Sunday, November 11, 2012

Japan Itinerary and Budget Breakdown

I used Japan guide primarily in crafting my itinerary. I think I copied 90% of their 10-day guide, entering and exiting Tokyo. Very comprehensive and understandable.

Day 0
Evening flight to HK.
Day 1
Connecting flight from HK to NRT. Explore Shinjuku. Overnight Tokyo.
Day 2
Explore Asakusa and Odaiba. Overnight Tokyo.
Day 3
Explore Imperial Palace. Explore Shinjuku. Overnight Tokyo.
Day 4 (JR Pass Day 1)
Day trip to Nikko. Overnight Tokyo.
Day 5 (JR Pass Day 2)
Shinkansen to Kyoto. Overnight Kyoto.
Day 6 (JR Pass Day 3)
Eastern Kyoto Sights/ Higashiyama Walk
Day 7 (JR Pass Day 4)
Western Kyoto Sights/ Imperial Palace
Day 8 (JR Pass Day 5)
Daytrip in Nara
Day 9 (JR Pass Day 6)
Return to Tokyo. Bum around Tokyo.
Day 10 (JR Pass Day 7)
Travel via Narita Express to Airport. Fly back to Manila.


Budget breakdown:
I spent Php a total of 90,000 for my 10 day trip in Japan – spent in USD, JPY and PHP. The allocation of the budget:



The story of each slice:
Airfare – You must be outraged by the airfare fee. I flew via Cathay Pacific which cost me $ 463.58/ Php 19,904.25. There are some budget airlines that fly to Japan. However, I wasn’t very confident how the visa application would go. I opted to be safe and got a fare which was refundable. That is the price of safely. 

Visa fees – This includes the bank certification fee, birth certificate fee and the visa processing fee. I also got an insurance from Blue Cross. Insurance is not required but I wanted to be covered, just in case. (Notice how fear costs me money).

Airport fees – Terminal Fee, Philippine Travel Tax

Japan Rail Pass (JRP) – PRICEY. YEZ. There are cheaper ways of traveling between regions. But riding these bullets trains is a part of the Japan experience!

Transportation – transportation expenses not covered by the JRP. subway passes, bus tickets

Accommodation – Hostels.

Shopping - I love myself, my family and friends! Loaded on Kitkat. Since I had leftover funds from food, I was able to splurge a bit here. I also needed to buy some thermals because I packed too warm and I found the weather too cold when I was there.

Tours – This includes all the entrance fees and tickets for everything. I didn’t a guided tour anywhere.

6 comments:

  1. thanks for sharing your travel thoughts and expenses.
    It was indeed helpful,
    when we went to Europe last year,
    i was worried about schengen visa,
    and what places to see etc..
    your blog is inspiring. ^0^
    i think I had to re-read it more than once just to review it again. ^0^

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice post.
    A valuable information here.
    Thanks for sharing with us.
    Tax Somerset

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  3. Thanks for providing such a great article, it was excellent and very informative.
    as a first time visitor to your blog I am very impressed.
    Economics :)

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    ReplyDelete
  4. Good thing may CebuPac na! I have always daydreamed of traveling to Japan, mine would probably take 2-3 weeks kelangan pagipunan!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Japan is worth saving for! Maximum number of days for tourist visas is 15 days. If you want to request for a longer stay, I think you may need to purchase some tour or explain more why you'll exceed the 15 days. The travel agency can help you with that. Enjoy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you want to go to Japan, you may visit our website and inquire in our Package Tours. We also have domestic package in the Philippines and other inter-destination across the world. See here: http://his.com.ph/en/en-index.html

    ReplyDelete

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