General Tips
TRANSPORTATION
Fly in or fly out of Tokyo if you want to explore beyond the capital. We flew into Fukuoka and out of Tokyo. If you only have a short time, I would try to fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka.
Google Maps was our go-to for directions and getting around public transportation wise. You can always use Uber if your feet need a well deserved break.
We used Apple Pay for everything and added Japan’s subway card onto our iPhones - here is how: https://support.apple.com/en-us/108772
For trains to other cities, we would either go up to the counter and speak to a human or use the machines to buy a ticket beforehand. We never had to buy a train ticket ahead of time, the trains run very frequently as well.
ITINERARY
What we’d recommend instead
Day 1-2: Tashkent
Day 3-5: Samarkand (w/ Tajikistan sidequest)
Day 6-7: Bukhara
Day 8: Khiva
What we did
Day 1-2: Tashkent
Day 3-6: Samarkand (w/ Tajikistan sidequest)
Day 7-10: Bukhara
Day 11-14: Khiva
FOOD
Unless you’re going somewhere very touristy, I think it’ll be hard to eat a bad meal in Japan. The best advice someone gave us was to figure out what kind of meal you want to try (ramen, izikaya, sushi, italian) and see if your neighborhood has that kind of meal nearby. You don’t need to travel far for a specific restaurant (unless you really want to!)
Download the app “tablelog” for restaurant reviews and anything with 3 stars and above is considered excellent by Japanese standards.
2 NIGHTS · MAY 26 – MAY 28
41.2995° N, 69.2401° E
Tashkent
WHERE WE STAYED
Old Tashkent Heritage
Seems like a new build in 2025/2026, best decor and ambiance out of our other hotels. Very clean and well managed with the added bonus of a pool! Excellent breakfast buffet.
Location was okay - Tashkent felt very unwalkable, so we took YandexGo to get most places and when we could, we took the metro
THINGS TO DO
Museums
Sensō-ji — oldest shrine in Tokyo, completed in 645. Fun to walk around Asakusa but a bit out of the way from everything else. We paired this with a side trip to Akihabara (the video game & electronics center) and I wouldn't recommend unless you're a fan of Japanese video games.
Gōtokuji — thousands of lucky cats shrine from the Edo period, a bit out of the way (we didn't go) but it looks very special! You can head there in the morning and explore Shimokitazawa for lunch after.
Museums
Tokyo National Museum — we spent a few hours here before heading to catch a bus, you could easily spend a full day here.
Mori Art Museum — art museum with a view; didn't get around to it but on our list for next time!
teamLab — we went to the Borderless experience in Kyoto but have also heard that Tokyo's teamLab/Borderless experiences are incredible. They're basically big warehouses converted into immersive art experiences — fun for adults and kids alike.
FOOD
HEARD THIS WAS GOOD
Fly into Tokyo and
a. head directly to Hiroshima (2 nights) > Okayama (2N, day trips to Naoshima Island & Kurashiki) > Kyoto (4N) > Tokyo (4N)
b. head to Osaka (2-3N) > Kyoto (5 N) >
Tokyo (5N)
WE ATE HERE
Fukuoka (1N) → Aso (1N) → Takachiho (1N) → Kagoshima (3N) → Kumamoto (1N) → Nagasaki (2 nights) → Hiroshima (2N) → Okayama (3N) → Osaka (3N) → Kyoto (3N) → Takayama (1 N) → Kamikochi (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Kawaguchio/Mt. Fuji (2N) → Tokyo (6N)
4 NIGHTS · MAY 26 – MAY 28
39.6542° N, 66.9597° E
Samarkand
WHERE WE STAYED
Rabat boutique - Easily our favorite hotel in Uzbekistan!
The hotel was built by a Jewish merchant. He hosted other merchants of many different faiths a built a synagogue that gave a nod to all the different faiths of people he hosted from christians and muslims to buddhists and hindus. The staff walked us through all of the history.
Amazing breakfast spread (which is included) and very friendly staff.
Fresh cherries picked from from the trees to eat all day.
THINGS TO DO
Samarkand Historical Tour
This is what people come to Samarkand to see. We used this audio tour and split it up into two days; only mornings because it was so hot.
Absolutely go back at night and hang out by the steps overlooking Registan Square. The people of Uzbekistan are some of the friendlist we’ve met on our travels.
A day trip to the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan
We met another couple while traveling and they highly recommended this side quest. They introduced us to their guide. We loved spending the day exploring the 7 lakes; absolutely stunning and a great change of scenery, weather & culture (subbed cities for mountains and lakes).
