How Much Does a Trip to Japan Cost? How Much We Spent in 2 Weeks in Japan!

How much does a trip to Japan cost? Let’s talk about it!

It’s not often I get to flex my former accountant brain, but boy, do I love creating a good travel budget!

So when it came time to plan our 2-week trip to Japan, this was one of our first thoughts!

And I won’t lie, while Japan can be budget-friendly, it isn’t exactly the cheapest place I’ve ever visited. However, it was such a fun trip and worth every penny!

If you’re like me, I like to know how much I’m paying before I’m on the ground spending $$$, or Japanese yen in this case. So in this Japan trip budget guide, I’ll break down the costs of flights, hotels, transportation, activities, food, and more so you can get a realistic idea of what to budget.

I also include how much we spent, because sometimes you just need actual numbers from someone who went.

Without further ado, let’s dive in! 

Don’t have time to read this now? Save it for later here! 

Japan Trip Budget Factors:

Yes, I’m going to give you numbers, but prices in Japan, particularly for flights and hotels, can vary widely based on a few factors.

1. Timing. Planning a trip mid-winter and not going skiing? It’ll likely be cheaper (outside of ski areas). Even summertime can be cheaper. But if you’re coming to admire the cherry blossoms in the spring or fall foliage in the autumn, you’ll likely be paying for it. Even traveling during a holiday will be pricier (as was our case during Oban). 
2. Japan uses the Yen. Changes in currency fluctuation can affect prices too. As I’m writing this, $1 USD is about ¥159. $1 CAD is about ¥115, $1 AUD is about ¥114, £1 is about ¥217, and €1 is about ¥186. 

Trip to Japan Cost For 2 Weeks

Now that we’ve discussed some factors that will affect your budget, let’s get into the major items to budget for!

Note: Prices are in USD. 

How Much Do Flights to Japan Cost?

Now, of course, this will vary based on where you live! But here are a couple of price points to look at!

What We Spent to Fly to Japan:

If you know us, you’ll know that we also love to use points to get to places too! Japan was no exception. And being a long haul flight for us, we wanted economy premium with the leg rests at least. 

We ended up paying $50.11 and 118,400 United miles per person to fly home from Japan in Economy Premium Plus, and just paid $1,184.50 cash each for our Delta flight there in Delta Premium Select. 

So for our round-trip from Cleveland, Ohio to Tokyo, Japan, we paid $1,234.61 per person plus points for premium plus economy. 

How Much Should You Budget For Flights to Japan?

Checking Skyscanner, here are prices based on your travel style:

• Budget & Mid-range: $1,200-2,220 per person round-trip based on when and where you’re flying from (in the US)!
• Luxury: $5,300-8,300+ per person round-trip based on where you’re flying from (again, checking US flights)!

How Much Does It Cost to Get Around Japan?

In this section, I’m going to specifically discuss trains/inter country flights and discuss the metro further below!

How Much We Spent on Trains:

We spent $453.81 per person on our trains in Japan. This included our high-speed Shinkansen trains (and some other trains) from Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Nara and back, Kyoto-Okayama, Okayama-Hiroshima and back, Okayama-Himeji and back, Okayama-Hakone (Odawara), and Hakone (Odawara)-Tokyo.

It was a lot for under $500!

Should You Purchase the Japan Rail Pass?

This depends on how much you plan to use it! If you’re doing the standard Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route in Japan, I doubt it. 

Even for us, we compared how much it would cost to book individual tickets versus the rail pass, and it was cheaper to book individually. 

However, I do recommend pricing it out for yourself! Check Japan Rail Passes here!

The Japan Rail Pass does include the Shinkansen trains, some other trains and even the Narita Express from Narita Airport to Tokyo. Check out all it includes here!

How Much Do Trains Cost in Japan?

This greatly depends on where you’re going! If you’re just doing Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka, it’s not too bad! Our train from Tokyo to Kyoto was $88 per person. 

For Kyoto to Okayama, it was around $52 per person! For Kyoto to Osaka, it’s around $11 per person as they’re so close. And from Osaka to Tokyo, it’s around $100 per person. 

This is where to book individual trains! And note prices can change!

