7 days in Central Japan itinerary! Tokyo to Central Japan to Kyoto

Kon’nichiwa!

Below is a plan that will take you from Tokyo to Central Japan to Kyoto in 7 days, using a combination of bus and train. Consider it the slow way to get between Tokyo and Kyoto!

This Central Japan itinerary has overnight stays in the cities of Matsumoto, Takayama, and Kanazawa.

This gives you the chance to explore traditional Japanese streets, preserved old town historical districts, former samurai homes, and even a castle.

It also allows for day trips to rural Japan, like Kamikochi for mountain views of the Japanese Alps, as well as the iconic UNESCO world heritage site of Shirakawago that’s known for its picturesque mountain village setting.

I’ll show you how to experience the highlights of Central Japan’s historic towns, rural villages, and mountain scenery by bus and train!

 

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Day 1 begins when you are ready to leave Tokyo, and day 7 is arrival in Kyoto. This route takes you from Tokyo to Kyoto in 7 days through Central Japan by train and bus with overnight stops in 3 cities along the way. You can also just as easily go straight back to Tokyo at the end instead of Kyoto. 3 overnight stays means 2 nights in each city. So while you are moving along pretty frequently, it’s still enough time to feel like you’re experiencing multiple towns without rushing through them.

For reference, to go direct from Tokyo to Kyoto is 2 hours 15 minutes by shinkansen bullet train!

 

👆 Google maps makes it easy to plan out your train routes from Tokyo to Central Japan! It will also give you an estimated cost of the train. When using google maps to plan your route, adjust the departure time to get a better idea.

 

Let’s go!

 

 

JAPAN TRAVEL > CENTRAL JAPAN MAP | TOKYO MAP | KYOTO MAP | NEW GOLDEN ROUTE MAP

 

 

Shinjuku Station in Tokyo to Matsumoto Station JR Azusa limited express train time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Shinjuku to Matsumoto bus time: 3.5 hours

Overnight in Matsumoto (2 nights)

 

👆 How to get from Tokyo to Matsumoto: You’ll leave from Shinjuku Station by train or bus to go direct to Matsumoto (map). Train: You can buy limited express train tickets at the train station. An IC card alone (like suica or pasmo for local trains) won’t be enough to pay for limited express trains, so buying a train ticket for the route is the easiest, instead of using an IC card to pay in part. Bus: In general, while it may be possible to buy long distance (“highway”) bus tickets on-site, it’s best to buy in advance to guarantee a seat. Highway buses have a separate luggage compartment below the bus for suitcases.

 

Leave Tokyo early enough that you have time to do all the top Matsumoto things on your day of arrival, which you can do in a few hours. Matsumoto is best known for Matsumoto Castle. You can leave your luggage in the Matsumoto Station coin lockers and start exploring Matsumoto on foot!

From Matsumoto Station, you can walk to Nawate Street, also known as Frog Street, which has small shops and fun frog-themed things. Then continue on to Nakamachi Street, known for its old buildings, food spots, and local craft shops. After that, you can keep walking to Matsumoto Castle, which is surrounded by a moat.

It’s reasonable to walk around Matsumoto on your own, but to get a better appreciation of the histiory of the castle town and one of Japan’s original castle, you can do a guided Matsumoto walking tour that includes learning about the city and Mastumoto Castle.
Read the reviews on getyourguide or viator.

For a fun Japanese historical and cultural experience, you can dress up as a samurai, with a complete outfit and sword!

 

👆 You can visit a castle in Central Japan. You can walk from Matsumoto Station to Matsumoto Castle.

 

👆 You can make the frog street part of your walking route from Matsumoto Station.

 

Cost of tickets:

• Shinjuku Station to Matsumoto Station JR Azusa limited express train: 6700 yen (US$45)
• Shinjuku to Matsumoto bus: 4500 yen ($30)
  • Alpico bus tickets
  • Willer bus tickets

 

 

Matsumoto Station to Kamikochi: 2 hours by direct bus, or train + bus combo

Overnight in Matsumoto

 

Along with seeing a castle in Japan, one of the big reasons to go to Matsumoto is as a base for the Japanese Alps. Kamikochi is one of the most popular summer mountain towns in the Japanese Alps, and it’s common to make it a day trip to Kamikochi from Matsumoto.

Kamikochi is actually completely closed during the winter, and its season is from April 17 to November 15.

There is a direct bus from Matsumoto to Kamikochi, and there is also a train and bus combo will offer you more flexibility in morning departure times. You can take the train from Matsumoto Station to Shinshimashima Station. Then take a bus from Shinshimashima Station to Kamikochi. (map)

Once you arrive in Kamikochi by bus, you’ll start at Kamikochi Bus Terminal, which is right in the center of the main walking area. From there, it’s easy to explore on your own. Start by walking a few minutes to Kappa Bridge, the most famous spot in Kamikochi, where you will get classic views of the river and mountains. After that, you can do some walking trails to take in more nature in the Japanese Alps.

