Notes / Japan in 7 days — what it really costs
Japan in 7 days — what it really costs
Tokyo, a hot-spring night in Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka by train. The fares we have sourced, leg by leg, and the caveats.
This is the seven-day route that the Japan journey plans, all by train: Tokyo, then Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. It has six nights in total: two in Tokyo, one in Hakone, two in Kyoto, none in Nara (it is a day stop on the way to Osaka) and one in Osaka.
The train fares, leg by leg
All fares are per person, and they were checked in October 2026.
- Tokyo to Hakone: 2,470 yen. This is the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku, about 80 minutes. The price is a 1,200 yen official surcharge plus a 1,270 yen base fare from a third-party site.
- Hakone to Kyoto: 11,770 to 12,100 yen on the Tokaido Shinkansen (Hikari), unreserved or reserved. This is a third-party estimate. The short local train from Hakone-Yumoto to Odawara is not included.
- Kyoto to Nara: 720 to 1,280 yen, about 35 to 45 minutes.
- Nara to Osaka: 560 to 1,110 yen, about 35 to 40 minutes. The 560 yen figure comes from an undated guide that is not linked, so treat the low end with care.
Added up, the four train legs come to 15,520 to 16,960 yen per person.
A pass to consider
For the Tokyo to Hakone part, the Hakone Free Pass costs 7,100 yen for two days from Shinjuku. It is another option to compare against the single Romancecar fare.
What the fares leave out
These figures cover trains only. Stays and food are not in the fares above, so budget for them separately.