Example itineraries, routes and budgets

Backpacking · 10 nights · 1 traveller

10 days in Japan on a backpacker budget

Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka · Japan

Departing from New York (JFK/EWR) · fares priced round trip from there

A rail-based loop through Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka built around hostel dorms, convenience-store breakfasts and free temple districts — the whole trip lands near $1,650 including round-trip flights from New York.

The route

• Tokyo · 4 nights

  Cheapest long-haul arrival and the densest free walking.

• Kyoto · 4 nights

  Temples, hikes and day trips to Nara are walkable or cheap by bus.

• Osaka · 2 nights

  Street food capital and a cheap departure airport (KIX).

Sample days

• Day 1 · Tokyo — Land and settle in Asakusa

  • • Narita Express or the cheaper Keisei Access to Asakusa
  • • Dorm check-in, free evening walk to Senso-ji
  • • Konbini dinner by the river, ≈ $6

• Day 2 · Tokyo — West-side wander

  • • Shinjuku Gyoen (≈ $4)
  • • Free observation deck at the Metropolitan Building
  • • Standing ramen in Shibuya, ≈ $8

• Day 5 · Kyoto — Move to Kyoto by rail

  • • Morning train, ≈ $95
  • • Fushimi Inari at dusk (free)
  • • Hostel kitchen one-pot dinner, ≈ $3

• Day 9 · Osaka — Street food and out

  • • Dotonbori food crawl, ≈ $18
  • • Osaka Castle grounds (free)
  • • Airport train to KIX, ≈ $9

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing New York (JFK/EWR). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights, New York (JFK) → Tokyo, Osaka (KIX) → New York, round trip estimate

≈ $780

Hostels, 10 nights

≈ $310

Food (konbini + one hot meal daily)

≈ $240

Rail & metro incl. Tokyo–Kyoto

≈ $190

Entries & experiences

≈ $130

Total for 1

≈ $1,650

Packing highlights

Packable rain shell · 2 pairs shoes (one walkable) · Coin pouch for cash-only stalls · Travel laundry sheets

Average family · 7 nights · 4 travellers

A week in Portugal for a family of four

Lisbon → Sintra → Lagos · Portugal

Departing from Boston (BOS) · fares priced round trip from there

Apartment stays, one rental car and a slow coastal run south. Kid-paced days with beach afternoons, landing near $4,300 all in for four people.

The route

• Lisbon · 3 nights

  Flat-friendly trams, aquarium and easy day trips.

• Sintra · 1 nights

  Palaces are best seen early before the coach crowds.

• Lagos · 3 nights

  Calm Algarve beaches and short drives between coves.

Sample days

• Day 1 · Lisbon — Easy arrival day

  • • Metro from the airport, ≈ $2 each
  • • Alfama stroll and pastéis de nata
  • • Early dinner near the apartment

• Day 3 · Sintra — Palace morning

  • • Pena Palace at opening, ≈ $22 adult
  • • Picnic in the Moorish Castle grounds
  • • Drive south after lunch

• Day 5 · Lagos — Coves and kayaks

  • • Ponta da Piedade boat tour, ≈ $80 for four
  • • Beach afternoon at Praia Dona Ana
  • • Grocery dinner at the apartment

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing Boston (BOS). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights ×4, Boston (BOS) → Lisbon (LIS) round trip, estimate

≈ $2,200

Apartments, 7 nights

≈ $950

Food & groceries

≈ $620

Rental car + fuel + tolls

≈ $340

Attractions for four

≈ $190

Total for 4

≈ $4,300

Packing highlights

Reef-safe sunscreen · Kids' water shoes · Car booster (or pre-book one) · Light layers for evenings

Elevated · 8 nights · 2 travellers

8 nights on Iceland's Ring Road, elevated

Reykjavík → South Coast → Akureyri · Iceland

Departing from New York (JFK) · fares priced round trip from there

A two-person loop with a 4x4, boutique guesthouses and a couple of splurge dinners. Weather-aware pacing so nothing is booked on the worst-forecast day.

The route

• Reykjavík · 2 nights

  Acclimatise, pick up the 4x4, stock the cooler.

• Vík · 2 nights

  Waterfalls, black sand and glacier lagoon within a short drive.

• Akureyri · 4 nights

  North-side hot springs, whales and quieter roads.

Sample days

• Day 2 · South Coast — Waterfall run

  • • Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss
  • • Reynisfjara black sand (mind the sneaker waves)
  • • Guesthouse dinner in Vík

• Day 4 · Jökulsárlón — Ice day

  • • Glacier lagoon at first light
  • • Guided glacier walk, ≈ $150 each
  • • Diamond Beach on the way back

• Day 6 · Akureyri — North and warm

  • • Forest Lagoon soak, ≈ $60
  • • Whale watching from Húsavík
  • • Late dinner in town

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing New York (JFK). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights ×2, New York (JFK) → Reykjavík (KEF) round trip, estimate

≈ $1,180

Guesthouses, 8 nights

≈ $1,840

4x4 rental + fuel

≈ $1,100

Food incl. two splurge dinners

≈ $900

Lagoons, glacier walk, whales

≈ $680

Total for 2

≈ $5,700

Packing highlights

Waterproof shell and trousers · Merino base layers ×2 · Swimsuit and quick-dry towel · Grippy hiking boots

Backpacking · 14 nights · 1 traveller

Two weeks in Thailand, north to islands

Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Krabi · Thailand

Departing from Los Angeles (LAX) · fares priced round trip from there

Night trains, hostel dorms and street-stall eating from Bangkok up to Chiang Mai and down to the Andaman coast — around $1,780 including the round trip from Los Angeles.