How Much Do Inter-Country Flights Cost in Japan?

I don’t necessarily recommend flying around Japan, especially as the high-speed train works well on the main island. However, if you’re flying to Hokkaido or Okinawa, or just want to quickly get to Hiroshima, flying may be best.

Checking Skyscanner, it’s between $44-105 per person for a flight somewhere in Japan. And again, it could be more or less depending on when you go! 

How Much Does It Cost to Get Around Japan?

Here are costs to get around:

• Budget: $200-300 per person depending on where you’re going! 
• Mid-Range-Luxury: $400-510+ per person (there isn’t reason to spend more than the cost of the Japan Rail Pass unless you’re using a train not covered or flying as well)!

How Much Do Hotels Cost in Japan?

Now this can vary extremely depending on where you’re going, when you’re going, and what you’re booking. 

A ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) that includes breakfast and dinner and has a large room will cost a lot more than a capsule hotel in Tokyo. But here is what we spent and what to look at based on budget.

How Much We Spent on Hotels in Japan

Here is what we spent on hotels in Japan:

• Tokyo at Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Shinjuku for 3 nights: $0. We actually used our free night stay with our World of Hyatt credit card and 54,000 points and managed to stay in Tokyo without spending a dime. 

• Kyoto at Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion for 3 nights: $985 for both of us. This is about $328 per night in August. Granted, this is a nicer hotel in the Gion District of Kyoto- a great area to stay! We walked to a LOT of places. And because we saved in Tokyo, we were cool with paying this.

• Okayama at Koraku Hotel for 4 nights: $537 for both of us. This is $134 per night. As you can imagine, it’s a lot cheaper visiting a lesser-known part of Japan versus a big popular city. 

• Hakone at Hakone Ryokan Ginyu for 3 nights: $2,234 for both of us. This is $745 per night. Now ryokans, as I said before, can be pricier because they offer more. This place had large rooms, our own private onsen on our balcony, a public onsen we could use for free, and we had breakfast and dinner served in our rooms, and it was included (other than a few supplemental things we had). 

Hotel Total: $3,756 for 13 nights in Japan. This averages to $289 per night. 

How Much to Budget For Hotels in Japan

• Budget Hotels: $20-150 per night depending on if you’re staying at a hostel, like TOKYO-W-inn Asakusa, or a capsule hotel like The Millennials Shibuya or The Millennials Kyoto. This would be $260-$1,950 for 13 nights. 

• Mid-range Hotels: $200-400 per night at a place like Hyatt Regency Tokyo or Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion. This would be $2,600-5,200 for 13 nights. 

• Luxury: $350-1,000+ per night at a place like Six Senses Kyoto, The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, or even Hakone Ryokan Ginyu for an authentic ryokan stay. This would be $4,550-13,000+ for 13 nights. 

Again, hotels are one of the things that can vary a lot throughout the year based on season, holidays, etc. Prices are heavily driven by demand. So while these are estimates, don’t expect the cheapest prices for most hotels in the peak of cherry blossom season or fall foliage. 

Is It Worth Staying in a Ryokan?

I don’t think you need to stay in a ryokan for every night of your trip. However, spending a couple of nights is a ton of fun to get a traditional inn experience! We loved Hakone Ryokan Ginyu– especially since every room had its own private onsen on the terrace, we were served breakfast and dinner in our room (and it was included in our stay), and there was a public onsen. Plus, it’s in a peaceful setting! 

While ryokans tend to be pricier than a hotel, they do also include more (typically some meals as well). 

How Much Do Tours & Activities Cost in Japan?

This will also vary depending on what you want to do! 

How Much We Spent on Activities & Tours in Japan

We actually only did one guided tour our whole trip, but we definitely visited our fair share of temples, shrines, and museums! 

Our singular tour was our day trip to Hiroshima from Okayama. We took the train to Hiroshima and met our guide with Travel Japan Together. We paid $427 for this guided tour (Joe was great!). 

Also, we booked a ticket with a drink and for me to use the overhead camera at Mag8 at Shibuya Crossing. It was so fun! We paid about $34 for this. Book it here!

We also last-minute booked tickets to TeamLab Borderless, and it was AMAZING! It cost $71 for the two of us. Book it here!

