Tokyo, Simply Done.
Find where to sleep, which train to take and how to spend every yen, without the tourist trap.
Everything You Need, One Place
Eight guides, each answering one question properly. No filler, just the call at the end.
Where to Stay
Hotels, apartments, capsules and hostels by budget, with the one rule that decides everything: pick a station.
Read the guide → 🗺️Neighbourhoods
Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, Ginza, Ueno and more: pros, cons and typical prices.
Explore the areas → 🎟️Passes
Two calculators: is the Subway Ticket worth it, and is the JR Pass? Both in yen.
Run the numbers → 💴Budget Guide
What Tokyo costs in 2026 by tier and season, plus an interactive planner.
Plan your budget → ✈️Getting Here
Haneda or Narita, which train from the airport, and the 2026 tax changes.
Compare routes → ⛩️Things to Do
Shrines, skyline views, teamLab and quiet corners, with a filter and a book-ahead list.
Explore attractions → 🍜Food Guide
Ramen, sushi, izakaya and konbini: what to eat, where, and what it costs.
Find the food → 🗻Day Trips
Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone, Fuji and more, with travel times and approximate costs.
Plan a day trip →Find Your Stay
Tokyo rooms are small, spotless and well placed. Here is where to look for each budget.
Live Like a Local
Apartments in Shibuya, Shinjuku and the east side give you a kitchen and a washing machine. Only legally registered listings are allowed in Japan, so look for the licence number.
Compact, Clean, Central
Japanese business hotels are the quiet hero: tiny but immaculate rooms next to stations. Most offer free cancellation, which matters when plans change.
Hostels & Capsules
Asakusa and Ueno are the hostel heartland: social, safe and cheap. Design-led hostels are common here, and capsule hotels are an experience in themselves.
Which Neighbourhood?
Tokyo is a hundred villages stitched together by trains. Pick the village that matches your trip.
Getting to Tokyo
Two international airports, one of the best rail networks on earth, and a few 2026 rule changes that touch your wallet.
By Air
Haneda (HND) · Narita (NRT)
Haneda is roughly 30 minutes from central Tokyo, Narita 60 to 90. If fares are similar, take Haneda and spend the saved hour on ramen.
Airport transfers →By Shinkansen
From Kyoto, Osaka and beyond
Tokyo to Kyoto takes roughly 2 hours 15 minutes on the fastest trains. Cheaper than flying once you count airport time, and far nicer.
Bullet train guide →By Highway Bus
Overnight and daytime coaches
The budget route from Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya. Slow, cheap and surprisingly comfortable in the better seat classes.
Bus options →By Domestic Flight
Haneda hub
Useful for Hokkaido, Kyushu and Okinawa. Within the main island the train usually wins on total time.
When flying makes sense →Before You Go
The things most guides bury in a footnote, including three rule changes from 2026.
Stay Connected
eSIM · pocket Wi-FiJapan's mobile coverage is excellent. A travel eSIM such as Breeze activates before you land, so you can book your Skyliner from the arrivals hall.
Money & Tax
Cash · No tipping · RefundsCards are widely accepted now, but small ramen counters and shrines can be cash-only; 7-Eleven ATMs take foreign cards. Never tip. Since 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping means paying the full price and claiming the 10% back when you leave.
Visas & Entry
Check your passportMany nationalities enter visa-free for up to 90 days; others, South African passport holders included, need a visa in advance. Register your arrival details on Visit Japan Web beforehand. The departure tax rose to ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026 and is normally built into your airfare.
Getting Around
Suica · PASMO · Subway TicketLoad a Suica or PASMO IC card and tap everywhere. Most lines stop around midnight, so check the last train before that second drink. Taxis are excellent and expensive.
Is the Tokyo Subway Ticket Worth It?
Move the sliders to match how you actually travel. We compare the 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets with simply tapping a card. Thinking of the Shinkansen? Check the JR Pass calculator →
Calculating…
The Tokyo Subway Ticket covers Tokyo Metro and Toei lines only, not JR lines such as the Yamanote Line, and runs for 24, 48 or 72 hours from first use. Prices as listed by Tokyo Metro in November 2026: ¥1,000, ¥1,500 and ¥2,000. Some older guides still show the pre-March-2026 prices. Fares are estimates: confirm at tokyometro.jp.
Simply Do
Bookable experiences via GetYourGuide. Prices are typical ranges: check the live price before you commit.
teamLab Planets
Walk barefoot through water, mirrors and light in Toyosu. Tickets are online only, with timed entry, and it sells out.
Book via GetYourGuide →Shibuya Sky
The rooftop deck above the famous crossing. Sunset slots go first, so book days or weeks ahead.
Book via GetYourGuide →Tsukiji Food Tour
Graze the outer market with a local guide: tamagoyaki, seafood skewers and the stories behind them.
Book via GetYourGuide →Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour
Volcano views, a lake cruise and a ropeway in one long day. Easiest on a clear morning, so check the forecast.
Book via GetYourGuide →Tea Ceremony & Kimono
Slow down in Asakusa with a guided tea ceremony or a kimono rental that suits the shrine photos.
Book via GetYourGuide →Izakaya Night Walk
A guide, a few tiny bars in Shinjuku and nobody to translate the menu for. Food and drinks usually included.
Book via GetYourGuide →Browse all Tokyo experiences on Viator →
Tokyo Budget Planner
Drag the sliders to match your travel style. Flights are not included, so this is your on-the-ground Tokyo budget, in yen.
Estimated total trip cost
Keep This Guide Free
No paywalls, no hotel kickbacks bending the recommendations. Simply Tokyo runs on affiliate commissions and voluntary tips.
Affiliate disclosure: Simply Tokyo uses affiliate links for Airbnb, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Hostelworld and Viator. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.