Is it really a terrible idea? Will I really miss out on the real Japan?
A common theme on reddit is "review my itinerary". I sometimes contribute if I see something that really stands out and no one has mentioned it yet. But for the most part the community is good at covering all the most popular basics.
Recently however, there was one that I felt an uncontrollable urge to chime in on.
It wasn't the itinerary though. The Questioner had given a very solid, well planned out classic "Golden Route" trip: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka. Can't go wrong.
But one line really didn't sit well with me - see if you can find it...
When Should I get Off The Golden Route?
Hello fellow travelers, my partner (32) and I (38) are visiting Japan this September, and we plan to stay for 10 days. Since it will be our first time in Japan, we're planning to follow the classic Golden Route. We're mostly interested in culture and nature, but at the same time, **we understand the importance of visiting the main cities as first timers**. I'm a bit of a nerd, but I wouldn't spend too much time looking for nerdy stuff, we're more interested in visiting places and discovering new things that are unfamiliar to us. Pros: We don't mind walking, we've got trained legs and comfy shoes.
A Guide's Answer
Your itinerary is fine. Its OK to make it too "packed" in the planning stage. As the trip goes on it will sort itself out and things will fall off if more space needs to be made.
But, this line really stood out.
" we understand the importance of visiting the main cities as first timers. "
Who told you that? Where did you get that idea?
The main cities (AKA Golden Route) was never inherently "important", it was just prescribed as a convenient, easy introduction.
It used to be the easiest way to dip your feet into Japan, where you could get to easily for when people were worried about language, transportation, or finding food.
In recent years transportation is no longer an issue. Language is not an issue. The areas off the Golden Route are now at the same level in terms of ease to get to and language barrier as the Golden Route was just ten or fifteen years ago. Many lesser known areas are now easier and less stressful to visit than the super crowded "must-see" sites.
I would say that if you are sure you will come again, then sure, spend some time on the Golden route. Get a taste so you will know if you want more of it next time. But you should also spend equal amount of time off the Golden Route. It is important to see other places as well so you know how to better plan your next trip. Think of your first time as a taster/sampler.
If there is a chance that you may not come again, that is all the more reason to use your only chance to see more of Japan than what is prescribed. If you end up never getting here again, you will have missed out on most of Japan. The Golden Route is not where Japan begins and ends, it is just where the bullet train stops, and where people have been conditioned to think is the most important.
Saying its important to stick to the golden route on your first visit is like saying "Its your fist time to try Japanese food, so its important to stick with the most common sushi rolls before your try something regional or seasonal".
My short answer got me thinking,
I felt like it deserved a little more explanation, so this post is for people asking that question, or for anyone who's heard they should stick to the Golden Route and isn't quite sure if that's the best fit for their trip.
Note, that I am not recommending against visiting the foreign route. I am only advocating for doing it with intent, and not just because it is what is expected of you as a first time traveler, and arguing that it is OK to spend a little, or even a lot, of your trip away from it.
Lets Unpack The Importance of The Golden Route
Everyone knows the Golden Route, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, often with Fuji, Hakone, Hiroshima. It is the basis for a lot of legacy "Japan in Two Weeks" or "Best of Japan" tour packages that predate social media, influencers, Reddit and other forums. But for some reason, even though the way we get travel advice has advanced, the only advancements to the route have been that Kanazawa, and even Takayama have safely secured a spot on what we can call the Golden Route 2.0.
That is a bit perplexing. Why are so many people stuck in the past mindset when it comes to Japan travel planning, even though the ideal route they are basing that planning on is changing so much?
Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with the Golden Route 2.0. Despite how much it has changed since it earned the name, I still enjoy it. It's hard not to with so much to see packed into such a small convenient space. Even people who live there are constantly making new finds. That is exactly one of the legitimate reasons it is the Golden Route. If the redditor that wrote this question had phrased it as "we want to see the Golden Route because there is so much to see packed into an easy to get to single convenient location." That would be fine. Great, even.
But that is not the reason they gave. Something about including it because they are under the impression that it's "important for first timers" bothers me so much - that there is somehow now a "right" order to seeing Japan. That certain places are now inherently more important for first-time visitors by default...
Where did such an idea come from? And, if it ever was true, is it still? Or, is that idea, while well-intentioned, based on outdated assumptions? Not being one that likes to just blindly accept, I have to ask:
Who decided that these cities are important? Important for who? And why? If there ever really was a valid reason to call them the "most important", is the reason still valid today?
