Tokyo → Kyoto → Tokyo · Dec 22–30, 2026

Five ways to budget the same nine days

9 days, 8 nights 2 travelers Every tier keeps the Dec 28 ryokan night

All rates are in yen — the real currency of the trip — and converted at the rate below, so when the exchange rate moves you change one number and every dollar figure follows. Edit any rate and the totals recompute; your changes are saved in this browser.

Jul 2026 rate
+1 ryokan
food & activities
sharing a room

What's counted

  • Lodging — 7 regular nights (Tokyo ×5, Kyoto ×2), priced per room per night.
  • Ryokan — the Dec 28 Arashiyama splurge, priced as a whole night for the party since it's the one fixed indulgence.
  • Food — at least two meals a day per person, konbini and standing soba at the low end, omakase counters at the top.
  • Activities — temple entries, teamLab, Shibuya Sky, sento, club covers, museums.

Not counted

  • Flights — SFO↔NRT on Zipair, booked separately.
  • Shinkansen — about ¥28,340 ($175) per person round trip, bought direct via Smart EX. Skip the JR Pass; it loses over $100 a head on this route.
  • Shopping — pens, chopsticks, vintage. Its own budget, not a cost of survival.

Confidence

  • Ryokan figures are researched list rates, not locked quotes — verify when booking. Most inventory opens six months out, which has already passed for Dec 28.
  • Late December is peak season; hotel rates in both cities run above their annual average.
  • The yen was historically weak at ¥162 when this was priced. A stronger yen makes every figure here worse.

Backed by the research in places/ and itinerary.md, and the shared Freeform board “2026 December Japan”.