City guide · Japan
Tokyo
Neon crossings, Tsukiji-area breakfast, and last-train culture 8 things to do — 1 we tell you to skip.
- How long
- 4–5 nights
- Budget/day
- €90–120 per person per day
- Best months
- March–April, October–November
- Airports
- HND · NRT
Tokyo in 30 seconds
- How long
- 4–5 nights
- Cost
- €90–120 per person per day
- mid tier; JPY cash still useful
- Where to base
- Shinjuku or Shibuya
- Best months
- March–April, October–November
- Getting in
- Fly to HND or NRT
- Suica/PASMO at airport station
What Tokyo is actually like
Five things that make the rest of this page make sense — how the region is laid out and what actually decides a trip here.
Pick one base — Tokyo is vast
Shinjuku puts you on JR Yamanote; Shibuya for west-side energy; Asakusa for dawn temples but longer hops to nightlife.
JR Pass rarely pays for Tokyo-only
Suica/PASMO and single tickets beat a nationwide pass if you are not doing long shinkansen legs — run the math before buying.
Last train culture is real
Metro closes around midnight — plan izakaya nights with taxi budget or stay near your line.
No tipping — ever
Restaurants and taxis do not expect tips; paying exact or tray-handoff is the norm.
What nobody tells you
- Incense at Senso-ji before the rickshaw tours start.
- Sizzling yakitori smoke in Omoide Yokocho alley.
- Yamanote line chime as doors close at rush hour.
Will your trip work?
Days, budget, month, party, elderly count and pace in — a verdict out, with what you will miss and where to sleep. Change any input and the answer changes.
Check-out 2026-08-08 · 5–8 Aug 2026
Month grid adjusts check-in to the 1st of that month. Pick a date above for exact travel dates.
1 traveller total — children count at roughly half the adult daily spend.
Subset of adults who need flat routes, fewer hotel changes, and a slower pace — no extra cost in our estimates.
This works
3 days at a moderate pace covers about 82% of the must-see list in AUG, allowing for queues and getting between districts. One more day would take you to roughly 100% — the highest-value day you can add. At mid-tier spend, Shinjuku is the base that fits — matches your budget tier and you can walk to the main sights.
Must-see coverage
82%
Trip total
€456–603
1 traveller · 3 nights
August
reasonable
31°C · 8 wet days
Stay here
Shinjuku
Because matches your budget tier and you can walk to the main sights.
Runner-up: Shibuya
You won't fit in
teamLab Borderless / Planets
Computed from our registry — no live prices, no AI.
Where to stay
3 bases — ranked against what actually decides a booking.
1.Is this your first visit?
2.Do you need a quiet night?
3.Are steep hills and stairs a problem?
4.Do you want dinner and bars within walking distance?
Answer all four and we'll narrow seven neighbourhoods down to one, and tell you what you're giving up.
0 of 4 answered
Ready-made plans
Start with a full day-by-day plan, then pick places below if you want your own mix.
Things to do
8 places and experiences — tap to build your mix. Times, month-scaled queues, closed days, and honest verdicts including what to skip.
8 places shown · tap cards to build your mix. Queues scale with your trip month (August — crowds 3/5).
When to go
Twelve months of scored factors — weight weather, crowds and prices yourself. The daylight bar shows how many hours you have for sightseeing.
What matters to you? Tap to weight the ranking.
Weighted evenly, April is the best month in Tokyo and August the weakest.
| Month | Good weather | Avoiding crowds | Low prices | Long days | Festivals | Temp | Daylight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January3.2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10° / 2° 5 wet | 10.2h | Cold and dry — great for cities, early plum blossoms late month. |
| February3.6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11° / 2° 6 wet | 10.8h | Plum blossom season starts — still chilly evenings. |
| March4.2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14° / 5° 9 wet | 11.8h | Cherry blossom peak possible — book hotels early. |
| April4.6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 19° / 10° 10 wet | 12.8h | Golden Week crowds first week — otherwise excellent walking weather. |
| May4.4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 23° / 15° 10 wet | 13.6h | Comfortable before rainy season — azaleas and fresh green. |
| June3.8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 26° / 19° 12 wet | 14.2h | Rainy season (tsuyu) — carry umbrella; fewer crowds. |
| July3.6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 30° / 23° 10 wet | 14.0h | Hot humid — front-load outdoor plans; Gion Matsuri in Kyoto. |
| Augustyour trip3.2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 31° / 24° 8 wet | 13.2h | Peak heat — Obon week crowds mid-month. |
| September4.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 27° / 20° 12 wet | 12.2h | Typhoon risk — check train status; autumn colour starts north. |
| October4.4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 22° / 14° 9 wet | 11.2h | Autumn foliage peak in Kyoto — book ryokan early. |
| November3.8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 16° / 8° 7 wet | 10.2h | Crisp city walks — momiji late month in Kyoto. |
| December3.4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12° / 3° 5 wet | 9.8h | Year-end illuminations — cold evenings, warm interiors. |
Scores are 1–5, higher is better. Climate figures are monthly normals — in production these come from Open-Meteo's ERA5 archive at build time rather than being hand-written.
