Kyoto & Osaka from Denver, 11 – 16 Dec: £2,055 for two, all in
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The verdict
Our verdict
Worth it, if
- £164 per person below the highest fare we saw for these dates
- Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo, rated 8.8 by 4,321 guests
- Free cancellation at Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo
The catch: Not nonstop: 2 stops on the way, 60h 54m in all.
Worth it if museums and old streets are your thing; skip it if you want a pool.
Round-trip flights from Denver to Kyoto & Osaka were $1,231 per person ($2,461 for two) for Dec 11–16, 2026, a 5-night trip, on Alaska Airlines (AS) with 2 stops, so not nonstop. December normals run highs of 48–56°F with lows near 36°F. The best-value hotel, Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo, comes to $265 for the whole stay.
The total, before you go
£2,055 for two · 5 nights · flights, hotel, taxes & fees
| For two | |
|---|---|
| Flights for two, return | £1,855 |
| Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo, 5 nights, two guests, taxes in | £200 |
| The total, before you go | £2,055 |
| Hold luggage each, return (not in the total) | about £106 |
£164 per person below the highest fare we saw for these dates.
Not in it: seat selection on basic fares and hold luggage (about £26 each way per bag on Alaska, £106 for two return); a resort fee, if the hotel has one, is collected at the desk. Prices are what we found at the time shown; the booking site’s checkout is the binding one.
The flight
£928 per person, return
£1,855 for two, taxes and fees included · Alaska · 2 stops · 60h 54m
Out Fri, Dec 11, 1:54 PM – Sun, Dec 13, 6:45 PM · back Wed, Dec 16, 7:50 AM – Wed, Dec 16, 3:53 PM
| Airline | Per person | Stops | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | £928 | 2 stops | 60h 54m |
| F9 + ZG + GK | £1,010 | 2 stops | 52h 44m |
| Alaska | £983 | 2 stops | 60h 56m |
Prices checked 13 Oct 2026, 03:55 GMT-6. Prices change; the binding price is the one on the booking site.
Paid links: when you book through a link on this page, the booking site pays us a referral fee. Your price does not change. How we earn
Tweak this trip
Why now
We found $1,231 per person, or $2,461 for two, all-in with taxes and fees. That's $218 below the highest fare we saw for these dates, or 15% less, across 12 offers we compared. Heads-up: an earlier check on this route turned up $1,101, so this isn't the floor, and fares can move either way. Mid-December comes after the November leaf peak. The normals show highs of 48–56°F and a clear Monday, Dec 14, which is good weather for walking temples and gardens and taking long market lunches. Add a $53-a-night room near Kyoto Station and the hotel barely moves the total. One thing to plan around: the outbound lands Sunday, Dec 13, so you get less time on the ground than 5 nights suggests.
The kind of trip this is
This is a city-and-food trip with plenty of history: temples and gardens in Kyoto by day, Osaka street food at night and Nara if you want a day trip. It suits couples or a pair of friends who like walking, eating well and getting up early. You set the pace, and the cool December air makes long days outside and warm dinners easy.
Weather in Kyoto & Osaka, 11 – 16 Dec
Typical highs 48–56°F, lows near 36°F this time of year
| Day | Typical high | Typical low | Typical weather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 11 Dec | 56 °F | 37 °F | Overcast |
| Sat 12 Dec | 52 °F | 38 °F | Drizzle |
| Sun 13 Dec | 51 °F | 37 °F | Overcast |
| Mon 14 Dec | 48 °F | 35 °F | Clear |
| Tue 15 Dec | 49 °F | 33 °F | Overcast |
| Wed 16 Dec | 53 °F | 33 °F | Mostly clear |
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · averages, not a forecast
Where to stay in Kyoto & Osaka
All three picks are in the Kyoto Station area, which is handy for the shinkansen and day trips. Prices cover 5 nights, room only. Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo is the best value at $265 for the stay, or $53 a night. It's rated 8.8 from 4,321 reviews and has free cancellation. Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Toji is the top rated at 9 from 3,914 reviews, costing $308 for the stay or $62 a night, also with free cancellation. Stay SAKURA Kyoto Higashi Hongan-ji I is the apartment pick: a Standard Apartment for $303, or $61 a night, rated 8.7 from 1,346 reviews. Heads-up: it doesn't offer free cancellation. If you'd rather base yourself in Osaka, Osaka Namba and Dotonbori is the area for street food and nightlife, 15 minutes from Kyoto by express train.
Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo
£200 for 5 nights, two guests · £40 a night
See roomsComfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Toji
£232 for 5 nights, two guests · £47 a night
See roomsStay SAKURA Kyoto Higashi Hongan-ji I
£228 for 5 nights, two guests · £46 a night
See roomsAll hotels in Kyoto & Osaka for these dates
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Where in Kyoto & Osaka
- Gion and Higashiyama: Wooden teahouses, geisha streets and the temple walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Nanzen-ji.
- Downtown Kyoto (Kawaramachi and Shijo): Central shopping and dining with Nishiki Market and Pontocho alley at hand.
- Kyoto Station area: Convenient for the shinkansen and day trips, with large hotels.
- Arashiyama: Quiet riverside ryokan stays by the bamboo grove in the western hills.
- Osaka Namba and Dotonbori: Street-food neon and nightlife, 15 minutes from Kyoto by express train.
What to do in Kyoto & Osaka
- Walk the torii-gate tunnels of Fushimi Inari before 8 AM, while the paths are quieter.
- See the Arashiyama bamboo grove, then the gardens of Tenryu-ji in the western hills.
- Save one evening for a kaiseki dinner at a Gion ryotei.
- Eat your way through Nishiki Market on a downtown food crawl.
- Take the express train to Osaka for takoyaki and okonomiyaki on Dotonbori.
- Spend a day in Nara with the deer park and the Great Buddha of Todai-ji.
Also worth it
- Fushimi Inari's torii-gate tunnels before 8am
- Arashiyama bamboo grove and the gardens of Tenryu-ji
- Nishiki Market food crawl
- Day trip to Nara's deer park and the Great Buddha of Todai-ji
Tours and tickets in Kyoto & Osaka
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Getting there and around
| Airports in Denver | Denver International (DEN) |
|---|---|
| Airports in Kyoto & Osaka | Kansai International (KIX), Osaka Itami (ITM) |
| Flight time | 60h 54m (2 stops) |
| Distance | 5,984 miles each way |
| Time difference | +16 hours |
Paid links: when you book through a link on this page, the booking site pays us a referral fee. Your price does not change. How we earn
What 5 nights in Kyoto & Osaka costs
| Estimate | |
|---|---|
| Flights for two | £1,856 |
| Hotel, 5 nights (Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Horikawagojo) | £200 |
| Food, getting around and tickets, 5 days for two | £980 |
| Total for two | £3,035 |
Flights and hotel are the prices we found; spending is a planning estimate for an upscale destination, per person per day times two.
Price history: Denver to Kyoto & Osaka
| Per person | |
|---|---|
| This trip | £928 per person |
| Lowest in the last 30 days | £830 (13 Oct 2026) |
| Price checks | 3 |
Good to know
- Passport: passport needed: travellers from the United States need a valid passport for Kyoto & Osaka; check the expiry rule of the country before you book.
- Currency: Japanese yen (JPY).
- You'll need a passport. The currency is the Japanese yen.
- Japan is 16 hours ahead of Denver. Flying and layover time for both directions adds up to 60h 54m over 5,984 miles each way.
- The outbound leaves at 1:54 PM on Friday, Dec 11 and lands at 6:45 PM on Sunday, Dec 13. The return leaves at 7:50 AM on Wednesday, Dec 16 and lands at 3:53 PM the same day.
- All three hotel rates are room only. Both Comfort Hotel ERA picks have free cancellation, but Stay SAKURA does not.
- Fares and room rates are all-in as found when we checked, and they can change.
Questions readers ask
How much is the flight?
When we checked, it was $1,231 per person round trip, or $2,461 for two, with taxes and fees included. It's on Alaska Airlines (AS) with 2 stops, and it's $218 below the highest fare we saw for these dates.
Do I need a passport?
Yes, you need a passport for Japan. You'll be paying in Japanese yen, and the clock runs 16 hours ahead of Denver.
What is the weather like?
It's cool and mostly gray. December normals show highs of 48–56°F and lows near 36°F, with drizzle on Saturday, Dec 12 and clear skies on Monday, Dec 14. Pack layers and a rain jacket.
Is 5 nights enough?
You land Sunday, Dec 13 at 6:45 PM and fly out Wednesday, Dec 16 at 7:50 AM. That leaves two full days on the ground, Dec 14 and 15. The hotel rates shown are for 5 nights from Dec 11, so match your room dates to your arrival.
What does the whole trip cost for two?
Our budget comes to $4,027 for two. That covers flights, $265 for the best-value hotel and $1,300 of spending money, which works out to $130 per person per day.
Which airport do I fly into?
This fare lands at Kansai International (KIX). Osaka Itami (ITM) also serves the area.
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Kyoto & Osaka in pictures
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Prices converted from US dollars at the rate of 15 Oct 2026.
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