Activities in Japan for your itinerary

Filter by city, type of experience and price range to find what fits your trip.

From free temples and legendary neighbourhoods to food tours, viewpoints and day experiences. We bring together the things to see and do in the main cities of Japan — Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and more — with their city, type and indicative price, so you can build your trip without getting lost among a thousand tabs.

Lake Ashi cruise with views of Mount Fuji
Lake Ashi cruise with views of Mount Fuji
Hakone · Nature, Viewpoints · A 30-min pirate-ship crossing of the volcanic lake with views of Mount Fuji on clear days; ticket ~1.200 ¥.
1.700 ¥
Ninja and samurai experience at Odawara Castle
Ninja and samurai experience at Odawara Castle
Hakone · Tradition, Workshops · Guided ninja and samurai experience in Odawara, the gateway to Hakone, with an expert and a bilingual guide; from around 3.000 ¥.
2.500 - 4.999 JPY
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun (hot-spring theme park)
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun (hot-spring theme park)
Hakone · Onsen, Theme parks · Hot-spring theme park in Hakone with baths as curious as wine, green tea or coffee, plus a traditional onsen; from around 2.500 ¥.
2.500 - 4.999 JPY
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Hakone · Museums, Nature · Japan's largest open-air sculpture museum with works by Picasso, Rodin and Maillol in a natural park; admission 1.600 ¥.
2.000 ¥
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
Hakone · Museums · Japan's first museum dedicated to Venetian glass, with a garden of crystal sculptures that sparkle in the sun in the Hakone forest; admission around 1.800 ¥.
1.800 ¥
Hakone Shrine (floating torii on Lake Ashi)
Hakone Shrine (floating torii on Lake Ashi)
Hakone · Nature, Temples & castles · Shinto shrine with the wooden torii rising from the lake, framed by the park's cedar forest; free access.
Free
Komagatake ropeway (Hakone)
Komagatake ropeway (Hakone)
Hakone · Nature, Viewpoints · Ropeway up Mount Komagatake from Lake Ashi with views of Mount Fuji and the Izu islands; round-trip ticket around 1.800 ¥.
1.800 ¥
Hakone Tozan rack railway (the only one in Japan)
Hakone Tozan rack railway (the only one in Japan)
Hakone · Nature, Viewpoints · Japan's only rack railway climbs from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora with three zigzag switchbacks through the forest; ~730 ¥ per leg.
1 - 1.499 JPY
Gotemba Premium Outlets (international brands with Fuji as a backdrop)
Hakone · Shopping, Viewpoints · 210 luxury and international-brand shops with Mount Fuji as a backdrop; reached by bus from Hakone-Yumoto or Shinjuku; free access.
Free
Hakone Sekisho (Edo-period checkpoint)
Hakone · Museums, Tradition · Replica of the famous 17th-century Tokaido checkpoint, with a museum of historic documents beside Lake Ashi; admission 500 ¥.
500 ¥

How to choose your activities in Japan

Do not try to see everything. A typical two-week trip allows you to combine the essentials of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with one or two day trips (Nara, Hakone, Miyajima). Mix registers: a morning of temples, an afternoon of neighbourhood and food, and leave gaps to improvise. Filter by city to see what fits each stop and by price if you want to balance free and paid.

Many of the best experiences — strolling Fushimi Inari at dawn, getting lost in Shinjuku at night, Nishiki market — cost nothing. Save the budget for what really deserves it: a teamLab, a food tour or a timed-entry ticket. Once you are clear on your favourites, put them into a route with real costs from the planner.

Ready to turn your list into a route? The planner distributes the nights by city and calculates the costs of your trip.
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Frequently asked questions

How much do activities in Japan cost?

There is everything. Many of the great must-dos are free: temples and shrines such as Fushimi Inari, parks, neighbourhoods such as Akihabara or the Arashiyama bamboo grove. Paid activities usually run between 500 and 3,000 ¥ (a museum, a viewpoint, a ticket), and premium experiences (teamLab, theme parks, guided tours) exceed 5,000 ¥. On each card you will see the price when we have it confirmed.

Do I need to book activities in advance?

Most do not: you enter temples, parks and neighbourhoods directly. It is worth booking days or weeks ahead for the ones with limited capacity — teamLab, the Ghibli Museum, some tours and workshops — especially in high season (sakura in spring and momiji in autumn). When an activity allows online booking, you will find the Book button on its card.

Do I need the JR Pass to reach the activities?

It depends on your route. The JR Pass is worth it if you are going to make several long journeys between cities (Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima); for getting around within a single city, almost never. You can check it with our JR Pass calculator or read the JR Pass guide.

Can I add these activities to an itinerary?

Yes. Our trip planner distributes the nights between cities according to your budget and pace, and suggests activities per day with their estimated costs. It is the fastest way to go from "I want to see this" to a complete route with real numbers.