Why go to Tokyo
Tokyo is the easiest enormous city I know. Trains run to the minute, streets are clean without a bin in sight, and a 900-yen lunch can be better than a 30-euro dinner back home. It is also properly strange in the best way: a 17th-century temple a few stops from a six-storey arcade, a shrine forest behind a teenage fashion street.
The catch is scale. Tokyo is not one centre but a dozen, each with its own personality. Pick your neighbourhoods and the city feels manageable. Try to see everything and you will spend the trip underground.
What to see: the places worth your time
- Senso-ji, Asakusa. Tokyo's oldest temple. The Nakamise shopping street is packed by 10:00, so go at 7:00 or after 18:00, when the main hall is lit and the crowds have gone.
- Meiji Jingu. A Shinto shrine reached through a dense forest of donated trees beside Harajuku. The gravel path does more to calm you down than any spa. Go in the morning.
- Shibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky. Watch the scramble from a café window first, then book the rooftop observation deck for sunset. Reserve ahead.
- Shinjuku. Skyscrapers, station chaos and, after dark, the tiny lanes of Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai. The Metropolitan Government Building has a free observation deck if you skip the paid ones.
- Tsukiji Outer Market. The wholesale fish market moved to Toyosu, but the outer market still sells tamagoyaki, grilled scallops and sushi. Come hungry and before 10:00.
- Ueno Park and Yanaka. Museums (the Tokyo National Museum is the big one) and a short walk to Yanaka, one of the few areas with an older, low-rise feel. Cats, small temples and a long shopping street.
- Akihabara. Electronics, anime, retro games, multi-floor arcades. Worth two hours even if you collect nothing.
- Imperial Palace East Gardens. Free, quiet, and a useful reset between busier stops. The stone walls and moats are the real draw.
- teamLab. The digital art museums (Planets in Toyosu, Borderless in Azabudai Hills) are touristy but genuinely impressive. Book tickets in advance.
- Nakameguro and Shimokitazawa. For the Tokyo that locals use: canal-side cafés, vintage shops, small music venues. Best on a weekday afternoon.
Things to do beyond the sights
Spend an evening in an izakaya, ordering small plates and whatever beer the staff recommend. Visit a depachika, the food hall in the basement of a department store, at around 19:00 when prices on bento boxes start to drop. Try a public bath (sento) if you can handle the etiquette: wash thoroughly first, no swimwear, tattoos may be an issue at some places.
Browse a Don Quijote store at midnight, sing at a karaoke booth, play at a game centre in Akihabara, or just walk between two stations and see what's in between. Tokyo rewards aimless wandering more than most cities.
If you have a spare day, Kamakura (big Buddha, coastal temples) and Nikko (ornate shrines in the forest) are the easiest escapes by train. Hakone works for hot springs and Fuji views, though clouds often win.
How many days and a suggested route
Four days is the minimum to feel you have seen something; five or six is the sweet spot. A week lets you add a day trip without rushing.
- Day 1, east side: Asakusa early, Ueno Park and the museums, Yanaka in the late afternoon, dinner in Ueno.
- Day 2, Shibuya and Harajuku: Meiji Jingu in the morning, Takeshita Street if you must, lunch near Omotesando, Shibuya Sky at sunset.
- Day 3, Shinjuku: Late start. Walk the west side, then Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai after dark.
- Day 4, Tsukiji and Ginza, then the palace: Market breakfast, Imperial Palace East Gardens, then Akihabara in the evening.
- Day 5, flexible: teamLab, Nakameguro, or a day trip to Kamakura.
When to go
Late March to early April brings cherry blossom, and with it the crowds and highest hotel prices. Book months ahead. Late October to November is my favourite window: mild, dry, and good for autumn leaves in parks.
June is rainy season, grey and sticky. July and August are hot and humid, often above 30°C with little relief at night, and August has typhoon risk. Winter is cold but dry and often sunny, with clear days for views of Fuji from tall buildings. Avoid Golden Week (late April to early May), Obon (mid-August) and New Year, when domestic travel peaks and many small businesses close.
Where to stay
- Shinjuku: Best transport links, endless food, lively at night. Loud and a little overwhelming. Good for first-timers.
- Asakusa and Ueno: Cheaper, calmer, more traditional. Hostels and small hotels cluster here. A bit far from the west side but well connected.
- Shibuya and Ebisu: Trendy, good restaurants, easy access to the Yamanote line.
- Tokyo Station and Ginza: Polished and central, with the Shinkansen on your doorstep. Expensive.
- Shinagawa: Practical if you arrive at Haneda or plan Kyoto day trips, but not much atmosphere.
Budget: capsule hotels and hostels from roughly 3,000 to 5,000 yen a night. Business hotels with tiny, spotless rooms run around 8,000 to 15,000 yen. Mid-range and luxury climb fast from there.
What to eat and where
You will eat well almost anywhere, so don't over-plan. Ramen shops with a ticket machine at the door are fast, cheap (about 1,000 to 1,500 yen) and often excellent. Conveyor-belt sushi is a good introduction; a counter sushi meal costs far more, but lunch sets are the way to try it without a huge bill.
Look for tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), tempura, soba, yakitori under the rail arches near Yurakucho, and monjayaki in Tsukishima, the runnier cousin of okonomiyaki. Konbini (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) are better than they sound: egg sandwiches, onigiri and fried chicken are not a compromise. Set lunches (teishoku) at lunchtime are the best value in the city, usually 900 to 1,500 yen.
Getting from the airport and getting around
Tokyo has two main airports. Haneda is close: the Keikyu line and the Tokyo Monorail reach central stations in around 20 to 30 minutes for a few hundred yen. Narita is farther out. The Narita Express and Keisei Skyliner take roughly an hour or less to major hubs, while slower Keisei trains cost less and take longer. Late-night arrivals at either may need a taxi, which gets expensive.
In the city, trains and metro do everything. Get a Suica or Pasmo card, or add one to your phone's wallet, and tap in and out. The JR Yamanote loop connects most of the big hubs; the metro fills the gaps. Google Maps works well for timetables, platforms and exits. Avoid rush hour (roughly 7:30 to 9:30) if you can. Carry some cash, since small restaurants and shrines may not take cards.
Rough daily budget
- Tight: about 70 to 90 euros: hostel, konbini breakfast, ramen, metro, free sights.
- Comfortable: about 130 to 200 euros: business hotel, sit-down meals, a paid attraction or two.
- Generous: 250 euros and up: central hotel, good dinners, occasional taxi.
These are broad figures. Hotels in cherry blossom season cost noticeably more.
FAQs
Is Tokyo expensive?
Less than people expect. Accommodation is the big cost; food and transport can be very reasonable if you eat local.
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. Signs in stations are bilingual, menus often have pictures, and a translation app handles the rest. A few words, like sumimasen and arigato, go a long way.
Is Tokyo safe?
Very. Petty crime is rare, though you should still watch your belongings in crowds and be cautious in nightlife areas with aggressive touts.
Should I tip?
No. Tipping is not customary and may cause confusion. Service is excellent without it.
Is a Japan Rail Pass worth it for Tokyo only?
No. For Tokyo, a Suica or Pasmo card is all you need. A rail pass only makes sense if you plan multiple long-distance Shinkansen trips, and even then it is worth running the numbers first.
Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Guide updated 21 Oct 2026