At a glanceA route that follows the fall color as it moves south and downhill: one night in Tokyo, three around Nikko's shrines and Lake Chuzenji, two in a Hakone ryokan with a private hot spring bath, then five in Kyoto as its maples peak. It suits couples who love gardens, food and hot springs. Start in early November for the best timing.
Autumn in Japan rivals cherry blossom season. On a honeymoon it can be even better. The weather is crisp and dry, the light is soft and the maples turn red and gold from the mountains down to the city gardens over several weeks.
This route follows that color. After one night in Tokyo to land, you take the train north to Nikko, where the leaves turn first. Three nights let you see the gilded shrines of Toshogu in town and the lake, waterfalls and marshes of the plateau above.
Next comes Hakone, the hot spring area southwest of Tokyo, where two nights in a ryokan with a private outdoor bath give you the slowest, most intimate part of the trip.
The last five nights are in Kyoto, where the maples usually peak from mid-November into early December. You have time for temple gardens at dawn, evening illuminations, a tea ceremony and long kaiseki dinners in Gion. Starting the trip in early November catches Nikko's town, Hakone and Kyoto close to their best.
The route
- TokyoJapan · 1 nights
- NikkoJapan · 3 nights
- HakoneJapan · 2 nights
- KyotoJapan · 5 nights
- Best months
- Late October to late November
- Trip length
- 12 days
- Budget
- About $500–1,500 a night for two in ryokan and luxury hotels, with kaiseki dinners often included at ryokan (approximate)
Day by day
Day 1: Tokyo
Fly into Tokyo Haneda (HND), about 30 minutes from central Tokyo by train or taxi, or Narita (NRT), about an hour on the Narita Express. Stay one night somewhere with easy access to Asakusa, where the Nikko trains leave.
If you land with energy, walk to Senso-ji temple in Asakusa after dark, when the crowds have gone and the gates and pagoda are lit. Eat at a small izakaya, then sleep. Use a luggage-forwarding service at your hotel to send big bags ahead to Kyoto, so you travel light with a small bag for the next five nights.
Days 2–4: Nikko
Take the Tobu train from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko on day 2, about two hours on the limited express. Ride the bus up to Lake Chuzenji and check in. In early November, the color has usually moved down from the plateau to the lake and town.
On day 3, go early to Toshogu, the richly carved and gilded shrine of the first Tokugawa shogun, before the tour groups arrive. Cross to the red Shinkyo bridge, then walk the riverside path to Kanmangafuchi, where rows of moss-covered stone statues line the gorge under the maples. That quiet walk is the romantic moment of Nikko.
On day 4, see Kegon Falls from the viewing platform at its base, cruise Lake Chuzenji and walk the Senjogahama marsh boardwalk. Finish with a private hot spring bath at Yumoto or at your hotel. Travel midweek and use the bus, since the Irohazaka switchback road can jam on autumn weekends.
Days 5–6: Hakone
Day 5 is a travel day. Take the train back to Tokyo, then the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, about 85 minutes, or the shinkansen to Odawara, about 35 minutes. Allow about four hours in all. Check into your ryokan in time for a soak and dinner.
On day 6, do the Hakone loop. Ride the mountain railway and cable car, then the ropeway over the steaming volcanic valley of Owakudani. Cruise Lake Ashi and walk to the lakeside torii of Hakone Shrine. Late autumn brings the clearest views of Mount Fuji. Stop at the Hakone Open-Air Museum for sculptures set among the fall color.
This is your splurge night. A kaiseki dinner served in your room, followed by a soak in your private outdoor bath under the trees, is the romantic moment of Hakone.
Days 7–11: Kyoto
Take the shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto on day 7, about two to two and a half hours. Your forwarded bags will be waiting.
On day 8, go to Tofuku-ji at opening, when the Tsutenkyo bridge looks out over a valley of maples. In the evening, see the autumn illumination at Eikando, where lit maples reflect in the pond. Walking those glowing gardens at night is the romantic moment of Kyoto.
On day 9, walk the Arashiyama bamboo grove at dawn, then take the Hozu River boat down the gorge. On day 10, climb through the torii gates of Fushimi Inari early, then book a private tea ceremony in the afternoon and a kaiseki dinner in Gion.
Keep day 11 slow. Stroll the Philosopher's Path, sit in a moss garden or see Kiyomizu-dera's evening illumination over the city.
Day 12: Home from Kansai
Take the Haruka limited express from Kyoto Station to Kansai International (KIX), about 75 minutes, or the shinkansen back to Tokyo, about two hours and fifteen minutes, if you are flying home from Haneda or Narita. Send bags ahead the day before if you want to travel light.
Buy a last bento at Kyoto Station for the journey and leave a little time for the gift shops, which sell beautifully wrapped sweets.
Getting Between Stops
Asakusa to Nikko takes about two hours on Tobu trains. Tobu sells passes covering the train from Asakusa and local buses up to Lake Chuzenji, which saves money.