If you are interested, please DM us on instagram @ellisontravels and we can share our guides number
FOOD
HEARD THIS WAS GOOD
Fly into Tokyo and
a. head directly to Hiroshima (2 nights) > Okayama (2N, day trips to Naoshima Island & Kurashiki) > Kyoto (4N) > Tokyo (4N)
b. head to Osaka (2-3N) > Kyoto (5 N) >
Tokyo (5N)
WE ATE HERE
Fukuoka (1N) → Aso (1N) → Takachiho (1N) → Kagoshima (3N) → Kumamoto (1N) → Nagasaki (2 nights) → Hiroshima (2N) → Okayama (3N) → Osaka (3N) → Kyoto (3N) → Takayama (1 N) → Kamikochi (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Kawaguchio/Mt. Fuji (2N) → Tokyo (6N)
4 NIGHTS · MAY 28 – JUNE 1
39.7745° N, 64.4286° E
Bukhara
WHERE WE STAYED
Rabat boutique - Easily our favorite hotel in Uzbekistan! We loved their breakfast spread (included!) and how friendly the staff were
They were picking cherries from the tree and shared a whole bunch with us
Loved the history behind the hotel as well, the hotel staff walk you through the most special details of the place
THINGS TO DO
Samarkand Historical Tour
This is what people come to Samarkand to see. We used this audio tour and split it up into two days; only mornings because it was so hot.
Absolutely go back at night and hang out by the steps overlooking Registan Square. The people of Uzbekistan are some of the friendlist we’ve met on our travels.
A day trip to the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan
We met another couple while traveling and they highly recommended this side quest. They introduced us to their guide. We loved spending the day exploring the 7 lakes; absolutely stunning and a great change of scenery, weather & culture (subbed cities for mountains and lakes).
If you are interested, please DM us on instagram @ellisontravels and we can share our guides number
FOOD
HEARD THIS WAS GOOD
Fly into Tokyo and
a. head directly to Hiroshima (2 nights) > Okayama (2N, day trips to Naoshima Island & Kurashiki) > Kyoto (4N) > Tokyo (4N)
b. head to Osaka (2-3N) > Kyoto (5 N) >
Tokyo (5N)
WE ATE HERE
Fukuoka (1N) → Aso (1N) → Takachiho (1N) → Kagoshima (3N) → Kumamoto (1N) → Nagasaki (2 nights) → Hiroshima (2N) → Okayama (3N) → Osaka (3N) → Kyoto (3N) → Takayama (1 N) → Kamikochi (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Kawaguchio/Mt. Fuji (2N) → Tokyo (6N)
3 NIGHTS · JUNE 5 – JUNE 8
41.3775° N, 60.3617° E
Khiva
WHERE WE STAYED
Rabat boutique - Easily our favorite hotel in Uzbekistan! We loved their breakfast spread (included!) and how friendly the staff were
They were picking cherries from the tree and shared a whole bunch with us
Loved the history behind the hotel as well, the hotel staff walk you through the most special details of the place
THINGS TO DO
Samarkand Historical Tour
This is what people come to Samarkand to see. We used this audio tour and split it up into two days; only mornings because it was so hot.
Absolutely go back at night and hang out by the steps overlooking Registan Square. The people of Uzbekistan are some of the friendlist we’ve met on our travels.
A day trip to the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan
We met another couple while traveling and they highly recommended this side quest. They introduced us to their guide. We loved spending the day exploring the 7 lakes; absolutely stunning and a great change of scenery, weather & culture (subbed cities for mountains and lakes).
If you are interested, please DM us on instagram @ellisontravels and we can share our guides number
FOOD
HEARD THIS WAS GOOD
Fly into Tokyo and
a. head directly to Hiroshima (2 nights) > Okayama (2N, day trips to Naoshima Island & Kurashiki) > Kyoto (4N) > Tokyo (4N)
b. head to Osaka (2-3N) > Kyoto (5 N) >
Tokyo (5N)
WE ATE HERE
Fukuoka (1N) → Aso (1N) → Takachiho (1N) → Kagoshima (3N) → Kumamoto (1N) → Nagasaki (2 nights) → Hiroshima (2N) → Okayama (3N) → Osaka (3N) → Kyoto (3N) → Takayama (1 N) → Kamikochi (1N) → Matsumoto (2N) → Kawaguchio/Mt. Fuji (2N) → Tokyo (6N)