Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Air Do: airdo.jp
Vanilla Air: vanilla-air.com
Starflyer: starflyer.jp/en
Fuji Dream Airlines: fujidream.co.jp
ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Most of the attractions in Japan are very cheap. On average, I didn't spend more than $5 USD per museum
or temple. Admission to famous temples costs between $1 USD and $7 USD (around $2 USD in Kamakura
and around $4 USD in Kyoto and Nara). Most museums and castles charge $2-10 USD per person.
In Kyoto, there is a temple pass that gives you unlimited transportation and access to the temples for $12
USD. It's a good deal, considering you are probably going to see a lot of museums in Kyoto. Osaka and
Tokyo had similar passes for their attractions.
Some tourist attractions distribute coupons and discount cards at local tourist information centers and
hotels. Be sure to stop in and pick some up to save you money.
The Grutt Museum Pass (japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/grutt-pass-museums) provides free or dis-
counted admission to over seventy-five attractions in the Tokyo area. The pass costs $20 USD, is sold from
April through January, and is valid for two months. For those doing a lot of sightseeing in Tokyo, it's a must
buy.
Free walking tours are just starting to take off, and at the time of this writing, there were three major
ones to choose from in Tokyo:
Tokyo Free Guide: tokyofreeguide.com
Go Tokyo: gotokyo.org/en/tourists/guideservice/guideservice/index.html
Tokyo Free Walking Tour (TFWT): tfwt.sharepoint.com/Pages/default.aspx
HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED?
Japan has an image of being one of the most expensive countries in the world, and if you are staying in
hotels, eating out, and traveling around a lot, it can be. You can easily spend over $200 USD per day by
traveling that way. However, I don't think a trip to Japan needs to be that expensive.
Staying in a hostel, buying a rail pass, eating relatively cheap food, and visiting a few attractions will
cost around $100 USD per day.
Instead, by using the tips given in this chapter, I think you can get by on $70-75 USD per day. This
would mean more bus travel, a (very) limited amount of sushi, only cheap restaurants, and the occasional
night Couchsurfing (or another method for free accommodation).
On a bare-bones budget, you can get by for $50 USD per day if you stick to Couchsurfing, cheap food,
bus travel (trains would be far too expensive), and free attractions. I saw lots of travelers in Japan traveling
on the cheap. They did it, and it's possible—as long as you don't have a sushi addiction to feed!
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