The Cost of Travel in Japan: My 2024 Budget Breakdown


Train in winter in Japan

It took me six years to get to Japan.

Why?

I didn’t think I could afford it.

Every time I seriously looked into visiting, I would wince at the high cost of the train passes, read about how the hotels were super-expensive, and then fly to Vietnam instead. Or Taiwan. Or even Australia. Japan was simply too expensive for a budget traveller, so I decided to save it for when I was rich.

With that not happening any time soon, I decided to blow my money anyway, because I wanted to go and the gushing blog posts from travel writer friends had convinced me it would be worth the splurge.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered that it really wasn’t that expensive.

I arrived in Japan fully expecting it to be the priciest country I’ve ever been to, but I discovered it’s more on a par with Western Europe or North America, and cheaper than Australia. It was way more affordable than Namibia, where my daily expenses came to $132, and way, way, way more affordable than the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where I averaged, um, $550 a day.

Anyway! This is about the cost of travel in Japan rather than my poor financial decisions, so let’s get started!

My 16-Day Japan Itinerary

Here’s a brief rundown of where I visited over my 16 days in the country — I think I managed to put together the perfect itinerary for first-time travellers to Japan.

Tokyo: 4 nights
Hakone: 1 night
Yudanaka: 1 night
Kanazawa: 2 nights
Takayama: 1 night
Kyoto: 3 nights
Hiroshima: 1 night
Osaka: 3 nights

What’s Included in this Post

This budget breakdown covers how much I spent on accommodation, transportation, activities, food, and whichever miscellaneous items popped up while I was in country.

I’ve not included my flights into and out of Japan because this is going to vary significantly based on where you’ll be arriving from. In case you’re interested, though, I paid $320 for a return flight from Rome to Tokyo, which I scored through browsing my favourite site for flight bargains, Secret Flying

The amounts in this guide are listed in Japanese Yen and U.S. dollars, simply because the vast majority of my readers are from the U.S. And finally, these are the three rules I always abide by on this site:

  • I do not accept sponsored trips, so everything listed in this post is something I personally paid for with my own money
  • I travel anonymously to ensure my experiences accurately reflect what yours will be. I don’t want special treatment!
  • Every single word of this article was written by me, based on all of my own experiences. I strictly do not use AI to compose my guides.

Okay — let’s get started with my expenses.

Tatami mat room in Hakone Japan
A standard tatami mat room in Japan. These were typically a couple of dollars a night cheaper than a room with a Western-style bed, but were just as comfortable!

The Cheapest Accommodation Options in Japan

Like practically every country in the world, prices in Japan have increased post-pandemic.

In 2024, you’ll be paying a little more for everything than you would have done a few years ago — in fact, prices almost doubled between my first trip in 2017 and today! — however costs are still on a par with most Western countries. Travel in Japan shouldn’t be too devastating to your travel budget.

I’ll start on the lower end of the spectrum. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, it’s possible to avoid paying for accommodation entirely.

Couchsurfing exists in Japan and allows you to stay with a local for free, usually sleeping on their sofa and enjoying a local’s insight into life in their country. Yeah, it’s not the most comfortable of living situations, but if your budget’s tight, it’s worth sending out a few requests to hosts to see if anything comes of it. You can browse through the 300,000+ Japanese hosts on the Couchsurfing site — just be sure to read the references of anybody you choose to stay with.

Housesitting is a more upmarket option, aimed at mid-range and luxury travellers. Housesitting involves taking care of somebody’s house for free while they’re away, often (but not always) looking after their pets, too. It’s best for long-term travellers or retirees, as you can’t pick and choose dates and destinations, so you’ll need to have a lot of flexibility as to where you go and at what time of year. If you do have that freedom, though, it’s a wonderful way to cut down your travel expenses, soak up some home comforts, and live like a local for a while. Trusted Housesitters is the main site for getting started with housesitting, as they have the highest number of listings.

Finally, when it comes to free accommodation, you could take a look at WorldPackers in Japan, where you’ll be able to volunteer for locals in exchange for food and board. There are some seriously cool options available on the site right now, from helping harvest honey for a bee farm in the countryside to lending a hand in the garden of a Buddhist temple. Readers of this site get a $10 discount for WorldPackers with the promo code neverendingfootsteps.

If you’re not looking to travel for free and just want a clean and comfortable room to sleep in, there are plenty of great budget options, too.

Meal in Yudanaka
Accommodation at our ryokan in Yudanaka included a traditional 20-dish kaiseki dinner!

And then we have hostels. In Japan, you’ll come across hostels all over the country, finding them on tiny islands, large cities, and even within the national parks. They’re one of your best options for saving money.

Hostels in Japan are on a par with the rest of major cities in East Asia, and you can expect to spend $25 a night for a dorm bed for a well-reviewed hostel, with the price increasing slightly to around $45 a night for the absolute best of the best.

When it comes to private rooms in hostels, you’ll be looking at $50 a night for a clean, basic room in a good location, so if you’re travelling with friends or with your partner, you may find it cheaper to grab some privacy over settling for two beds in a dorm room. $90 a night will get you an exceptionally well-reviewed private room in a hostel.

I use HostelWorld to find the cheapest hostels, as they tend to have the greatest number of listings at the lowest prices.

And then there are hotels, which I’m going to jump into next.

Girl in a capsule hotel in Japan
Capsule hotels are cheap, tiny, and surprisingly comfortable. This one in Hiroshima was so cosy!

The Cost of Accommodation in Japan

There are so many different types of accommodation in Japan! I attempted to experience as many as possible while I was in the country.

I stayed in a capsule hotel, prioritised hunting down a ryokan, slept on a tatami mat floor, stayed in family-run guesthouses, and checked out some pretty cool hostels. While I did attempt to save money by staying in some cheaper places, I was also happy to splurge on extremely well-rated rooms, too.