Oh, and we also went to a baseball game while in Japan (we highly recommend)! It cost us about $50 for the Yomiyuri Giants vs. Hanshin Tigers in Tokyo. 

But overall, between the day trip and activities (including Himeji Castle, several temples in Kyoto, and several art museums in Naoshima) we spent $770 between the two of us for 14 days in Japan on tours/activities. 

How Much To Budget For Tours/Activities in Japan

Here are some costs to factor in your decision making: 

• Temples cost about ¥300-1,000 per person, or around $2-7 USD. In our experience, most cost around ¥500, or about $3 per person. 
• TeamLab Borderless starts around $23 per person. Book it here!

Here are activity prices to budget for:

• Budget: About $100-200 per person based on what you’re interested in doing! 
• Mid-range: Around $250-450 per person, with the more higher end including a day trip!
• Luxury: $450+ per person.

How Much Does Food and Drink Cost in Japan?

Again, this will vary depending on your dining style! You can easily get by with less than $10 per person for a meal at a konbini (convenience store like a 7/11). You can also spend a lot of money on a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo.

Let’s break it down.

How Much We Spent Eating and Drinking Japan

This is a rough estimate, because I know I sometimes used cash or paid via my suica card (public transit card) for things like vending machines or smaller konbini purchases. But overall in 14 days in Japan, we spent about $1,467 total, or $733 per person on dining in Japan. That is about $52 per person, per day! 

That’s not a bad deal AT ALL! Now we had days where we did sit down at restaurants, but we also had a handful of konbini meals too. 

Also, we had breakfasts and dinner covered for 3 nights at a ryokan, which also saved us money here! 

Here are a couple of days worth of eating for 2 for us:

• Sushi restaurant (Tsukiji Itadori Bekkan) for a late breakfast: $84
• Tsukiji Outdoor Market food: $30
• Think Coffee: $10
• Hitachino Brewing: $45
• Tempura Kakiage Yukimura for dinner: $31

Daily Total: $200 or $100 per person

Another day:

• Konbini breakfast: $15
• Lunch at an okanomiyaki place: $20
• Dinner at a yakitori spot: $33

Daily Total: $115 or $58 per person

It really does vary! 

How Much to Budget for Meals/Drinks in Japan:

• Budget: $20-45 per person per day, especially if you’re eating more street food and/or konbini snacks! This is about $280-630 per person for 2 weeks.
• Mid-range: $50-150 per person per day with a mix of konbinis and sit-down mid-range restaurants. This is about $700-2,100 per person for 2 weeks.
• Luxury: $200-550+ per person per day with a Michelin-starred restaurant, upscale lunch, and nicer breakfast. This is about $2,800-7,700+ per person for 2 weeks. 

Other Costs To Budget For in Japan:

Here are other costs to consider in Japan:

• Travel Insurance. We go with World Nomads! For us, it was about $110 per person for 2 weeks. This will vary based on where you’re at and the plan you purchase. Book it here!
• eSIM: This is SO important for getting around Japan! We used Airalo, and spent about $21 for data while in Japan. Get your eSIM here! 
• Transportation: Now we spent quite a bit on taxis, particularly in Kyoto because it was so much quicker to get to Arashiyama via taxi than public transit. I also reloaded my Suica card (public transit card) a lot and spent $91 alone on the Suica. HOWEVER, I used some of that at Konbinis or vending machines but it is impossible to figure out which is which. In total, we spent around $434, with the bulk being taxis. I’d say between $100-200 per person is appropriate based on what you’re doing/where you’re going. 
• Souvenirs: I cannot possibly estimate this for you, because some people are here to SHOP. We did purchase some souvenirs like my matcha bowl, matcha, and Yomiyuri Giants gear. So overall, we spent around $203 for the both of us. But maybe budget $100-300+ per person depending on how much shopping you plan to do!
• Other: This is a catch-all category. I got a massage at one point at the ryokan. We also tipped our tour guide and our personal room attendant (nakai-san) at our ryokan. Now tipping is COMPLETELY optional in Japan. In fact, it’s very rare. And while places online may tell you that they won’t take it or be offended, there is a lot of nuance. Sure, tipping at a restaurant is seen as unusual, but private guides and personal attendants will accept tips and appreciate it, even if you don’t have to give it. But both people were incredibly kind and went above and beyond. If you do tip, give it in an envelope, give crisp bills, and hand it over with both hands. 

