We have now been on three family trips to Japan. They were all under two weeks long but we travelled slightly differently for each one. I know how difficult it can be trying to plan a family trip budget when you aren’t sure what things cost. If you’re wondering how much does a family trip to Japan cost? Here is the cost breakdown of each of our trips to Japan.

12-day family trip to Japan cost (2013)

Who: 2 adults and an 18-month-old child.

Where we saved: Food is one area where we can control the budget by choosing to eat low-cost meals over dining out. Read our post, Japan with kids: food.
Also, see how cheap our night stay in Narita was!

Where we splurged: A ryokan stay can be a big expense. We booked one in Takayama that was in the lower price range and were really happy with it. The kaiseki dinner was a splurge but it was a wonderful experience. The Tokyo accommodation was over what we had budgeted for, it was in a fantastic location though. Obviously renting a car is not necessary in Japan and is rather expensive with all costs added in. We loved both our Japan road trips and found the cost to be worth it, especially since it made getting around with a toddler so easy.

Total Japan 12 day trip cost: ¥376,371

Cost per day: 31,364 yen

Read the itinerary here.

See everything we booked here.

Total accommodation cost: ¥196,416
Kyoto: ¥64,635
Takayama: ¥30,969
Tokyo: ¥96,720
Narita: ¥4,092

WiFi device: ¥6,510

Food & drinks: ¥65,844
including Kaiseki dinner: ¥10,044

Total transport cost: ¥55,335

Rental car: ¥31,806
Driving permit: ¥2,790
Car rental: ¥17,484
Fuel: ¥3,720
Toll roads: ¥4,650
Super Rindo: ¥3,162

Sightseeing: ¥20,460
Kyoto: ¥4,464
Inuyama Castle: ¥930
Shirakawago: ¥930
Tokyo: ¥1,767
Disneyland: ¥12,369

12 day family Japan trip cost

10 day family trip to Japan cost (2014)

Who: 2 adults and a 2.5-year-old child.

Where we saved: For this trip, we had flights in and out of Tokyo and wanted to see Hiroshima so, buying a JR pass saved us money on shinkansen rides.
Not sure if a JR pass will be worth it? Read my post about how it paid off for our trip.
This time for our Tokyo accommodation we turned to Airbnb and got a 2 bedroom apartment near Yoyogi station for an excellent price.

Where we splurged: A one night stay in Kawaguchiko didn’t come cheap. Our hotel was pretty basic for the price but the view of the lake and Mt. Fuji from our room made up for it.
All the costs of a rental car was again a large part of our budget. It allowed us to do a road trip around Mt. Fuji which was amazing!

Total cost for family 10 day trip to Japan: ¥314,898

Cost per day: 31,489 yen

Itinerary for this 10-day trip here.

Everything we booked for this trip here.

Total accommodation cost: ¥157,635
Osaka: ¥28,179
Hiroshima: ¥12,462
Shizuoka: ¥14,694
Kawaguchiko: ¥23,250
Tokyo: ¥79,050

WiFi device: ¥5,580

Food & drinks: ¥46,500

JR Pass: ¥55,149

Transport: ¥6,975

Rental Car: ¥28,365
Driving permit: ¥3,255
Car rental: ¥17,670
Fuel: ¥4,650
Toll roads: ¥2,790

Sightseeing: ¥14,694
Himeji: ¥1,395
Miyajima: ¥3,255
SCMaglev: ¥1,953
Fuji Five Lake: ¥1,116
Ropeway: ¥1,395
Ghibli Museum: ¥5,580

Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji in front of us as we drove along.

Family trip to Japan cost 12 days (2016)

Who: 2 adults and 2 children (4-year-old and 9-month-old) travelling with another group of 2 adults.

Where we saved: We rented a 3-story house in Tokyo through Airbnb and shared the cost with my parents, who were travelling with us.
A JR pass once again saved us money as we were returning to Tokyo and travelling to other areas as well.

Where we splurged: For this trip, the exchange rate was terrible so we were much more aware of spending money. I wanted my parents to have a traditional experience so booked a night stay in Gero Onsen which was quite expensive for our budget.

Total Japan trip cost: ¥351,310

Cost per day: 29,275 yen

12-day itinerary post here.

Total accommodation cost: ¥184,926
Narita: ¥9,137
Kyoto: ¥66,290
Gero: ¥27,725
Tokyo: ¥81,774

WiFi device: ¥6,600

Food & drinks: ¥65,844

JR Pass: ¥57,290

Transport: ¥12,250

Sightseeing: ¥24,400
Kansai: ¥7,600
Gero: ¥1,600
Tokyo: ¥400
Disneyland: ¥14,800

Family Japan trip cost

 Top tips for a family trip to Japan on a budget

  • Watch for deals on hotel prices.
  • Look at Airbnb – just be mindful about the current laws.
  • Accommodation with a kitchen means you can prepare some meals
  • Try the cheap pre-packaged meals from convenience stores and buy fruit from grocers.
  • Work out if a JR pass will save you money
  • Walk. We love walking around. It saves us money on transport and is a wonderful way to explore an area.



Booking.com

 

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