Finally, if they are so important, what terrible consequences await the traveler that dares go off the Golden Route on their first trip to Japan? It kind of makes me a little scared about what terrible fate I may have doomed so many people to in the past that took my advice regarding visiting smaller towns and villages instead.
Who Decided These Cities Were Important?
I get the feeling that people think the Golden Route is based mainly on the vast experience of past travelers, like it's some sort of culmination of the wisdom of the crowds. It seems that people consider it important because guidebooks, influencers, r/japanTravelTips, and trusted friends who have been to Japan say they are.
The thing is, the Golden Route wasn't "discovered" and passed down by travelers who explored all of Japan and made a list of the best places. It was discovered by travelers who went there because it was the easiest to discover without exploring all of Japan. And it was never objectively the best, it was just the easiest to recommend, or the best to get followers and likes on their content, or the best that many travelers with limited time and experience had seen. It was, and is, good enough that there was no reason to keep exploring for many people to recommend it as the best that they had seen.
Ironically, most of the people I know who have traveled much more of Japan don't rank the Golden Route so highly. Just the opposite. When given the choice of taking a vacation to a Golden Route location or to some lesser-known, much less crowded place, they will overwhelmingly choose the non-Golden Route unless there is a very specific reason.
But those are people who are comfortable traveling around Japan. They do not need what used to be the primary, unique feature that the Golden Route had to offer - the ease to get there, and ease to get around in a strange country and culture. The Golden Route traditionally had geography and logistics on its side. It was shaped by logistics then marketed, polished, and pushed until it felt like it was just the most obvious thing for first time travelers. It was as much designed for the crowds as it was defined by the crowds. Easy to manage. Easy to scale. Easy to sell.
Before the Current Tourism Boom
It was the Golden Route long before the tourism boom, though, due to geography and accessibility tourists have traveled it for centuries. That history and existing infrastructure just made it easier to focus energy on when in the early 2000s, Japan's national tourism board built its very effective international marketing strategy around its handful of best-known, easiest-to-reach assets.
They improved English signage, promoted areas with existing Shinkansen and easy train connections, made the JR pass so zipping along it, bypassing the smaller more "difficult" areas, was a no-brainer. Partnerships with tour operators to create scalable packages around those hubs. Resources were concentrated where logistics were already in place.
These place names were already familiar to travelers from movies and media, so they were easy to recommend, and concentrating effort there made tourism easier to manage, promote, and sell at scale for mass-tourism.
It became a self-reinforcing loop. The more these places were promoted, the more travelers visited, and the more people that visited. The more people visited, more they recommended it, and the more it is recommended, the more "essential" they seemed to become because, at the time, , choosing those places really was in the tourist's best interest if they want the easiest to reach, easiest to communicate, and most supported way to visit Japan with almost a guarantee that it will not be disappointing.
When the Story Stopped Matching the Reality
A lot of travel advice is built on what used to be true. When the Golden Route first rose to prominence among foreign tourists, the recommendations matched the reality of the time.
The bullet train didn't even reach Kanazawa or much of the country, it wasn't even as fast as it is now. Bus routes were hard to research, let alone book. Booking rural accommodations sometimes involved a fax machine. Even Kyoto wasn't as accessible as it is now.
There were no smartphones, no Google Maps, no translation apps. And if you didn't speak Japanese? People still carried phrasebooks in their pocket, so going outside the big cities was maybe a little too much adventure for some people, or at least something to do only after you had a little experience on the beginner's route.
Back then, Reddit and Facebook were new and reaching more and more people, and for early influencers and advice givers, steering first-time visitors toward Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka was logical and practical. That is part of what made it so popular.
But that was 20, 15, even 10 years ago.
Now, the entire landscape has changed, but there is still a kind of perceptual inertia, and people's impressions haven't evolved as quickly as reality. Many travelers are still relying on outdated mental reference points.
The Shinkansen now reaches far more destinations and connects with more smaller local lines than before, and faster. Google Maps and other apps show you exactly which train car to get on and easy to understand transit info is available even for small countryside stations. so that is no longer really a barrier.
Small towns and rural areas are actively investing in becoming more welcoming to foreign visitors. They are learning and adapting to the different travel needs of inbound tourists. You can reserve a rural minshuku or ryokan without speaking a word of Japanese. Even if a place does not have English menus yet, Google Translate and ChatGPT read handwritten menus and even explain what the dishes are.
So yes, it used to be easier, less stressful, and more comfortable to funnel visitors (or for a visitor to be funneled) through a few well-prepared cities. It used to make sense to stick to Tokyo and Kyoto if you were nervous about navigating rural Japan. But at the same time as smaller and rural destinations have become more accessible, inbound tourism has exploded, having the opposite effect on the Golden Route cities, making them more crowded, more expensive, and far more stressful.
Yet, for some reason, most travelers still follow that path - not because they've fully weighed options, but because the idea of it being the "right" or "best" place to go is still floating around out there in google search results, in old forum threads, and now, in LLM training data. That steady propagation of stale information feeds the perceptual inertia.
Out mindset hasn't caught up to reality.
Since the Tourist Boom
Today, that cycle that draws the crowds actually works against the traveler's best interests. The crowds, the inflated costs, and the FOMO driven by its "essential" label have started to erode the actual experience. Unfortunately, the needed shift away from these default recommendations has been slow. Outdated beliefs about how getting off the beaten path is difficult are still rattling around in people's heads. Partially because of legacy travel recommendations, and partly because it benefits tour companies to keep promoting the Golden Route as the default.
Even for travelers who want to get off the beaten path - or at least they claim they want a less touristy experience, and are brave enough to give it a shot, the unfortunate message from travel forums is still that it is "foolish" to skip the most popular places because, well, "it is popular for a reason".
This makes people hesitant to actually go with their gut. They end up following the Golden Route anyway. And because it's still good and there's nothing to compare it to, it somehow is assumed to be the best. Then it is recommended again. And so the vicious cycle continues, even amidst increasing complaints about crowds, which are somehow accepted as a necessary evil.
Important to Who… and Why?
But let's get back to that word - "important". Important to who, exactly? There are the obvious benefactors of promoting the Golden Route as the most important or "must see". But really, tourists themselves get nothing out of calling it important.
It was important in the past to tourism boards, because it concentrated spending and gave focus for increasing tourism to Japan. Now, though, it is a headache with cries of overtourism. Now Japan's national strategy has shifted to spreading the load out, but they are making little headway as they battle the beast they helped create.
It's important to tour companies and marketers because it's low-hanging fruit. It's super easy to promote and package when it already promotes and packages itself. Just compare a typical "Golden Route" tour with a more unique tour. For a Golden Route trip a tour provider needs to simply drop some famous attraction names into the itinerary and half their work is done. But trying to get people to spend their limited time and money going to see someplace they have never heard of? That takes more logistics work, and requires much more promotion than many cookie cutter tour companies are willing to invest.
But most travelers are not package tour customers, so sticking to the Golden Route must still benefit the average traveler to some degree.
Well, for one, it eliminates FOMO in the first time traveler. It is important for a successful trip to go home confident that time and money was not wasted, and if everyone agrees that the Golden Route is the best, it's very comforting to know that you saw "the best" that Japan has to offer.
For repeat travelers, the Golden Route is familiar, and comes with good memories they may want to relive, while at the same time, even the same place will be different than the first visit because of a new sense of confidence, they can navigate more easily, notice more of the smaller details when not worried about getting lost. Feeling like a regular or seasoned pro just feels good too. The second visit to the same place it is easier to get into the zone.
For the person doing the trip planning, whether planning for a solo trip, or planning for a family or group, too many options can feel overwhelming and it's comforting to follow a route that's been pre-approved by the social media crowd, and is sure to have enough options to fit various interests of the group. And, if anyone complains, at least you have reddit on your side, telling you that the Golden Route was really your only option. You did everything you were supposed to.
For people on reddit or other forums, or just people who have been to Japan and are giving advice, it's what they know best. It's easier to be helpful when you're recommending familiar ground. It feels smarter, and the dopamine hit is bigger when other people agree and upvote. Especially when mentioning something that fewer people have heard of is met with negativity, and the suggestion of spending less time on the Golden Route brings backlash.
What About the History, Culture, and Spiritual?
Questioning the deeply held belief that the Golden Route is absolutely the best, or even the only way to "do Japan properly," or suggesting skipping it altogether can be controversial and people will try hard to hold onto that belief and justify it.
The most common argument, of course, is "It's the Golden Route for a reason. Just accept it. If it wasn't the best and most important, why would it be called The Golden Route, dummy?".
The next justification will start with "But what about...", and of all the "But what about..." reasons people come up with, the most common is "But what about history and culture? Kyoto is the historic and cultural heart of Japan."
Yes, of course, Kyoto and Nara are very historically significant. It's easy to argue that in many ways it's more significant than other places. And if you are genuinely interested in the history of Kyoto, religious traditions from the perspective of Kyoto, the history of Japan's imperial families as it relates to Kyoto, or classical architecture of Kyoto, the best place to learn about it is Kyoto.
