sensory overload that is paradoxically calm — world-class food on every street corner, temples that predate the Mughal era, and the social discipline that makes a crowded city feel tranquil. Indian travellers consistently call it their single most surprising international holiday.
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Go in
In season, days sit around 19° and nights near 11°.
What you'll see & do
The sights worth the trip, and how to spend the days around them.
To see
- Tokyo (Shibuya Crossing, Senso-ji Asakusa, Shinjuku Gyoen)
- Kyoto (Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove)
- Osaka (Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market)
- Nara (Todai-ji, free-roaming deer park)
To do
- Shinkansen bullet-train journey Tokyo–Kyoto (2 hrs 15 min; buy 7-day JR Pass in India before travel)
- Overnight ryokan stay with kaiseki dinner and open-air onsen (best in Hakone or Kinosaki)
- Tea ceremony and kimono rental in Kyoto's Gion district
- Osaka street-food crawl — takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu along Dotonbori
Before you go
- Sakura (late Mar–mid Apr) and koyo (Nov) hotel inventory sells out 6–12 months in advance — never quote without confirming availability first.
- The eVisa (evisa.mofa.go.jp) is single-entry only; clients needing multiple-entry must use the VFS paper route and demonstrate prior travel to Japan or G7 countries — multiple-entry is rarely issued on a first application, and any document gap causes rejection. Apply at least 2–3 weeks before departure.
- Cash is essential: many ramen shops, rural ryokan, and smaller Kyoto restaurants are cash-only — advise clients to carry ¥30,000–50,000 (≈₹16,000–27,000) alongside cards at all times.
Days, already shaped
3-day plan
- Day 1 — Tokyo: Senso-ji at dawn, Harajuku/Takeshita Street, Shibuya crossing at dusk, dinner in Shinjuku Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho)
- Day 2 — Tokyo: Akihabara electronics/anime district, teamLab digital art (pre-book), Tokyo Skytree, Tsukiji outer market breakfast
- Day 3 — Day trip Kamakura: Giant Daibutsu bronze Buddha, Hase-dera gardens, coastal Enoshima, return Tokyo evening
5-day plan
- Day 1 — Tokyo arrive: Shinjuku check-in, Meiji Shrine walk, Shibuya crossing and Scramble Square rooftop
- Day 2 — Tokyo + transfer: Senso-ji, Akihabara, afternoon Shinkansen to Kyoto (2 hrs 15 min), Gion evening stroll
- Day 3 — Kyoto: Fushimi Inari sunrise hike, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Arashiyama bamboo grove and monkey park
- Day 4 — Nara + Osaka: Todai-ji and deer park (45 min from Kyoto), transfer Osaka, Dotonbori street food and Kuromon Market
- Day 5 — Osaka: Osaka Castle, Shinsekai retro district, depart KIX (30 min from city)
7-day plan
- Day 1 — Tokyo: Arrive Narita/Haneda, Shinjuku hotel, Omoide Yokocho ramen dinner
- Day 2 — Tokyo: Senso-ji + Nakamise shopping, teamLab Planets (pre-book), Shibuya crossing at night
- Day 3 — Hakone: Odakyu Romance Car from Shinjuku, Owakudani volcanic valley, Mt Fuji views, ryokan overnight with onsen
- Day 4 — Hakone to Kyoto: Shinkansen via Odawara, arrive Kyoto noon, Fushimi Inari late-afternoon, Gion lantern walk
- Day 5 — Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama bamboo and Tenryu-ji garden, Nishiki Market for pickles and dashi
- Day 6 — Nara + Osaka: Todai-ji and deer at dawn, transfer Osaka by 1 pm, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori food crawl
- Day 7 — Osaka depart: Kuromon Market breakfast, duty-free Shinsaibashi, depart KIX or Shinkansen back to Tokyo for NRT
Getting there, permits & day trips
By air — Delhi–Tokyo Narita: ~9.5 hrs direct (Air India, ANA, JAL); Mumbai–Tokyo: ~10 hrs direct; Delhi–Osaka KIX: ~10 hrs via 1 stop (Emirates/Cathay). Economy fares: ₹38,000–72,000 return depending on season and lead time; shoulder April/October books 3–4 months out.
By rail — No rail link from India to Japan. Within Japan: 7-day JR Pass ≈ ¥50,000 (~₹27,000) covers all Shinkansen and most JR lines — must be purchased in India before travel via authorised agents (Japan Rail Pass official site or MakeMyTrip Japan Rail).
By road — Not applicable India–Japan. Within Japan: rental car viable for Hokkaido or rural Kyushu; international driving permit (IDP) issued in India is accepted; expressway tolls add ¥1,000–3,000 per inter-city leg.
On a Driftibo trip we handle the transfers.
Permits & entry — Indian passport holders must obtain a Japanese tourist (short-stay) visa before travel — no visa-on-arrival exists. Two application routes are available: the Japan eVisa portal (evisa.mofa.go.jp), operational for Indians since September 2025, is fully online with no embassy or VFS visit required but issues single-entry visas only; the VFS Global paper route (centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Puducherry, and others) supports single and multiple-entry, though multiple-entry is rarely granted on a first application and requires demonstrated prior travel to Japan or G7 countries — walk-in submissions at major VFS centres were discontinued from early 2026, so a pre-booked appointment is required. Processing is 3–5 working days via eVisa and 5–10 working days via VFS; standard documents are confirmed hotel bookings, return flights, and a 3-month bank statement. The JR Pass must be purchased online before arrival — in-Japan counter sales were discontinued in October 2023. Mt Fuji entry is ¥4,000 (≈₹2,200) per climber across all four trails; the Yoshida and Subashiri trails are open July 1–September 10, and the Fujinomiya and Gotemba trails are open July 10–September 10 — all trails are officially closed in June. The Yoshida Trail has a daily cap of 4,000 climbers, a gate closure from 2:00 PM to 3:00 AM, and mandatory online pre-registration and fee payment before arriving at the trailhead; no inner-line permits are required for standard itineraries.
Day trips nearby
- Nikko from Tokyo (2 hrs by Shinkansen + local; Tosho-gu shrine, Kegon Falls, ornate Edo-era carvings)
- Kamakura from Tokyo (1 hr by JR Yokosuka Line; giant Daibutsu, Hase-dera, coastal scenery)
- Hiroshima + Miyajima from Osaka (45 min Shinkansen; Peace Memorial Museum, floating O-torii gate at high tide)
- Nara from Kyoto or Osaka (45 min by Kintetsu; Todai-ji, free-roaming sika deer, Kasuga Taisha lantern shrine)
Seasons and access shift — we reconfirm every detail before we quote.