Hi everyone,
I’m in the early stages of planning a six-week solo trip to Japan from April 8th to May 19th, 2025, and was hoping to get some advice on my budget and my itinerary.
This will be my first big solo trip, so I'm finding it a bit challenging to estimate the costs accurately and keep everything in mind. I’m planning to keep it low-budget and have set aside around €6000-7000 for my time in Japan. My flights are already booked, so this amount would need to cover accommodation, food, transportation, and activities. I plan to stay mostly in hostels, use public transportation, and eat at affordable places. I'm not really interested in theme parks (besides Ghibli Park), so I guess this already saves me some money. Unfortunately, due to my studies, I can only travel to Japan in April and May, which I know is peak season.
Here’s my rough itinerary:
- Land in Tokyo and stay there for just a few days to adjust and recover from jet lag
- Travel through Chubu region: Nagoya + Ghibli Park, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa
- Explore Kansai region: Kyoto and Osaka, with day trips to Nara, Koyasan and Himeji
- Visit Okayama & Hiroshima
- Explore Kyushu region: Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kurokawa Onsen, Kagoshima and Yakushima
- Return to Tokyo and stay there for a bit longer to see the rest of the city and end the trip
I have a few questions:
- Is my budget of €6000-7000 realistic for a six-week trip during this season? I could reschedule my flights within that timeframe or reduce my trip to 4-5 weeks if necessary.
- Is peak season in Japan really as crowded and expensive as people say?
- Given that the Osaka Expo starts in mid-April, how should I plan my trip around it to avoid the worst crowds and increased prices?
- How can I adjust my itinerary to avoid large crowds during Golden Week as much as possible? What’s the best place to be while the whole country is in complete chaos? I’ve heard that Tokyo is fairly “relaxed” during Golden Week, but unfortunately, being there doesn’t fit well into my current itinerary.
- I love hiking and being in nature, so I’d like to include either the Nakasendo Trail or the Kumano Kodo Trail in my trip. Has anyone done both and could recommend one over the other?
- Is my current itinerary too packed? If so, what would you suggest I cut to make the trip more enjoyable? I‘m thinking about cutting Takayama, Shirakawago and Kanazawa to have more time in Kyushu or to do one of the hikes.
I would really appreciate any advice or insights!
Thanks in advance!
by _vxncx