As always with these budget breakdowns, I like to share the prices of where I personally stayed, along with a description of the property and whether I’d recommend choosing it, too — hopefully this helps make your trip planning easier!

I visited Japan with my partner, Dave, and we travelled on a mid-range budget; searching out good value accommodation that was highly-rated and in a central location. We prioritised locally-run properties that weren’t too flashy or fancy; for us, a cosy vibe, unique furnishings, and welcoming staff are far more important than the generic decor of a hotel chain.

(Oh and just a quick note: hotels do charge different prices across a range of dates, depending on how busy a certain travel period is going to be. Because of this, it’s hard to be super accurate in the costs that I list. To get to the quoted prices below, though, I looked at the rates across the next six months and took the average: it could be slightly cheaper or more expensive, depending on when you’re visiting.)

Tokyo: $135 a night
Odds are, you’re probably going to kick off your Japan adventures in Tokyo, and if so, it only makes sense to really throw yourself into the local experience. That’s why we decided to stay at this lovely onsen-ryokan in Shinjuku. (Whenever readers ask me which neighbourhood to choose in Tokyo, I always recommend Shinjuku or Shibuya.) The reason why I loved this specific property, though, is because it’s a ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) that also has an onsen (hot pool). It’s a great way to jump immediately into all things Japanese.

And it was wonderful; my favourite hotel in the country. The rooms were small and cosy and felt super-traditional and calming. The views over Tokyo at night from the window were incredible. And the rooftop onsen? With free popsicles afterwards? So good. It’s located in a quieter neighbourhood, but still only a 10-minute walk to the subway. I really recommend this one!

Hakone: $80 a night
In Hakone, we opted for a private room in a lovely guesthouse, with a tatami mat floor to sleep on and a private onsen on-site. The photo of the tatami mat room above is of our room here. It ended up being another one of our favourite stays in Japan! The staff were lovely and there was a restaurant/bar that served up fantastic pizzas. It had a cosy and chilled-out atmosphere, with great food and wine, and lots of blankets to snuggle up with as we ate. It was also worth staying here just to experience the private onsen — we got to go in as a couple!

Yudanaka: $105 per night
In Yudanaka, we opted for a stay in a wonderful little ryokan; this one was even more traditional than the one in Tokyo! Often, ryokans can be super-expensive in Japan — as much as $500 a night for the experience — so I was thrilled to have stumbled across a more budget option in Yudanaka. It was run by an adorable Japanese couple and their house came with a private onsen, return transport to see the snow monkeys, and one of the most extravagant meals of my life. A kaiseki is a multi-course (like, 20 courses) meal that will see you eating roughly a week’s worth of food in a single night, sampling fresh, local-to-the-region Japanese cuisine. It was phenomenal, and I loved having no idea what anything was. It even included homemade plum wine, which was so good! I highly recommend the experience (although strongly advise you not to add breakfast to your booking — we were still so full that we couldn’t eat any of it!)

Kanazawa: $65 per night
Kanazawa is home to some seriously cool accommodation! We had a hard time choosing where to stay because every property looked so cosy and inviting. In the end, we settled on this minimalist, modern set-up — it was great value for money relative to most other places we stayed in Japan, especially when you consider it’s only been open a year. It’s in a great location, right outside Omicho Market, where you’ll sample the best sushi of your life. Also within walking distance is Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Garden, so you’re really staying in the heart of it all. I recommend signing up for the traditional Japanese breakfast, as you’ll likely not have had anything else like it before! There’s also an onsen and laundry facilities (always appreciated mid-trip!), and the staff were so sweet and kind.

Takayama: $76 per night
In Takayama, we stayed in a small, locally-run guesthouse in the centre of town. It felt like particularly good value for Japan, as it was one of the few places we stayed that you could describe as spacious! It even had a kitchen and washing machine. The beds were comfortable and the hotel was within walking distance of everywhere, including the train station. It was quiet, the staff were lovely, and overall, it made for a comfortable stay!

Kyoto: $84 a night
In Kyoto, we stayed in a cosy hotel in the heart of town — we loved this place so much in 2017 that when we returned to Japan this year, we knew we’d have to stay there again! The property was in a fantastic location for exploring Kyoto and the bathrooms were nicer than anywhere else we stayed. It’s one of the top-rated guesthouses in the city — while also being one of the cheapest — so when you take that into consideration, I’m convinced you won’t find anywhere better to stay in Kyoto.

Hiroshima: $40 per bed
In Hiroshima, we opted for a capsule-style hostel because I didn’t want to leave the country without trying one — you can see a photo of the “capsule” at the top of this section. Fortunately, we found ourselves in a room with only two other people staying there, so our capsule room with 20-odd beds was light on snorers. The owner of this place was ridiculously lovely and it was within walking distance of all of the monuments and activities. Really great bathrooms, a fun common area, and a cheap price: surprisingly, I would have stayed another night!

Osaka: $108 a night
I rounded off my time in Japan with a little bit of a treat, opting for this four-star hotel that offered a ton of freebies. It’s all about the onsen here — it’s open all day and is simply beautiful. After you’ve finished your daily bathe, there’s free ice cream to eat, free comics to read, massage chairs to relax in, and even free ramen to slurp on. Yes, really! It was in a great location for Osaka — just a couple of blocks from the nearest metro station. The decor was calming and traditional; the perfect way to say goodbye to Japan.

In total, I spent an average of $97 per day on accommodation over my 16 days in Japan.

Train in winter in Japan
Riding the rails in Japan is something you *have* to do.

The Cost of Transportation in Japan

Okay, so let’s talk about transportation now. And specifically transportation post-2024.

