Have you been looking for a 3 week Japan itinerary, but aren’t sure what to do while you’re there? Don’t worry, we have you covered.
Japan is an amazing county where ancient traditions and modern customs go hand in hand.
It’s easy to travel for 3 weeks in Japan without getting bored. You need already three weeks in Japan just to visit the highlights.
We traveled around Japan for slightly over 3 weeks and when we were planning our Japan trip, we found it difficult to choose what to do.
This is our 3 week Japan itinerary that we eventually came up with.
Insider tip: Looking for the best Japan travel tips, click here.

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In a hurry? Here we share an overview of our 3 weeks in Japan
If you don’t have time to read through the full Japan itinerary, use this overview to get an idea of the things to do on each day and save it for later.
- Day 1-4 Tokyo: Visit Shibuya, the Imperial Palace, Yoyogi park, the Sensoji temple, Harajuku, Asakusa, the neighborhood around the Skytree.
- Day 5: Matsumoto: Visit the Samurai castle and explore the small streets.
- Day 6-7 Yudanaka: Go watch the snow monkeys and relax in one of the many local onsens.
- Day 8 Kanazawa: Vist the Kenrokuen garden, Kanazawa Castle, and the old geisha district.
- Day 9 Takayama: Visit the Hida Folk Village and the old town of Takayama.
- Day 10 Ise: Pay a visit to the Ise Shrines
- Day 11-14 Osaka: Explore Namba district, visit Osaka Castle, walk along the river to the Kema Sakuranomiya Park, visit Shinsekai, attend a cooking class, see the city from above.
- Day 15 Koyasan: Spend the night in a temple and walk from temple to temple, attend morning prayer, visit the cemetery of Koyasan.
- Day 16-18 Kyoto: Explore Gion, the Inari Shrines, walk the philosopher’s path, visit the Golden Temple, make a side trip to Arashiyama.
- Day 19 Hiroshima: Visit the peace park and Hiroshima Castle.
- Day 20 Miyajima: Admire the floating Torii gate and the colorful Daisyoin Temple and feed the deer.
- Day 21-22 Nagasaki: walk along the harbor, the cozy Dejima wharf, and China town. Explore the Dutch history at the old trading post-Dejima and the Dutch Slope. Visit Battleship Island.
- Day 23-24 Tokyo: Visit Akihabara, Tokyo DisneySea.
Table of Contents
Japan Essentials







Insider tip: Is this your first Japan trip and are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about planning this trip, what to see, and to do in Japan. Check out our Japan travel planner. This document will help you plan your trip smoothly.


Japan 3 week itinerary: Our 3 weeks in Japan
Here we share an overview of our 3 weeks in Japan.

Day 1-4: Tokyo
Things to do in Tokyo
Tokyo is a logical starting point for your 3 week Japan itinerary as there is a good chance that you will land on one of Tokyo’s two busy airports. What to see in Tokyo?

Our tips about the best places to see the cherry blossoms are in this separate article.
But you will have no problem filling up these 4 days, even if you are not here during the cherry blossom season.

Here you will find more information about the best places in Tokyo to visit.

