Budgeting for Our Japanese Adventure: A 17-Day Itinerary

Every travel plan begins with a desire—a longing to explore new places and experience the unfamiliar. In previous posts, we covered the “why” and “where” of our journey. Now, it’s time to delve deeper into the “how.”

In Learning Japanese Basics for Everyday Needs, we discussed essential phrases and tools to communicate effectively. If you’re curious about key phrases or the language apps we’re using, that post is a great starting point. We also explored essential tech in The Best Apps and Tools for Japan, covering navigation, translations, and connectivity. Be sure to check it out if you're planning your own trip.

But today’s focus is something that often dictates the scope of any adventure: money. While we’d love to say money is no object, reality demands thoughtful budgeting. Your budget can influence everything—from how many Premier Passes you buy at Disney to whether you fly first class or economy (no shame in economy!).

You might wonder why budget wasn’t the first topic we tackled. For us, the dream itinerary took priority. There is a reason for that, my husband and I wanted to design a trip based on the experiences we hoped for, then determine how to make it happen financially. We mapped out the experiences we wanted, then worked backward to figure out how to fund them. This approach gave us clarity on what mattered most.

My husband initially suggested staying in Tokyo for the entire trip. Though my husband was focused on seeing as much as Tokyo as possible, this option would have also cut down on travel costs. But for me, this trip is more than a vacation—it’s an exploration of Japan as a potential second home. Staying in one city might have been cost-effective, but it wouldn’t give us the full picture of the options available.

Just like life in New York differs from Florida, the lifestyle in Tokyo may differ from Osaka or Kyoto. Though I moved from New York as a teenager, I know enough to know I would not move back to New York because I enjoy the almost 365 days of summer in Florida. Similarly, in Japan the way of life in Tokyo may be too fast paced or it can be perfect. I might want easy access to all three areas or I might want to be closer to one area over the others. While it’s impossible to cover all of Japan, exploring multiple cities will provide a richer perspective. I want to see it all—or as much as possible—in 17 days

Breaking Down Our Planned Budget

Our budget focuses on key areas of spending. While these numbers are preliminary, we’ll update them with real costs after the trip, sharing insights to help others plan their own journeys.

1. Flights

We explored several options, balancing costs with comfort:

• Domestic (MCO to LAX): Using points from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier cards.

  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card will give me 60,000 points after spending $3,000

  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card will give me 40,000 points after spending $1,000.

  • The flight can be anywhere from 10,000-30,000 points with a $5.60 fee each way, however with 135,000 points being the goal, I am ok with being on the higher end to get the perfect flight time.

• International (LAX to HND): After comparing Zipair and Japan Airlines, we chose Japan Airlines for its superior service. We expect to spend between $1,600 and $3,200 for two round-trip tickets.

  • Zipair

    • Pro: Lie flat option cheaper than premium economy with Japan airlines

    • Con: have to purchase packages to get carry-on, checked bags, amenities, and in-flight meal.

  • Japan Airline

    • Pro: Economy includes 2 checked bags and 1 carry-on, in-flight meals are included, seats are wider and pitch is longer than Zipair, have options for two seats to avoid additional person, and there is a screen to follow trip.

    • Con: base price more expensive than Zipair no matter the class

2. Accommodations

Though we are not staying at the Ritz, we prioritized comfort and privacy over the savings of hostels and the cultural experience of ryokans. I would love to stay in a ryokan in the future, but since it is just my husband and I, we would have no other buffers if people want to interact with us. As introverts, small talk is our worst enemy. We do want to meet new people, but being thrust into social situations can be anxiety provoking. We’ll stay at various Choice Hotels across Los Angeles, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, with a budget of $950-$1,950.

• Cambria Hotel LAX - this hotel is close to LAX and typically about $120-$200 per night. We will be staying here one night.

• Comfort Suites Tokyo Bay - this hotel is close to Disneyland and DisneySea and typically about $70-$200 per night. We will be staying here two nights.

• Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi-Kanda - this hotel is centrally located in Tokyo and typically about $60-$135 per night. We will be staying here five nights.

• Comfort Hotel Kyoto Horikawa Gojo - this hotel is close to Kyoto Station and typically about $45-$100 per night. We will be staying here two nights.

• Comfort Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi - this hotel is close to Osaka Station and typically about $50-$100 per night. We will be staying here six nights.

3. Pre-Planned Costs

Once we have paid for our hotels and flights we will focus on paying for major attractions. These are items are must do experiences we do not want to miss out on. Though we have not finalized the details of itinerary we have found lots of things we want to ensure we do. Most of them can be paid for in advance, some require us to purchase as soon as we land, either way we are expecting these activities/necessities to cost less than $1,500:

• Theme Parks: Disneyland, DisneySea, and Universal Studios Japan.

• Cultural Experiences: TeamLab exhibitions, the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and day trips booked through Klook and Viator.

• Essentials: eSIM cards, travel insurance, and Suica/Icoca cards for public transport.

• Travel: Shinkansens will be used to travel between Tokyo to Kyoto (night time) and Osaka to Tokyo (day time)

4. Daily Expenses

Things at food, Suica/Icoca reloads, taxies, shopping, and spontaneous activities cannot be predetermined. My husband and I have an agreement that I would only plan one activity in each area we plan to visit and we agreed on one reservation per day for either lunch or dinner. So whiles I can determine some of there wheres and whens, the pricing will still be up in the air until we get there. We would like to have about $2,000 to spend on these daily expenses after paying for flight, hotel, and pre-paid activities.

Our plan is flexible, with a target of saving $350 every two weeks and $1,000 on three paycheck months, aiming for a total of $6,000. We have not decided whether we will use any savings we already have as well, as we have other trips planned, but the goal is to enjoy this trip with as little financial worry as possible. We do not want to go broke on the trip and return home with huge debt, so we’ll adjust as needed to balance comfort and frugality.

Have you visited Japan or are you planning a trip soon? What budgeting tips or cost-saving hacks have you discovered? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Let’s help each other make our dream trips a reality!

And as always: