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Japan Trip Cost from India: the ₹500 Visa, Flights, Rail and a 10-Day Budget
Japan has a reputation as the expensive trip, and the flight still is. But since July 2026 the visa costs Indians ₹500, and on the ground a careful traveller spends less than in many Indian hill stations in peak season. Here is ten days, line by line, and whether the JR Pass is worth it.
Photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
About ₹1,47,000 per person for ten days on a budget: around ₹71,877 for a return flight from Delhi to Tokyo (a JAL listing for November–December 2026), ₹1,300 for the visa and VFS charge, about ₹28,700 for trains, and about ₹44,900 on the ground. The flight is half the trip; the visa, since July 2026, is almost nothing.
The route is a loop most Indian visitors never think of: Tokyo, then the Shinkansen to Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan, the bus through the thatched village of Shirakawa-go to Takayama in the mountains, down to Kyoto, and the bullet train back to Tokyo for the flight home. It avoids the most crowded corners, and the rail passes for it are cheaper than the national JR Pass.
Kanazawa and Takayama costs, and the Tokyo–Kanazawa fare, are Trip Under's place data. Visa, rail-pass and entry fees are from official pages (the Embassy of Japan, VFS, JR West, JR Central, the sights themselves). Flight fares are listings from JAL's Indian site, not guarantees. Rate: ¥1 = ₹0.6055 (23 October 2026).
Ten days, itemised
Infographic · where the money goes
Solo from Delhi, 10 days, budget: about ₹1,47,000
- Flight: JAL's India site showed Delhi–Tokyo returns of ₹71,877 for late November–early December 2026 and ₹71,142 for mid-March 2027; dates in early April were about ₹79,196. Bengaluru–Tokyo was similar (₹71,060–₹73,514). These are fares other users found, not quotes.
- Tokyo and Kyoto: japan-guide puts a low daily budget at ¥5,000–13,000 a person, excluding transport, with dorms under ¥5,000 a night. We use ¥8,000 (₹4,844). Kyoto adds an accommodation tax of ¥200 a night for rooms under ¥6,000.
- Kanazawa and Takayama: Trip Under's shoestring day rates, ₹4,200 and ₹3,200.
As a couple: flights, visas, passes and entry fees double; a double room instead of two dorm beds costs a little more. Budget about ₹3,08,000 for two.
The visa: ₹500 since July 2026
- Fee: ₹500 for Indian citizens, single or multiple entry, from 1 July 2026 (other nationalities resident in India pay far more). Refunded only if the visa is refused.
- VFS service charge: ₹800 per application, all taxes included; courier return ₹550 if you want it.
- Where: VFS Japan visa centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mysuru, New Delhi, Puducherry and Pune. Most now work by appointment only (Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa from 19 October 2026).
- When: up to 90 days before you travel; allow at least 7–10 working days.
- Documents (tourism, self-funded): passport with two blank pages, a signed form, one photo, a covering letter, your flight schedule, a day-by-day itinerary with hotels, and income tax returns for the last three years (or six months of bank statements with a letter). Couples travelling as dependants need proof of relationship.
- The eVISA: issued electronically after you apply at VFS. At the airport you must show the visa notice online on your phone: a screenshot or printout is not accepted.
Japan's departure tax rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026. It is normally included in your air fare, so check it is in the total you are quoted.
Flights from India
| Route | Airline | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi – Tokyo Haneda | Air India | Daily (B787-9, premium economy from Feb 2026) |
| Delhi – Tokyo Narita | JAL | Daily from 17 Jan 2026 |
| Delhi – Tokyo Haneda | ANA | Daily (trade reports) |
| Mumbai – Tokyo Haneda | Air India | 4 a week from June 2026 |
| Mumbai – Tokyo Narita | ANA | Daily outside a summer cut (trade reports) |
| Bengaluru – Tokyo Narita | JAL | Existing route |
| Delhi – Osaka Kansai | Air India | 4 a week from 2 Feb 2027 (reported) |
Is the JR Pass worth it?
For this loop, no. A 7-day JR Pass costs ¥50,000 on the official site (₹30,275), and ¥53,000 through agents since 1 October 2026. It would not cover all ten days, and it does not include the Shirakawa-go bus. Buying the pieces instead comes to about ₹28,700:
| Leg | Ticket | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Kanazawa | Hokuriku Shinkansen, reserved seat | ₹8,340 |
| Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go → Takayama → Toyama → Tsuruga → Kyoto | Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass, 5 consecutive days, ¥19,800 (buses need a reservation) | ₹11,989 |
| Kyoto → Tokyo | Hikari Shinkansen, reserved, ¥13,850 | ₹8,386 |
- If you stay in Kansai for a few days, JR West's WEST QR Kansai Area Pass is ¥2,700 for one day up to ¥6,700 for four.