Getting from the airport to Tokyo
When somebody is referring to Tokyo International Airport they refer to Haneda airport but in reality, Tokyo has 2 international airports: Haneda and Narita airport.
Haneda International Airport is located 14 kilometers south of Tokyo Station. It is the oldest of the two airports.
It used to mainly handle domestic flights after Narita airport opened but with the addition of a new international terminal in 2010, it now handles most business routes while Narita focuses more on leisure routes.
The two main ways to reach central Tokyo from Haneda Airport are the Keikyu Line and the Tokyo Monorail. Both require a transfer to the JR Yamanote Line to reach major stations in central Tokyo.
Depending on the location of your hotel and the length of your flight (and the amount of sleep you could get) you might not be looking forward to train and subway rides in your first hours in Tokyo.
After a long flight, a direct transfer from the airport to your hotel will be a lot more comfortable.
You can find more information about a shared or private transfer here:
Narita is the smallest of the 2 airports but does serve as the international hub of both major Japanese airlines, Japan Airlines, and ANA.
It lies 60 km east of central Tokyo. Although it is located further from central Tokyo than Haneda it is actually better connected to the city.
There are plenty of public transportation options to reach central Tokyo from the airport.
You could take the JR Narita Express, the Keisei Skyliner, buses, and taxis. Those who like to make a grand entrance can even choose for a helicopter transfer.
The JR Narita Express, abbreviated as N’EX, is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. This makes N’EX your best option if you have a JR Pass.
To use this train with your Japan Rail Pass you need to exchange your voucher for the actual pass at the airport.
Once exchanged you will also need to reserve seats as N’EX is one of the few trains that only has reserved cars.
Read also: Japan Rail Pass is it worth it?
The Keisei Skyliner is a good alternative to N’EX if you have no Japan Rail Pass. The prices, the comfort and the train schedule of both trains are comparable.
The main difference is that N’EX will take you to Tokyo station, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro & Yokohama. The Keisei Skyliner heads to Nippori station and Keisei Ueno (close to Ueno station).
Both trains offer easy transfer to the JR Yamanote line, the main loop line in Tokyo.
As with Haneda, you can also book private or shared transfers from Narita to Central Tokyo. After a long flight, a direct transfer from the airport to your hotel will be a lot more comfortable.
You can find more information about a shared or private transfer here:

Getting around Tokyo
If you have a Japan Rail Pass you can use this pass on the JR trains that run on the inner-city network in Tokyo, a very extensive network that can be compared with a metro network.
If you don’t have a Japan rail pass or you choose to activate your Japan rail pass after your visit to Tokyo, a Tokyo subway pass might be a good alternative.
You can buy this pass at tourist information centers, BIC camera shops, and certain hotels.
There’s a list of selling points on the Tokyo Metro website. Be sure to bring cash as credit or debit cards are usually not accepted.
The pass can also be bought online which is even more convenient.

Click to read reviews or buy your Tokyo Metro Pass:
Tokyo Metro Pass


Organized tours in Tokyo
Here is an overview of the best-organized tours in Tokyo An organized tour saves you time and, moreover, the tour guide will enlighten you about the different sights you visit.
We partnered up with GetYourGuide or Klook for most of these activities. We love GetYourGuide because they’re flexible. Sometimes your plans change last minute and then you want to be able to cancel your tickets and get your money back. It’s also good to know that GetYourGuide has your back when the local tour operator doesn’t show up or cancels your trip.
Klook is a trustworthy travel company headquartered in Hong Kong that teams up with local operators to offer all kinds of travel experiences.
We selected 3 excellent tours in Tokyo just for you.

The Robot Show is touristy, expensive and the food isn’t so great so you might wonder why you need to visit it. Well, it’s something you can only experience in Japan. The show is grotesque and completely over the top like one can only experience in Japan.


More information and booking:

The Tokyo Skytree is, with a height of 634 meters, the highest building in Japan. It’s also the highest free-standing tower in the world. The tower houses 2 observation platforms that offer a fantastic view of Tokyo. They are respectively at a height of 350 and 450 meters and are amongst the highest in Japan. Here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Tokyo. An absolute Tokyo must visit when you want to see Tokyo from above.

More information and booking:


A day tour to Mount Fuji is the perfect way to escape busy Tokyo.
But there are so many day tours that choosing one, isn’t easy.

More information and booking:
Where to stay in Tokyo


The Tokyo Hilton is situated in the lively neighborhood of Shinjuku. It’s about a 15-minutes walk to Shinjuku train station but you can also make use of the free shuttle service offered by the hotel. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes. The airport limousine bus has a stop at this hotel. There’re multiple restaurants and supermarkets in this area. Last but not least, after a busy day exploring this vibrant city you can relax in the indoor pool or sauna. Highly recommended if you are looking for a good hotel in the vicinity of public transport.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Shinjuku on Booking.com:
Booking

Day 5: Matsumoto
Things to do in Matsumoto
During our 3 week itinerary in Japan, we also paid a quick visit to Matsumoto. The main reason for this being the Samurai Castle.
There are still a lot of Samurai castles everywhere throughout Japan and it’s a must-see but most of these are reconstructions.
In Matsumoto, you can visit one of the few remaining original castles. It’s a major landmark in Japan.
The reason for this: this castle was never under attack.