How Much We Spent in Japan Overall:

I’ll be honest, I think this is the first time I did a full total…whew! We spent around $10,248 total, or about $5,124 per person during our 2-week trip to Japan. This doesn’t include my massage and tipping. 

So yes, I would say that Japan is certainly not an inexpensive place to travel to overall (although you could certainly have done this cheaper-as I’ll share below)!

How Much to Budget For 2 Weeks in Japan:

Okay, let’s total all this up! 

Here is what to budget for a 2-week trip to Japan!

• Single Traveler on a Budget: $2,371-5,611.
• Couple Traveling on a Budget: $4,721-9,251. This is $2,361-4,626 per person. 
• Single Traveling With a Mid-Range Budget: $5,631-10,941.
• Couple Traveling With a Mid-Range Budget: $8,641-16,661. This is $4,321-8,331 per person. 
• Single Traveling in Luxury: $14,131-23,661+. 
• Couple Traveling in Luxury: $23,691-48,161+. This is $11,846-24,081+ per person. 

So, overall, for a couple visiting Japan for 2 weeks with a mid-range budget (like us!), you’ll likely spend between $8,641-16,661. 

We spent $10,248, which is in line with a mid-range budget. We found some areas to save and others to splurge, evening it out. 

Now, will this match everything you do exactly? No, these are estimates. You may not care about hotels at all and stay in budget accommodations and then splurge on food. That’s why we break it down by category and like to share our costs to give you a picture of what to budget. 

Note: These are estimates, and prices will vary based on your travel style, where to go, when you go, things you do, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some extra tips and answers for your trip to Japan!

1. How much money do I need for a trip to Japan?

I can’t give you a fully accurate Japan travel budget based on your needs because your trip length, itinerary, travel style, flights, etc., will vary from mine. But this guide breaks down what we paid for a 2-week trip and important ranges to think about when it comes to planning your Japan trip budget. 

2. Is Japan expensive to visit? 

I will admit that Japan isn’t the most budget-friendly country I’ve ever visited. That being said, it can be surprisingly affordable. There are capsule hotels, affordable hotels, cheap eats, and many temples/shrines are very affordable to visit.

Yes, you can do Japan on a budget (as shown above), but it is easy for it to add up quickly-especially when it comes to flights and nicer hotels. 

3. How much does a 2-week trip to Japan cost?

This varies a ton by travel style, when you’re here, etc., but for a 2-week trip, we spent $5,124 per person on a mid-range budget including flights, hotels, transportation, food, activities, and more! For a couple visiting Japan for 2 weeks with a mid-range budget, you’ll likely spend between $8,641-16,661. 

See our full Japan trip cost breakdown above for more details.

4. What is the most expensive part of a trip to Japan?

Flights and accommodations are easily the most expensive part. Unless you have points, flights to Japan can be pricey unless you can find a deal somewhere. 

There are cheaper hotels in Japan, but if you want to stay at a traditional ryokan, you’ll be paying for it!

5. How much should I budget for food in Japan?

We spent $1,467 for eating for 2 weeks in Japan (not including the breakfasts and dinners included with our ryokan stay for 3 nights). 

Dining can vary from cheap eats at a convenience store to Michelin-starred restaurants. See above for my full guide on how much food costs.

6. Is Japan cheaper than the United States for travel?

I would say that this depends! Larger cities in Japan can cost similar to larger US cities. However, we found food prices to be more affordable in Japan compared to dining in the US. Activities we also found were affordable in Japan! 

However, hotels were comparable. The big thing is that you’ll very likely be paying more for flights to/from Japan versus flying/driving in the US. 

7. Can you travel to Japan on a budget?

Yes, but you’ll want a bit of a strategy. I’d avoid traveling during peak times (holidays, cherry blossom season, and autumn foliage). However, Japan does have cheaper accommodation options! 

There you have it! This is how much a 2-week trip to Japan costs, including how much we spent!