Honeymoon
A Japan honeymoon with a ryokan, Kyoto in the evening and a beach to finish
Japan gives a honeymoon three very different moods in two weeks: the neon and food of Tokyo, a night in a traditional inn with its own hot spring, and the quiet temples of Kyoto. Finish on the beaches of Okinawa, and the trip ends as slowly as a honeymoon should.
5 November 20264 min
Picolo Editorial
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A Japan honeymoon works best as a journey rather than a stay in one place. The country is easy to travel for first-time visitors, the trains run to the minute, and the cities are safe late into the evening. This guide suggests a two-week route for couples, five hotels along the way, the best seasons and how to fit in a ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn where dinner is served in your room and the day ends in a hot spring.
In short: a Japan honeymoon
The route: three nights in Tokyo, two in a ryokan in Hakone, four in Kyoto and four on the beach in Okinawa.
The best time: late March and early April for the cherry blossom, or mid-October to mid-December for autumn colours and mild weather.
Avoid: Golden Week, the run of public holidays from late April to early May, when trains and hotels are full and prices rise.
Flights from the UK: British Airways, JAL and ANA fly direct from Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda in around 14 hours.
Our hotel pick: Gora Kadan in Hakone, a ryokan on the grounds of a former summer villa of the Imperial family.
Our first choice for a honeymoon: two nights at Gora Kadan in Hakone, in a room with a private bath and a view of the forest. Check availability and prices at Gora Kadan
This guide is part of our best honeymoon destinations series and our honeymoon ideas.
Why Japan works for a honeymoon
Japan suits couples who want a honeymoon with more than a sunbed. The days are full of new things to taste and see, from the fish market breakfasts of Tokyo to the tea houses of Kyoto. The evenings are where the romance is: a quiet bar high above the city, a kaiseki dinner of many small courses, or a hot spring under the stars.
It is also a very easy country to travel as a couple. The bullet train, called the shinkansen, links the main cities, and luggage can be sent ahead from hotel to hotel, so you travel with a small bag. Japan's own tourist board, JNTO, even recommends the country by season for honeymooners, from cherry blossom in spring to snowy outdoor baths in winter.
A two-week route for couples
Tokyo: three nights
Start in Tokyo to recover from the flight. Stay near Ginza or Marunouchi, the central districts by the Imperial Palace, so you can walk to restaurants and the station. Spend a morning at the gardens of the palace and an evening in the small bars of Shinjuku.
Hakone: two nights in a ryokan
Hakone is a hot spring area in the mountains south west of Tokyo, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days. Hakone Yumoto, the main hot spring town, is under two hours from Tokyo. This is where most couples spend their ryokan nights: you change into a yukata, the light cotton robe the inn provides, eat a long dinner and bathe before bed. Read our guide to ryokan and onsen in Japan for how it works.
Kyoto: four nights
Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years and has the temples, gardens and wooden streets of old Japan. Walk the lanes of Higashiyama early in the morning before the crowds, and spend an evening in Pontocho, a narrow alley of restaurants along the Kamo river. See our list of things to do in Kyoto.
Okinawa: four nights by the sea
Okinawa is Japan's subtropical island group, two to three hours by plane south of Tokyo and Osaka. It has white sand, coral reefs and warm sea for much of the year. After ten busy days, a few nights by the water give the honeymoon a slow ending.
For a longer tour with Hiroshima and Osaka, our two-week Japan itinerary covers the classic route by train.
Hotels for a honeymoon in Japan
All the hotels below have a guest score of at least 9.6 out of 10 on Hotels.com.
The Peninsula Tokyo
A grand hotel opposite the gardens of the Imperial Palace, with Hibiya Station just steps away and Ginza a short walk. It has a spa, an indoor pool and several restaurants, and guests give it 9.6 out of 10 from more than 1,000 reviews. A calm, central first base after the long flight.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Peninsula Tokyo
Gora Kadan, Hakone
A ryokan on the grounds of a former summer villa of the Imperial family, with its own hot spring and several indoor and outdoor baths. Most rooms have a private bath with a view of the national park, and dinner is a kaiseki meal of local produce. Rated 9.6 out of 10 from 559 reviews.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Gora Kadan
The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
On the banks of the Kamo river, a ten-minute walk from Pontocho Alley. The hotel has a spa, an indoor pool and Mizuki, a Japanese restaurant. Rated 9.6 out of 10 from 262 reviews. The best choice if you want to walk to dinner every evening.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
Park Hyatt Kyoto
In Higashiyama, a five-minute walk from Kodai-ji Temple, among the old wooden streets on the hillside. It has four restaurants and a spa, and guests rate it 9.6 out of 10. Choose it to be close to the temples early in the morning, before the day visitors arrive.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Park Hyatt Kyoto
Halekulani Okinawa
A beach resort in Onna, on the west coast of Okinawa, stretching along nearly a mile of coast. Every room looks out over the East China Sea, and the resort has five pools. Rated 9.8 out of 10 from 1,594 reviews. The airport in Naha is about an hour by car.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Halekulani Okinawa
Evening over the East China Sea from a suite at Halekulani Okinawa
When to go on a honeymoon to Japan
Spring (late March to early April): cherry blossom in Tokyo and Kyoto. The most popular time, so book well ahead. Read our guide to cherry blossom in Japan.
