‘Prices have almost halved’: How to make the most of a holiday in newly affordable Japan

Mount Fuji Japan
From skiing to secluded islands, we round up 10 of the best-value itineraries to explore Japan

It’s renowned as one of Asia’s most expensive destinations, but a depreciating currency has made a trip to Japan more achievable. In July 2024, the yen reached a 16-year low against the pound. Though it has risen slightly since then, one pound is equal to around 197 yen in October, compared with roughly 139 yen in the same month in 2019.

On the ground, that means cheaper food and local transport, as well as the chance to try experiences that may previously have been prohibitively expensive – some of which have seen their prices almost halve. Though the pound’s strength against the yen is most obvious at supermarkets and restaurants away from major sites, little luxuries are surprisingly affordable too.

Intricately fancy cakes from Tokyu Food Show Edge at the bottom of the Shibuya Sky attraction currently cost less than £3.50, while there are considerable savings to be made on goods from Japanese designers such as Commes des Garçons. At Daiso, the most famous of the country’s prolific 100-yen stores (where you can pick up toiletries, sweets and homewares), items are currently a paltry 51p each – which makes Poundland seem shockingly expensive.

Meals from convenience stores and local restaurants are cheaper too. Tetsuko Furusawa, based in Nagoya and the global head of booking delivery at tour operator Inside Japan, estimates that restaurant set lunches currently cost around half what they would in the UK, coming in at about £5 for three courses.

“The depreciation of the yen means your money goes farther, especially in rural areas and smaller cities, where the cost of living is generally lower. This extends to buying local delicacies, handicrafts, and participating in unique experiences like tea ceremonies or kimono dressings – activities that previously felt more of a luxury have now become more accessible,” says Peter Crane, the global product director of Wendy Wu Tours.

“Private drinks with a geisha or a day with a swordsmith have halved in cost,” adds James Mundy of Inside Japan.

Not everything is good value, however. The yen’s depreciation coincides with Japan’s rise in popularity post-Covid. It means that elements of a trip to the country continue to be comparatively expensive, most notably flights and hotel accommodation. Meanwhile, in 2023, prices for the country’s well-publicised JR rail passes rose considerably.

“Hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto, especially luxury hotels, remain pricey, regardless of the exchange rate. This is largely driven by high demand and limited space, particularly in peak travel seasons,” says Crane.

“Salarymen [white-collar workers] used to rely on cheap business hotels in good locations, especially when they missed their last train home. These days, salarymen are having trouble finding affordable hotels,” says Furusawa.

For British visitors, a raft of reliable mid-range options have sprung up in Japan’s major cities and offer relatively good value. Among them, the Mimaru chain of apartment hotels is fantastic for families, with Pokémon-themed rooms, flexible layouts and apartments for four from around £190 per night (mimaruhotels.com).

If you plan to travel to several locations and pack in plenty of activities, booking a package may still present the best value for money. “Tour operators are able to secure better rates, as we are buying in volume and have long-standing relationships with our suppliers,” says Hazel McGuire, the UK director of Intrepid Travel.

They can also get you off the beaten track more easily – far from another emerging issue. “There has been an increasing issue of overtourism in some parts of Japan, and that may be partly fuelled by the low yen,” says Mundy. “This is, of course, a great opportunity, but as a B Corp – and as we have always done – we combine the must-see spots with the lesser-known, helping people discover the culture that makes Japan so special, and getting them to places where there is less tourism, where their money is perhaps needed more and where their presence benefits both the visitor and the community.”

So, fancy making the most of Japan’s newfound affordability? We’ve selected 10 of the best-value itineraries on offer, whether you fancy pedalling gently through the countryside, whizzing between cities by Shinkansen train or heading to a sandy beach or ski slope.

Best for the basics

The Great Buddha at Kotokuin at Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture
The Great Buddha of Kamakura, a bronze statue of one of the most famous icons of Japan and a designated National Treasure - Jui-Chi Chan

A good trip for first-timers who prefer a slower pace, Audley’s nine-night Japan’s Cities: Tokyo and Kyoto acts as an introduction to the country’s best-known metropolises. Guides in both places help novices get to grips with sightseeing, while there are day trips to the laid-back seaside city of Kamakura, with its Great Bronze Buddha, and Hiroshima’s Peace Park and Memorial Museum. In Kyoto, guests can experience a tea ceremony with the Kyoto Women’s Association.

Private tour from £3,865pp including flights, transport, accommodation and excursions (01993 838210; audleytravel.com).

Best for happy eaters

A sashimi breakfast being served up at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market
A sashimi breakfast being served up at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market - Katerina Zizlavska

With street-food trails, outsized markets and farms sequestered in empty countryside, Japan is one of the best countries in the world for gluttons. Intrepid’s 10-night Japan Food Tour takes it all in, kicking off with a sushi-making lesson in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market. Trailing along Honshu’s left side, the tour stops off in Kanazawa, Kyoto and Osaka, with a detour for shojin ryori (a vegetarian meal prepared by novice monks) and an overnight stay in one of Koya-san’s serene temples. Elsewhere, there’s tea tasting and a mooch around Osaka’s famously tasty Dotonbori district.

Small group tour (one to 12) from £3,128pp including accommodation, activities and some meals but excluding international flights (0808 274 5111; intrepidtravel.com).