But let's be honest and ask, is that really what most people are looking for? Or is it just the reason they've been given for why they should go? Did you choose Japan because you were eager to study the Heian-period layout of the capital and have always longed to do a deep dive into the specifics of Kiyomizu-dera or Kamigamo Shrine?
Or is your interest more generalised, just getting a little more familiar with the history of a country you've only read about or seen in movies? Maybe you're curious about the role of religion in Japan in general, hoping to get a broader feel for Buddhism and Shinto, but you don't really know enough to have a specific temple in mind?
There is history all throughout Japan. Learning about the mackerel road from the Japan Sea coast, and where the mackerel came from, can give just as much insight into Japan's history and social culture as studying the endpoint where the mackerel end up. Visiting a modern rural village or a museum about how peasant farmers lived, can give as much, if not more, understanding of Japanese society as the Imperial Palace or Kinkaku-ji.
The golden route has some amazing and impressive temple architecture, but unless that's your specific area of interest, you'll find amazing temples and shrines all throughout Japan. Even those that don't match in terms of grandeur can more than make up for it with a crowd-free atmosphere where you can actually slow down and take it in.
Because historical understanding isn't gained through osmosis just by being in a historical place. You don't soak up spirituality just by being herded through a temple alongside hundreds of other people. You have to engage by reading, listening, questioning, imagining.
If history in general is important, it's important to not forget that every region in Japan has deep, fascinating history, and that kind of engagement can be easier off the Golden Route, in the quiet places where You can actually read the museum signs without a wall of tourists in front of you, where the town isn't buried in souvenir shops, and you can sit still, observe, and feel the past around you.
The main difference isn't whether history exists, it's whether you're given the space to actually experience it.
What about What's Important to You?
Maybe the Golden Route truly is best for you. I'm not trying to say it isn't. But before deciding that, pause for a moment, keep in mind that now, in 2025, other options are just as accessible, and ask yourself what you actually want.
When people list what they want to see in Japan, most people start by listing names of famous places. Maybe they're places their friends have visited and loved. Maybe places that have the most mentions in travel forums and guidebooks, or maybe it's where the influencer with the most visually compelling video happened to go.
But when really pressed to think about what they're actually hoping to get out of those places, besides the name, they often realize they're chasing a feeling or a specific interest that may not require visiting the Golden Route at all.
Maybe history or food culture, but usually not just about the famous name. Most people are not checklist travelers, treating it as a game. Most are chasing a feeling, and they've simply assumed that the most famous places will deliver it.
If we get down to that base level of what they are really looking for, though, we see that most can be found almost anywhere in Japan. That's why it helps to ask not just where you want to go, but why. What are you actually hoping to feel, learn, or come away with?
- A connection to or deeper understanding of history
- Be exposed to something new and unfamiliar
- A glimpse at a way of life different from their own
- Some sort of connection to Japanese culture
- Just chilling someplace quiet and relaxed away from noise, screens, and busy schedules
- A chance for reflection, maybe in a place that feels spiritual
- The feeling of awe or beauty and seeing something iconic with their own eyes
- A feeling of personal discovery and exploration
- wandering into something unexpected and meaningful
- Reassurance that their trip is "worth it"
The Golden Route could, theoretically, check most of those. But at the same time, the crowds and chaos that come with being among the most popular tourist attractions in the world, can just as easily get in the way.
If you have the time, curiosity, and motivation, why not take a more personal approach? Once you understand your own underlying goal, you might realize there's an easier, perhaps better, way to achieve it without the crowds.
So… When Should You Get Off the Golden Route?
There's no rush, but there also might not be a special reason to stay on it. The Golden Route works for some travelers, some of the time. But it's not sacred. It's not an initiation that first time visitors have to go through. It's really just a well-worn path that, like any path, only makes sense to follow if it leads where you actually want to go.
If what you're looking for is off the path, or not found in what the famous places offer, if you're aiming for something quieter, different, or less commercial… That should be a sign that maybe it's time to take a side path. And if the main reason you are there is FOMO, you can safely get off as quickly as you got on.
You don't need permission to leave it behind or skip parts of it if it's not serving your goals.
What Happens If You Don't Stick to the Golden Route?
Nothing bad will happen if you wander off the Golden Route. I promise.
Seriously. You won't get lost and unable to make your way home. No matter how far you wander off, you will almost always be just a few hours from the safety of a more touristed path.