They can tell you more about how life used to be in the castle and the different wars that prevailed over Japan.
The guides are located in a cabin right after the entrance of the castle.
Did you know that the inspiration for the helmet of Darth Vader comes from the Samurais?

Where to stay in Matsumoto


This hotel more than exceeded our expectations. Hotel Kagetsu is situated 20-minutes by foot from the train station and really close to Matsumoto Castle and the small but picturesque old town. The hotel offers free bicycles to explore the area. The hotel also has a good restaurant but you will also find other restaurants within walking distance. You get a comfortable and spacious room, certainly by Japanese standards, and your Yukata and slippers will be waiting in your room if you want to use the onsen. A great option in this charming city.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Matsumoto on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 6-7: Yudanaka
Things to do in Yudanaka
During our three-week Japan itinerary, we also went to Yudanaka to see the snow monkeys and, just like the monkeys, we also took some time ourselves to relax in one of the many local onsens.
We spend about half a day with the monkeys.
Not because the park was that big, but it was very cute to see the monkey’s doing their thing.


This is a village a few minutes walk from Yudanaka.
In the picturesque car-free high street you will find 9 public onsens that are supplied by the hot springs.
You can wander from one bathhouse to another in your Yukata and on your traditional wooden sandals.
Where to stay in Yudanaka


Shimaya Ryokan is not a hotel that we typically would recommend. To start with it’s not a hotel but a Ryokan which is more like a B&B. The rooms are very simple, typical for a Ryokan, and look a bit dated. But the hospitable owners of this Ryokan made up for all of this. The owner picked us up at the train station, offered us a ride to the monkey park and back and gave us tons to tips about all the places we would visit next during our trip. Sleeping in a traditional ryokan is something you should do at least once when you’re in Japan, so why not do it here with these friendly hospitable owners.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Yudanaka on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 8: Kanazawa
Things to do in Kanazawa
Kanazawa charmed us enormously and we had the impression that this city was less touristy than other places we visited during our 3 weeks in Japan.

The garden is regarded as one of the most beautiful in Japan.
The weather was a bit disappointing during our visit so we couldn’t fully appreciate the park.
We certainly thought it was beautiful, but not better than what we already saw in Tokyo. Still, we could not get enough of the cherry blossoms.
Right next to the Kenrokuen garden is the reconstructed Kanazawa castle. You can visit is for free and it can easily be combined with a visit to the Kenrokuen Garden.


The old town of Takayama is more often mentioned but we found the old city in Kanazawa to be much more charming. Besides, it was also a lot less crowded.
You could take a quiet stroll, look around, and enjoy the beautiful old houses.

We also went to take a look at Nagamachi, the old Samurai district. There’re some really spectacular villas in this district, but Higashi Chaya impressed us more.
You can enjoy a nice meal, both lunch or dinner, in the Omicho market.

Where to stay in Kanazawa
We stayed in the Holiday Inn ANA Kanazawa and loved our stay.


The Holiday Inn ANA Kanazawa Sky is centrally located within walking distance of the station and just across the Omicho fish market.
The Kanazawa castle and Kenrokuen Garden are just a few minutes’ walk away.
You have spectacular views on Kanazawa from the lobby and the restaurant. A perfect choice for your stay in Kanazawa.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Kanazawa on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 9: Takayama
On the train on the way to Takayama, we witnessed some of the most spectacular sceneries of our trip to Japan.
As our train squeaked through the bends in the road and made its way from one tunnel to the other it reminded me of the train trips to the ski resorts in Switzerland I used to make when I was a child.
Things to do in Takayama
In Takayama, we visited the Hida Folk Village. The village consists of 24 traditional houses. They’re all very well preserved and at each house, you will find information panels.
To take a look inside the houses you have to wear slippers.
They’re provided at the entrance of the houses.

