Different departure and arrival cities in Japan

Hi, I’m planning a 20-day family trip to Japan in June 2026. I’d love to hear your thoughts on arriving in Tokyo and departing from Osaka (or vice versa)—not using the same airport for arrival and departure. I’m convinced it’s much more comfortable and avoids retracing our steps by train across Japan, but I get the feeling flight costs skyrocket.

Thanks for your input! :)

Best regards,

Joelle

Hi there,

It depends on the airlines, first whether it's a direct flight or not (big price difference), then your dates, whether you're leaving on a weekend or not. I checked and found multi-destination tickets for around 650 €, flying into Tokyo and out of Osaka (departure and return from Paris). Try running simulations on different dates. China Southern is around 640 € for June with a layover in Guangzhou.

Hi there,

It’s not more expensive—sometimes even cheaper—but you’ll need to pick an airline that serves both Tokyo Narita/Haneda and Osaka KIX. Sometimes a combination of partner airlines works too, though it might cost more in that case.

Michel

Hi there,

In 2024, we arrived via Osaka (KIX) and departed from Tokyo Narita. It was cheaper for us than doing everything from Tokyo. We had chosen Emirates, so we had a layover in Dubai. Make sure to run a simulation for a multi-city trip rather than separate one-way tickets.