Nikko to Hakone means returning to Tokyo, then the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku or the shinkansen to Odawara. Allow about four hours. Hakone to Kyoto is about two to two and a half hours by shinkansen from Odawara.
Use Japan's luggage-forwarding service, called takkyubin, to send bags from Tokyo straight to Kyoto. It is cheap, reliable and makes small trains and ryokan far easier. In Kyoto, combine walking, buses and taxis. Taxis are worth the cost in peak foliage season, when buses are crowded.
Where to Stay
In Tokyo, Aman Tokyo is the calm splurge, high above Otemachi. For one night, a good hotel near Asakusa or Ueno also works well for the Nikko trains.
In Nikko, The Ritz-Carlton Nikko sits on the shore of Lake Chuzenji with lake-view rooms and hot spring baths. The Nikko Kanaya Hotel, open since the 1870s, is a characterful classic near the shrines.
In Hakone, Gora Kadan is the best-known ryokan, set in a former imperial family villa with rooms and suites that have private hot spring tubs. Book a room with a private outdoor bath wherever you stay.
In Kyoto, Hoshinoya Kyoto sits upriver from Arashiyama and is reached by wooden boat. Aman Kyoto lies in a forested garden in the north near Kinkaku-ji, with its own hot spring.
Advertisement
When to Go
Fall color moves from high ground to low and from north to south. On the Nikko plateau, it starts in early October and reaches the lake and town by late October to early November. Hakone peaks from late October through November. Kyoto usually peaks from mid-November into early December.
For this route, start around the first week of November. That timing catches Nikko's lower slopes, Hakone and the start of Kyoto's peak. Exact dates shift each year, so check Japanese foliage forecasts, which are published every autumn.
Weather in November is mostly dry and cool, with crisp mornings in Nikko and Hakone. Pack warm layers. Avoid national holidays and weekends at the busiest temples if you can.
Budget and Booking
Plan on roughly $500–1,500 a night for two at the hotels and ryokan named here. Top ryokan such as Gora Kadan usually include a multi-course kaiseki dinner and breakfast, which offsets part of the price. All figures are approximate.
Autumn is peak season, so book Kyoto and your Hakone ryokan many months ahead. Rooms with private outdoor baths go first.
Other costs include trains, Tobu and Hakone passes, luggage forwarding, temple fees, evening illuminations, a private tea ceremony, kaiseki dinners in Gion and a driver-guide for a day in Kyoto if you want one. Tipping is not expected in Japan.
Make It Shorter or Longer
For nine days, drop Nikko. Spend one night in Tokyo, two in Hakone and five in Kyoto, starting around mid-November.
With two weeks, add two nights at Koyasan, the mountain of temples south of Osaka, where you sleep in a temple lodging and join morning prayers. Or add a night at Kinosaki Onsen, a hot spring town where couples stroll between public baths in cotton robes.
Couples who want more city can add two nights in Tokyo at the start, for gardens such as Rikugien, which has its own autumn illumination. Keep Kyoto at the end, when its color is at its best.
Honeymoon Tips
Public hot spring baths in Japan are split by gender and bathed in nude, after a thorough wash. Some still refuse guests with tattoos. A room with a private bath, called a kashikiri or rotenburo room, lets the two of you bathe together and avoids both questions.
At ryokan, you wear the robes provided, leave shoes at the entrance and sit on the floor for dinner. Dinner times are fixed, so arrive on time.
Kyoto's famous foliage spots get very busy. Go at opening, stay late for illuminations and visit smaller temples in between.
Japan is very safe, with excellent trains late into the evening. Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
FAQPlanning this trip
When is the best time for an autumn honeymoon in Japan?
Late October to late November, depending on where you go. Nikko's color comes first, Hakone follows and Kyoto usually peaks from mid-November into early December. For this route, starting around the first week of November catches all three close to their best. Check Japanese foliage forecasts before booking.
Why stay in a ryokan in Hakone?
A ryokan is a traditional inn with tatami rooms, robes, a kaiseki dinner and hot spring baths. In Hakone, many rooms come with a private outdoor bath, so the two of you can soak together under the trees. It is the most intimate night of the trip.
Is Nikko worth the trip from Tokyo?
Yes, especially in autumn. It is about two hours by train and gives you the gilded Toshogu shrine, a mountain lake, waterfalls and some of the earliest fall color in central Japan. Three nights let you see the town and the plateau without rushing.
How do we handle luggage on Japanese trains?
Use takkyubin, Japan's luggage-forwarding service. Your hotel sends big bags ahead, usually arriving the next day, so you travel with a small bag. On this route, send bags from Tokyo straight to Kyoto and carry only what you need for Nikko and Hakone.
How crowded is Kyoto in autumn?
Very, at the famous spots. Go at opening for Tofuku-ji, Fushimi Inari and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, rest in the middle of the day and return for evening illuminations. Smaller temples and moss gardens are much quieter. Taxis help you move fast between sights.