It was extremely and uncomfortably busy in the old town of Takayama. We noticed that most of the crowd just visited the part of the old town situated to the right of Kajibasi Bridge.
So luckily we could escape the crowd by crossing the main road and continuing our way towards the Yoshijima Heritage House.
As you cross the main road you will notice that in this section historical houses alternate with restored or modern houses.
It’s less authentic than the other section but at least you can enjoy the houses without the masses.
But as we already said before, Kanazawa has our preference.

Where to stay in Takayama


The Best Western Takayama is located near the train station within walking distance of Takayama’s old town. The hotel offers a free Handy telephone, something we really got to appreciate during our vacation in Japan. We covered the Handy telephone in this article with tips about Japan.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Takayama on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 10: Ise
In Ise, you will find the Ise Shrines, the most sacred Shinto Shrines of Japan. According to Shinto tradition, these are completely rebuilt every 20 years.
We had imagined there would be something special about this place, but it let us down.
The Shrines here are not any different from any of the shrines we had seen before. In addition, the shrines in Ise can only be seen from the outside.


Day 11-14: Osaka
In Osaka, we are once again in a metropolis. We did not get bored here.
Things to do in Osaka
We took an evening stroll in the Namba district. The least you can say about this is that it is simply spectacular. Especially at night, it’s very impressive.

We also went to Osaka Castle. This is a restored castle. The castle is also a very good spot to witness the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
From here we took a walk along the river to the Kema Sakuranomiya Park, another beautiful park with lots of cherry trees.
Shinsekai is also a district you have to visit and we attended a cooking class in Osaka.
We also did a side trip to Nara from Osaka.

Here in the Todaiji Temple, you will find the largest wooden building in the world, the Daibutsuden (“big Buddha hall”).
As its name says inside the building you will find a gigantic Buddha.
Don’t limit yourself to this temple only. Venture up the mountain to “Nigatsu-do” for a breathtaking view.
Nara was the original capital of Japan but once Buddhism became too powerful in the country the government decided to move the capital.
You can still see traces of this as Nara is literally littered with temples.
Lastly, a visit to Nara is also fun because of the deer that roam freely in the park and no doubt will come begging for cookies.

Where to stay in Osaka


This Holiday Inn is close to Namba station and just a few minutes by foot from the famous Glico bridge, probably the most famous sight in Dotonbori. This neighborhood is alive day and night and as a result, the rooms can be somewhat noisy at night. The rooms offer all comfort but are rather small. The biggest asset of this hotel is its superb location.
More information and booking:


Day 15: Koyasan (Mount Koya)
Koyasan is a remote place in the mountains.
A trip to Koyasan is a true expedition during your three weeks in Japan.
After 2 train rides, we got onto a funicular and then a bus to finally reach our temple. The last 2 rides with the train were very nice, and once again reminded me of Switzerland.
Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism and we had booked a Temple stay of 1 night.
Things to do in Koyasan
At least 50 temples in Koyasan offer temple stays and probably there’re even more. You literally walk from temple to temple. It rained that day and we got soaked very quickly so we just retired to our room.
The rooms are very much like a room in a Ryokan. At 5 p.m., it was time for dinner. A vegetarian dinner with a variety of different flavors, which showed that vegetarian food, can be just as delicious as regular food.
At the end of the day, we hadn’t seen any monks, not even in our temple. Probably we didn’t recognize them as they were walking around in day-to-day clothing.


The next day, we got off to an early start for the morning prayers. I hoped this was going to change our experience and we would witness 1 of the daily rituals of the monks.
When entering the prayer room it turned out that the prayers were led by 3 monks and except for these only about 25 tourists were present.

