If cherry blossom is Japan's spring spectacle, koyo — the turning of the maples and ginkgo — is its autumn equal, and arguably even more photogenic. Temples blaze red and gold, gardens stage evening illuminations, and the season lasts longer and draws fewer crowds than sakura. This 7-day route follows the colour from Tokyo through Nikkō to Kyoto, finishing on a mountaintop among monks.

Is this route right for you?

Perfect if you love temples, gardens and photography and want spectacular colour with a little more breathing room than cherry season.

At a glance

• Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
• Best season: Tokyo/Kyoto peak mid–late November; mountains and the north turn earlier (October)
• Pace: Moderate
• Ideal for: Photographers, garden and temple lovers, autumn romantics

Rough daily budget (per person)

Getting around: do you need a car?

Public transport — no car. Trains and buses reach every temple and viewpoint here, and a rail pass lets you follow the colour up or down in elevation. Kyoto's autumn temples are best on foot and by bus; the mountains (Nikkō, Kōyasan) are served by scenic rail and cable cars.

🧳 Before You Go

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How the koyo front works

Unlike blossom, autumn colour moves north to south and high to low:

• Late September–October: Hokkaido, the Japan Alps, Nikkō's higher elevations
• Mid–late November: the lowland cities — Kyoto, Tokyo, Nara

Peak colour at a spot lasts a couple of weeks — more forgiving than sakura — but still check the koyo forecasts published from autumn. Higher places turn first, so you can pair an October mountain trip with late-November city temples.

Route map

Following the colour downhill and south: Tokyo → Nikkō → Kyoto → Kōyasan.

Day 1–2 — Tokyo

• Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen gardens, with evening illuminations of lit maples over ponds.
• The golden ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien.
• Mt. Takao, an easy day-hike in colour just outside the city.

🍜 Eat: autumn sanma (grilled saury), chestnut (kuri) sweets, and new-harvest rice.

📷 Photo spot: lit maples mirrored in the Rikugien pond at night; the symmetrical ginkgo tunnel at Gaien in afternoon light.

Where you sleep: 2 nights Tokyo. Find Tokyo hotels →

Day 3 — Nikkō

The colour arrives here earlier (peak roughly late October).

• The hairpin Irohazaka road, Lake Chūzenji, and the thundering Kegon Falls.

🍜 Eat: yuba (tofu skin) hotpot, perfect in the mountain chill.

📷 Photo spot: Kegon Falls with autumn slopes behind it; the lake and mountains from Akechidaira.

Day 4–6 — Kyoto

The grand finale of koyo season (peak mid–late November).

• Tōfuku-ji — a valley of maples from the Tsūtenkyō bridge.
• Eikan-dō and Nanzen-ji with evening light-ups.
• Arashiyama, Kiyomizu-dera, and the quieter Ōhara (Sanzen-in).

🍜 Eat: kaiseki with autumn matsutake mushrooms; roasted chestnuts; momiji tempura (fried maple leaves — a novelty).

📷 Photo spot: the maple valley from Tōfuku-ji's bridge in morning light; illuminated maples reflected at Eikan-dō after dark (go at opening for space).

Where you sleep: 3 nights Kyoto. Find Kyoto hotels →

Day 7 — Kōyasan or depart

• An optional finish at Kōyasan — a mountaintop Buddhist monastery complex with a temple stay (shukubo), vegetarian monk's cuisine, and the lantern-lit Okunoin cemetery among maples.

🍜 Eat: shōjin ryōri — the elegant Buddhist vegetarian cuisine served at temple lodgings.

📷 Photo spot: Okunoin's moss, cedars and stone lanterns in soft, misty light.

What to book in advance

Experiences worth booking

• An evening illumination (yoru no koyo) guided walk in Kyoto. See tours →
• A Kōyasan temple stay with morning meditation. See stays →
• A tea ceremony framed by autumn maples.

What to eat

Where to stay (hotel areas)

When to go

Combine elevations for the longest colour: mountains in October, cities in late November. Illuminations sell the season — check temple night-opening schedules and arrive early.

Related guides

• The Photographer's Japan
• Tohoku Uncovered
• Kansai in Depth

Want an autumn trip timed to the foliage forecast? Hire a planner.