Ar you wondering how much is a trip to Japan and how much should you bring with yourself? The cost of a trip to Japan can vary greatly depending on how long you plan to stay and what kind of itinerary you choose. To give you a better idea, I’ll break down the estimated costs for a typical two-week trip, focusing on popular destinations and covering expenses like transportation, accommodation, food, and more.
2 weeks trip to Japan average cost
The average cost of a 2-week trip to Japan ranges from $2000 to $3500 per person. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly trip, you can expect to spend around $2000. However, if you prefer a more comfortable trip with some luxuries, the cost could go up to $3500.
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Excluding flight, train, health insurance, and internet costs (which you’ll typically purchase before your trip), you can expect to spend around $800 to $1000 on other expenses.
Many places in Japan don’t accept online payments or credit cards at check-in or restaurants, so you might need to pay in cash.
Consider exchanging your currency at your home bank at least a month before your trip. If you don’t want to carry too much cash, you can withdraw money from ATMs in Japan. 7-Eleven convenience stores (open 24/7) and post offices are popular options. I’ve written a guide that explains how to withdraw cash in Japan in more detail.
Transportation
Let’s start with one of the unavoidable costs of a trip: transportation. After booking your flight, you’ll need to consider purchasing a Japan Rail Pass, which is often not the most cost-effective option, and factor in the costs of internal travel by train and bus.
Flights
If you book in advance (1-2 months), you can find tickets for under $800, usually with a stopover. The two main airports in Tokyo are Haneda and Narita. If you have a choice, I recommend Haneda airport as it is much closer to the city center than Narita.
I suggest checking the Skyscanner website to search for flight deals.
Japan Rail Pass
The Japan Rail Pass is not an essential cost for your trip to Japan. This pass allows you unlimited use of JR trains for 7, 14, or 21 days. The cost of the Japan Rail Pass is $324 (7 days), $523 (14 days), or $649 (21 days).
As a general rule, it’s worth purchasing the Japan Rail Pass if you plan to travel long distances in Japan in a short period of time. It’s not worth it, for example, if your itinerary only includes Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. For more details, I recommend reading this guide that I wrote to help you understand whether or not it’s worth purchasing the Japan Rail Pass.
The pass can be activated at any time once you arrive in Japan (within one month), so if you have planned a 10-day trip, for example, you can purchase the 7-day pass, visit Tokyo, and then activate the pass on the third day before leaving to visit other cities.
You might also like: 15-Day Japan Itinerary: Recommended DIY tour
Trains
Traveling around Japan is a fantastic experience, especially by train. However, the Japan Rail Pass might not be sufficient to reach all the destinations on your itinerary. The subway, for example, is not part of the JR line and will be an additional cost.
The good news is that traveling by subway is not too expensive and is quite easy thanks to rechargeable cards. The most famous cards are Suica (or Welcome Suica) and Pasmo, which can be used to travel between all the major areas of Japan. These are not subscriptions, but simple cards to make payments more convenient and save time.
They can also be used as a payment method in many stores, vending machines, and even some restaurants.
If you think you will be traveling a lot in Tokyo, I recommend purchasing a Tokyo Metro pass, which is valid for 1, 2, or 3 days.
While Tokyo is recommended for traveling by subway (with Suica or Pasmo) or JR lines (included in the Japan Rail Pass price), in Kyoto, for example, a daily pass is available that allows you to visit the main tourist attractions by bus, at a cost of only 600 yen.
For daily passes and to save on travel in Kansai, I recommend the following passes:
- Amazing Pass Osaka (1 or 2 days) offers unlimited use of the Osaka subway system.
- JR West Kansai Pass provides unlimited access to JR trains within the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara), excluding Shinkansen bullet trains.
- Kansai Thru Pass grants unlimited access to non-JR trains and buses in Kansai (including Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe metros, Keihan Railway, Kintetsu Railway, etc.)
- Hankyu Tourist Pass, valid for 1 day, allows for unlimited travel on the Hankyu Line (connecting Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto). This pass even takes you to Arashiyama in Kyoto.
For travel to popular areas like Hakone, Mount Fuji, or Koyasan, the Japan Rail Pass is insufficient. You’ll need to purchase specific day passes locally, which are usually quite affordable.
I recommend checking out my guides on Japan train passes and how to buy train tickets online for more detailed information.
Accommodation
Accommodation costs can vary greatly depending on your needs. Japan offers a wide range of options across different price ranges, but spaces are usually smaller than what we are accustomed to.
Capsule hotels, hostels, luxury hotels, or traditional inns (ryokan) – the choice depends on the number of people traveling and availability.
To find the best prices for accommodations, I usually use Expedia.com. I also recommend reading the guides I’ve written to help you choose the best area to stay in Tokyo and Osaka.
Hostels
Definitely the most economical option, especially if you’re traveling solo. It’s worth noting that prices in Tokyo are always higher than in other cities, and the cost per night can easily exceed $30, even for shared rooms.
Capsule Hotels
Capsule hotels are very popular and due to their peculiarity (very small spaces, they are real “capsules”) have become almost a tourist attraction. As strange as it may seem (and tight), the space is usually very well organized and you can be sure to get a good night’s sleep.