After prayer and breakfast, we went to the enormous cemetery of Koyasan. It looks like this cemetery is as big or even bigger than the town itself.
With many of its Shrines, altars, and gravestones overgrown, this place radiates a special atmosphere.
It would be the perfect place for a Halloween walk.
After what felt like a never-ending walk, we reached the mausoleum of Kobo, the founder of Shingon Buddhism.

Where to stay in Koyasan


The Koyasan Shubuko Fudoin Temple lies in a quiet area. You are welcomed by friendly monks. Traditional Japanese style comfortable rooms. Tasty vegetarian breakfast and dinner. The temple has a gender separated public onsen and organizes night walks that are very popular.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this temple, you will find a lot of other temples in Koyasan on booking.com:
Booking
Day 16-18: Kyoto
Kyoto is Japan’s cultural, as well as touristic capital.
We spend two days in the city. Below is a brief overview of what we did.

Things to do in Kyoto
The first evening we went to explore the Gion neighborhood together with Guenda, from HihiGuide.
This is the oldest Geisha district and a pleasant neighborhood to explore at night.


In Kyoto, we also went to take a look at the Inari Shrines where you find thousands of Torii gates.

And of course, we also took a stroll along the philosopher’s path. You come across plenty of temples along the path.

Kinkakuji, or the Golden temple, is one temple that you should not miss when you’re in Kyoto. This is probably the most beautiful temple we saw in Japan. (Kinkakuji is not situated along the philosopher’s path.)

We also made a trip to Arashiyama, a district at the outskirts of Kyoto that is well known for its bamboo forests.
Expect a big crowd! Fortunately, it immediately becomes a lot quieter as soon as you make your way away from the center.
We discovered some charming quiet spots in Arashiyama. You can go to the park around the Jojakkoji temple from where you have a stunning view.
From there, you can walk further north to the Saga-Toriimoto Street. This is a picturesque street lined with preserved, traditional houses.
Best of all, we had the street to ourselves while we were wandering through it. When you reach the end of the street, you will reach the Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple, and adjacent you will find a bamboo forest that is just as beautiful as the one close to the center where all the tourists are.

The bus tours seem to limit their visit to the Togetsukyo bridge and the nearby Tenryuji temple and bamboo groves. Other places were not nearly as crowded.
Read Also:

Where to stay in Kyoto
According to the statistics, Kyoto is the most touristic city in Japan. And by looking at the prices for a hotel room that might be right.




This Marriott hotel is located alongside the coast of beautiful Lake Biwa, an ideal setting if you want to escape busy Kyoto at night. The hotel offers a free shuttle service to the train station where you can catch the train to Kyoto station. As Marriott Rewards Platinum members we enjoyed an upgrade to a suite with a private onsen and a fabulous view of the lake. As platinum members, we also had access to a lounge area in the lobby where we could enjoy free breakfast, snacks, cocktails and a small buffet in the evening. The only drawback of this hotel is that you have to take into account the schedule of the shuttle which only runs once every hour. But considering what we got in return and the tremendous difference in price this is no big deal.
More information and booking:


The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto is a good choice for those who are looking for a hotel in the center of Kyoto. It is within walking distance of the Gion district, two metro stations, and various temples. The rooms are neat and the bathroom is fully equipped. You can enjoy a nice breakfast at the bakery next to the hotel.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of these hotels, you will find a lot of other hotels in Kyoto on booking.com:
Booking

Day 19: Hiroshima
Things to do in Hiroshima
Hiroshima undoubtedly rings a bell with most of you.
We visited the peace park and made a small detour to take a peek at the castle.
In the Peace Park, you will find an interesting museum about the atomic bomb and touching stories about how the survivors had to rebuild their city and their lives.


Where to stay in Hiroshima


The Ana Crowne Plaza is within walking distance of the peace park and near shops and restaurants. The rooms are not too big but clean and fully equipped. The staff also speak good English.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Hiroshima on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 20: Miyajima
We opted to spend the night in Miyajima but you could just as well make it a side trip from Hiroshima.
You can get from Hiroshima to Miyajima in about half an hour both by tram or by JR train. The latter is, of course, the cheapest option if you have a Japan Rail Pass.
Once you arrive at the train station in Miyajima, it is nothing more but a short 5-minute walk to the harbor where you then take the ferry to Miyajima island.