- Nozomi trains are not covered by the JR Pass without an extra ticket (¥4,960 Tokyo–Kyoto), bought in Japan.
- Get a Suica or ICOCA for city trains and buses: Suica has a refundable ¥500 deposit; the visitor ICOCA is ¥2,000 including the deposit, at Kansai Airport.
What the sights cost
| Sight | Ticket |
|---|---|
| Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa | ¥320 (free on set days in late March–early April and over New Year) |
| Takayama Jinya | ¥500; under-18s free; closed 29 Dec–3 Jan |
| Shirakawa-go: Wada House / Kanda House / Nagase House | ¥400 / ¥400 / ¥300 |
| Shirakawa-go open-air museum | ¥600 |
| Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto | ¥500 (guides; the temple's own notice is an image) |
| Fushimi Inari, Kyoto | Free, open all day and night (guides) |
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Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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When to go for the best prices
- Quietest: early to mid-December, and late January to February (except around Chinese New Year); November is quiet except at autumn-leaf spots.
- Busiest: New Year (many places close at least a day between 29 December and 4 January), the second half of March through April (cherry blossom and spring holidays), Golden Week (late April to early May) and mid-August.
- On Trip Under, Takayama and Kanazawa are both at their best in April–May and October–November, and rated good through the winter.
- Shinkansen reserved seats cost ¥200 less in off-peak periods and up to ¥400 more in the busiest.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Japan trip cost from India?
About ₹1,47,000 per person for ten days on a budget, including a return flight from Delhi (about ₹71,877 in a JAL listing for November–December 2026), the ₹500 visa and ₹800 VFS charge, trains for a Tokyo–Kanazawa–Takayama–Kyoto loop, and about ₹44,900 on the ground.
What is the Japan visa fee for Indians in 2026?
₹500 for a single or multiple entry visa, from 1 July 2026, plus a VFS service charge of ₹800. Tourism visas allow stays of up to 90 days.
How much does a Japan trip cost for a couple from India?
About ₹3,08,000 for two for ten days on a budget, with flights, visas and rail for both.
Is the JR Pass worth it for a first trip?
For a 10-day Tokyo–Kanazawa–Takayama–Kyoto loop, no: the pieces cost about ₹28,700, against ₹30,300 for a 7-day pass that does not cover the whole trip or the Shirakawa-go bus. It pays off on longer, faster routes with several long Shinkansen rides.
Are there direct flights from India to Japan?
Yes, to Tokyo: Air India, JAL and ANA from Delhi; Air India and ANA from Mumbai; JAL from Bengaluru. The first direct India–Osaka flight is Air India's Delhi–Kansai, reported to start on 2 February 2027.
Sources and how we priced this
- Visa: Embassy of Japan in India, visa page (fee from 1 Jul 2026); VFS Global Japan India, fees, processing, centres and appointment news (Oct 2026); Embassy notice on eVISA (21 Mar 2024); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, eVISA (15 May 2026); VFS tourism checklist (Oct 2026). Departure tax: Japan National Tourism Organization (11 May 2026).
- Flights: Air India press release (5 Mar 2026); JAL press release (6 Oct 2025); JAL India fare pages (viewed 25 Oct 2026); AeroRoutes (15 Oct 2026); trade reports for ANA.
- Rail: Japan Rail Pass official prices; JNTO on the 2026 price rise (20 Apr 2026); JR Central Nozomi tickets for pass holders; JR West Hokuriku Arch Pass, WEST QR Kansai Area Pass and other passes; JR Central Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass; JR East Suica and JR West ICOCA pages; fare guide for Tokyo–Kyoto.
- Costs and sights: japan-guide.com budget guide (Dec 2024) and travel-times guide (Dec 2025); Time Out on the Kyoto accommodation tax (2 Mar 2026); Kenroku-en (Ishikawa prefecture), Takayama Jinya, Shirakawa-go tourist association official pages. Rate: ECB reference cross via Frankfurter (23 Oct 2026). Kanazawa and Takayama: Trip Under place data.
Keep reading
Plan Takayama and Kanazawa
Day costs, the best months and the trains for both, on their Trip Under pages.
See Takayama costs →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.