Check the Ramadan and Bayram dates for your year
Tokyo by the hour
How a typical first-timer day actually unfolds — the time axis most guides leave out.
A typical first-timer day in Tokyo, hour by hour — not a rigid schedule, but the rhythm that keeps you out of queues and midday heat.
- Senso-ji
Nakamise before crowds.
- Tsukiji outer market
Breakfast standing counters.
- Meiji Shrine
Forest shade walk.
- Harajuku stroll
Before dinner rush.
- Shibuya Crossing
Neon peak — watch last train time.
Getting around
Distances are short on the map but spread out on the ground — shuttles, tours and taxis fill the gaps.
- HND/NRT → Shinjuku€8–25unverified
- Keikyu/Monorail (Haneda) or Narita Express — Suica covers most legs.
- Suica / PASMO IC card€15 deposit + top-upunverified
- Tap metro, JR urban lines, konbini — refund balance at end of trip.
- JR Yamanote Loop€1.50–3 per rideunverified
- Circular line linking Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station, Ueno.
- Late-night taxi€15–40unverified
- After last train ~00:00 — fixed fare zones from some districts.
What to eat
Food is the reason a lot of people come back. Prices are what a local would pay, not what the tourist strip charges.
What €10 buys in Tokyo
Estimates for comparison — verify before you travel.
- Ramen bowl — Less than one metro cross-town ride
- Skytree ticket — About two izakaya beers each
Ramen
€8–14Shoyu, miso, or tsukemen — shop tickets at vending machine
Lunch or late night
Sushi (conveyor or counter)
€12–45From ¥100 plates to omakase — Tsukiji area or department store basement
Lunch sets cheaper
Tonkatsu
€10–18Breaded pork cutlet with cabbage
Department store food halls
Izakaya small plates
€25–45Yakitori, edamame, beer — no tipping
After 18:00
Konbini onigiri
€1–37-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart — reliable breakfast
Anytime
Tempura bowl
€9–16Tendon at specialist counters
Lunch
Settle the argument
The questions everyone googles separately — answered in one place.
Base
Shinjuku
JR hub, west-side day trips.
Base
Asakusa
Temple dawn walks, quieter nights.
Verdict: Shinjuku for first trip logistics; Asakusa if temples are the anchor.
Pass
Nationwide JR Pass
Pays on Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima loop.
Pass
Suica only
Better for Tokyo metro-heavy days.
Verdict: JR Pass only if long shinkansen legs in same trip.
What to avoid
The uncomfortable page. It earns nothing directly, which is exactly why it builds the trust that makes the rest of the site worth believing.
Buying JR Pass for Tokyo-only stay
Nationwide pass costs more than metro + one Nikko trip.
Instead: Suica and point tickets — calculate shinkansen legs separately.
Missing last train after izakaya
Expensive taxi or capsule hotel scramble.
Instead: Check last train time for your line before ordering another round.
Golden Week or cherry blossom without hotel lock
Triple rates or sold out — April 29–May 5 and late March peaks.
Instead: Book months ahead or shift to November foliage dates.
Think you'd survive?
6 situations visitors actually encounter. Pick what you would do — then read what happens. Each links back to the guide section.
What we tell you to skip
Falsifiable verdicts — the attractions and day trips we say to pass on for a short first trip. Jump to skip list
Editorial skip verdicts for Tokyo — attractions and day trips we tell short-trip visitors to pass on, with what to do instead.
Mount Fuji day trip
day trip — noWeather-dependent views — Hakone or Kawaguchiko better as overnight.
What three-day visitors regret
Editorial judgment from planning thousands of first trips — not a survey.
Two nights in Tokyo on a two-week Japan sprint
Instead: Minimum four nights or treat Tokyo as transit hub only.
