With this guide to travel to Japan We look forward to helping you prepare your trip to Japan, one of the most wonderful and special places in the world.
Known for being one of the destinations most requested by travelers and unfortunately sometimes discarded by the topic of being a very expensive countryJapan is the ideal place to meet and live in the first person, as the most ancestral tradition and the most extreme modernity, can live in true harmony.
All this, together with a fascinating culture and incredibly educated people, make this destination a safe bet and an unforgettable trip.
Has it been your choice? Get ready to enjoy one of the most amazing countries in the world!
Guide to travel to Japan
Touring the most tourist attractions of Japan is also a pleasure for the senses, since as we said before, you can enjoy a cocktail that sometimes is not easy to assimilate, in which the incredible traditions, palpable in practically every corner, a Modernity that sometimes can be even overwhelming and one of the best gastronomies in the world form a difficult set to forget, that we are sure, will give you unforgettable moments that will make you want to return to Japan again and again.
After having been in the country a couple of times, the first on a trip to Japan for free, where we visited most of the places to see in Japan essential for 18 days and the second where we will be in the country practically two months, combining Kyoto and Tokyo with some getaways, we wanted to make a guide to travel to Japan, in the most complete way, trying to facilitate the planning and above all, trying to capture all the data extracted from our experience.
When to travel to Japan
We could say, without fear of being wrong, that any time is good to travel to Japan, although without a doubt, there are two special moments in the year: spring and autumn, moments in which the Japanese country is dyed in some colors They seem to be taken from a painting.
That is why it is not surprising that the country is included among the best trips for spring and the best trips for autumn, moments to take into account if you are doubting at what time of the year to travel.
We also have to keep in mind that Hanami takes place in spring, which as Wikipedia says is: "Hanami (花 見 lit. "see flowers") is the Japanese tradition of observing the beauty of flowers, but this word is usually associated with the period when cherry blossoms bloom and when the Japanese flock to parks and gardens to contemplate her flowers (sakura)."
After our first trip we promised to return to Japan and do it at this time, so the months of April and May have been the time chosen for the second trip, in which we hope to fully enjoy the cherry blossom and this beautiful tradition.
After our experience we have to say that if you want to travel at this time of the year, you must prepare the trip well in advance, since the prices of the accommodations, in addition to being sold out quickly, tend to rise considerably.
In addition, you should keep in mind that Hanami is a very ephemeral process, which does not usually last many days and every year it happens on certain dates, which depend on many weather factors, so we advise you to look at the data of the meteorological agency from Japan, to see the different forecasts.
In the same way we also have to say that the first trip we did during Christmas and although they had told us that the cold was considerable, because of our experience and what we have been seeing in friends who have gone in this time, it does cold, but nothing that can not stand, so if you can only travel in these months, the temperatures do not stop you !.
The same happens with the hottest months, in which many people consider whether to travel or not, since they have the idea that temperatures are unbearable.
Although we have not traveled in these months, we can say that the friends who have been in months like July or August, although they have been hot, it has not been anything that has prevented them from making the trip with total tranquility.
Accommodation in Japan
Although it may seem quite the opposite, accommodation in Japan is cheaper than you might think, not exceeding even 50 euros per room, in mid-range hotels, if you book early.
Keep in mind that most hotels have rooms with every comfort, although these are usually small.
And how could it be otherwise, we advise you to try the experience of staying in a ryokan, the traditional Japanese accommodation, at least once. We chose the option to do it in Miyajima and the truth is that it is a totally advisable option, since in addition the place is ideal to enjoy it.
- Accommodation in Tokyo
- Accommodation in Kyoto
- Get 35 euros discount on AirBnb here
Tips for traveling to Japan
As in any destination, knowing certain tips or recommendations is synonymous with facilitating travel and preparations for the route. That is why, after our two trips to Japan, we want to include in this guide to travel to Japan a post in which we compile what are for us basic and necessary aspects to enjoy the trip to the fullest.
- Tips for Japan
Kyoto
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
What to see in Japan
Without a doubt, there is nothing better to fully enjoy your stay in the country, than to have a clear idea about what to see in Japan and in the different areas you are going to visit.
After the 18 days we spent on the first trip and the several weeks in Kyoto, Tokyo and surroundings, on our second trip, we leave you several articles in which we detail and break down the different places that we believe are, essential to know and understand this incredible country.
