10-Day Japan Itinerary for Budget Travelers Under $150/Day
How I do Japan in 10 days without blowing $150/day. Hostels + business hotels, street food + a few splurges, and IC cards everywhere.
Budget Rules
- Beds: Hostels or business hotels near transit (¥6,000-10,000/night)
- Food: Street food, set lunches, conbini breakfast; 1-2 splurge meals
- Transport: IC card + local trains; night bus for one long hop
- Passes: No nationwide JR Pass; consider regional passes only if they save
Day 1-3: Tokyo (Base)
- Stay: Asakusa/Ueno hostel for cheap beds, easy trains
- Do: Senso-ji at sunrise, Akihabara arcades, Shibuya Crossing at dusk
- Food: Conbini breakfast, Udon/Soba (¥500-800), ramen one night
- Cost: ~¥8,000-12,000/day (bed + food + metro)
Day 4: Tokyo → Hakone (Day Trip)
- Why: Onsen + Fuji views without a hotel change
- Cost: Hakone Free Pass covers loop; bring onigiri for lunch
- Return: Back to Tokyo hostel to avoid luggage moves
Day 5-6: Tokyo → Kyoto (Night Bus)
- Why: Save a hotel night; Willer/Keio bus (¥4,000-8,000)
- Stay: Kyoto station area hostel/business hotel
- Do: Fushimi Inari at sunrise, Nishiki Market snacks, Kiyomizu-dera
Day 7: Kyoto → Osaka (Local Train)
- Cost: ~¥600, 30 minutes
- Stay: Namba/Shin-Imamiya for cheapest beds
- Do: Dotonbori late, Kuromon Market lunch, Shinsekai kushikatsu
Day 8: Osaka → Nara (Day Trip)
- Cost: ~¥1,000 roundtrip
- Do: Todaiji, deer park, Nakatanidou mochi
- Return: Osaka for night eats
Day 9-10: Osaka → Hiroshima (Shinkansen or Bus)
- Option 1: Shinkansen (~¥10,000) if budget allows
- Option 2: Night bus (~¥5,000) to save cash
- Do: Peace Park, okonomiyaki, Miyajima day trip if budget allows
Daily Budget Snapshot (¥ / USD @0.0067)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 6,000 | 10,000 |
| Food | 2,500 | 4,000 |
| Transit | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Activities | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Total | 11,000 | 19,000 |
Tips to Stay Under $150/Day
- Book hostels early for big cities
- Eat big lunches, lighter dinners
- Use night buses for one long hop
- IC card everywhere; avoid taxis
- Choose one splurge meal, not three