Manners, and ten words that help
None of this is required — Tokyo forgives tourists everything. But a few local words change the tone of every exchange.
Shoes off indoors
Remove shoes at ryokan, some restaurants, and temple halls — follow floor-level cues.
No tipping
Tipping can confuse staff — pay stated price only.
Quiet transit
Phone calls and loud audio on trains are frowned on.
Trash
Few street bins — carry rubbish until konbini or station.
Ten words of Turkish
- Sumimasensoo-mee-mah-senExcuse me / sorry (essential)
- Arigato gozaimasuah-ree-gah-toh go-zai-mahsThank you (polite)
- Eigo de ii desu ka?ay-go deh ee dess kahIs English OK?
- Ikura desu ka?ee-koo-rah dess kahHow much?
- Kore kudasaikoh-reh koo-dah-saiThis one, please
- Konbini wa doko?kon-bee-nee wah doh-kohWhere is a convenience store?
Travel planner · estimates only
Day trips
Nikko Toshogu shrine
UNESCO gold leaf north of Tokyo — JR or Tobu line day trip works.
10h
~€45
Kamakura Great Buddha
Coastal temples and daibutsu — Enoden train charm.
9h
~€25
Mount Fuji day tripwe say no
Weather-dependent views — Hakone or Kawaguchiko better as overnight.
12h
~€80
Arriving
Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) serve Tokyo — Haneda is closer to the city; check your ticket airport.
Haneda (closer, preferred)
Narita (main long-haul)
Common questions
How many days in Tokyo?+
Four to five nights for major districts plus one day-trip buffer.
Is Tokyo walkable?+
Within districts yes — cross-city moves need metro or JR.
Cash or card?+
Cards widely accepted; small eateries and some shrines prefer JPY — withdraw at konbini ATMs.
JR Pass worth it?+
Unlikely for Tokyo-only — calculate if you add Kyoto and Hiroshima shinkansen legs.
Best area to stay?+
Shinjuku for first trips — Asakusa if you want dawn temple runs.
Is Tokyo safe for tourists?+
Japan is generally very safe — watch bags on crowded trains and follow typhoon or earthquake alerts.
Guides for your trip
General articles filtered by who is going, elderly count, and your pace from the fit check — visa prep, packing, scams, and on-the-ground habits.
Picked for solo · moderate pace — updates when you change the fit check above.
Lodging
Hostel etiquette for dorms and shared space
Hostel dorms run on quiet hours, clean kitchens, and not treating shared bunks like private hotel rooms. Use locker for passport and electronics, pack tomorrow’s clothes the night before in the dark, headphones for media, and flip-flops in showers. Social hostels invite conversation; sleep-focused hostels need whispers after 10 p.m. — read the vibe at check-in.
Lodging
Hostels vs hotels vs apartments
Hotels win for short stays, late arrivals, and when you want daily cleaning and front-desk help. Hostels win for solo travelers on a budget who tolerate shared space. Apartments win for week-plus stays, groups splitting cost, and travelers who want a kitchen — at the cost of self check-in hassle and varying quality control.
Planning
First international trip
Your first international trip goes smoother when you fix immovable items early: valid passport, entry rules, flights, and insurance. Then layer lodging, airport transfer, and phone data. Save packing and restaurant research for last — they change least if documents are wrong.
Safety
Solo female travel — practical prep
Solo female travelers benefit from the same fundamentals as anyone alone — licensed transport, central well-reviewed lodging, shared itinerary with someone at home — plus awareness of local dress norms and harassment patterns. Official government travel advisories describe country-level risk; they are the source for safety decisions, not blog anecdotes or scare lists.
Safety
Solo travel checklist
Solo travelers should share itinerary with someone at home, arrive in daylight when possible, keep backup payment and phone battery, stay in well-reviewed central bases, and trust discomfort — paying for a licensed transfer or staying in a busier neighborhood is often cheaper than recovering from a bad arrival.
Travel style
Digital nomad basics — visas and taxes
Working remotely from another country while on a tourist visa is often legally gray or prohibited — “nomad visas” and dedicated permits exist in some countries but have income and insurance requirements. Tax residency rules are complex and depend on your citizenship, days spent abroad, and home country law. EasyTriply covers travel planning, not immigration or tax compliance — verify with official sources and professionals before you move.
Costs are research-based estimates, not live prices — verify before booking.