Autumn (mid-October to mid-December): good weather and red and gold leaves in Kyoto, which can last around a month. Our favourite season for a honeymoon.
Summer (July and August): hot and humid in the cities, so spend more of the trip on the coast or in the mountains. Okinawa can have typhoons in late summer and early autumn.
Winter (December to February): cold, but the best time for a ryokan with a snowy outdoor bath.
Avoid: Golden Week from late April to early May, and the rainy season, which usually starts in June.
See our honeymoon guides for March, April, October and November.
Getting there and getting around
British Airways, JAL and ANA fly direct from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda, and the flight takes around 14 hours. Haneda is the airport closest to central Tokyo.
Between the cities, the shinkansen is fast and comfortable, and the Tokaido line runs from Tokyo to Kyoto. For Okinawa, fly from Osaka or Tokyo to Naha. Read more in our Japan travel guide.
Plan the rest of your honeymoon
Set the budget with how much a honeymoon costs, and use plan your honeymoon for the checklist. To compare with the rest of Asia, see our Thailand honeymoon and Bali honeymoon guides, or luxury honeymoon destinations.
Our pick for a honeymoon
Gora Kadan: a ryokan in an imperial summer villa
Gora Kadan stands on the grounds of a former summer villa of the Imperial family in Hakone, surrounded by the forests of the national park. Most rooms have a private bath with a view, the hotel has its own hot spring, and dinner is a kaiseki meal of many small courses made from local produce. Two nights here are the calm centre of a Japan honeymoon, and guests give it 9.6 out of 10 on Hotels.com.
Our verdict
What Picolo recommends: two weeks, with Tokyo, two nights in a ryokan in Hakone, Kyoto and a few days on the beach in Okinawa. Travel in autumn or for the cherry blossom, and book the ryokan first.
Why: the mix of city, hot spring, temples and sea gives a honeymoon variety without long transfers, and the trains make it easy.
The trade-off: Japan is a busy trip, not a lazy one. If you want ten days by one beach, the Indian Ocean or Thailand suit you better.
Frequently asked questions
Is Japan good for a honeymoon?
Yes, Japan is a very good honeymoon destination for couples who want culture, food and comfort in one trip. It is safe, the trains are easy to use, and a night in a ryokan with a private hot spring bath is one of the most romantic stays in Asia. Add a few days on Okinawa if you want a beach at the end.
How long should a Japan honeymoon be?
Two weeks is a good length for a Japan honeymoon. That gives you three nights in Tokyo, two in a ryokan in Hakone, four in Kyoto and four on the beach in Okinawa. With only ten days, leave out Okinawa or Hakone. Allow a day to recover from the flight, which takes around 14 hours from London.
What is the best month for a honeymoon in Japan?
The best months for a honeymoon in Japan are late March and early April for the cherry blossom, and October and November for autumn colours and mild weather. Avoid Golden Week in late April and early May, when travel is busy and expensive, and the rainy season that usually starts in June.
Where should we stay on a honeymoon in Japan?
Stay in central Tokyo near Ginza or Marunouchi, in a ryokan with a private bath in Hakone, and in Higashiyama or by the Kamo river in Kyoto. Our hotel picks are The Peninsula Tokyo, Gora Kadan, The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, Park Hyatt Kyoto and Halekulani Okinawa, all rated 9.6 or more on Hotels.com.
Sources
The advice on seasons, Golden Week and travel times to Hakone comes from JNTO's honeymoon guide to Japan, published by the Japan National Tourism Organization. The facts about Gora Kadan come from JNTO's page on the ryokan, and the facts about Halekulani Okinawa from Forbes Travel Guide. Flight details come from Direct Flights From. The guest scores come from each hotel's page on Hotels.com. Last checked: 5 November 2026.
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