Best for a beach holiday with a difference

The picturesque Ishigaki Island of Yaeyama Islands, one of the remotest parts of Japan
The picturesque Ishigaki Island of Yaeyama Islands, one of the remotest parts of Japan - Ippei Naoi

Tourists to Japan are slowly becoming savvy to the attractions of the Okinawa archipelago, which stretches into the Pacific towards Taiwan. A unique history combines with a laid-back culture and incredible stretches of sand to create a brilliantly different beach holiday. Book Original Travel’s 13-day Mangroves, Lagoons and Coral Reefs trip and you will land in Okinawa’s relaxed capital, Naha, before heading onwards by plane to explore Miyako-Jima’s coral reef, Iriomote’s jungle-encircled waterfall, Taketomi’s traditional houses with their stone lion protectors and, finally, blissful Ishigaki with its laid-back izakaya and perfect beaches.

Private trip from £4,260pp including flights, accommodation, some meals and activities (020 3582 4990; originaltravel.co.uk).

Best for snowsports lovers

For a ski holiday with a difference, Japan’s slopes offer plenty of powder, après-ski saké and steaming onsen baths for post-run muscle recovery. Mix skiing with cultural exploration in Furano; this Hokkaidō hotspot may not have the huge dumps of its better-known rival Niseko, but it does offer free passes for under-12s and dreamy views towards Daisetsuzan National Park. For non-skiers, the timbered town of Furano is 10 minutes by taxi and full of cute cafés and artisan shops.

Crystal Ski has seven nights at the Shin Furano Prince from £2,913pp B&B, including international and domestic flights and coach transfers (020 3451 2821; crystalski.co.uk).

Best for a once-in-a-lifetime itinerary

Mount Fuji and Kawaguchiko lake - the mountain is around 100km from Tokyo
Mount Fuji and Kawaguchiko lake. The mountain is around 100km from Tokyo

Want an unforgettable trip that ticks off all the major sites and plenty more? Wendy Wu Tours’ 12-night Journey Through Japan should do the trick. Working its way down from Sapporo to Osaka, it’s full of experiences that will provide lasting memories. Highlights include soaking in an onsen in Tsunagi, trailing 7,900ft up Mount Fuji by road, exploring the shrines and shopping streets of Tokyo, tasting saké in a Kyoto brewery, and inhaling the sights and sounds of Hakodate’s morning market.

Group tour from £6,090pp including flights, meals, accommodation and excursions (0808 258 2145; wendywutours.co.uk).

Best on the water

Yokohama, the largest port city in Japan, means 'horizontal beach' in Japanese
Yokohama, the second-largest port city in Japan, means ‘horizontal beach’ in Japanese

Japan’s geography lends it to exploration by sea. On Cunard’s 10-night Southern Japan cruise, passengers embark in Yokohama to set sail for Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Osaka (where there’s the option to travel to Kyoto), before returning to Yokohama, which is a 30-minute train ride from Tokyo. In between, enjoy leisurely days at sea packed with afternoon teas, spa treatments and theatre shows.

From £4,129pp full-board in an inside cabin, including international flights and transfers. Departs April 16 2025 (0344 338 8641; cunard.com).

Best with kids in tow

Anime, manga, a raft of novelty food and some space-age attractions – Japan should be a hit with even the testiest tween. Family travel specialist Stubborn Mule has some of the most kid-friendly itineraries available, including Japan in Nine Days, which can fit neatly into the Easter holidays and involves time in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone. Along the way, there’s the chance to see acclaimed immersive digital art at TeamLabs Planets, and to observe the country from a different angle on the Hakone Ropeway cablecar.

Private trip from £3,500pp B&B including accommodation, two dinners, excursions and international flights (01728 752751; stubbornmuletravel.com).

Best for cyclists

Embrace pedal power on Exodus’s 13-night Cycling in Japan trip, which traverses sleepy country roads and the tranquil coastline north of Kyoto. A reasonable level of fitness is required as you’ll tick off 37 miles a day on average. The reward? Misty sunset views over Oshima island, meals in remote villages, a night in one of the distinctive triangular, thatched houses in Unesco-listed Shirakawa-go, and a trail along the mountain-stream-hugging Hida Seseragi Highway.

Group tour from £6,199 including bike hire and luggage transport, accommodation and some activities and meals but excluding international flights (0203 131 6795; exodus.co.uk).

Best for honeymooners

Onsen - the hot springs and bathing facilities around them - are a popular honeymoon spot
Onsen - the hot springs and bathing facilities around them - are a popular honeymoon spot - Patchareeporn Sakoolchai

Inside Japan has trips for every budget and occasion – but its Japan Hotsprings Honeymoon is perfect for newlyweds. The onsen-embracing itinerary includes two nights at the company’s favourite ryokan (the 160-year-old Nishimuraya Honkan in the beautiful town of Kinosaki Onsen, where the canal and wooden houses are straight from an anime) – guests check into rooms with their own private open-air hot spring baths. Elsewhere, there’s a private tea ceremony in Kyoto, a tour around Tokyo (including time at the Meiji Shrine, which is popular for Shinto weddings), and a trip by Romancecar express train to Hakone for Mount Fuji views and more hot springs.

Private trip from £4,750pp including accommodation, transport and some activities and meals, excluding international flights (0117 409 4855; insidejapantours.com).

Best for getting off the tourist trail

Crowds and queues mar the country’s best-known sights. Avoid them with G Adventures’ 10-night Backroads of Japan tour. It takes the road less travelled between Tokyo and Kyoto, stopping off to spot snow monkeys in Nagano and diverting by local train to seventh-century Zenkō-ji Temple, as well as exploring Tottori’s sweeping sand dunes. Among the highlights is a homestay with a host family in the former castle town of Hagi; home to well-preserved samurai districts and empty beaches, this castle town offers a glimpse into everyday life in Japan. Time in Tokyo and Kyoto bookends the trip.

Small group tour from £2,677pp, including excursions, accommodation, internal transport and some meals, excluding international flights (0207 313 6953; gadvantures.com).