It used to be the case that practically every visitor to Japan would invest in a JR pass (a train pass that grants you unlimited rides over a certain time period). After all, the best way to explore this country is by train, and by buying said rail pass, you’d be saving a significant amount of money on your trip — especially if you were taking a similar route to my one. A JR Pass pre-October 2023 would have saved me a whopping $175 over buying individual train tickets.

Seems like a no brainer, right?

Well.

Well.

In October 2023, the Japan Rail Pass skyrocketed in price. No exaggeration here: prices increased by an incredible 70%.

What a baffling decision.

What that means is that it’s not such a clear-cut decision anymore. The Japan Rail Pass still holds some benefits: If you’re a first-time visitor to Japan and don’t feel too confident about buying multiple single-journey train tickets, the pass will make it a lot easier: you just show it at any station and get on a train. You won’t need to worry about any extra charges and will have the flexibility to take train-based day trips whenever you want.

For most travellers, however, the value proposition is simply no longer there. For example, my recent 16-day itinerary (Tokyo – Hakone – Tokyo – Nagano – Kanazawa – Takayama – Kyoto – Nara – Kyoto – Hiroshima – Osaka) cost me 50,000 Yen ($350) with single tickets. However, a 14 day rail pass is priced at 80,000 Yen ($530)!

Alas, the Japan Rail Pass is no longer something I recommend — unless you’re going to be taking enormous, lengthy rail journeys (like across the whole country) in a short period of time. Alternatively, if you do want that added sense of security and ease by not having to juggle a dozen train ticket bookings, you may find the extra price worth it.

So with all that being said: you’re most likely going to be using the JR West website to book your single train tickets online. This covers the entirety of Japan that’s west of Tokyo (all of the places I visited were west) and allows you to book your train tickets all in one place — and then you can reserve a seat on said train one month before its departure date. Honestly, it’s pretty easy to use, book, and reserve — and being able to do it all online means you can get everything sorted before you step foot in the country.

Let’s take a look at the some of the prices that a typical train journey in Japan costs — in this case I’ll use my itinerary mentioned above to plot out the costs:

Tokyo – Hakone: 2,500 Yen ($17)
Hakone – Tokyo: 2,500 Yen ($17)
Tokyo – Nagano: 7,500 Yen ($50)
Nagano – Kanazawa: 8,500 Yen ($57)
Kanazawa – Takayama: 5,000 Yen ($33)
Takayama – Kyoto: 9,000 Yen ($60)
Kyoto – Nara: 700 Yen ($5)
Nara – Kyoto: 700 Yen ($5)
Kyoto – Hiroshima: 10,500 Yen ($70)
Hiroshima – Osaka: 10,000 Yen ($67)

So if you were to replicate my Japan route exactly, you would end up spending $381 on rail tickets. It sounds like a lot of money but I do want to stress that the trains in Japan are some of the best in the world. They’re spotless, comfortable, modern, and lightning-fast. You will feel like you’re travelling in luxury.

If you’re not down to spend hundreds of dollars on trains, then the buses are going to be your best option. They’re cheaper, slower, less comfortable, often run overnight, and are complicated to book. The best sites I’ve found for booking long-distance buses is Willer Express and Japan Bus Online — but even they don’t run buses for several of the routes I took on my trip.

I thought it would be a good idea to share the cost of buses for the trip I took, so that you can compare them to the train and see how much money you could save.

Tokyo – Hakone: 2,250 Yen ($15)
Hakone – Tokyo: 1,800 Yen ($12)
Tokyo – Nagano: 2,200 Yen ($15)
Nagano – Kanazawa: No bus for this route
Kanazawa – Takayama: 3,300 Yen ($22)
Takayama – Kyoto: 3,800 Yen ($25)
Kyoto – Nara: No bus for this route
Nara – Kyoto: No bus for this route
Kyoto – Hiroshima: 4,300 Yen ($29)
Hiroshima – Osaka: 4,000 Yen ($27)

As you can, see prices are generally around half what they are for the trains. You’d be looking at paying $212 in total for taking the bus, with three trains replacing the routes where I couldn’t find any existing buses.

We’ve covered the main ways to get in between the destinations, so now it’s time to take a look at how much you could spend on transportation within the cities.

Fortunately, this was where I found Japan to be really affordable. I love to explore cities on foot and I found many of the places I visited to be surprisingly walkable. In total, I spent $6 on the metro in Tokyo, $7 on the metro in Osaka, and $2 on the metro in Kyoto! Everywhere else, I just walked.

A reasonably big expense was our Hakone Free Pass (spoiler: not free), although this was more of a combined transportation and activity cost. At a cost of 6,100 Yen, or $41, It provides you with unlimited transport around Hakone (where you’ll find Mount Fuji), and discounted entrance to all the attractions in town. If you’re going to Hakone, this will save you money because it covers everything you’ll definitely do there.

Lauren with snow monkeys
Snow monkeys! One of the perks of visiting Japan in winter.

The Cost of Activities and Entrance Fees in Japan

Activities and entrance fees in Japan were very reasonably priced, and I never found myself outraged over the cost of anything. You’ll typically pay less than $5 to enter most temples, museums, and gardens.

Here’s how I spread my cash around:

Entrance fee for the hedgehog cafe in Tokyo: $13/1400¥
Entrance to the Snow Monkey Park: $7/800¥
Entrance to Kenroku-en gardens in Kanazawa: $3/310¥
Entry to the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto: $3/300¥
Entry to Ryoan-ji zen garden in Kyoto: $5/500¥
Ticket for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial: $2/200¥

My total cost of activities in Japan averaged out to $2 a day.

Takoyaki from Gindaco in Tokyo
Takoyaki is one of my favourite Japanese snack foods — you have to try them while you’re there!

The Cost of Food in Japan

Oh, Japanese food — I love you so freaking much. And in Japan, I ate.