Things to do in Miyajima
On the island or rather just in front you will find the photogenic Torii gate which seems to float on the water during high tide.

The Torii gate is the tourist attraction of the island, but also the colorful Daisyoin Temple is worth a visit.
We took the time to wander around this temple and it seemed like we found a hidden gem on this island.

Where to stay in Miyajima
Below we list 2 hotels on Miyajima island and one hotel near the ferry pier on the mainland. This is an area called Miyajimaguchi.
We stayed in this latest hotel as hotels on Miyajima island tend to be quite expensive.

Premium Comfortable hotel


This Ryokan offers simple Japanese-style rooms with tatami flooring, shoji doors, separate WC, separate deep short bath and separate sink areas. Your room has a typical Japanese low table and some comfy cushions. There’re no beds, futon mattresses are spread out each night. The staff is very helpful and friendly.
The chef offers an excellent Kaiseki dinner, this is a traditional set dinner.

This is definitely something you should try when you stay in a ryokan.
The Ryokan also has 2 beautiful open-air Onsen, an excellent place to relax after you have climbed Mt. Misen. You may even spot some deer while you bathe in the onsen.

This is an authentic, beautifully maintained, good quality Ryokan.
More information and booking:


This ryokan lies on the island within walking distance from the ferry pier and has very helpful staff. The rooms are simple but very comfortable and spacious for Japanese standards, with tatami and comfortable futon. The location is very close to restaurants and there is a delicious oyster cart parked right out front.

A traditional Japanese hotel with great service.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of these hotels, you will find a lot of other hotels in Miyajima on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 21-22: Nagasaki
Nagasaki is where the 2nd bomb fell in Japan. Just like in Hiroshima, you will find a peace park with a museum and many commemorative statues. The city treated us to some very pretty views.
Things to do in Nagasaki
First, we walked along the harbor and the cozy Dejima wharf where we waved at a cruise ship that just had left.
From there we continued our walk to the top of Mt. Inasa. It was quite a tough hike but the sunset we enjoyed from the top more than made up for it. We used the cable car on our way back.

The day after, we explored the other parts of Nagasaki.
We did find some Dutch history at the old trading post-Dejima and the Dutch Slope. The houses didn’t look very Dutch to us. They rather reminded us of houses you would find in Aruba or Curaçao.
We walked through China town and took the funicular and elevator to the Glover Garden from where you also have a nice view of the city and the harbor. From here we went down again to the Nagasaki Cathedral which brings you back close to the harbor.
We found Nagasaki to be a very pleasant city and moreover, it felt completely different than Kyoto or Osaka.
We didn’t visit Battleship Island but fans of old industrial places should definitely consider booking a cruise to this Island that was also featured in the James Bond movie Skyfall.
Where to stay in Nagasaki


The JR Kyushu hotel is located near the station and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. The staff speaks sufficient English. The rooms are pretty spacious according to Japanese standards. Only the breakfast could be better because there is not much choice. The main reason we would recommend this hotel is its good location.
More information and booking:
If you aren’t convinced of this hotel, you will find a lot of other hotels in Nagasaki on Booking.com:
Booking
Day 23-24: Tokyo
At the end of our trip, we end up in Tokyo again. This time we visit the Akihabara district as we’re here on a Sunday.
The main street that runs through the Akihabara district is closed for cars on Sundays. This makes a visit to Akihabara much more fun.

On the last day we chose to have a relaxing day in Tokyo DisneySea. Next to Tokyo DisneySea is Tokyo Disneyland but we chose DisneySea because Disneyland is a sort of replica of all the other Disneyland Parks in the world.
And above all, DisneySea won an award for its design.

We loved the design of the park and there were some great attractions. It was also fun to see how some Japanese completely dress up in Disney magic.
It was a nice way to end our trip around Japan.