The route

• Bangkok · 4 nights

  Cheapest long-haul arrival and endless $2 meals.

• Chiang Mai · 5 nights

  Cool air, temples, cooking classes and cheap dorms.

• Krabi · 5 nights

  Longtail boats and beaches without Phuket prices.

Sample days

• Day 2 · Bangkok — Temples then boat

  • • Wat Pho at opening, ≈ $6
  • • Chao Phraya orange-flag boat, ≈ $0.50
  • • Chinatown food crawl, ≈ $8

• Day 6 · Chiang Mai — Old city day

  • • Sunday walking street market
  • • Half-day cooking class, ≈ $30
  • • Doi Suthep songthaew, ≈ $4

• Day 11 · Krabi — Four islands

  • • Longtail island hop, ≈ $22
  • • Railay sunset walk
  • • Beach barbecue dinner, ≈ $6

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing Los Angeles (LAX). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights, Los Angeles (LAX) → Bangkok (BKK) round trip estimate

≈ $900

Hostels, 14 nights

≈ $230

Street food and markets

≈ $260

Night train, buses and one domestic hop

≈ $200

Islands, parks and a cooking class

≈ $190

Total for 1

≈ $1,780

Packing highlights

Quick-dry towel · Reef-safe sunscreen · Padlock for hostel lockers · Light long sleeves for temples

Average family · 10 nights · 2 travellers

10 days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice

Rome → Florence → Venice · Italy

Departing from Chicago (ORD) · fares priced round trip from there

The classic rail triangle at a human pace — three-star hotels, booked museum slots and long lunches. Roughly $5,100 for two, flights included.

The route

• Rome · 4 nights

  Ancient core, and the cheapest transatlantic arrival.

• Florence · 3 nights

  Everything is walkable and Tuscany is an hour away.

• Venice · 3 nights

  Best at dawn and after the day-trippers leave.

Sample days

• Day 2 · Rome — Ancient morning

  • • Colosseum timed entry, ≈ $20 each
  • • Forum and Palatine walk
  • • Trastevere dinner, ≈ $60 for two

• Day 6 · Florence — Art and hills

  • • Uffizi booked slot, ≈ $28 each
  • • Lunch at Mercato Centrale
  • • Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

• Day 9 · Venice — Early canals

  • • Rialto market at 7am
  • • Cannaregio backstreets, no map
  • • Traghetto crossing, ≈ $2

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing Chicago (ORD). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights ×2, Chicago (ORD) → Rome (FCO), Venice (VCE) → Chicago, round trip estimate

≈ $1,740

Three-star hotels, 10 nights

≈ $1,750

Food and wine

≈ $900

High-speed rail Rome–Florence–Venice

≈ $260

Museums, tours and vaporetto passes

≈ $450

Total for 2

≈ $5,100

Packing highlights

Comfortable walking shoes · Shoulder cover for churches · Refillable bottle for street fountains · Compact daypack

Budget · 9 nights · 2 travellers

9 days in Peru: Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu

Lima → Cusco → Machu Picchu · Peru

Departing from Miami (MIA) · fares priced round trip from there

Two nights of Lima food, altitude days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, then Machu Picchu by train — close to $3,200 for two including flights from Miami.

The route

• Lima · 2 nights

  Cheap entry point and one of the best food cities anywhere.

• Cusco · 4 nights

  Acclimatise properly before altitude hiking.

• Aguas Calientes · 3 nights

  Sacred Valley base and the early Machu Picchu bus.

Sample days

• Day 1 · Lima — Eat immediately

  • • Ceviche in Surquillo market, ≈ $8
  • • Malecón clifftop walk
  • • Barranco bridge at night

• Day 4 · Cusco — Slow altitude day

  • • San Pedro market breakfast, ≈ $3
  • • San Blas walk, coca tea
  • • Early night before the valley

• Day 7 · Machu Picchu — First bus up

  • • 5:30am bus, ≈ $24 return
  • • Circuit 2 with a guide, ≈ $60
  • • Afternoon train back down

Budget breakdown (estimate)

Flight figures assume a round trip departing Miami (MIA). Prices from other cities will differ.

Flights ×2, Miami (MIA) → Lima (LIM) round trip estimate

≈ $900

Guesthouses, 9 nights

≈ $630

Food and markets

≈ $480

Domestic flight, trains and buses

≈ $640

Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley and guides

≈ $550

Total for 2

≈ $3,200

Packing highlights

Layers for 20°C swings · Broken-in hiking shoes · Sun hat and SPF 50 · Small bills in soles