The good news is that as long as you’re not going out to fancy restaurants, meals in this country can be great value. I rarely paid more than ¥1000 ($9) for a bowl of ramen, and street snacks like takoyaki were ¥500 ($4.50). We splurged on our kaiseki experience at our guesthouse in Yudanaka and paid ¥4000 ($36) for our food extravaganza. It’s a budget option compared to many other kaisekis, which can easily come to $100 for the experience, but still our most expensive meal. Another splurge was on sushi in Kanazawa, which I paid ¥2000 ($18) for.

Whether you’re on a budget or ready to splurge, it’s essentially impossible to eat badly in Japan. If you’re on a really tight budget, you can even get surprisingly decent food from 7-Eleven!

My total cost of food in Japan averaged out to $23.20 per day.

Tokyo memory lane
Memory Lane in Shinjuku, Tokyo — this is one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken!

Miscellaneous Expenses in Japan

A local SIM card: $14

I mentioned above that I was able to buy a local SIM card when I purchased my rail pass. If you aren’t going to be using a rail pass in Japan, I recommend taking a look at Airalo instead. Airalo is a company that sells local e-SIM cards for travellers. What that means is that you can buy a virtual SIM card online before you arrive in Japan, and then as soon as you land in the country, can switch on your data and start using it.

It’s worked flawlessly for me and I’ll never go back to physical SIM cards. It’s just so easy! You’ll pay $6 for 1 GB of data or $14 for 3 GB for Japan and can also top-up through the Airalo app.

If you’re going down the Airalo route, just make sure your phone is e-SIM compatible first (all recent iPhones and many Androids are).

Insight Guides guidebook to Japan: $10 

My sister bought me this guidebook as a gift before I left for Japan and at first I was like, Insight Guides? Meh. I wish she’d got me the Lonely Planet instead. Then when I opened it up and started reading, I swiftly discovered that Insight Guides are my new favourite guidebook company. It was so, so useful!

What I love about Insight is that their books focus heavily on the history and culture of Japan, with big, beautiful pictures, tons of information about local customs, food, and how to travel responsibly and respectfully. I recommend picking up a copy before your trip to Japan, but not taking it to the country with you — they’re big and heavy, so this is one for inspiration, planning, and education. 

Luggage storage at Snow Monkey Park near Yudanaka: ¥500 ($4.50)

We had our backpacks with us when we visited the snow monkeys, so utilised the on-site storage facility while we hiked up the mountain in the snow. You can also hire snow shoes and winter gear if you’re unprepared for the climb, but I was fine in my totally impractical sneakers. 

Travel insurance for 16 days in Japan: $60

If you’ve read any other posts on Never Ending Footsteps, you’ll know that I’m a great believer in travelling with travel insurance. I’ve seen far too many Go Fund Me campaigns from destitute backpackers that are unexpectedly stranded in a foreign country after a scooter accident/being attacked/breaking a leg with no way of getting home or paying for their healthcare. These costs can quickly land you with a six-figure bill to pay at the end of it.

In short, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

Travel insurance will cover you if your flight is cancelled and you need to book a new one, if your luggage gets lost and you need to replace your belongings, if you suddenly get struck down by appendicitis and have to be hospitalised, or discover a family member has died and you need to get home immediately. If you fall seriously ill, your insurance will cover the costs to fly you home to receive medical treatment.

I use SafetyWing as my travel insurance provider, and recommend them for trips to the Japan. Firstly, they’re one of the few companies out there who will actually cover you if you contract COVID-19. On top of that, they provide worldwide coverage, don’t require you to have a return ticket, and even allow you to buy coverage after you’ve left home. If you’re on a long-term trip, you can pay monthly instead of up-front, and can cancel at any time. Finally, they’re more affordable than the competition, and have a clear, easy-to-understand pricing structure, which is always appreciated.

With SafetyWing, you’ll pay $1.50 a day for travel insurance.

Golden Pavilion in December
Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion is such a magical spot to visit in Japan

How I Track My Expenses While I Travel

Every time I share my expenses, you guys always want to know how on earth I manage to keep track of so many details from my travels!

Because Never Ending Footsteps is my company, the vast majority of my travel expenses are business expenses. I therefore studiously record everything I spend everywhere I go. I take photos of every receipt I receive and use Xero accounting software to record these expenses. In cases where I can’t get a receipt, I’ll take a photo of the price list and my ticket or food, or something as evidence.

Once a week, I then sit down and spend an hour or so uploading my receipts to Xero and making note of every penny I spent in each country I visit. It makes writing these posts super easy!

Takayama in December
Takayama in the snow: I loved this traditional city!

How Much Does it Cost to Travel in Japan?

It’s time to tally up all of my expenses to see my total travel costs!

Accommodation: $97 per day
Transportation: $27 per day
Food: $23 per day
Activities/Entrance Fees: $2 per day
Miscellaneous: $2 per day

Average amount spent in Japan: $151 a day!

I don’t know about you, but given Japan’s pricey reputation, I’m fairly impressed with the amount I spent in the country, especially as I included quite a few splurges in there.

How about you? How expensive were you expecting a trip to Japan to be?

Related Articles on Japan

🇯🇵 What’s it Like to Travel in Japan?
🏯 How to Spend Two Weeks in Japan: An Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
🍣 15 Weird and Wonderful Things to Eat in Japan
🎌 23 Incredible Things to Do in Osaka, Japan
🗼 21 Spectacular Things to Do in Tokyo, Japan
😎 Hipster Harajuku: The Coolest Neighbourhood in Tokyo
🦔 Should You Go to a Hedgehog Cafe? My Experience in Japan
🐒 Why Seeing the Snow Monkeys in Japan Sucked

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About the author

Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents.

Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

99 Comments

  1. Simon
    June 12, 2018
    Reply

    Wow! that’s amazing. I especially got fascinated seeing the capsule hotel…must have been a unique experience.

    • June 16, 2018
      Reply

      It was surprisingly cosy! I would totally stay in one again.

      • Alan
        September 5, 2023
        Reply

        Thank you so much for your information. We will go to Japan in October 2023 for 1 month. Have paid fully for 16 days. Using your guides to budget the remaining 2 weeks. Thanks again.

  2. Kristin
    June 12, 2018
    Reply

    This is great! Do you think it would be much more expensive in summer or any of the peak holiday seasons? I’m going over July this year and wondering if the prices change much with the seasons.

  3. June 12, 2018
    Reply

    Wow! That’s quite an eye-opener! I’ve wanted to visit Japan for years, and this has certainly nudged me a little closer, as I assumed it was expensive too. The costs seem much better than I found in Amsterdam this spring! (my boyfriend still gets a thousand-yard stare when I mention how much we paid for drinks in one bar.)

    • June 16, 2018
      Reply

      Yay! Yeah, it really did feel about the same price as Western Europe, if not cheaper. The transportation is more expensive, but the food was cheaper in Japan.

  4. June 12, 2018
    Reply

    This is super awesome! I, too, was under the impression that Japan was a super expensive place to visit! Good to know that you can save so much on accommodation and activities! Are you going to be posting about food in Japan? My knowledge of what to eat there is very minimal…

  5. Ryan Biddulph
    June 12, 2018
    Reply

    Ditto for here in New Zealand Lauren. All said it would be expensive. But we house sat – rent-free – and saw that food and travel are on par or cheaper than New Jersey. We also saw that virtually all things are cheaper than folks said. Methinks many labeling Japan and NZ as expensive as can be are used to paying $1 for lunch in Chiang Mai LOL. Budget folks see all Western lands as expensive. Granted I am from NJ; living by NYC makes for a high cost of living. But not bad at all, living in these lands.

    • June 15, 2018
      Reply

      Yeah, definitely true. I know that when I wrote off Japan as being too expensive, it was in the early days of my travels, when I could only afford to live in Southeast Asia!

  6. Sally
    June 13, 2018
    Reply

    Loving the posts about Japan so far. Do you have many more articles planned? I’ve a trip booked in November and this has been the most useful of the blogs so far for help in planning – thank you. Although I’ve had to cut the hedgehog cafe off my plans after reading your article as I hadn’t quite considered the ethics enough!

    • June 15, 2018
      Reply

      Yes! So many. I’ll probably post another half a dozen or more over the next few weeks :-)

  7. Markus
    June 13, 2018
    Reply

    I always assumed Japan to be very expensive. Thanks to your blog I don’t anymore. Cheers!

  8. Joanne
    June 14, 2018
    Reply

    This is all very useful info! I’m impressed with your budgeting skills. Awesome, Thanks for sharing this!

    • June 15, 2018
      Reply

      Ha! Thank you :-) It comes naturally (finally) after seven years of doing this.

  9. Shirley
    June 14, 2018
    Reply

    Fantastic article. Love your budget posts because you never leave anything out.

    • June 16, 2018
      Reply

      I try not to! Thanks so much :-)

  10. Ratheesh R Nath
    June 14, 2018
    Reply

    Beautiful photos, Japan look amazing and thank you for sharing your budget tips as well. :)

  11. Sarah
    June 15, 2018
    Reply

    Thank you so much for this! I’m going to Japan in September and I’ve been worrying about my budget. This has definitely put my mind at rest!

  12. Sofia
    June 16, 2018
    Reply

    I’m so happy that you have posted so much lately, you’re my favourite travel blog and I check this page a lot more often now that the pace of the posts has increased :)

    • June 16, 2018
      Reply

      Thank you! :-) I’m aiming to stick to a three-times-a-week posting schedule now that I have a base and more time to dedicate to writing.

  13. June 16, 2018
    Reply

    This is so much cheaper than I expected. Do you have any idea about prices for solo travellers though? Would I have to pay for a double room most of the time (apart from dorm beds of course)?

    • June 16, 2018
      Reply

      No, lots of hotels and guesthouses have single rooms, so you wouldn’t need to pay out for two people very often, if at all.

      • June 19, 2018
        Reply

        Thanks, that’s good to know!

  14. July 1, 2018
    Reply

    Very useful breakdown that would be very helpful for first-timers to Japan.

    Just to share, one of my own major expenditure in JP is … vending machine contribution! I simply can’t resist them and can end up buying seven times a day. “P

    • July 7, 2018
      Reply

      Yes! I couldn’t believe how many vending machines there were in the country, as well as the variety of things you could buy from them.

  15. Keith Carreon
    July 4, 2018
    Reply

    Hello! This is a very timely article for me to read as I’m actually going to visit Japan for a week on September. I really love Japan’s culture and their people. There are a lot of places that I want to visit and a lot of things I want to do but I am on a strict budget. Hopefully, your article would be able to help me fix my budgeting for my trip to Japan.

    • July 12, 2018
      Reply

      I hope so! I really didn’t find it horrendously expensive, so I think you’ll be surprised by how much you can do there for free.

  16. robert
    July 6, 2018
    Reply

    I love your budget posts because they give me such a good idea of how much I can expect to spend in places around the world. Are you thinking of doing them for everywhere you visit?

    • July 10, 2018
      Reply

      That’s my plan! I’m slowly working my way through my records and adding more and more to the site.

  17. Kesari
    July 24, 2018
    Reply

    This is all very useful info! I’m impressed with your budgeting skills. Awesome, Thanks for sharing this!

  18. Ingrid
    September 2, 2018
    Reply

    I’ve planed to visit Japan next year, Thank you for sharing your budget, I’ll try to not exceed 100$/day, following your information on this post.