Japan travel tips
Here we share our best travel tips for Japan.
Going independent or joining an organized tour
We found it easy and straightforward to create our own travel itinerary. It was also fairly easy to travel through Japan independently.
Despite the fact that the Japanese don’t always speak English very well, they are enormously helpful.
But if you want the company of a group, don’t have the time to create your own itinerary, or just don’t want to go independent, you could also join an organized tour.
TourRadar is a trustworthy company where you can book an organized 3-week tour of Japan to make it easy for yourself.
Here you can find all organized tours to Japan:
Organized tours Japan

Finding cheap flights to Japan
If you want to score cheap flights to Japan we advise you to have a look at Momondo and Skyscanner. Both are flight aggregators that compare several hundreds of booking sites and give you an overview of the best flights and the cheapest sites to book them.
Momondo and Skyscanner are both very good at finding good deals, of the two, Momondo is probably the one with the most intuitive user interface.
Read our full review of 10 booking sites here.
Those who are always on the lookout for the best deals should join the Dollar Flight Club.
Joining is free and once you’ve joined you will get alerts in your mailbox whenever cheap flights out of your home airport have been found. I recently joined the club and already saw some incredible deals.
How much does a trip to Japan cost
Although Japan is not a cheap country to travel around, especially not during the Sakura season and the Golden Week, we still thought it was pretty affordable.
Here we share how much we paid for accommodation, food, and public transport.
Accommodation
The most expensive aspect is your accommodation. We advise you to book your accommodation well in advance.
On average, we paid €108 per night (for a 2-person room) in 2018. We stayed in Ryokans, a temple stay, and various 3- or 4-star hotels.
Food
Eating and drinking in Japan is cheaper than it is in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the US.
These are the budgets you must provide for food:
Low budget: € 18 (€ 5 bfast / € 5 lunch / € 10 dinner) This budget should be sufficient for local fast-food restaurants that offer sushi, ramen, etc.
Middle-class: € 35 (€ 8 bfast / € 12 lunch / € 15 dinner) There are many such restaurants. The staff usually speaks limited English but with a little help of Google translate you can order some delicious local food.
Luxury: € 92 (€ 16 bfast / € 16 lunch / € 60 – 80 dinner) For this budget, you can have breakfast at a luxury hotel and enjoy dinner at Japanese fine dining restaurants. Think restaurants that offer French cuisine, delicious Kobe beef, and Kaiseki dinners.
Public transport
Public transportation will most likely take the second-biggest bite out of your travel budget.
Japan has an extensive railroad network that takes you to all major tourist sites. Although traveling by train isn’t cheap, it is still cheaper than renting a car.
The price for a Japan Rail Pass might seem rather high at first, but it can still save you lots of money. We explain how you can check how much you save here.


Do I need travel insurance for Japan
The quick answer to this question is yes.
Travel Insurance is something that can be overlooked when you prepare for your vacation. Certainly when you’re traveling to a safe and civilized country such as Japan.
Overall, chances are slim that you will encounter any problems while traveling through a civilized country such as Japan. But when things go wrong in civilized countries, the medical costs can be high.
We learned it the hard way when we once had to visit the hospital in the United States.
The medical care was excellent but we had high out-of-pocket expenses as it turned out the insurance that came without credit cards didn’t cover these costs. It turned out we were underinsured.
Drawing up a travel insurance policy may seem expensive at first but it can potentially save you a significant sum, significantly more than the small insurance fee. Good travel insurance covers things like medical expenses, trip cancellation, overseas medical costs, evacuation, baggage damage or loss, and theft.
Therefore we love SafetyWing and World Nomads travel insurance. Both are good and trusted insurance companies.

