Locations and Nights per place:

• 2 nights – Osaka
• 6 nights – Kyoto
• 1 night – Takayama
• 2 nights – Okuhida
• 1 night – Kanazawa
• 2 nights – Nagano
• 6 nights – Tokyo

Budget Categories:

1. Airfare
2. Accomodations
3. Transportation
4. Activities
5. Food
6. Shopping

Osaka: Hotel Granvia Osaka – Chase Ultimate Rewards – 2 nights

My partner and I arrived in Japan earlier than the rest of our group so we used our Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to book two nights at Hotel Granvia Osaka. The room we booked was an economy double room. It was small, but spacious enough where we could open our luggage and backpacks without blocking the walkway. If you are planning on staying in Osaka, this hotel is super convenient as it is located within Osaka station. The ticket gate is literally right around the corner. There are also many shops, restaurants, and attractions connected to or nearby the station and hotel. We spent a whole day just shopping and eating at Osaka station. You seriously can’t beat the location. We really enjoyed our stay here and highly recommend Hotel Granvia Osaka!

Kyoto: Yururian Airbnb – $317.25 +$2.11 – 6 nights

This airbnb was well worth it for the price. There were two rooms, two full baths, and a mini kitchen in one of the rooms. The two rooms were separated by a door that provided privacy between our two groups. It was definitely more spacious compared to hotel economy rooms. There was a paid washer and dryer on the rooftop, which was about 300 yen ($2.11) for a full wash-and-dry cycle. The location itself was also super convenient. It was located on a quiet road, yet just around the corner of the busier streets. A huge plus was that it also came with free bikes to use whenever. Walking distance to stores, food, and transportation; and biking distance to many popular attraction sites in Kyoto. Highly recommend for small groups on a budget.

Takayama: Hotel Associa Takayama Resort – $109.16 – 1 night

Hotel Associa Takayama Resort was our “splurge” hotel. My partner and I had our own large room with two beds, one full bathroom, a sitting area, and an amazing view of Takayama city. It was one of the most spacious hotels we’ve had in Japan. The hotel fee also included public onsen access and a breakfast buffet. We were able to check-in two hours earlier, and had the option to rent a private onsen for a discounted fee. The customer service was excellect, the public and private onsens were superb, and the breakfast buffet was oishi! The location is about an 8 minute drive from Takayama station, however there is a free shuttle to and from the hotel. Hotel Associa felt like a luxury hotel without the hefty luxury price! This was the second time I’ve stayed here, and I will most likely stay again. Definitely recommend Hotel Associa if you want to treat yourselves.

Okuhida: Rural House U Airbnb – $193.24 – 2 nights

This place is definitely in a more rural setting, however it was absolutely amazing. There were three floors. There was one toilet on each floor, two showers and two sinks on the second floor, and four tatami bedrooms on the third floor. On the first floor, there was also a full kitchen, a dining area, and a family room outlooking the main street and beautiful mountains. It was nice to lounge around and relax at this airbnb. There was also a public outdoor onsen directly across the street. Because we were farther in the mountains, the public onsen was empty whenever we went so it was basically a private onsen. The mountain views were absolutely stunning both at the onsen and airbnb. Its location is about an hour from Takayama city so a car is highly recommended if you decide to stay in this area. Overall, this place is perfect for groups and large families. Stay here if you want to relax in the serene Japanese countryside with easy access to an outdoor public onsen.

Kanazawa: Torifito Hotel and Pod Kanazawa – $26.00 – 1 night

After splurging in the Japanese countryside, we chose to stay at Torifito Hotel and Pod Kanazawa. The four of us shared a premium room which had two beds and two futons. Aside from our premium room, everything else was set-up like your typical pod rooms or dorms. The toilets were separated by gender and were located outside the room at the end of the hall. The showers and onsen were also separated by gender located on the bottom floor. Although a budget pod hotel, the amenities were very clean and there were all the necessities provided. The public onsen and sauna were excellent, especially after a long day. There was also breakfast included in our hotel fee. Finally, the location was in the middle of Kanazawa city. Walking distance to Omicho market and Kanazawa Castle Park. Great value and very convenient! Keep in mind we booked this hotel maybe 10 months before the trip, which saved us a lot of money. The original cost of the room was 3x the cost of what we got it for. Overall, I’d say we definitely got our money’s worth staying here. Recommended for solo travelers, couples, or even groups who like value on a budget.