Most importantly, contrary to what Golden Route purists would have you believe, you won't miss out on the "real" Japan. In fact, it's just the opposite. Only by getting off the Golden Route can you get a complete picture of the real Japan.
Skipping the Golden Route (or shortening it) lets you experience Japan without lines and crowd-control ropes, or views obstructed by people jostling for their turn at a selfie spot. You'll be seen less as just another tourist, and more as a guest. You may not eat at an Instagram-famous restaurant, but there is a higher chance to find yourself in a local place where you're the only foreigner.
When you get back home, you may not be able to join in a conversation with friends who are sharing their experiences at the famous Arashiyama bamboo grove, but you'll have your own story. Like foraging wild bamboo shoots with villagers in a forest in the middle of "nowhere". And it may be difficult to describe where the ryokan you stayed at was without pulling up a map because it wasn't in Hakone.
That said, here's one thing we've noticed when it comes to how people approach including the Golden Route into their trip.
People often enjoy the Golden Route more, especially Kyoto, when it comes early in the trip, or is their first experience of Japan. That's when everything seems more new and exciting, even the convenience stores, and there's nothing to compare it to yet.
But travelers going from lesser known places to the Golden Route sometimes feel a little more let down. It does not live up to the impossible image they have built, and the value that the highlights offer will have already been found in other less crowded locations. Unless deeply into temple history, they're often already "templed out", and what would have felt like amazing hospitality can now feel more transactional, especially compared to quieter places with fewer tourists.
If This is Your first Trip of Many
You're lucky. You have plenty of time to see the Golden Route, there's no reason to rush. Keep it simple. Consider treating the first trip like a sampler. Spend a few days in Kyoto and Tokyo, then make the effort to try something a little different.
If you're searching for an alternative Japan itinerary that still hits the highlights, one that avoids crowds but keeps the cultural depth, there's a middle ground and you don't have to go full countryside right away. Just mix things in:
- 3-4 days in Tokyo because it's a big city.
- 2-3 days in Kyoto because it scratches the FOMO itch.
- 4-5 days in a slower region - a historic post town, rural area, or lesser-known onsen.
And just as important is to not overlook the places in between. Instead of speeding past on the bullet train, go slowly, stop and explore the stretch of Japan that lies between the major cities. Think about breaking your longer travel sections into two days on the local train instead and stop in one of the random small towns, villages, and quiet backroads where people would never expect to see a tourist. That's where some of the most memorable moments happen.
You'll still get the temples, history, culture and even sushi. But you'll also get something the youtube and tiktok influencers didn't already show you. You will end up with something new to contribute to the travel forums, when you can share your experiences that are unique and add more than just agreeing with someone else who liked the same ramen shop as you did in Kyoto that felt special only because there were maybe a few tables that weren't occupied by tourists.
By splitting your first trip up, and making some time to see places other than the Golden Route, you know better if you liked the crowds or not. Either way, your next trip will be easier to plan once you know what feels right.
If This Might Be Your Only Trip
If you think this is your only chance, it's even more important to see a broader version of Japan.
That does not mean skip the Golden Route. Even if it's just uncertainty or curiosity, FOMO is a very real, and completely legitimate, reason to check out the places that looked cool on social media.
But to be honest, I wish FOMO worked the other way too, and more people were afraid of missing out on what you don't see online. If only people were as afraid of missing that feeling of walking into an empty rural train station as the sun goes down, or having an elderly local stopping to help them when they're lost on a mountain trail. An innkeeper be honestly surprised at seeing a foreign guest walk through the door.
That's what makes memories that stay with you, and if you have that, any fear of missing out on some of the Golden Route because you didn't spend "long enough" time there will be forgotten.
Final Thought: The Most Important Place Is the One You Remember
"We understand the importance of visiting the main cities as first timers"
That's what started all of this. It's not because I think the cities are bad, or the itinerary was "wrong". But because it shows how easy it is to confuse what's popular with what's essential.
You don't have to reject the Golden Route. You don't have to prove anything by skipping Kyoto. But you do have the right to ask: "Is this what I really want?"
Japan is not a checklist or a test to be completed with all the right answers in the right order. Your adventure is yours alone. Don't let what other people say you should dos and must sees cloud you from noticing what you actually want to try. Even if that means stepping off the beaten path, missing a little of the Golden Route, slowing down, and seeing what's in between.
If you find what you are looking for beyond the famous names, you will be able to go anywhere and make that trip yours. In Japan, there is no "right" route... because there's no wrong one.