You can go to Kamikochi on your own by direct bus or a train and bus combo (buy bus tickets in advance), or you can do it as an organized Kamikochi day trip tour from Matsumoto.

 

👆 Once you get off the bus, it’s an easy walk to iconic views of the Japanese Alps in Central Japan!

 

Check Matsumoto day trip tour prices and GREAT reviews

• Matsumoto to Kamikochi day trip
• Matsumoto to Ancient Nakasendo Trail day trip

 

Cost of bus tickets (one-way)

• Matsumoto to Kamikochi bus: 4500 yen ($30)
  • Alpico bus tickets

 

Matsumoto Station to Takayama bus time: 2.5 hours

Overnight in Takayama (2 nights)

 

From Matsumoto, you can go to Takayama by bus (map). Takayama will give you traditional Japanese town vibes when you walk through the iconic well-preserved old streets. It also makes for a good place to experience Japanese culture through sake tastings at local breweries, with Takayama being known for its sake. In the evening, get to know the Sanmachi historical district with a local guide by eating local food and drinks while getting a better appreciation for the history of Takayama and the traditional architecture that you’re seeing.

 

👆 There are sake shops along the traditional streets of Takayama, where you can  sample local sake in Central Japan!

 

👆 You can spend a couple of hours walking the historical area of Takayama.

 

Cost of bus tickets

• Matsumoto to Takayama bus ticket: 4400 yen ($30)
  • Nohi bus tickets
  • Alpico bus tickets

 

 

Instead of Takayama: More of Central Japan to/from Matsumoto

• Matsumoto to Nagano Station: 1 hour by limited express train
  • Iconic Nagano day trips in winter are the snow monkey park and skiing or snowboarding in the Japanese Alps! You can book a Nagano ski or snowboard rental package that includes transportation to well-known ski resorts like Hakuba or Nozawa Onsen, with an optional add-on of lessons. In the spring, you can do a day trip to the iconic Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine route to see a wall of snow. From Nagano, you can take a 1.5 hour shinkansen bullet train to Kanazawa.
• Nagoya Station to Matsumoto: 2 hours 10 minutes by limited express train
  • Nagoya is a big city with a shinkansen bullet train station that is a gateway to Central Japan from the Kyoto side. Nagoya to Kyoto is 35 minutes by shinkansen bullet train. You can start your Central Japan itinerary from Nagoya instead of Tokyo/Matsumoto… or end it by going from Matsumoto to Nagoya, and then onwards. Between Matsumoto and Nagoya is the Nakasendo Trail. You can go by train to stop by one of the ancient towns like Narai. (This also can be done as a day trip from Matsumoto.)

 

Takayama Station to Shirakawago bus time:

Overnight in Takayama

 

One of the most popular day trips from Takayama is a visit to Shirakawago. (This is also one of the big reasons to got to Takayama!)

Shirakawago is a UNESCO world heritage site that’s known for the iconic gassho-style thatched-roof houses. You can see the town from an overlook to get the iconic view of a group of thatched-roof houses from above, and then you can go and walk along the streets to see them up close. It’s also possible walk inside the houses to see what traditional living was like. The most famous of these house is the Wada House.

You can go to Shirakawago on your own by bus, or you can do it as an organized Shirakawago day trip tour from Takayama.

 

👆 One of the most popular day trips in Central Japan is the rural village of Shirakawago.

 

👆 You can walk the streets of Shirakawago, and there are some old homes that you can walk inside too.

 

👆 For a winter day trip from Takayama, the Shinhotaka Ropeway can give you amazing views of the Japanese Alps if the weather is good!

 

Check Takayama day trip tour prices and GREAT reviews

• Takayama to Shirakawago day trip
• Takayama to Kamikochi day trip
• Takayama to Shinhotaka ropeway day trip

 

Cost of bus tickets (one-way)

• Takayama to Shirakawago bus ticket: 2800 yen ($20)
  • Nohi bus tickets

 

Tokyo to Takayama

You can also start your Central Japan itinerary in Takayama by skipping Matsumoto. In this case, the most comfortable and quickest way to get there takes around 4 to 4.5 hours by train, with a transfer. You’ll first take a shinkansen bullet train to Toyama Station or Nagoya Station, and then a limited express train the rest of the way to Takayama Station.

 

Takayama to Kanazawa bus time: 2.5 hours
Takayama to Toyama JR Hida limited express train to Kanazawa shinkansen bullet train time: 2 hours

Overnight in Kanazawa (2 nights)

 

👆 Takayama to Kanazawa route: There’s a direct bus, or you can go by train with a transfer required.

