Japan Autumn Itinerary: 10 Days of Fall Foliage
Chase koyo from the high country down to the city temples: Oku-Nikko's maples, Fuji framed in red at Hakone, Kyoto's late-November peak, and the Minoo waterfall valley near Osaka. Best mid-October to early December.
This 10-day route chases autumn color the opposite way cherry blossoms travel, from the high country down to the lowland temples. It opens in Tokyo with a day trip up to Oku-Nikko, where the maples around Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji turn in mid October, then drops to Hakone for Mt Fuji framed in early November red, and finishes in Kyoto and Osaka, whose temple gardens hit their deep late-November peak.
Koyo timing is everything, and it runs later the lower and further south you go, so a single trip in the second half of November can catch high Nikko past its best while Kyoto is at its finest. Open it in the free trip planner to set your dates, and if the yearly forecast shifts early or late you can slide days around without breaking the plan.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Trip Overview
10/10 days plannedDay 1
Saturday • September 19, 2026
🍽️Meals & Dining(1)
Dinner in Omoide Yokocho
Tiny yakitori stalls by Shinjuku Station's west exit. Smoky, cramped, and warm, the right way to end a long travel day
🎯Activities(2)
🌅Morning
Arrive at Narita/Haneda, get Suica card
Suica works on all trains, buses, and konbini payments. Autumn skies are usually clear and stable, so flights rarely see weather delays
☀️Afternoon
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
An easy first stop near the hotel. The momiji and the ginkgo avenue peak in late November; entry is 500 yen and the garden closes at 4 PM in autumn
Day 2
Sunday • September 20, 2026
🍽️Meals & Dining(1)
Return to Tokyo, dinner in Shinjuku
Buses down from Chuzenji connect to the limited express back. Keep the evening loose; it is a long day out
🎯Activities(3)
🌅Morning
JR Limited Express to Nikko
The JR-Tobu Nikko limited express runs direct from Shinjuku to Tobu-Nikko in about 2 hours. Reserve the earliest departure to make the most of the day up the mountain
☀️Afternoon
Irohazaka slope and Akechidaira Ropeway
The hairpin road up to Lake Chuzenji is walled in red and gold; the Akechidaira lookout takes in the whole valley. High Oku-Nikko peaks around mid to late October, weeks before the city
Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji
A 97-meter waterfall at the lake's outflow, framed by colored cliffs. An elevator drops to the base viewing platform for 570 yen
Day 3
Monday • September 21, 2026
4 activities
Day 4
Tuesday • September 22, 2026
4 activities
Day 5
Wednesday • September 23, 2026
3 activities
Day 6
Thursday • September 24, 2026
4 activities
Day 7
Friday • September 25, 2026
5 activities
Day 8
Saturday • September 26, 2026
4 activities
Day 9
Sunday • September 27, 2026
5 activities
Day 10
Monday • September 28, 2026
1 activity
Use This Itinerary
Open this itinerary in our free trip planner to change dates, add activities, find hotels, and make it yours. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the autumn foliage peak in Japan?
Koyo moves from north to south and from the high mountains down to the cities, the reverse of the cherry blossom front. In Oku-Nikko and other high areas the maples peak in mid to late October. Hakone and the Fuji Five Lakes follow in early to mid November. Kyoto, Osaka, and the rest of the lowland cities come last, usually from around November 20 into early December.
Will I catch the colors, and how do I time this trip?
The safest single window for this route is roughly November 15 to 30. By then Kyoto and Osaka are at or near their peak, Hakone is still colorful, and lower Nikko around Toshogu is turning even if the high Oku-Nikko maples are already past. Japanese weather sites publish koyo forecasts from September, so watch those for your year and keep the free planner handy to shuffle days if the season runs early or late.
What are the best autumn foliage spots on this itinerary?
The headline stops are Kegon Falls and the Irohazaka slope in Oku-Nikko, the Hakone ropeway over Owakudani and Lake Ashi, and in Kyoto the maple ravine at Tofuku-ji, the temple gardens of Eikando and Nanzen-ji, and the Arashiyama hills. For evening color, Kiyomizu-dera and Eikando run night illuminations in late November, and just outside Osaka the Minoo waterfall valley pairs a red gorge with fried maple leaf tempura.
Is autumn or spring better for visiting Japan?
Both are the country at its most beautiful, and both draw crowds and higher prices. Autumn is more forgiving to plan around: the color holds for weeks and creeps south over more than a month, while cherry blossoms can come and go in under ten days. Spring has the softer pink and the festival mood; autumn has clearer skies, comfortable walking weather, and deeper reds. This route is the autumn mirror of our cherry blossom itinerary.
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