    • September 15, 2018
      Reply

      Have a fantastic trip, Ingrid! :-)

  19. Khush
    September 3, 2018
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,

    Which month you visited Japan? I am thinking for Cherry blossom (April 2019) and everything is coming up too expensive. Are those above for cherry blossom season you visited?

    • September 3, 2018
      Reply

      Ah yeah, unfortunately, the cherry blossom season is the most expensive time of year to visit Japan. I was there in December, so prices will be higher than the ones mentioned in this post. I’ll add that detail to my post now!

  20. Rajesh Sharma
    December 22, 2018
    Reply

    I was under the impression that Japan was a super expensive place to visit! Good to know that you can save so much on accommodation and activities! This article includes all the places you can visit in Japan and their expenses. It is very educative and it can be improved by providing expenses in INR. Thank you for posting this useful information.

    • January 7, 2019
      Reply

      Thank you! I usually just price these articles in the local currency and USD, which is where the vast majority of my readers are located. If I started including currencies for everyone, the post would quickly get ridiculous :-)

      • Guilherme G Cardoso
        October 15, 2019
        Reply

        Seems a dumb question, but I’m assuming all the values are in USD, is it correct?

        • October 15, 2019
          Reply

          Yep! I write at the start of the post: “The amounts in this guide are listed in Japanese Yen and U.S. dollars, simply because the vast majority of my readers are from the U.S.”

  21. JACK
    January 22, 2019
    Reply

    That is a very good breakdown cost analysis there. i am planning to go to japan as well with my wife. and planning to stay for 10 days only. 4 in tokyo 3 in kyoto and 3 in osaka. i like to idea of 100 aud / day it’s a good target to keep but i guess the expense on buying cloths and souvenir would be uncontrollable though i heard things in japanese is not that dear if you know where to shop and avoid tourist trap. i didn’t see you mention buying internet data in advance ? or i missed it somewhere. i guess the expense for a couple will be double up. but i guess 3000 aud for 2 people is unavoidable.

  22. Leilani
    February 10, 2019
    Reply

    amazing detailed guide

    thanks

  23. Rachel Keliinoi
    February 13, 2019
    Reply

    I’m so glad I found your website! I love the detail and photos. I just booked a trip to Japan with my boyfriend for this upcoming October, and your site will be very helpful.
    Question: do most hostels and accommodations that you experienced have you sleeping solo? I’m wondering if I should expect to sleep in a separate area than my partner for most of the trip…

  24. Felipe Burneo Arteaga
    March 2, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,
    Thanks for such a detailed description of your time in Japan! I’m going to Japan October this year with my wife and my major concern is how you managed to book sleeping pods for you and your boyfriend as almost all accommodations are either “male only” or “female only” from the options I’ve seen so far. Did you have to get separate beds for those nights?

    • March 3, 2019
      Reply

      Yeah, the capsule hotel-style accommodation is all single beds. You can see in my photo in this post that there’s not much room for anybody else!

  25. Paul
    March 21, 2019
    Reply

    My wife and I are heading to Japan in mid May and I plan to use your itinerary.

    Would it be possible for you to write something about the travel logistics if you can remember them – ie to get from Tokyo to Mt Fuji we booked the following train, leaving at…from the following platform which took X hours and arrived at Mt Fuji at. We then bought our day pass from….and ……..

    This would be really helpful to me and other independent travellers – from where did you buy your JR pass and how did you book your individual train rides?

    Cheers
    Paul

    • March 21, 2019
      Reply

      Oh, man. That would take me hours and hours to put together and I’m sure times and platforms change so it would be impossible for me to keep the information up-to-date and accurate.

      I recommend downloading the mobile app Hyperdia — you can plan your train travel out using that. Just enter in your destinations and it will tell you which train to take and from which platform. Super easy to use! :-)

      The site I used to buy the JR Pass is this one. I booked the other train tickets in person at the stations when I arrived — there weren’t many that weren’t covered by the rail pass. Just the small regional ones to get to and from Yudanaka, I think.

  26. Lisa
    March 24, 2019
    Reply

    Hello Lauren,
    I love the details in your blog.
    Your expenses were for 1 or 2 people?

    • March 24, 2019
      Reply

      I cover that at the start of the blog post: “And finally, these are the expenses I paid while travelling with my boyfriend. That means that accommodation prices (with the exception of the dorm bed in Hiroshima) have been halved to indicate my share.”

  27. jennifer
    April 3, 2019
    Reply

    Great super helpful article. THANK YOU!

  28. Dan
    April 24, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,
    Thanks so much for this article, it is so helpful!!!
    on which dates did you fly to japan? what dates are you recommending on?

    • April 24, 2019
      Reply

      I spent the first two weeks of December in Japan. I’d recommend looking at May or September as the best months to travel there.

  29. April 30, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren
    I’d love your advice. I’m traveling with my 22yr old daughter to celebrate her graduation and my birthday. I booked the first two nights a hotel in Tokyo and then figured we would VRBO or Airbnb but after reading your post it looks like things have changed. I love the idea of the capsule hotels and the standard tatami mat rooms look enchanting. So how do I search for either? We’d like to experience both for the trip. oh by the way, I’m a traveler too, let me know where in the world are you now. Perhaps we can meet up and collaborate, I do video production, just got back from Colorado and am going to Cancun in June.looking forward to hearing back from you, Peace and Love always, “L” oh let’s connect on IG

    • April 30, 2019
      Reply

      Just book them through Booking.com — no need to go to any specific site. I’m in Bristol, in the UK. I actually don’t have an Instagram account — it wasn’t doing good things for my mental health, so I deleted it :-)

  30. Ravi George
    May 9, 2019
    Reply

    G’day Lauren,

    Loved your detailed description of your travels through Japan. However; I’m not so brave as you travelling around on my own, especially with the language problem. I am a single traveler from Bangalore, India and would love to spend 7-8 days in Japan, with my journey starting and ending in Tokyo, reasonably priced hotels or local hostels, but preferably single accommodation, if possible. (willing to pay extra).