 

Leave Takayama early, and it will be like you have 2 days in Kanazawa to be able to do lots of things!

The city of Kanazawa is known for its well-preserved historical districts and traditional culture. You can spend a few hours walking through the Higashi Chaya District (traditional streets) and visit Kenrokuen Garden (classic Japanese gardens). At the garden, you can also do a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

As a coastal city, Kanazawa is known for its seafood. And for that, you can visit the Omicho Market.

 

👆 You can walk traditional streets in Kanazawa.

 

👆 You can have a matcha experience in Central Japan at the Kenrokuen Garden teahouse of Kanazawa. You can go on your own and simply order the matcha, or you can have an enhanced cultural experience by doing a matcha tea ceremony!

 

Cost of tickets

• Takayama to Kanazawa bus ticket: 4200 yen ($30)
  • Nohi bus tickets

 

 

No overnight stop in Takayama, but still experience Takayama and Shirakawago

• Skip overnights in Takayama and extend your stay in Kanazawa. You can do a day trip from Kanazawa to both in one day: Organized tour from Kanazawa to Takayama and Shirakawago
• Matsumoto to Kanazawa Station: 2.5 hours by train, with a transfer necessary at Nagano Station. This also means an alternative route can be: Matsumoto > Nagano > Kanazawa.

 

Overnight in Kanazawa

 

With a full day in Kanazawa, you can use it to rest up at your onsen hotel, and/or experience more of traditional Japan!

Get a glimpse into what ninja life was like by going to the Myouryuji Temple (aka ninja temple) and the Ninja Weapons museum.

At the ninja temple in Kanazawa, you can see traps, hidden rooms, and deceptive staircases designed to trick invaders. The entry fee comes with a guided tour (the only way to walk inside). While the tour is in Japanese, there is also an English booklet that you can follow along. You’ll be shown around to see how different features worked as a form of trickery!

At the ninja weapons museum, you can see the actual weapons that were used during the time ninjas were active in Japan to get a sense for the brutal ways ninja tools were used against the enemy. Aside from the weapons and outfit displays, there’s also a fun interactive area where you can throw ninja stars like darts!

 

For a ninja experience as a day trip from Tokyo, you can head to Odawara Castle for “ninja training“! There is a netflix show called House of Ninjas that features Odawara.

 

Kanazawa is also known for gold… or more precisely gold leaf. You’ll find gold-themed things all around the city. You can even eat literal gold ice cream at the Hakuichi shop near Kenrokuen Garden or Kanazawa Station!

For another gold-themed activity, you can learn from a former gold leaf art instructor who is on a personal mission after her grandfather’s traditional Japanese pottery was broken during the big earthquake that happened north of Kanazawa in 2024. Read the kintsugi class “overview”!

 

👆 You can also walk around and explore the samurai district of Kanazawa and even walk inside former samurai homes.

 

👆 Kanazawa is known for crab in the winter. This is crab that was served at the restaurant of Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku.

 

The best one day Kanazawa tour includes the Nagamachi Samurai District, Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en Garden, and Higashi-chaya tea district! Read the tour reviews at getyourguide or viator.

 

Kanazawa Station to Tsuruga Station shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto Station JR Thunderbird limited express train time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Overnight in Kyoto (2-3 nights)

 

👆 Kanazawa to Kyoto train route: To get from Kanazawa Station to Kyoto Station, take the shinkansen bullet train from Kanazawa to Tsuruga, and then transfer to the JR Thunderbird limited express train from Tsuruga to Kyoto. (map)

 

👆 Kanazawa to Tokyo train route: To get from Kanazawa Station to Tokyo Station, there’s a direct shinkansen bullet train! (map)

 

Cost of train tickets

• Kanazawa Station to Kyoto Station shinaksen bullet train and JR thunderbird limited express train: 7700 yen ($50)
• Kanazawa Station to Tokyo Station shinkansen bullet train: 14,400 yen ($95)

 

👆 Get more route ideas using the Central Japan map.

 

Here are common Central Japan routes that you can do, based on your time and interests:

• Tokyo > Matsumoto > Takayama > Kanazawa > Kyoto
• Tokyo > Takayama > Kanazawa > Kyoto
• Tokyo > Nagoya > Takayama > Kanazawa > Kyoto
• Tokyo > Nagoya (for Nakasendo Trail day trip) > Kyoto
• Tokyo > Matsumoto > Nagano > Kanazawa > Kyoto
• Keep it simple: Tokyo > Kanazawa > Kyoto (and be sure to do a day trip to Shirakawago from Kanazawa!)

 

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