The cheapest order to fly Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong from San Francisco
There are 6 ways to fly these cities. They do not cost the same. The cheapest works out at about $981 a person and the most expensive at $1,106, a difference of $125 for visiting exactly the same places.
Fly them in this order
San Francisco → Seoul → Hong Kong → Tokyo → San Francisco
About $981 per person in flights, based on fares recently seen on these routes.
Every order, priced
- San Francisco → Seoul → Hong Kong → Tokyo → San Francisco$981cheapest order
- San Francisco → Seoul → Tokyo → Hong Kong → San Francisco$1,025$44 more per person
- San Francisco → Tokyo → Hong Kong → Seoul → San Francisco$1,052$71 more per person
- San Francisco → Hong Kong → Tokyo → Seoul → San Francisco$1,069$88 more per person
- San Francisco → Hong Kong → Seoul → Tokyo → San Francisco$1,083$102 more per person
- San Francisco → Tokyo → Seoul → Hong Kong → San Francisco$1,106$125 more per person
Why Seoul first
- San Francisco to Seoul$321
- Seoul to Hong Kong$103
- Hong Kong to Tokyo$131
- Tokyo to San Francisco$426
- Out of San Francisco, Seoul is the cheapest first stop at about $321. Hong Kong would be $450.
- Going home, the cheapest flight leaves from Seoul at about $370, but the cheapest order ends in Tokyo at $426 because the rest of the route is cheaper that way.
- Seoul to Tokyo is about $96, but the other way round is $118. Same two cities, $22 apart on direction alone.
- The dearest order pays $461 for Hong Kong to San Francisco, a flight the cheapest order never takes.
- Tokyo to San Francisco is 43% of what the cheapest order spends on flights, so it is the leg to watch.
Between the cities
- Seoul to Hong Kong: about 2,090 km (1300 miles) as the crow flies. No train or bus we would suggest instead of flying.
- Hong Kong to Tokyo: about 2,880 km (1790 miles) as the crow flies. No train or bus we would suggest instead of flying.
Entry rules on a US passport
- US passport: K-ETA may be required for South Korea (exemptions have come and gone); check before you fly. Official source
- US passport: visa-free in Hong Kong for up to 90 days. Official source
- US passport: visa-free for up to 90 days in Japan. Pre-register on Visit Japan Web to speed up arrival. Official source
Rules change; check the official source for your passport and dates before you book.
How much the order matters here
Getting the order right is worth $125 a person on this trip, 13% of what the cheapest way round costs. Of the 107 trips we price in full, that is number 92 for how much the order matters, one of the smaller gaps: on this trip your dates are likely to matter more than the order.
The same cities from other airports
The cheapest order depends on where you start. From San Francisco it starts in Seoul.
- From Los Angelesstart in Hong Kong, about $1,012 a person, $148 less than the dearest order
- From New Yorkstart in Tokyo, about $1,103 a person, $149 less than the dearest order
What these numbers are
Cached one-way fares, 12 of 12 legs priced from real observations, put together on November 12, 2026, from fares departing November 13, 2026 onwards. Right for comparing one order with another, not a quote for your dates.
A plan prices your own dates and weighs hours as well as fares, so it can pick a different order from this page.
Put dates on it
Same cities on real dates, plus what one search cannot show: layovers long enough to count as a free city, two tickets that beat one, and cheaper days either side. No account and no card.
One press starts it on January 16, 2027 to January 30, 2027, 14 days, for 2 travelers. Our dates, not yours, and about two minutes.
Plan Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong from San Francisco nowOpen the form instead and pick your own datesSigned out, 3 trips a day per address, priced from cached fares and the free sources, so some legs may be estimates and the plan says which. Signed in, your first trip also searches Google Flights live, and you can change your trips afterwards.