Blog · 28 October 2026
Japan from India: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, how many days, and what a trip costs
Japan feels far away and expensive, but for a first trip it is one of the simplest countries to get around. Trains run to the minute, cities are safe late at night, and the classic route is short: Tokyo first, then the bullet train to Kyoto and Osaka, flying home from Osaka. What makes the biggest difference to the cost is the season you pick and how many long train rides you add.
How many days do you need?
Plan on eight to ten days for a first trip. Give Tokyo four days, one of them for a Mt Fuji day trip or Disney. Kyoto needs three days for its temples, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and a day trip to Nara. Osaka is only half an hour from Kyoto by train, so two days there is enough for the castle, the food streets and Universal Studios if you want it. Tokyo to Kyoto is about three hours on the bullet train. With two or three more days you can add Hiroshima and Miyajima island, around one and a half hours west of Osaka. Sapporo in the far north is a separate domestic flight, so leave it for a winter or summer trip of its own.
What a trip costs
For a couple flying from Delhi and staying in a midrange hotel, a 4-day Japan trip in December comes to about ₹2,44,900, or ₹1,22,450 per person. That covers return flights, the trains between cities, the hotel, food, local transport, the attractions we pick for you, the eVisa, travel insurance and a 10% buffer. Hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto are the biggest cost after flights, and both get much dearer in cherry blossom season and in November.
You can change the dates, travellers, hotel, cities and attractions on our Japan trip cost page and see every line update.
Things worth paying for
- Mt Fuji day tour from Tokyo: about ₹6,960 per adult. Pick a clear day; the mountain hides in cloud more often than people expect.
- teamLab Planets: about ₹2,204, a walk-through digital art space that children and adults both enjoy. Book a time slot ahead.
- Shibuya Sky at sunset: about ₹1,450, or Tokyo Skytree for about ₹1,798.
- Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea: about ₹5,452 each. If you only do one, DisneySea is the one you won't find anywhere else.
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion): about ₹290, and Kiyomizu-dera temple: about ₹290. Go early, before the tour groups.
- Nara day trip for the deer park and the giant Buddha at Todai-ji: about ₹1,160.
- Universal Studios Japan in Osaka: about ₹5,684. Weekends and school holidays are very crowded.
- Miyajima island and Itsukushima Shrine: about ₹870, if you add Hiroshima.
Free and cheap things to do
In Tokyo, walk through Senso-ji temple and Asakusa in the morning, Meiji Shrine and Harajuku in the afternoon, and Shibuya Crossing after dark. Akihabara is fun even if you don't buy anything. In Kyoto, the thousands of orange gates at Fushimi Inari cost nothing and are quietest at sunrise; Nishiki market, the Philosopher's Path and an evening walk in Gion are free too. In Osaka, Dotonbori is the place to eat your way along the canal at night. Shinjuku Gyoen garden in Tokyo is about ₹290 and lovely in both blossom and autumn seasons.
When to go
Late March to early April is cherry blossom time and November is autumn leaves. These are the most beautiful weeks and also the most crowded and expensive, so book hotels months ahead. October and early December are a good middle ground: comfortable weather and lower prices. January and February are cold but clear and cheaper, and the best time for snow in Hokkaido. Early May has Japan's Golden Week holidays, when trains and hotels fill up. June is the rainy season, and July and August are hot and humid.
Visa for Indians
Indian passport holders need a visa for Japan. For a short tourist trip, people living in India can get a single-entry eVisa, applied for through the Japan Visa Application Centre for their state rather than on your own. The approved visa comes to your phone, and you show it at the airport. Apply a few weeks before you fly, and keep your hotel bookings and day plan ready, since you'll be asked for them.
Tips that save money
- Price your train legs one by one before buying a rail pass. For a simple Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka trip, single bullet train tickets often work out cheaper.
- Fly into Tokyo and home from Osaka, so you don't have to go back the same way.
- Get a rechargeable IC card on your phone or at the airport for metros and buses.
- Convenience stores sell good, cheap breakfasts and snacks. Vegetarians should learn to ask about fish stock, which goes into many dishes.
- Send big suitcases ahead by luggage delivery and travel with a small bag on the bullet train.
Want the numbers for your own dates and group? Plan your Japan trip and send it to us for live flight and hotel prices.