EKTA
Gold
2k$36.48 AUD
Japan wellness on a budget
Doing Japan on a budget means the cheapest third of what is worth doing: Arima Onsen Taikounoyu Spa, Arima Onsen. Activities in this plan start from about $9.
Your 5-day wellness plan for Japan
Where you stayKobe 3 nightsKyoto 2 nightsabout 65 km between them
5 days · packed · 8 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $150
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Day 1 Kobe
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morning
Arima Onsen Taikounoyu Spa
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afternoon
Arima Onsen
Hot springs in Japan.
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evening
Kobe Municipal Arboretum
Botanical garden and arboretum in Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1940.
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evening
Ginga Hot Spring Experience at Minotani Green Sports Hotel in Kobe
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Day 2 Kobe
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morning
Nunobiki Herb Garden
Herb garden in Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1991.
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afternoon
Tennōji Park
Park in Osaka, Japan. Dates from 1909.
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eveningalso worth doing
Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience (Provided by Oukakimono)
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eveningalso worth doing
Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photo Shoot (Osaka Castle, Osaka Tenmangu Shrine) - Kimono Rental Misaki
Where to eat
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Lunch
The restaurant was opened in May 2008 and only a year and a half later received a three-star rating in the Michelin Guide, then the only restaurant in Osaka to receive that distinction.
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Day 3 Kobe
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morning
Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1933.
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afternoon
Kitayama Botanical Garden
Botanical garden in Hyōgo, Japan. Dates from 1982.
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eveningalso worth doing
Osaka Castle Park
Park. Dates from 1931. Special Historic Site.
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eveningalso worth doing
Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art
Museum in Japan. Dates from 2002.
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Day 4 Kyoto
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Travel day
Kobe to Kyoto
Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it. Klook sells Japan Shinkansen & Train Tickets, which covers this country rather than this leg - you pick the route and date at checkout.
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afternoon
Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto
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eveningalso worth doing
Kyoto: Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option
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eveningalso worth doing
Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience (Optional Elegant Hairstyle/Japanese Makeup/Photography) (Ookini Kimono Rental Yasaka Shrine Gion Store)
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Day 5 Kyoto
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morning
Kyoto Botanical Garden
Botanical garden in Kyoto, Japan. Dates from 1924.
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afternoonalso worth doing
Yamazaki distillery
Japanese whisky distillery. Dates from 1923.
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eveningalso worth doing
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Dates from 1397. National Treasure of Japan.
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eveningalso worth doing
Kyoto Kimono Rental - Traditional Kimono Experience & Japanese Makeup & Photography Service (Provided by Okimono-ya Kiyomizu Store)
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Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the wellness theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Japan.
Before you fly to Japan
The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Japan's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.
Entry
No - Australian passport holders can enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.
Passport
Check your passport covers the whole trip with room to spare. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
21 things to sort for Japan, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- Passport valid - valid for the duration of your stay
- Take out travel insurance
- Get an International Driving Permit
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.
Sort these before you go
The two things worth having arranged before a wellness trip to Japan, compared on price.
Japan travel insurance
Klook
Travel insurance
Set at quote
Fast Cover Best value
Standard Saver
9k$19 AUD
Compare only
Japan eSIM plans
Airalo
1GB · 7 days
32k$6.50 AUD
Saily Cheapest 10GB
10GB · 15 days
6k$11.50 AUD
Airalo Recommended
10GB · 15 days
32k$13 AUD
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Budget wellness questions
What counts as budget here?
The lowest-priced third of everything worth doing in that country, measured against that country's own prices rather than a fixed dollar figure. A budget day in Norway and a budget day in Vietnam are not the same number, and pretending otherwise would just describe the exchange rate.
Does a cheaper plan mean a worse one?
No, and the ordering is the same either way: everything is ranked on its review score first, so a budget plan is the best-reviewed cheap things rather than the cheapest things. Flights and accommodation are not included in any of these figures.
Is a wellness holiday just spas?
Not here. A wellness plan mixes restorative days - hot springs, spa, bathhouses - with active ones like hiking, cycling, kayaking and open-water swimming, and with studio fitness where it exists. The planner deliberately alternates them rather than booking you four massages in a row.
How far ahead should I book wellness activities?
Spa and onsen slots are the ones that sell out, particularly at weekends and on public holidays. Guided hikes and classes usually have more room. Anything the plan marks as bookable can be held now; the rest you can arrange when you arrive.
Other ways to do Japan
Japan sightseeing itinerary
Coastlines, lookouts, day trips and the landmarks that are actually worth the queue.
Japan food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Japan highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
Wellness trips in other countries
Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.
🇮🇩 Indonesia wellness itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇹🇭 Thailand wellness itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.
🇻🇳 Vietnam wellness itinerary
E-visa required - and Australians legally can't drive here.
🇵🇭 Philippines wellness itinerary
Visa-free for 30 days, with a compulsory eTravel registration.