Planning a Solo Trip In Japan (Affordable 100+ Tips, What to do and Expect)

As a first time traveller to Japan, I was really overwhelmed when I started planning my solo trip in Japan. I know how confusing it can be and that is why I have prepared this Japan planning guide to help ease your confusion.

I just got back from my first trip to Japan and it was definitely one of the best trips till now. Japan was truly magical and it was everything that I dreamed of.

Planning A Solo Trip In Japan

We will list everything that is needed for planning a solo trip to Japan. But a bit of advise, before we start the actual planning process.

You have got to research like crazy when it comes to planning a trip to Japan. And even when you are in Japan, there will be so many things that you will be researching on a daily basis.

What to do, where to go, booking an experience or a table at a restaurant. Which definitely means that you must ensure that your data is secure and you do not use public Wifi’s while on the move.

You might be asking, ‘Are VPNs free?’ While free options exist, they typically have speed and security limitations that can slow down your research process. A reliable VPN service is often more affordable than you think and protects your booking data wherever you plan.

Best time to visit for your solo trips to Japan

I waited for years to go to Japan during cherry blossom season because everyone told me that it is the best time to visit. It probably will be because of all the blossoms.

But for me, every year, something or the other keeps coming up. Also, it is my birthday week when they are in full bloom and I love spending it with my family.

It is also the most expensive and most crowded time to visit Japan. Yes, definitely do it once for the experience but keep these in mind when you are planning a solo trip to Japan.

I went during Autumn and for someone like me who loves Autumn, it was definitely the best time to visit Japan. Yes, some places are definitely crowded and you need to plan it accordingly so that you can catch autumn foliage in all its glory.

Autumn starts in the north of Japan around mid October and ends in the south around the 1st week of December. It is cheaper than Spring time but it is also the 2nd most expensive time to visit.

Japanese Maple leaves are called Momoji and hence autumn is called Momoji as well.

The worst time to visit Japan would be during rainfall months or typhoon season. Summer months are extremely humid but if you want to swim in Okinawa, then I would definitely suggest the summer months. It will also be much cheaper compared to Spring and Autumn.

If you love snow and skiing, then Japan has many destinations that are ideal during winter.

Visa requirements for your Japan solo trips

Unfortunately, as an Indian, I definitely needed a visa and this needs to be applied at least one month in advance.

If you are applying from Bangalore like me, then you need to take an appointment at VFS Bangalore to go submit your documents. You can find the list of documents here.

Since I was going to both Japan and South Korea and I was going to Japan first, I decided to first apply to Japan first.

Only when I went to submit my documents for Japan, did I realise that I need to first get the South Korean Visa.

Because Japan has a condition that says that if you are going to a third country after Japan, you need to have that visa before applying for Japan visa.

So went back, applied for South Korea visa and when I received it, went back and applied for visa for Japan.

It costs approximately 550 r. But I went for premium and hence paid another 2000 rs extra. The visa came in around 10 days (7 working days).

Even though I asked for a multiple entry visa, I was granted only a single entry visa for exactly 15 days.

This caused some confusion since I was there for 15 nights and was leaving on the 16th day. But when I enquired with the embassy, I was told that the day I land would be counted as Day 0 and not as Day 1.

Choosing your flights for your Japan trip planning

Even though Japan Airlines has direct flights from Bangalore to Tokyo, I did not get a good deal because I was going to South Korea as well.

But if you are flying only to Japan, then Japan Airlines definitely could be a better choice. Why? Because they offer 2 free domestic flights at the same price. If you are flying ANA Nippon airlines, they also give the same option.

This is in partnership with the tourism board to promote places other than the touristy places like Hokkaido or Okinawa.

Since I had no plans to visiting either, I ended up choosing Cathay Pacific. I have always loved flying Cathay and I did not regret it this time either. My luggage (one piece) was delayed and they personally delivered it to my hotel the next evening.

I also had an 8 hour layover in Hong Kong and I went out and explored Hong Kong for a few hours too.

Things to consider while booking accommodation while solo travelling in Japan

As a solo female traveller, I am not very keen on booking Airbnb’s. I prefer boutique hotels.

When you are planning trip to Japan, one of the major costs will be your accommodation charges. If you are someone who prefers hostels, then you can easily get a hostel for around 30-40$ a night in a mixed dorm.

But I have outgrown hostels and I preferred hotels these days. Most hotels in Japan cost me between 100-120$ a night for single occupancy.

I am claustrophobic and hence capsule hotels were not even an option for me.

Room size is something you need to keep in mind when you are booking a hotel in Japan. Luckily after considerable research for me, the only tiny hotel I stayed in was at Tokyo. I used the APA chain which is a popular chain for business travellers in Japan.

The room was around 11 sqm in Tokyo and it would have been extremely difficult if I had my husband with me here.

One thing I would definitely recommend while in Japan is to stay in a Machiya (old wooden Japanese townhouses) or a Ryokan (Japanese Inns with communal baths and tatami mats). I did manage to stay in one in Lake Kawaguchiko with Japanese tatami flooring and futons. These rooms are usually huge but they come with an expensive price tag in most cases. The one I stayed at was around 225$ for one night.

Since I went during peak season, all my hotel bookings were done at least 4 weeks prior to my stay. This is the ideal time to book your stays if you want to get good rates.

While booking, make sure that you are less than 500 meters from the nearest metro station.

In Tokyo, most people prefer to stay in Shibuya or Shinjuku. But for a person like me with light and sound sensitivity, I knew that I would have trouble sleeping in such places. So I chose a quieter neighbourhood called Asakusabashi (completely different from Asakusa).

Why I mentioned this? I stayed at APA Hotel Asakusabashi Ekimae. But on my 2nd night in Tokyo, I ended up going first to APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimae by mistake.

So definitely check your hotel reviews before you book them.

Things to keep in mind before landing in Japan

If you do not want to wait a lot of time in immigration when you land, make sure to fill your details at the Japan web website before you depart. This saves you a lot of time. Make sure to save the QR code you get on your phone.

Once you land, you will need to do a biometric registration.

Additionally, once you land in Japan, you will get an option to fill your customs declaration as well online.

How to reach the city center from the airport

In most cases, you can just take the airport limousine bus to the city center. There are airport express trains too in some cities.

I didn’t use it when I landed in Tokyo because I was landing close to 11 pm and I had luggage with me.

But if you are landing earlier, you can always use this service and it usually costs between 10-25$ per person depending on the airport and the distance. I used this bus service from Hiroshima train station to Hiroshima airport and it was seamless.

You can prebook this on aggregator apps or you can book this at the counter when you arrive.

I ended up prebooking my cab ride from the airport to my hotel. Since I knew I was going to have a long day including an 8 hour layover in Hong Kong and was landing late in the night.

Since I prebooked it, I got it for around 50$. But if you don’t prebook, you may end up paying more.

Where did I go during my solo trip in Japan?

As a first time visitor to Japan, I did not want to overwhelm myself with planning a jam packed itinerary and I also stuck mostly to places that were well known. This is what my schedule looked like:

• Tokyo – 7 nights
  • Explored neighbourhoods of Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Akihabara, Gotokuiji
  • Took day trips to Hitachi & Ashikaga, Nikko and Kamakura
• Lake Kawaguchiko (Mount Fuji 5 lakes area) – 1 night
• Kyoto – 3 nights
  • Temple hopping, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inara, Nara
• Osaka – 2 nights
  • Mostly shopping in Dotonburi
  • Katsouji temple day trip (my favorite)
• Hiroshima – 2 nights
  • Day trip to Miyaji island

Will post a detailed itinerary soon.

Getting an IC card while planning for a Japan trip

This is going to be one of the most important things that you need to buy while you are in Japan. You can use this contactless card to tap for public transportation, vending machines, restaurants, convenience stores etc.

You can book this online and collect this when you land at the airport. But please note that the counter for collection closes at 6 pm. Even though I had booked it, I couldn’t collect it but I had an option to cancel free of cost.

Also, note that this card is not available at all train stations and even in that case, you may find that not all vending machines have the option of disbursing the physical card.

I had to go to Tokyo central to get my card. The Welcome Suica (no 500 yen deposit) is the one that tourists need to buy if you intend to stay less than 28 days in Japan.

I did try buying the 24 hour Tokyo card but it was not valid for most lines that were JR and hence I did not see a value add for this.

You can buy a mobile Suica if you have an iPhone. But as an Indian resident, I did not have this option.

Activities while planning a 2 week trip to Japan

Since Japan is a touristy destination, some of the activities need to be prebooked and cannot be booked at the last minute.

Shibuya Sky tickets for e.g opens only 2 weeks in advance and are almost immediately sold out for the sunset slot. Similarly, tickets for Teamlabs, Universal Japan, Disney Sea, Ghibli museum are all sold out weeks in advance during peak season.

So make sure that you book the ones you want to do in Japan in advance. I used Klook or Getyourguide to book them.

eSIM in Japan

You will need mobile connectivity when you are in Japan. I did not buy one since I landed quite late in Japan.

But my Airtel international roaming worked just fine and was a great help during my time in Japan.

Vegetarian food in Japan

I wrote a detailed post on what I ate in Japan as a vegetarian traveller. Please make sure that you know basic phrases and make sure to download Happy Cow app before your trip to Japan.

Additionally, download Payke app since it provides translation for all labels and I found it much better than Google Lens.

Be prepared to wait if you are planning to eat at some of the popular restaurants. Some require advance reservation. Use Tablelog or Tablecheck.

How much to budget while planning to travel to Japan

If you are on a budget and willing to stay in hostels, then I would recommend around 10000 yen a day (65$). But a comfortable budget would be around 150$ a day.

This is obviously excluding shopping budget.

Cash is still king in smaller towns and hence make sure to always carry some yen with you. I had gotten some yen from my Forex team in Bangalore before travelling and for everything else, I just kept loading my Forex card on the go.

Also, take a coin purse with you. Because you will collect a lot of coins every day.

The art of the convenience store in Japan

You will end up going to at least one convenience store every day. It could be Family Mart or Lawsons or even a 7/11.

My breakfast egg sandwich was always from Lawsons and I also ended up buying fruits, water, milk and drinks on a daily basis from one of the convenience stores. They are called Konbinis in Japan.

Safety in Japan

As a solo female traveller, Japan was one of the most safest places I have ever been to and I could walk around at any time of the day without the fear of being a woman.

There is a bit of staring but it doesn’t come anywhere close to the levels in India and it did not make me feel unsafe even once.

Read this post

Solo Female Traveller Tips

Language in Japan

There is definitely a communication issue since most people don’t speak English and you will be using the Google translate app a lot.

But as a tourist, please don’t expect them to speak English. Japanese people are one of the most courteous people I have met and please don’t mistake their inability to communicate with you as coldness.

Some common Japanese phrases for tourists:

• Hello – Konnichiwa
• Thank You – Arigato Gozaimasu (I was just saying Arigato for the first days which translates to just Thanks and is actually considered rude. Don’t be like me and learn the full phrase.)
• Good Morning – Ohayou gozaimasu
• Excuse Me / Sorry – Sumimasen
• Please – Onegaishimasu
• Good bye – Sayonara

Luggage delivery services for a Japan trip planner

This was definitely one of my favorite services that I used in Japan.

Don’t go to Japan without your suitcase since you will be shopping a lot in Japan.

But when you think of dragging your heavy suitcases around Japan, you will think twice. And up and down a flight of stairs at those subway stations?

And that is where the luggage forwarding services come in handy. I used it for all my transfers between Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka -> Hiroshima. I did not use it for Lake Kawaguchiko and managed with just my cabin baggage and send it directly to Kyoto from Tokyo.

Most hotels will have this service and if you are staying at an Airbnb, just go to the nearby post office.

You will need to fill a form with your forwarding hotel details and then they will call the hotel to confirm that you have a booking. Once you pay the fees (between 10-25$ for a heavy suitcase) depending on the distance, you deposit the bag.

They usually deliver it the next day if you deposit the bag after 11 AM. So make sure to pack essentials in your carry on luggage.

Shopping in Japan

Japan is a shopper’s paradise. Especially for skin care, hair care, electronics and anime.

As a tourist, you need to always carry a passport. This is the only way you get a tax refund of 10% while billing for purchases above 5000-5500 yen. The tax refund is instant in Japan if you have a passport.

They pack the stuff that you buy in transparent sealed bags and you are not allowed to open these bags when you are in Japan. Your bags will be screened when you are leaving Japan.

Pro tip: Go shopping in places like Don Quixote around midnight since the crowds are comparatively lesser then. They are open 24/7. But also, do visit pharmacies to get the best products and BIC for electronics.

Some of the things that I bought were:

• Shiseido products
• Rice face masks
• Fino hair mask
• Anime products
• Lots of girlie stuff like earrings and keychain dolls
• Souvenirs
• Chocolates especially the different flavours of Kitkats
• Bags
• Onitsuka tiger shoes

Japan is a great place to get deals on vintage luxury items and if you are lucky, you can find some great luxury bags and watches at steal prices. Since they do not allow for copy, it is also a great place to buy second hand stuff.

Onsens in Japan

Onsens in Japan are natural hot spring waters and this is used for relaxation and healing.

Even though I did not go to an exclusive Onsen town, I ended spending time in an Onsen in Kawaguchiko.

My hotel had both a private and public onsen. But since they do not allow any clothes, not even bikinis, I went for a private one at my hotel.

Please note that most public onsens will not allow you if you have tattoos.

Mount Fuji

Did you know that Mount Fuji is only visible for 80 days every year and the best time to actually see it is during the early winter months?

I would definitely recommend you to stay at least one night in the area to increase the chance of seeing it. You can also check weather predictions to ensure that you have a higher chance of seeing it.

What to pack for Japan

Even though, I went towards the end of Autumn, I was able to manage everywhere with just a heavy jacket. I did pack my thermals but I did not end up using them.

You do not need to pack too much since most hotels will have the coin laundry services and they cost less than a coffee to get them washed.

These are the essentials things that I packed:

• 5-6 pairs of pants
• 12 shirts / tops
• 3 pairs of thermals
• 2 jackets
• 1 raincoat
• Couple of dresses with stockings
• Comfortable walking shoes (Trust me, you will need this since you will be walking between 20-25k steps daily)
• Umbrella
• Hats
• Scarfs
• Gloves ( I didn’t use them)
• Toiletries
• Couple of sweaters
• One swimsuit
• Packing cubes
• Electronics like cameras, laptop, phone and their chargers
• Travel adapters
• Tiny backpack to carry stuff that I shopped for daily. Or for trash since you cannot find trash cans anywhere.

You do not need to pack night clothes if you are staying in hotels. Because they provide you with the softest pajamas I have worn till date.

Public transportation in Japan

I obviously kept this one for the last because this one was the most overwhelming one of it all.

You will get lost at Shinjuku and Shibuya at least once when you are in Tokyo. These stations are massive and they have 100s of shops inside them and multiple lines.

Like I mentioned before, do get yourselves a Welcome Suica card when you land in Japan and you can reload them as and when you need them. You can buy them only at the main JR line stations.

These can be used in buses, subways and metros. Not on the Shinkansen or the bullet trains.

Google tells you the exact line you need to take and also the exit you need to take. But finding the exact exit without getting lost is the art of using public transportation in Japan.

Also, you need to make sure you are getting on the right type of train. Some trains have a local, express and a rapid express (which won’t stop at all the stations).

A minimum fare for subway is around 170 yen and for buses, it is around 210 yen.

Also, note that some of the routes are circular.

Some of the older stations are not disabled friendly.

If you have a large backpack, it is courteous to put them on the front of your body.

I loved how they queued up for everything here in Japan.

Shinkansen or Bullet Trains in Japan

After the recent price hike, it makes no sense to buy the JR pass anymore. I took two bullet trains in Japan and they were so fast and efficient.

It cost me around 60$ for each of these train rides. You can buy the tickets from Klook or you can buy them from the station on the day of your travel.

But please note that during peak season, you may not get a seat and will have to stand if it is not booked in advance.

If you have a big suitcase, you need to prebook a space. I did not use this since I used the luggage forwarding service.

Booking highway buses

I ended up taking a bus from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko and from Lake Kawaguchiko to Mishima ( to take the bullet train to Kyoto). Use this website to book bus tickets.

They are quite convenient and it is easier to get tickets at the last minute.

Conclusion:

Planning a solo trip in Japan can feel overwhelming at first, but once you take the leap, it becomes one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. With its safe cities, efficient transportation, rich traditions, and endless hidden corners to explore, Japan is truly designed for solo travellers.

Whether you’re wandering through Kyoto’s serene temples, getting lost in Tokyo’s neon streets, soaking in an onsen, or admiring the autumn colours in the countryside, you’ll find moments that stay with you long after the trip ends.

By researching your route, learning a few cultural basics, staying connected with an eSIM, and embracing spontaneity, you’ll be fully prepared to navigate Japan with confidence. Trust yourself, stay open to new experiences, and let Japan surprise you in the best ways. Enjoy every moment.