Best way to pay in Japan
We took a little bit of cash with us but most things we paid with our credit card.
Expenses abroad can be seriously inflated by fees from your bank or credit card. That’s why we’re a huge fan of our N26 account.
The account is available to most EU residents.
The checking account is free as well as the associated Mastercard and there’s no exchange rate provision when you use to card for payments abroad.
There’s a 1,7% exchange rate provision when you withdraw money abroad but even that is free with the premium Black Mastercard.
The app is another great feature of the card, you can follow your expenses in real-time and instantly block your card if you see any signs of fraud.
Local Sim card or a pocket WiFI device
A local SIM card or pocket Wifi device comes in handy.
We have often used Google Maps to find our way around major cities.

How to travel around Japan
We traveled around Japan by train and could save a few bucks by buying a Japan Rail Pass in advance.
Get more information about the Japan Rail pass here:
Japan Rail Pass

What to wear in Japan
Wondering what to wear in Japan? Take a look at our complete Japan packing list.
Conclusion
We enjoyed every minute of our 3 weeks in Japan. The major cities kept us busy exploring from early morning until late at night.
Japan certainly has more to offer than what we have described in this itinerary but this route will bring you passed all the highlights.
We missed some nature during our trip and would have preferred to do a side trip to Okinawa but this was not the right season.
If we would ever come back during another season we would certainly spend a week or more on this island.
We will share the good and bad things about our Japan trip itinerary along with the best travel tips, the best must-sees and some suggestions for nice hotels. We hope this will help you to plan your own best itinerary for Japan.
Chris
Monday 22nd of April 2019
Hi,
What a wonderful travel guide! I was just wondering about a few things and I hope you could elaborate on them.
1. How was the trip from Nagasaki back to Tokyo? I assume that you were traveling by train and a quick search on google shows that the ride is quite long. Was is a boring/difficult travel back? Would greatly appreciate it if you could please elaborate on this part. 2. I am currently planning to travel myself, but I am unsure of whether I should spend a few extra days in Osaka or in Kyoto as I have a total of 21 days in Japan. Which did you find more appealing?
Hope to hear from you soon :)
kris
Monday 22nd of April 2019
Hi Chris, I'm glad you like the travel guide. From Nagasaki we continued onward to Seoul. You could indeed go back to Tokyo with the train but the plane would be much faster. There're many daily flights and several low-cost companies fly the route. You should be able to find tickets well below 100€ (with probably some extra costs for luggage). If there're no reasonable priced flights from Nagasaki you could look at Fukuoka which I think is a slighter larger airport. The train would be cheaper (if you can still use your Japan Rail Pass at that point) but the trip would take much longer... Osaka and Kyoto are just 30 minutes apart with the train. It's easy to visit one city and stay in the other. Both are relatively big cities but they're different in many ways. Kyoto has the Philosopher's path and thousands of temples. Osaka has the Namba district with all the crazy neon-lights. That sort of illustrates the differences we experienced. In Kyoto you can spend your evenings in the beautifully romantically lit temple compounds. (And you should certainly go to Gion, we have an article about the Geishas in Gion at night) In Osaka you can join the huge crowds in the busy shopping, dining and entertainment districts. The temples in Kyoto are busy as well but it still is a totally different experience. I would make your decision based on what you want to do in the evenings. It's easy to travel back- and forward between Osaka and Kyoto during the day. The trains do run late but the idea of spending half an hour on the train when you're tired might stop you from going out at night and that would be a shame. Both cities are very different but both of them are well-worth exploring after dark.
J. López
Monday 3rd of December 2018
Hi there Kris & Sylvia!
What a wonderful travel you both made, it's nice too see that you got to meet so much of this wonderful country. I'm thinking of doing a 3 week travel through Japan myself, and so I wanted to ask you. How much did the trip cost you from start to end? I'm looking forward to your response!
kris
Tuesday 4th of December 2018
Hi,
I had a look at our expenses. We stayed in Japan for just over 3 weeks and the costs for that part should have been something between €3900 - €4200. I cannot be more precise because I'm missing a detail of 1 credit card statement that covers part Japan and Part South Korea. That amount is for both of us and includes 3-week Japan Rail Passes for both of us. (comes at +/- €450 pp). So the cost for lodging, food, excursions and other local expenses in Japan would have been +/- €3000 - €3300. Kris