Japan trip planning checklist
What to book and when, in order, with links to the guide for each step.
This is the order we would do things in for a first trip. Dates and rules change, so each step links to the guide that explains it and lists the official sources.
3 to 6 months before
- Check your passport is valid for your whole stay, and check visa rules for your passport.
- Pick your dates: see the best time to visit Japan. Spring and autumn book up first.
- Set a rough budget with the daily budgets guide.
- Book flights.
2 to 3 months before
- Book hotels in busy cities, Hakone and Miyajima first. Start with where to stay in Japan.
- Decide whether a rail pass helps: is the JR Pass worth it?
- Book anything that sells out. Check the official site of each attraction.
- Draft your route with the free itinerary maker.
1 month before
- Arrange travel insurance.
- Sort your eSIM or pocket WiFi.
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and read how to pay in Japan.
- Complete Visit Japan Web: entering Japan in 2026.
The week before
- Plan your airport transfer.
- Pack light with the packing list. You can forward bags between cities: luggage guide.
- Download offline maps and a translation app.
- Read the etiquette dos and donts.
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More planning help: Getting around Japan · Budget and money · Where to stay.