Japan

Japan Golden Route

Neon, temples and shinkansen — done on a budget

18 days

Duration

$62

Daily budget

Easy

Difficulty

Mar – Apr, Oct – Nov

Best months

Japan on a backpacker budget is absolutely doable: capsule hostels, convenience-store dinners and a rail pass that pays for itself in three rides.

The route, stop by stop

🗼 Tokyo · Japan

Shinjuku nights, Shimokitazawa thrifting, 7-Eleven breakfasts.

5 nights$65/day

♨️ Hakone · Japan

Onsen with a Fuji view if the clouds behave.

1 nights$80/day

⛩️ Kyoto · Japan

Torii gates before sunrise, bamboo at Arashiyama.

4 nights$58/day

🐙 Osaka · Japan

Street food capital — takoyaki until you burst.

3 nights$55/day

🕊️ Hiroshima · Japan

Peace Park and the floating torii at Miyajima.

2 nights$52/day

🏯 Kanazawa · Japan

Samurai district without the Kyoto crowds.

3 nights$50/day

6 stops · 18 nights

≈ $1,056 total

Totals are estimates built from the per-night budgets above — your real spend will vary.

Ready to walk it?

Save the stops as a trip, track your budget and find hostels along the way.