A crucial question you must ask yourself is how much time to allot to each city. For most people, the ideal breakdown is 2 full days in Tokyo and 4 full days in Kyoto (travel days are not considered full days). If you are more interested in modern Japan, then you could spend 3 days in Tokyo and 3 in Kyoto.

Deciding between Tokyo and Kyoto depends on your personal interests, but for a first-time visitor, a common recommendation is to spend more time in Tokyo, simply due to its sheer scale and diversity. Tokyo is a sprawling "megacity" made of distinct neighborhoods—like the neon-lit Shinjuku, the fashion-forward Harajuku, and the historic Asakusa—each requiring at least a day to explore. It offers a limitless array of world-class dining, museums, and hidden subcultures. Kyoto, while breathtakingly beautiful, is much smaller and more focused on traditional temples, shrines, and tea houses. While you can see the major highlights of Kyoto, such as the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi Inari, in 3 to 4 days, Tokyo can easily occupy 5 to 7 days without repetition. However, if you are a deep history enthusiast or prefer a slower, more zen-like pace, you might choose to flip the ratio. A balanced 10-day trip often looks like 6 days in Tokyo and 4 days in Kyoto. Ultimately, Tokyo represents the high-tech future of Japan, while Kyoto preserves its soul-stirring past, making both indispensable but Tokyo the more time-consuming of the two.