Last minute vacation to Japan: is that possible?

Most of us associate a trip to Japan with far-off places, fascinating culture, the latest technology, but also with high prices and farsighted and timely planning. Travel to Japan is often already offered as an organized package tour, but the relatively high prices tend to deter many, especially younger people.
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A two-week trip to Japan at the most popular travel time: travel inexpensively and spontaneously to the cherry blossom season

Most of us associate a trip to Japan with far-off places, fascinating culture, the latest technology, but also with high prices and farsighted and timely planning. Travel to Japan is often already offered as an organized package tour, but the relatively high prices tend to deter many, especially younger people. How many times have I heard:

"Unfortunately, I can't afford a trip to Japan."

But the journey to Japan That doesn't mean it has to remain a dream for a long time. Most travel guides and blogs recommend starting to organize and plan your trip to Japan at least three months before you plan to travel.

Especially during the cherry blossom season, which is considered the absolute high season in Japan, you would have to take care of accommodation and flights as early as possible. That's all true, because the earlier you start, the more choice you have and the more you can save, but I'll tell you how I managed to do a two-week trip to Japan in just a few weeks (three in total). to organize the most popular travel time. And no, I didn't sleep under a bridge or share my room with strangers in a hostel. Quite the opposite. During my entire trip I was accommodated in comfortable and very central business hotels. So it's all a question of organization and the Internet.

Today I will show you how you too can set up an individual trip to Japan with a little research and just a few clicks in the shortest possible time, because it is easier than you think.

Tokyo Tower View

Compare flight prices & accommodation and choose a realistic itinerary

The first step is: dare! Dare to fight and research for your dreams instead of saying from the outset: "I can't afford that anyway!" But look for ways HOW you can still afford it. With the Internet, countless paths are open to us today, we just have to walk them. First of all, it means: Don't despair, but start. First of all, I got an overview of the current flight prices and accommodation. After that, I looked for possible and realistic itineraries that can be completed within two weeks. I quickly found what I was looking for and can recommend the following blogs with a clear conscience if you are interested in Japan or are already planning a trip to Japan:  Suitcaseandwanderlust and Wanderfrau.

After I had put together an approximate route, it went to the flight comparisons. I usually use Skyscanner and Kayak for this. There you can call up the flight overview for the desired destination for a whole month in a very practical way. This is very practical and allows you to find the right flight, depending on how flexible you are. Flight prices vary widely and can change by the hour, so monitoring is a good option. Because I had been looking for Japan flights months earlier, which were far more expensive at the time than just a few weeks before the scheduled departure. Again, earlier isn't always better, but if you're already considering a trip, it's still worth checking and comparing as early as possible. Simply to determine whether there are any new flights or if the flight prices are falling. This way I even found a direct flight with Japan Airlines for less than 700€.

With a bit of luck, however, you can get direct flights for less than €600. After the flight had been booked and possible accommodation had already been noted, it was time for further planning. Step by step we booked the accommodations in the respective places we wanted to explore.

Our 2 week itinerary for Japan looked like this

  • Day 1: Arrival Tokyo
  • Day 2: Continue to Fujiyoshida
  • Day 3-4: Stop in Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko with traditional onsen
  • Day 5: Drive to Kyoto
  • Day 6-9: Stay in Kyoto
  • Day 9: Return to Tokyo with a connection in Yokohama
  • Day 10-14: Stay in Tokyo
  • Day 14: Flight back to Germany
Chidoriga Fuchi
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Hotel prices in Japan: Cherry blossom season is not always the same as cherry blossom season

We booked a total of four accommodations and were surprised at the moderate prices. There was actually a relatively extensive selection of comfortable and central hotels for prices between €80 and €120 per night (some including breakfast). But these are already “cherry blossom prices”, because if you travel at a different time, you can get clean, beautiful hotels in the middle of Tokyo for just €30 per night including breakfast! I have not seen such prices even in more rural areas of Germany. And cherry blossom time is not the same as cherry blossom time, because the cherry blossoms bloom at different times in Japan depending on the region.

