So much you pay for your Japan trip It certainly won't be cheap!

Japan may not be the cheapest travel destination. But the actual travel costs can be quite manageable – depending on where exactly you travel, what kind of standard you want, and what you plan to do. Below, we take a close look at every detail, from getting there, to transport, to accommodation. Of course, there are also useful tips to help you stretch your Yen as far as possible. Because Japan is beautiful – and definitely worth your money!

In summary: For a one-week trip to Japan, you’ll need about €1700!

So, let's take a closer look at the individual elements:

Getting There

Flight prices vary depending on the season, airline, stopovers, days of the week, and many, many other factors. You can grab return tickets for as little as €450 – or pay up to €1200 in economy class! Here are the best tips for finding the most affordable tickets:

Be flexible!

The less you’re tied to specific dates, the higher your chances of scoring a flight deal. Tip: Booking sites like Checkfelix and Momondo allow you to set outbound and return days independently. This lets you play with different dates. For example, flying home on a Tuesday instead of a Monday could save you over 100 euros! Tip: You can also "watch" flights and get notified as soon as the price drops significantly.

Consider how many layovers you’re willing to accept

Flights with lots of stopovers – and possibly long layover times – are usually much cheaper than direct flights. However, you might be traveling for over 20 hours. These days, for example, I’d rather pay €50–€100 more if it means flying non-stop.

Book early

If you start looking for good flight deals early on, you can jump on an attractive offer when you see one. If you want to book last minute, you'll be reliant on possibly more expensive leftover seats.

Tokyo HANEDA (HND) or Tokyo NARITA (NRT)?

Tokyo Narita is Tokyo's main airport. Usually, flight offers are cheaper there than to Tokyo Haneda. It's worth checking both airports when searching for flights.

My experience:

1. ECONOMY December 2017 FRA => HND & HND => FRA 581.76€ *¹
2. ECONOMY August 2018 FRA => HND & HND => KIX => FRA   860.33 € *¹
3. ECONOMY December 2018 FRA => HND & FRA => HND 834.28€ *¹
4. ECONOMY November 2019 FRA => HND & FRA => HND *¹

• FRA > Frankfurt am Main Airport
• HND > Tokyo-Haneda Airport
• KIX > Kansai Airport (Osaka)
• *¹ with taxes

Accommodation

Of course, Japan offers a wide range of accomodation options, from luxury hotels to simple hostels. Accordingly, prices can vary greatly.

Average overnight costs per person in a double room: Around €60 per night

Average accommodation prices

• Bed in a dormitory in hostels: about €20
• Private double room in a hostel : between €55 and €75
• Double room in a Ryokan : from €110; but can get very expensive depending on the Ryokan (up to €400)
• Double room in a hotel : from €110

Accommodation Options

Airbnbs

Unfortunately, this is no longer a real alternative. Due to a change in Japanese law, over 80% of the accommodations offered had to be deleted. Overnight, some 30,000 travelers who had booked rooms through Airbnb found themselves without a place to stay!

Hotel

Regular hotels in Japan cost around 110 euros/night. Hotels with fewer outlets are typically cheaper than large hotel chains, and the farther you are from the city center or tourist hotspots, the cheaper it gets, too.

Compare hotel prices on Booking.com

Affiliate link: If you book a hotel via this link, we receive a small commission. This supports us and our blog. It doesn't cost you any extra. We thank you and wish you a great trip (^_^)

Ryokan

A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese guesthouse. The rooms are also furnished in a Japanese style. Staying at a Ryokan typically includes both dinner and breakfast. A Ryokan is perfect for immersing yourself in the Japanese lifestyle.

Minshuku

A Minshuku is also a traditional Japanese accommodation, similar to a bed-and-breakfast. Minshukus are usually family-run.

Tatami mat vs. Western-style room

Ryokans and Minshukus usually do not have “normal” beds, but are equipped with a Tatami mat and a mattress on the floor. Rooms with western-style beds cost a bit more than Ryokans.

Capsule Hotels

These simple hotels offer privacy in a hostel-style dorm. The individual “capsules” often even have a TV. There are shared bathrooms and lockers for valuables.

Temple

Tourists can, in some cases, also stay overnight in Buddhist temples. The price often includes two vegetarian meals. Travelers can also participate in the morning prayers.

7 days

245€ (35€ per day) – for children aged 6–11 123€ (17.57€ per day)

14 days

390€ (30€ per day) – for children aged 6–11 195€ (13.93€ per day)

21 days

498€ (23.71€ per day) – for children aged 6–11 249€ (11.86€ per day)

Transport

Per day you should budget around €35 on average.

Japan Rail

An affordable solution is the Japan Rail Pass if you want to see as much of the country as possible. It starts from €245 (that’s €35/day) for 7 days. We have a very detailed article on the Japan Rail Pass for you.

Japan Rail Pass – Costs

Long-distance buses

Similar to the Japan Rail Pass for trains, there is also the Japan Bus Pass for intercity routes. This starts at 85 euros for 3 days but can also be booked for longer periods.

Metro

A single metro ride in Tokyo or Osaka costs between €0.80 and €1.60.

Rental car

Translating your driver's license – Costs

For most parts of Japan, you don’t need your own car, since public buses and trains will get you from A to B safely and quickly. But if you do want to hire a car, you need to have your driver’s license translated into Japanese. This costs around €65 if you do it via this website and takes 4 weeks. Directly in Japan, you can have your license translated for around 25 euros at the Japanese Automobile Federation. The German and Swiss driver’s licenses, as well as international licenses from Germany and Switzerland, are not accepted in Japan – but the international license from Austria is!

Rental car – Costs

Rental car prices vary, depending on provider, pick-up location, and vehicle class. Basically, they are similar to rental car prices in Germany. You can hire compact cars from about €40 for 24 hours.

Other fees

There are also tolls on Japanese expressways. Note: There are also car ferries. These are usually quite expensive – try to avoid them!

Taxis

Taxi rides in Japan are extremely expensive. We believe they are only worthwhile if you can split the fare with several co-riders.

Food and Drink

Food and drinks are relatively cheap in Japan. Of course there’s a wide range – from very affordable food stands to fancy restaurants. Particularly convenient: Usually, green tea and drinking water are served free with your meal – so you can certainly save quite a bit on drinks.

For breakfast or lunch you pay on average €3–10 . For dinner you’ll pay more like €5–20 .

Sights/Attractions

Sights and attractions naturally cost money in Japan too. There are some you can visit for free, but on average you should expect fair entry fees between €5 and €20. Of course, this can add up if you visit a lot of sights.

Internet connection

To stay online during your Japan trip, you can use a handy pocket wifi. These useful devices are still rare in Europe and the US, but in Japan they can easily be rented. A pocket wifi supplies up to 15 devices with wifi, is small and handy, and fits in any pocket. For a price between 5 and 10 euros a day, you get several hundred gigabytes of data. Here we have an article for you that explains exactly what a pocket wifi is and what it can do!

Other Expenses

Travel insurance

Highly recommended in case you get sick during your trip. Travel insurance can be conveniently purchased online before departure and costs little more than 2 euros per day. Recommended: Travel insurance from Hansemerkur .

Exchange fees

Before you leave, get a card that lets you withdraw cash for free, for example the DKB-Visa-Card . This way you save on high exchange fees. Cash is actually the preferred way to pay in Japan, especially in rural areas.

Money-saving tips for your trip to Japan

Avoid Konbinis/Convenience stores

These well-stocked mini-markets (e.g. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) offer a wide range of groceries, snacks, ready meals, and drugstore products. They are very convenient but also a little pricier than “normal” stores. So only buy what you really need from them! Not quite sure what Konbinis actually are? Then check our article:

Don’t tip

That’s simply not part of the culture in Japan! If you tip, you may offend the service staff.

Don’t order drinks

In most restaurants you get water and green tea free of charge. So skip ordering drinks.

Buy transport passes

Whether it’s a JR Pass or a long-distance bus pass: these transport passes can save you a lot of money if you’re covering long distances. However, calculate in advance how much more you’d pay for single tickets!

Visit noodle restaurants

Soba or Udon restaurants serve up a big meal for a small price. This will save you a lot when eating out.

Skip fruit

Fruit is extremely expensive in Japan. So only buy what you really want. As a cheap snack, an apple unfortunately isn’t it in Japan.

The longer you stay, the cheaper it gets

If you stay longer, you need fewer long-distance transports on a daily basis and the flight gets cheaper per day, too.

Conclusion: How expensive is Japan really?

For an average week in Japan you should expect around €800 to €900. That’s made up of daily costs for

• Accommodation: €60
• Transport: €35
• Food: €27
• Sights: €20
• Internet: €7
• Total: €149

Then add the flight, which ranges from 500 to 800 euros. All in all, you should budget about €1700.