- 10 essential places to see in Japan
- 50 things to see and do in Tokyo
- 50 things to see and do in Kyoto
- 10 essential places to visit in Kyoto
- The 5 best tours and excursions in Kyoto
- The 5 best tours and excursions in Tokyo
- 10 essential places to visit in Tokyo
- 10 essential places to see in Osaka
Guide to travel to Japan
Japan tours
Although we know that Japan is not especially a small country and that there are many places to visit, also very interesting, we understand that the majority of travelers opt for a first trip to the Japanese country, between two and three weeks, which include places more tourist like Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Hiroshima and in many occasions, the area of the Japanese Alps, which includes Takayama and Shirakawa-go.
In our trip to Japan for free in 18 days we include all these places, first visiting Kyoto and the surrounding area, then go to Hiroshima and Miyajima, Takayama and Shirakawa-go and finish the trip in the incredible Tokyo.
Taking into account that it can be adapted to the days you have, we believe that this route is ideal for travelers who travel for the first time to the Japanese country and want to enjoy its most tourist attractions.
- Route of a trip to Japan for free
Japan Postcards
How to have internet in Japan?If you want to have internet in Japan a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
Transportation in Japan
One of the questions that we are most asked in the process of planning the trip to Japan, refers to transportation.
Although there are usually doubts about the subway and the bus, especially in Kyoto, most questions arise when booking the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included.
That is why after the trip to Japan for free and the second trip in which we have been practically two months in the Japanese country, we wanted to write a couple of posts in which we talked about transportation in Japan to try to make this aspect much clearer, speaking only of the means of transport that the traveler usually uses on a first trip to the Country of the rising sun.
- How to use the Japan Rail Pass
- How to use transportation in Japan
- How to use HyperDia
Transportation in Japan
Is it expensive to travel to Japan?
This is another point for which you ask us the most, besides being one of the aspects for which many travelers abandon their idea of traveling to this country.
Although we cannot say that Japan is an especially economical country, we cannot say that it is prohibitive either, it is more, both accommodation, reserving it with time, as food, are much cheaper than you might think.
So that you can have a much closer idea, we wanted to leave a list with the prices of the products that are purchased on a regular basis while traveling, hoping that this will just convince you to travel to Japan.
- Price guide in Japan
Price guide in Japan
Japan gastronomy
Without a doubt, if you are a lover of gastronomy, Japan will be for you the eternal paradise. Forget the popular belief that says you can only eat Raw Fish and get ready to enjoy as never before an explosion of flavors and textures.
To try to guide you a little about the dishes that you should not miss, we wanted to leave you a post with a selection of the foods and cuisine of Japan that you can not miss on your trip, as well as several recommendations of restaurants in the main cities.
- Japanese food. Typical dishes of Japan
- Where to eat in Kyoto. Recommended restaurants
- Where to eat in Tokyo. Recommended restaurants
Gastronomy in Japan
Travel Insurance to travel to Japan
If you are going to travel to Japan nothing better than having a good travel insurance and more in a destination like this, in which the health services are very high, being able to cost a simple visit to the doctor 500 dollars and several thousand any operation.
We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip.
We leave you an article in which we talk much more extensively about the reasons why in Japan it is important to have the best travel insurance.
- What is the best insurance for Japan?
Remember, just for being a reader of Street Travelers, you have a 5% discount with Mondo, to hire the best travel insurance, in addition to 15% if you take out family or group insurance.
Do you want to organize this trip to Japan for free?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Japan here
The best hotels at the best prices in Japan here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book here your JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Book your Airport⇆Tokio transfer here
Rent your car in Japan at the best price here
The best guides in Japan:
Japan 6 (Lonely Planet Country Guides)
Japan Visual Guide (VISUAL GUIDES)
Japanese for traveler 2 (Lonely Planet conversation guides)
Traveling literature on Japan:
Japan: an attempt at interpretation (Philosophy and Religion)
Memoirs of a Geisha (Pocket) (BIG FORMAT)
Tales and legends of Japan
The best offers of Flights to Japan here
The best hotels at the best prices in Japan here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book here your JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Book your Airport⇆Tokio transfer here
Rent your car in Japan at the best price here
The best guides in Japan:
Traveling literature on Japan:
