I was craving sushi – so I flew to Japan for 18 hours
Almost every week, Kevin Droniak, 28, packs a backpack, heads to the airport, and hops on a flight.
But despite travelling so much, he’s never away from his New York home for long.
In fact, the influencer is a prominent extreme day tripper — a traveller who visits a foreign countries for 24 hours or less.
This intense travel trend has been growing in popularity for some time now, with Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks Report finding that 24-hour day trip experiences might have once started as a TikTok trend, but have nowgone mainstream.
Already in 2026, 20% of travellers have taken a roundtrip flight within 24 hours.
But while the travel company’s data reveals that the most popular daytrip destinations for Brits are Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris — destinations with a flight time of no more than two hours — Kevin takes a slightly more drastic approach.
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‘I went to Japan because I was craving sushi’
A scroll through Kevin’s social media and you’ll see that he’s been to some bucket-list destinations on his extreme day trips: Turkey, Brazil, Ecuador, Kenya, Peru, and Italy.
One of his most ambitious trips from NYC took him to the town of Shannon in Ireland. Landing at 7am, Kevin had only seven hours on the ground before his return flight to NYC at 2pm — ‘that was definitely a learning curve,’ he tells Metro.
But perhaps the most jaw-dropping adventure was to Tokyo, Japan, just eight weeks ago.
Spending a staggering 27 hours in the air, Kevin soaked in the streets and sights of Japan for just 18 hours.
Not exactly a relaxing holiday for most people, but Kevin insists it was perfect.
‘I like to think of my trips as getting a nice little taste of a place,’ Kevin tells me.
‘I can get there, see what I want to sample — decide if it’s somewhere that I’d want to come back to.
‘It’s just less commitment compared to going somewhere for a week and risking not fully vibing with the place. If I do really love it and think I’ll want to come back, I can then start to plan a longer trip.’
The content creator first caught the day trip travel bug back in 2018, when he spent a semester abroad in London. Unlike in his native USA, us Brits have Europe on our doorstep, and can be in an entirely different country in just a few hours.
‘I have such a sweet spot for London,’ says Kevin. ‘It opened me up to the idea of people going to Paris for dinner or flying to Rome just for the day because it was cheaper.
‘It felt like a different way of seeing the world, so when I came home to the States I brought it with me.’
Back in New York, Kevin regularly began popping south to Miami for the day to sit on the beach – finding the cheapest tickets to keep his spirit and tan topped up.
From there he ventured to Puerto Rico, and before he knew it, extreme day trips ‘had spiralled into a whole regular thing,’ with Kevin travelling further and further each time.
Having studied media production at college, it felt like a natural move to start documenting his travels. And pretty quickly, he built a loyal and engaged following.
For his audience, Kevin’s adventures are aspirational. Comments read, ‘I could never, but I applaud you for doing this!’ and ‘I think this might be the most iconic day trip yet!’
Interested in the logistics, I asked Kevin about the kind of preparation he does before going on a trip like the one he took to Japan.
‘I always have a couple spots I have in mind, so first things first I make sure that the flight times make sense. So, meaning it has to land in the morning and then there has to be a flight that leaves in the evening.
‘I’ve been using Expedia since I was in High School, so I’ll then go on there and look at the best deals. I typically tend to book international trips a month out, as that’s when flights are cheapest.’
From there, Kevin explains he kind of wings it a little — he’ll have a look on TikTok and jot down some things he really wants to see, but for the most part he likes being able to stumble across interesting discoveries.
How much did Kevin’s extreme day trip to Japan cost?
Kevin’s non-stop round trip from New York to Tokyo cost him: $859. His seat was in basic economy, which for someone like Kevin – who can sleep on any kind of plane – was no issue.
The creator spent $12 on public transportation, taking him from the airport into the city centre.
Food glorious food. Japanese cuisine is Kevin’s favourite, but even after indulging himself, he’d only spent $52 on meals and treats.
Kevin spent $18 visiting Shibuya Sky to capture some 10/10 rooftop views.
And last but not least, the NYC resident had to grab a souvenir shirt, priced at $15.
Bringing his extreme day trip spend to a total of: $956.
‘The locals looked at me like I was crazy’
‘I knew that when I got to Japan there were only three things I really wanted to do: go to Shibuya crossing, eat sushi, and eat ramen,’ he says.
‘And then on top of that, I found other things that ended up making my day in Tokyo so much more special.
‘I started talking to some locals and they honestly looked so confused when I explained that I was only visiting for the day. But then they got excited and different people were telling me exactly what I should do and where I should go.’
Directed by Tokyo’s residents, Kevin ended up visiting Yoyogi Park in Shibuya and enjoying the incredible views from Shibuya Sky, a viewpoint overlooking the square.
This was then followed by some top tier sushi at a spot so local Kevin can’t actually remember the restaurant’s name.
Then, before he knew it, it was time to board his plane home.
One of the reasons why Kevin says this lifestyle works for him, is because of his ability to sleep, whenever, wherever, for hours on end. Because of this skill, he rarely gets tired or overwhelmed by the constant travelling.
‘I always make sure I’m well rested before I land. It’s super important to be able to get lots of sleep before a trip so you don’t wake up groggy. These day trips are the one time where you don’t want to be feeling sleepy.’
It helps that Kevin loves flying and finds it relaxing, saying it’s one of his favourite parts of a trip: ‘I really love plane rides — being able to just hang out on a place and dissociate for hours is great. I have the perfect excuse to just lay there and watch movies.’
Extreme day trips and the environment
Matt Phillips, travel expert at Polarsteps, told Metro: ‘A flight generates 100 times more carbon dioxide per hour compared to a train or bus ride.
‘But short-haul flights, covering less than 1000 miles, contribute disproportionately more to carbon emissions. This is because take-off and landing are so energy-intensive.’
So, what alternatives are there? ‘Taking the train from London to Paris instead of flying cuts your CO2 emissions by a whopping 90%.
‘You’d be surprised by how easy it is to do a day trip to Brussels or Amsterdam if you catch an early Eurostar out of London.
‘You’ll arrive right in the city centre, and you also save time on airport check-in waits. To get more off the beaten track, take a connecting train or hop on a Flixbus.’
If you are flying, however, Matt recommends choosing a more sustainable airline. He said: ‘BA is the highest-ranking UK-based airline due to its roadmap to net zero.
‘When it comes to short-haul airlines, Easyjet ranks top with its emissions intensity being almost 18% lower than the global average.’
‘I’m always thinking about the environment in other ways’
It’s undeniable that the extreme day tripping trend raises environmental concerns. A single round-trip flight between New York and Tokyo (like the one Kevin took just a few months ago) generates approximately 4.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
‘I appreciate it when people consider the environmental impact, because I do think about it as well,’ insists Kevin. ‘And I try and help in other ways, for example I don’t buy any fast fashion. I honestly never buy anything new.
‘But also, if I was staying in Japan for two weeks and then travelling home, it would still be the same amount of jet fuel going there and coming back.
‘For a lot of these international flights, they’re going to be flying anyway with or without me.’
And with this form of extreme travel becoming more and more popular, creator’s carbon footprints will likely continue to climb.
So, with this in mind, what’s next for Kevin.
Well, since our chat, he’s already ticked off another bucket list experience — taking a 19 hour long flight just to spend one night in Singapore. Officially his longest trip yet, Kevin’s adventure to Japan now almost feels like a quick stroll in the park.
Kevin’s extreme day trip travel essentials
How would you even go about packing for a day trip across the world? This is what Kevin never leaves home without…
- Toiletry bag: toothbrush, toothpaste, sleeping aids, facial moisturiser.
- Camera, to capture all that content.
- Comfy jumper in case you’re not given a blanket on the plane and you need to get to sleep.
- Eye mask: a sleeping essential
- 2 pairs of underwear and 2 pairs of socks as you can never be too prepared
- Nasal spray. With so much sightseeing to do in so little time, Kevin makes sure to use a decongestant nasal spray before and during his flight to reduce chances of sickness.
- Sunglasses, an essential wherever he goes.
- Passport (duh).
- Portable charger, but Kevin warns to make sure the one you pack is in alignment with your airline’s rules and regulations.
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