@Raymond Lin can I shamelessly hijack this thread to ask for your advice?
Just booked flights to Japan for just under 3 weeks in May 2026, from the 4th to the 22nd. Will have 17 full days there.
Worked out cheaper than cherry blossom season, the weather it seems will be better and warmer, and we'll just be arriving at the end of Golden Week so hopefully cheaper and less rush with fewer crowds.
Never been before, just the wife and I. Likely will be our only trip, so keen to make the most of it. Keen to see beautiful sights, eat amazing food (big foodies), get an idea for a variety of the country, have some unique relaxing time where possible (e.g. onsens?). We're not very into hiking or trekking, nor are we big history nerds or obsessed with seeing every temple. Might be nice to do some shopping. We don't drink alcohol so no bars/clubbing for us. Budget is ~£6k, not including flights.
Many thanks
First off, very jealous of your 3 weeks! I can never get that much time off.
Now to the nitty gritty....right off the bat, when I see the dates in May my mind went straight to Golden Week. 2026 Golden week runs from 29th April to Tues 5th May. You say you get there from the 4? Then if you are travelling on the 5th, book it as soon as you are able to. I know the the Smart Ex (Shinkansen app won't let you book until 1 month out though).
That is my only reservation, after that it will be fine.
Japan has a few Onsen town, Hankone is probably the easy one to get to, you can get there by train from Tokyo, it is the most popular with Tokyo residents on the weekend so it is the most busy and expensive. When you stay in these, find a Ryokan, they normally have an onsen, some in the rooms (you will see it in the photos), some have it inside or a little outdoor space. They are charged per person, and they come with a Kaiseki dinner, like a multi course dinner all served at once, and usually made from local in season ingredients and in season fish. Prepare to pay upwards of £200 per person. It is expensive but it's nice to experience.
Another popular one is Kusatsu, a little awkward to get too but not too bad, its a train then bus. It's quite famous. It's an onsen town and not much else there. Whereas Hakone has this side attraction call Mt Fuji, a pirate ship thing, an open air museum and you can take a cable car to get these onsen eggs that supposed to add 7 years to your life if you eat one.
The onsen cost means yuo are going to have to budget hard for the rest of the trip. As a single person...I tend to break it down like this. (I don't drink either).
£100 per day - this should cover me for all local trains, all food, all snacks, drinks, coffee and entry to museums, temples etc. This was enough for me even when £1 - 125 yen. So Now when £1 is like 195 yen, it's going to feel like everything is on sale, even if Japan put its price up by 20% across the board. In reality, I think £75 is fine in the current exchange rate. For example
A sandwich + drink will set you back like 500-600 yen, that is like £3.
Ramen is like 1500 (for a really nice bowl), that is like £8.
cheap sushi like the conveyer belt ones, the bill tend to be like 80p for the cucumber maki, or perhaps £3 for the fatty tuna. If you mix it up between filler stuff with expensive pieces you can stuff you face for £30. Meaning I seldom spend more than £50 a day on food and I eat GOOD!. So for this exercise lets call it £150 for 2 people per day for food and local train. I am going to leave out the entertainment like entry to museums (Shibuya Sky, Skytree, team labs etc....you should look into all these beforehand and allow anywhere between £20-£30 pp each)
£150 x 20 days =£3,000
Hote hotels, I think £150 a day is easy in Tokyo and very easy in Osaka....a bit harder in Kyoto. So I would aim for like £75 a night hotel in Tokyo, similar or a touch cheaper in Osaka for more room in Kyoto. (if these are the 3 places you have in mind).
Food wise.
Ramen - try the dfferent kinds, Tonkotsu is the one people talk about the most (pork bone), my favourite is Tsukemen.
Sushi, try find an Omakase, there are a few places that can do a 20course for like £100.
There is the Yakitori - there is a popular local spot
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sXSN6ZxfQXTFViBB8 on the way to Ghibli Museum. They have English menu I think. When you order, they will ask you whether you want it Salt or Sauce, (Shiyo or Tare), basically dry or wet when its grilled. Look at the photos on google maps, the place is like a local pub. They thought I was Japanese and gave me a Japanese menu and asked me the salt or sauce question in Japanese....I am still amazed I understood what he said and more amazed I answered without stutter lol.
Anyway, I am ranting, what kind of food are you looking to eat?....I have a lot marked on my map in Tokyo alone.