    I love train travel and Japan is one of the best places to do that..your take on that would be appreciated. If you feel, I meet your requirements, would love to get an itinerary and costing for my 7-8 day stay in Japan.

  31. Imane
    May 12, 2019
    Reply

    Hello! I am really curious on how you got a 14 days pass JR for only 420$, from where I am from (Canada) it is 567!

    • May 12, 2019
      Reply

      If you click the link in the post, you can buy it through there. It’s currently listed for 414 USD.

  32. SK
    May 30, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,

    $95/day seems cheaper than what I had expected – is that a tight budget? What can you do more with $150/day? I’d prefer to spend that extra on living in nice hotels + do more activities. Does that seem possible with $150/day?

    • May 31, 2019
      Reply

      No, not really. It was a mid-range budget and all of the hotels we stayed in were nice — I made zero effort to stick to a tight budget.

  33. Donna
    June 17, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,

    Hope you’re well. I’m wondering if you still advise from not booking Airbnb for Tokyo? Thanks.

  34. June 26, 2019
    Reply

    Until moments ago, I had always assumed Japan to be too expensive to even consider. Never thought the cost of activities and entrance fees would be so cheap. This is an encouraging article, thanks, Lauren!

  35. Angelia Nielsen
    July 19, 2019
    Reply

    Really remarkable post, Lauren. Extremely thorough and helpful. I’m looking to plan a trip to Japan soon and stumbled across your blog. As you clearly hoped from city-to-city, (this may be a silly question) what did you do with your luggage on a day-to-day basis?

    Thanks for any insight.

    • July 20, 2019
      Reply

      Oh, just left it in my hotels. If I spent less than a full day somewhere, it was visited as a day trip, so I didn’t take my luggage with me. And then whenever I arrived somewhere, I’d time my arrival with the check-in time of the hotel, drop my bags first, then head out exploring.

  36. Berkley Williams
    August 14, 2019
    Reply

    great article! As I have said in the past you always put out great stuff that’s very valuable information.

  37. Mary
    October 19, 2019
    Reply

    I just came across your website when searching for trips for Japan for my son.
    I have to say I am really so happy and want to thank you so much for the information.
    My eldest son has been taking Japan as a language course for the last 3 years and was looking forward to trying to get into the high school Japan trip in end of july beginning of August 2020. He also wanted to go to TUJ(Temple University Japan).

    However, because of the olympics the high school Japan trip has been canceled for 2020.
    Unfortunately, he will be a senior next year so the 2021 high school program will not be available for him. Plus going to olympics are so expensive.
    If you can give me any advice, I would greatly appreciate.
    Thank you so much in advance for your time!!!

    • October 19, 2019
      Reply

      What advice do you need? About what?

  38. Florian Andrei
    October 23, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,
    I really liked you post and I think is really helpful.
    When exactly did you go in Japan?
    We have to change our plans for next February (previous planned for Philippines but to risky for my wife pregnancy) and we consider to go in Japan instead.
    So, do you think it is good idea travelling in Japan in February?
    Thank you and advance.

    Florian

    • October 23, 2019
      Reply

      I went during the first half of December. As long as you keep in mind that it’ll be pretty cold (5-10 celsius), I think it’s a great time of year, as it won’t be as crowded as peak season.

  39. Rachel
    October 24, 2019
    Reply

    is it favorable to use credit card or cash is much preferred? thanks

  40. Donna
    October 30, 2019
    Reply

    Hi. Thank you for the information! I am so inspired to go to Japan now. My mom who was from Japan, always told me it’s too expensive to go back and visit. I am now 56 and it has been my lifelong dream to go. My husband and I will go with backpacks like we did when we were younger and before having kids. Is October a good time to go? I read September can be humid. I want to follow your itinerary for the most part. My mom lived in Kanazawa. My heart is full right now and my eyes are misty. Thank you for making my dream a little bit closer.

  41. November 11, 2019
    Reply

    Hey Lauren!

    Thank you so much for the information. I actually got invited on a delegation to go to Japan this evening and am trying to get the average cost to travel in the country. Obviously, your trip was on a very impressive budget. I have two questions,
    1. Based on the $95/day over the course of your 16-day trip, would it be right to say that (flight included) you only paid ~$1,600 for your entire trip?
    2. Would you say for a trip including cultural experiences, transportation and stays in nice hotels for a week, a grand total of $3,700 is reasonable?

    In advance, I appreciate your advice on this!

  42. Christine
    November 13, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren,
    Are you able to name all the accomodations you stayed with? I would like to visit Japan next year on a very tight budget. Thanks.

    • November 13, 2019
      Reply

      Yes, they’re already linked in the post along with the reviews of them under the accommodation section.

  43. lynn
    November 19, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren. I’m debating spending 5 nights in Osaka and doing day trips to kyoto, nara and himeji castle. (I have hotel points where i can stay at osaka). Based on your experience – is that ok? or is better to stay 2 nights in Osaka and 3 nights in kyoto. There is a lot of different opinions online, thought id ask you if you think i’d be missing out on anything if staying in osaka. The one plus is i can save some money if using points and also staying in 1 location for 5 nights vs packing and moving to another location. Thanks so much for your posts!

  44. Abraham
    November 25, 2019
    Reply

    Hey i found this really helpful but I’ve been planning to visit japan for a while and have hopes of going after i graduate high school. With some research i found that the JR pass isn’t needed if you’re just staying in one city. How much do you think i would spend on transportation for 2 weeks in Tokyo? Will it come out to more than what you spent or less?