They might not be the best value for money, in fact, for the same price you can also find 2-3 star hotels. If there is no availability in hotels, and you want to try the experience, it’s worth spending at least one night in a capsule hotel.
Hotels
If you’re thinking of staying in a 3-4 star hotel, you can expect to pay over $100 per night, especially in the most popular neighborhoods. If you want to save money, you can stay in less famous chains or in more peripheral areas.
Thanks to the efficiency of public transportation, you won’t have any problems moving from one neighborhood to another, but keep in mind that transportation costs increase the further you get from the central areas.
Luxury Hotels
If you’re looking for a luxury accommodation, super central and with breathtaking views (especially in Tokyo), you’ll be spoiled for choice. The cost can vary greatly, but in general, you can expect a starting cost of twice that of mid-range hotels, up to luxury hotels costing $1000/night or more.
Ryokan
If you want to have an authentic traditional Japanese experience, ryokans are the solution for you. Here too, prices can vary greatly (from $70 to $350, or more, per night). During a first trip to Japan of two weeks, I always recommend spending at least one night in a ryokan.
Apartments
Following laws introduced in 2018, it is quite difficult to find apartments that offer bookings for a few days in Japan. I would normally recommend using Airbnb, but following the new regulations, owners are required to have very expensive licenses.
So if you find availability at low prices, make sure the host is regulated to avoid unpleasant surprises. For value for money, I recommend opting mainly for hotels.
Food
Japan offers a wide variety of food options, and contrary to what you might think, eating out is not prohibitively expensive.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that Tokyo is also the city with the most Michelin stars in the world and that in addition to traditional restaurants, you can find excellent international cuisine.
The estimated daily cost can vary from $25 to $50. There are several restaurant reservation services that I highly recommend for booking the most popular ones.
Breakfast
Breakfast is usually included in hostels, hotels, or ryokans. Alternatively, you can go to a conbini (convenience store like 7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, etc.) to buy a sandwich or onigiri (rice ball), spending around $2-3 including coffee, or in one of the many café chains (Starbucks, Tully’s, etc.), spending around $5-6 per person.
It won’t be difficult to find a place to have breakfast, especially if you’re in a big city.
Lunch
The cost is usually around $9-12, as many restaurants offer a special lunch menu. Alternatively, if you want to spend less (around $4-6), you can buy a bento (a pre-packaged meal) at any conbini or minimarket.
Dinner
Unless you decide to have dinner with a delicious ramen, which almost always costs less than $10, the costs depend a lot on what you choose to eat. It’s easy to estimate a minimum cost of around $15-20 per person, and up.
I highly recommend trying the typical dishes. There’s so much to choose from: sushi, Kobe beef, okonomiyaki, tonkatsu, ramen, just to name a few.
Internet
The two most popular solutions for internet access in Japan are Pocket Wi-Fi and a data SIM card, or even better, an eSIM.
Prices are quite reasonable, and typically, renting a Pocket Wi-Fi can cost around $5 per day. You can purchase a Pocket Wi-Fi (with unlimited data), while here you can find a very convenient eSIM with unlimited data. If you want to learn more about this topic, I’ve written a complete guide on the best eSIMs for a trip to Japan.
If you want to better understand which option suits you best, please refer to this comparison guide between internet options in Japan.
Note:
- Pocket Wi-Fi: A portable device that creates a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing multiple devices to connect.
- SIM card: A small card inserted into a compatible device (like a smartphone) to provide mobile data.
- eSIM: A digital SIM card that can be activated directly on your device, eliminating the need for a physical SIM.
Health Insurance
I strongly recommend always traveling with at least health insurance. Healthcare in Japan is private, and if something happens during your trip (we always hope for the best) and you need to go to the hospital for an emergency without health insurance, the costs can quickly add up.
The price for a two-week travel insurance policy online is around $50-100, depending on the insurance company. You can also add additional coverage for lost or damaged luggage and trip cancellation. Be sure to check out the Heymondo Travel Insurance.
Attractions
Some attractions in Japan are free, but in some cases, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee. For example, visiting some temples might cost $1-2, while museums may cost a little more.
The prices of all other activities can vary widely. For instance, if you want to enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree, the cost will start from $20 per person.
In this specific case, it might be worth saving money by going to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, where the entrance is free and offers a spectacular view nonetheless.
Souvenirs and Miscellaneous Expenses
A trip to Japan is certainly not complete without buying some souvenirs to take home. One thing I often find myself doing is stocking up on Japanese snacks or sweets. For this kind of spending, I recommend stopping by one of the many 100 yen shops scattered throughout Japan, one of the most famous being the Daiso chain.
Chopsticks, traditional teacups, yukata, and much more – during your trip, you’ll surely find something interesting to buy, and of course, prices can vary a lot.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, the cost of a trip to Japan can vary greatly. Regardless of the type of trip you want to organize, I recommend starting with a predetermined budget, giving yourself a little extra room, so you don’t risk having to sacrifice potential experiences, attractions, and unplanned purchases.
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