Nagano: Yado Ringo Airbnb – $127.18 – 2 nights

Yado Ringo Airbnb is located on a quiet street, but still close to many shops and restaurants in Nagano City. We came with a car so it was easy to access. It had all the essentials needed and provided privacy between our two groups. We were welcomed with fruit gifts from the host’s farm. It is a small traditional Japanese home located next to the host’s house and farm. There were two tatami rooms, each had two sets of futons to sleep on. There is also a toilet, a shower room, laundry area, kitchen area, and a small shop area set up in a separate room. We especially enjoyed the paid apple-picking activity on the farm and connecting in conversation with our host. A cute and homey airbnb with great hospitality. Recommended for groups who want to experience a traditional Japanese home and farm.

Tokyo: Sangjo Airbnb – $380.90 – 6 nights

Located in the Taito area near Minowa station, this airbnb was one of the more affordable homes in Tokyo for our group. There were two separate rooms so lots of privacy and lots of space. The main room had two queen beds, a large dining area, a full kitchen, and a shower area with a sink and washing machine. The second room was on the second floor and also had two queen beds. Each floor had their own toilet room located in the hallway. The location was on a quiet alleyway, but still walking distance to bus and train stations. Convenience stores and restaurants were nearby for a quick bite to eat. Overall, this place was perfect for our group. A little out of the way for some of the places we went to in Tokyo, but we just couldn’t beat the price. Recommended for groups on a budget who like their space.

Trains and Buses

When it came to trains, we manually calculated which options were better for us – buying train tickets outright or purchasing any of the JR passes. We utilized Google sheets, Google maps, and Navitime to estimate train costs. For our itinerary, it was cheaper to buy train tickets outright and rent a car for the countryside than to purchase any JR pass. 

Our long distance JR train tickets were purchased ahead of time either online or in person. Online purchases could be done about a month in advance. By booking ahead of time, we were able to reserve our preferred seats. For all other trains, subways, metros, and buses, we simply used our ICOCA cards or yen to pay.

In addition, we saved on costs by purchasing bundle passes we found on Klook, including: JR Haruka & Nijo Castle bundle, and Tokyo Subway Pass & Keisei Skyliner bundle. Of course, we calculated to see if we were actually going to save money with these bundles too, which yes, we did.

If you have the time, we highly recommend you to calculate whether a JR pass is worth it or not. You can even reach out to travel forums where some people are willing to help you calculate.

Car Rentals

Since we were traveling to the countryside, we decided to rent a car. It gave us a lot of flexibility while getting around and got us to places where public transportation is limited.

Once availability for our dates opened up 3 months out, we booked the car online immediately through Toyata-Rent-a-Car. This allowed us to pick a specific car that would fit our budget and fit all of us and luggage.

We drove the car to places such as Takayama, Okuhida, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa and Nagano. Overall, we were able to enjoy scenic roads while staying on a flexible schedule with our car. 

Uber, Taxi, and Private Transportation

Lastly, there were times when we chose to use uber, taxis, and other private transportation. On these occasions, we typically had lots of luggage to transport to our destination. We did this mostly for convenience, but there were also instances where large luggage were not allowed.

For example, most local bus rules did not allow large baggage on board. Subways and local train lines are also inconvenient with luggage because of the crowds and stairs. Thus, taxis and uber were the best options for us when we had a lot of bags.

We used private transportation in Tokyo to get us to Lake Kawaguchiko. Again, we used this option for the most convenience. My parents joined our group making it a total of 6 persons, thus cutting the costs even more.

Having a private car allowed us to maximize our time in Kawaguchiko since we did not have to wait for trains or buses. I would recommend using private transportation especially if you are traveling with a family or large group or if you want to maximize your time on a day trip.