Japan Autumn Itinerary: 10 Days of Fall Foliage
Chase koyo from the mountains down to the city temples: Nikko's shrines in red and gold, Fuji framed by Hakone's maples, Kyoto's temple gardens at their late-November peak, and the Minoo waterfall valley near Osaka. Best started between about November 12 and 18.
This 10-day route chases autumn color the opposite way cherry blossoms travel, from the mountains down to the lowland temples. It opens in Tokyo with a day trip to Nikko, whose shrines and gorges turn from late October to mid November, then drops to Hakone for Mt Fuji framed by early to mid November maples, and finishes in Kyoto and Osaka, where the temple gardens and the Minoo gorge turn last, from late November.
Koyo runs later the lower and further south you go. The stops are ordered so a trip started between about November 12 and 18 meets each one near its best: Nikko town and Hakone first, Kyoto and Osaka last. 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
Monday • November 9, 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 trains and buses and pays at konbini across Tokyo
☀️Afternoon
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
An easy first stop near the hotel. Entry is ¥500; from October the garden closes at 4:30 PM with last entry at 4, and it shuts on Mondays except during the chrysanthemum exhibition, November 1 to 15. Its maples and ginkgo avenue usually peak in late November or early December, so expect first color rather than the full show
On Japan's famous lists nearby
Day 2
Tuesday • November 10, 2026
🍽️Meals & Dining(1)
Yuba lunch in Nikko
Nikko's specialty is yuba, the delicate skin lifted from heated soy milk, served in rolls, in soup, or over rice along the main street down to the station
🎯Activities(4)
🌅Morning
Limited express from Shinjuku to Nikko
On weekdays the Nikko limited express leaves Shinjuku at 8:03 and runs straight to Tobu-Nikko by 10:01 (¥4,140 with the reserved seat; book ahead). For an earlier start, Tobu's Spacia X leaves Asakusa at 7:50 and arrives at 9:39 (¥3,340). The JR Pass covers only the JR part of the Shinjuku train; the route it covers in full is the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and the JR Nikko Line, 7:40 from Tokyo Station to JR Nikko at 9:28
Shinkyo Bridge and Toshogu Shrine
The vermilion bridge over the Daiya River marks the entrance to the shrine area, about 20 minutes on foot or a short bus ride from the station. Toshogu, the gilded shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, costs ¥1,600 and closes at 4 PM from November (last entry 3:30)
☀️Afternoon
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
A riverside path through a gorge cut in lava from Mt Nantai, lined with about 70 moss-covered stone Jizo in red caps, the Bake Jizo that are said never to count the same twice. Free, about 20 minutes on foot west of Shinkyo Bridge
🌆Evening
Direct train back to Shinjuku
The Spacia Nikko leaves Tobu-Nikko at 16:38 and runs straight to Shinjuku by 18:35 (¥4,140). With a JR Pass, go back the way you came, via Utsunomiya
On Japan's famous lists nearby
Day 3
Wednesday • November 11, 2026
3 activities
Day 4
Thursday • November 12, 2026
4 activities
Day 5
Friday • November 13, 2026
4 activities
Day 6
Saturday • November 14, 2026
5 activities
Day 7
Sunday • November 15, 2026
5 activities
Day 8
Monday • November 16, 2026
4 activities
Day 9
Tuesday • November 17, 2026
5 activities
Day 10
Wednesday • November 18, 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, and Nikko town around Toshogu from late October to mid November. Hakone and the Fuji Five Lakes follow in early to mid November. The lowland cities come last: Osaka from mid to late November, Kyoto and Tokyo's gardens from about November 20 into early December.
Will I catch the colors, and how do I time this trip?
Start the trip between about November 12 and 18. That puts the Nikko day near the end of the town's color, Hakone in its mid-November window, and the Kyoto and Osaka days from about November 16 to 26, as the city gardens reach their peak. Start on the 16th or later if you want both Kyoto night viewings: in 2026 Eikando's runs from November 20 and Kiyomizu-dera's from November 21. If you can only travel in late October, swap the Nikko day for the bus up the Irohazaka to Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, which peak then. Japanese weather services publish koyo forecasts from September, and our foliage tracker follows them.
What are the best autumn foliage spots on this itinerary?
The headline stops are Toshogu, the Shinkyo Bridge, and the Kanmangafuchi Abyss in 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, Eikando and Kiyomizu-dera open at night in late November (from November 20 and 21 in 2026), 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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