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Day Trips

Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura, Nara, Himeji. Which day trips earn the travel day out of your trip — and which quietly cost you the city you flew for.

The decisions a day trip is knotted to — decided in order

This page settles one of three. Here they are in the order they actually bind — the exceptions are what the decision manual works through in full.

1
How many day trips the route can actually hold
2
Whether the JR Pass pays for itself
Whether the pass pays is not a fact about the pass — it is a fact about how many cities you chose, usually decided after buying it.
3
Which transit card to load before you land
Which card loads decides whether you need a physical one, which decides whether you need cash on arrival — a separate problem the pass decision does not solve.

7 guides

Hakone is the classic mountain escape from Tokyo — onsen, Mt Fuji views, and a scenic loop of railways and boats. Here's how to do it.

Nara is the easiest, most charming day trip from Kyoto or Osaka — free-roaming deer, a giant bronze Buddha, and ancient temples. Here's how to visit.

Nikko offers spectacular UNESCO shrines among cedar forests and mountain scenery, a rewarding day trip north of Tokyo. Here's how to visit.

Kamakura is an easy, relaxed coastal day trip from Tokyo, famous for its open-air Great Buddha, temples, and beaches. Here's how to visit.

Himeji Castle is Japan's finest original castle, an easy Shinkansen trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Here's what to see and how to plan your visit.

Friendly deer, a food-lover's city, and Japan's finest castle are all a short train ride from Kyoto. Here are the best day trips for first-timers.

Tokyo's rail network puts mountains, temples, and a giant Buddha within easy reach. Here are the three best day trips for first-time visitors.