    • November 25, 2019
      Reply

      Definitely less! You can walk to a lot of places, but otherwise the metro won’t cost much at all — a dollar or two per trip.

  45. Rejy
    December 13, 2019
    Reply

    Would you be able to give recommendations for food places in Kyoto that are affordable.

  46. December 19, 2019
    Reply

    Hi Lauren. Came across your site on a Google search for budget travel. It convinced e that a trip to Japan is affordable. Never have done international travel and would like your advice on a couple of things.
    1. What is the best way to pack? Do I have to just use a back pack?
    2. Can I use a credit card or should cash be used?
    3. Can I get cell phone coverage in Japan.

    Thanks, you site is great!

    • December 20, 2019
      Reply

      1) I prefer to travel with a backpack, but you’ll do okay with a suitcase, too. I personally find backpacks easier for navigating train stations, as you don’t have to drag it up and down stairs, etc. It doesn’t really matter either way, though. Depending on how long you’ll be staying there, I usually pack for a week no matter how long my trip is, then do laundry once a week.

      2) Japan is mostly cash-based, so plan for lots of trips to the ATM. I didn’t find many places that accepted cards, although I also wasn’t looking very hard either.

      3) Yep, you can pick up a local SIM card at the airport when you arrive. I bought mine through the rail pass company I link to in this blog post, but you can also just buy one when you arrive. Super easy to do and they’ll get it set up for you in the shop, too.

  47. January 12, 2020
    Reply

    Love your posts! have been browsing but when I stumbled upon your page found it really helpful! Planning for Japan and Singapore so finding both blogs is perfect timing :)
    We are still not sure if the JRpass will help us- when we did calculation for the main routes we are going it resulted not worth it, however then not sure if we will require any additional rails/trains in between these. Tokyo>Hakone>Kyoto> Osaka without returning back… your input will be appreciated :)
    P.S. Feel free to visit the island of Malta, my home country

  48. Vishwanth Kota
    January 16, 2020
    Reply

    Wooow !! This is amazing , My wife and I have been planning to visit japan and we always had a misconception that Japan is expensive to visit .. This is a great blog .. So the overall cost including your flight tickets and local travel in japan would cost around 2500 $ per person ?

  49. Felicia
    January 27, 2020
    Reply

    This was so incredibly helpful! Normally I don’t find myself reading entire articles but yours was so informational and in depth. Thank you so much for helping me get an idea of how much I would roughly spend!

    • March 15, 2020
      Reply

      Ah, no problem! Thanks for reading, and I’m glad you found it useful :-)

  50. August 8, 2020
    Reply

    I super love this article Lauren! I thoroughly enjoyed it. When all is well and my country allows us to travel again, this is going to be on my top 3 places to visit (the 1st 2 will be diving spots as I’m a freediver). I made sure to bookmark this page for reference.
    Again, thank you for writing this. One question though, when you say $ do you mean USD?

    • August 8, 2020
      Reply

      Yep, USD! “The amounts in this guide are listed in Japanese Yen and U.S. dollars, simply because the vast majority of my readers are from the U.S.”

  51. Diana Marcela Maldonado Burgos
    December 14, 2020
    Reply

    How much did you spend on transportation in Tokyo? I mean if you hadn’t had the JR Pass? How much did you save in Tokyo by having the pass?

    • December 17, 2020
      Reply

      Oh, I didn’t activate the pass when I was in Tokyo — I activated it on the day I left — so that was my total expenses without using it.

  52. Karen A.
    March 16, 2021
    Reply

    Hi Lauren! I just read your post. My boyfriend and I are backpackers and we are planning our next trip to Japan. I wanted to ask you when did you go there? (what time of the year). Because we can only take time off during winter time (dec-jan) and I don’t know if that’s a good time of year to go. We are from Denver and snow doesn’t bother us but we also want to enjoy it.

    Thanks in advance!
    Love your blog

    • March 16, 2021
      Reply

      I was there in December! There’s fewer crowds then, which makes it a great time to go! As an added bonus you get to enjoy all of the cosy onsens in the snow :-)

  53. Japan Airlines Reservations
    May 25, 2021
    Reply

    Even in these unprecedented times, I feel as if I have already traveled to Japan! I loved every minute of the information you gave me. This place is definitely next on my list, of course! It can be months or a year from now.

  54. Kevin
    June 14, 2021
    Reply

    Hi.

    It appears you’re still getting traffic in the comments here (excellent) so I thought I would ask a broad question. Wife and I are thinking to take our 6 and 9 year old to Japan for about 11 days. Any destinations you might leave off your itinerary given a bit less time and traveling with kids?

    Thanks.

  55. Rafaella
    September 16, 2021
    Reply

    Fantastic! I’ve never seen any article about travelling to japan so specific and detailed before!! It sure will help me prepare for my own first&solo trip! thank you so much

  56. CS
    February 27, 2023
    Reply

    Great post, but the prices are wildly outdated now. Your $30/night hotels in 2018 are going for around $220/night in 2023. Insane!

    • February 27, 2023
      Reply

      Hi CS, what time of year are you looking to visit? I’ve had a quick check and every hotel I link to still displays roughly the correct prices (a couple were out by about $10-20 a night, but nothing like $190!). If you’re looking at going in May, for example, Hakone Tent prices their rooms at $176 a night, but then offers rooms at a price of $73 a night a month later in June, so the time of year can affect the pricing. I’ll make a note to mention this in a future update to the post.

      I visited in the low season, in December, so the prices I paid were lower than they might be at a more popular time of year.

  57. Anonymous
    March 18, 2023
    Reply

    This is amazing on every level. Thank you! only issue is prices for accomodations double during sakura season so what can I do

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