You can admire them on the sunny island of Okinawa as early as January and in northern Hokkaido you can only see them in May. This means that you don't even have to travel to Japan in mid or late March to see the cherry blossoms, because in the north they actually bloom a little later and as a traveler you can benefit from much cheaper prices. Hotel rooms in Japan are usually very, very small unless you book luxury class. But don't be put off by the few square meters, because the rooms are generally extremely comfortable and well thought out down to the smallest detail. What I find particularly sweet and thoughtful is that most accommodations provide pajamas. A good overview of hotels can be found on Trivago and TripAdvisor.

The Japan Rail Pass: How to get from A to B in Japan

Once you've arranged flights and accommodation, all that's missing is transportation to get you from A to B, and that's incredibly easy and straightforward in Japan. Japan has one of the best infrastructures in the world. The Japan Rail Pass is particularly recommended if you want to explore Japan by train or express train/Shinkansen. It is the easiest way to travel through Japan and is a very good way to get a first impression of the country. In addition, Japanese trains are extremely comfortable, modern and clean. With the Japan Railpass you can reach almost all major cities. However, before you decide on the Japan Rail Pass, you should first compare whether you can use it for your selected route and whether it is worthwhile for you. It is advisable to order it about a month before the start of your trip. It is valid for three months from the date of purchase.

The Japan Rail Pass allows unlimited use of almost all Japan Railways Group (JR) trains throughout Japan. However, the pass is not valid on the Tokyo subway, the Kyoto bus network or the private lines (Kintetsu). The pass is usually worthwhile for longer distances between larger cities. If you would like to find out more about the Japan Rail Pass and where you can purchase it, you can find detailed information in my next blog post "With the Japan Rail Pass cheap and comfortable through Japan".

Tokyo Tower

Total cost for 2 weeks Japan peak season (cherry blossom)

And so nothing stands in the way of a trip to Japan! For around €1500 per person you get 14 days in Japan with flights, accommodation (some including breakfast) and the Japan Rail Pass for one week. Of course, there are still no expenses for food, subway and sights, but I can reassure you there too: Many of the sights are completely free or only cost a few yen and there is food on every corner.

Food in Japan: Huge selection for every budget

I have never seen as much food as in Japan in any country. However, I was particularly surprised by the prices. Of course it depends on your own requirements and whether you are in Tokyo or in more rural areas of Japan, but in the big cities you can get a delicious fresh meal from the equivalent of €3,50. In addition, you can even buy fresh hot meals in the supermarkets. Nobody has to starve here. But on the contrary. On no other trip have I eaten as often and as well as in Japan and at comparatively very reasonable prices. Especially on the markets you can taste local dishes and specialties. In the big cities you will find a restaurant or snack bar every few (very few) meters. Food is a big thing in Japan, so I have an extensive article At the table in Japan: My top 7 favorite dishes from Japan that you should definitely try written, because maybe one or the other has already noticed: I LOVE FOOD.

So you see, even if a trip to Japan is still not a Mallorca bargain (Japan and Germany are a whole 9.043 km (!) apart), it is still possible to travel comparatively cheaply and, above all, to visit the country in high quality and comfortably explore and thus realize his long-awaited dream of the land of the rising sun.

Ueno Park
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Kyoto
“Hey dude!” Deer in Nara
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  1. Very nice article! I find the point with the cherry blossoms particularly interesting, so you could actually avoid the big crowds of tourists that are sure to be there in mid-March. I would also be interested in what you can recommend for eating in Japan, maybe you had one or the other highlight? 🙂 Many greetings from Silvia von http://www.abenteuerzeilen.de

    1. Hello dear Sylvia,

      Thank you very much for your comment. What I find particularly tasty are the soba noodles, takoyaki (which you can get almost everywhere to go), and okonomiyaki.
      But there is much more. I really recommend giving it a try and being surprised by the taste 🙂 I especially enjoyed the many matcha sweets, for example. There will soon be a detailed article on the topic of “Eating in Japan”, including tips for vegetarians 😉

      Regards
      Lina

    1. dear Nicola,

      I liked doing it 🙂 because your blog is really great and very helpful.

      Kind regards
      Lina

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