Where to Stay in Tokyo, Japan
Budget to Luxury
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and a vibrant mix of cutting-edge modernity and rich history. Nowadays, Tokyo is the largest city in the world and an ever-changing flow of temples, shopping, delicious food, arcades, gardens and more. To me, Tokyo feels like the city of endless possibilities!
Tokyo is huge and finding the right accommodation can be a challenge. I booked pretty last-minute during cherry blossom season and was left with some lucky and some subpar choices. Book as early as you can and do your research!
To make it easier for you, I have collected all my favourite hostels and hotels in the top areas of Tokyo and there is something for every budget. All of the recommended options also have excellent reviews across booking, Google and more, so that you can have the best trip possible!
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Where to stay in Tokyo, Japan for any traveller:
Tokyo has an amazing public transportation network, however, it stops between around midnight and 5am. That means if you are out enjoying the nightlife or a late dinner, you should be really careful with timing or pick a close neighbourhood. Taxis are available all night but on the pricy side.
I’d say for anyone wanting to try the nightlife, definitely stay near Shinjuku. Otherwise, good areas are Shibuya, Asakusa, Ginza and Tokyo Station.
I will include two warnings here that I usually don’t – I stayed in Ten Ten Hostel in Asakusa and felt very unsafe as a female, solo traveller. And there is a popular Japanese Hotel chain that has had unsafe reports from solo travellers in Tokyo (3 letters and starts with A). I would avoid both if you can.
Affordable hostels in Tokyo
Unplan Shinjuku – I stayed in this hostel for a few nights and thought it was pretty good. The dorms are massive with questionable “private rooms” behind a curtain of the bunk beds, but the location is unbeatable. Bathrooms were pretty clean and breakfast is included.
Hostel Den – central hostel with nice dorms that have lots of privacy but it’s still easy to meet other travellers.
LYURO Tokyo Kiyosumi – part hotel part hostel, the dormitories are beautiful and many of the rooms even have stunning river views.
Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusa – Asakusa is a lovely area to stay in and the cabins in this hostel offer so much privacy!
First Cabin Ichigaya – this is a pretty fancy cabin hotel with still fair prices in a great location.
Hotels at different price points in Tokyo:
$ Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi – small rooms at fair prices in a quieter area of Tokyo
$ WAGOKORO Guesthouse – a little further out the centre, this guesthouse offers one of the best value for money stays in Tokyo. It is very highly reviewed!
$ Super Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho – location-wise, this hotel is amazing for the price. Be prepared for the typical tiny rooms here that are common in Tokyo.
$$ Rosenheim Tokyo Shinjuku – Amazing prices for the location and overall property, which is gorgeous!
$$ The Gate Hotel Ryogoku by HULIC – A little away from attractions but a beautiful hotel with fair prices!
$$ Toe Library Hotel – Possibly the hotel with the highest reviews in all of Tokyo. Their suites are beautifully unique, carefully designed and the staff super friendly.
$$$ cyashitsu ryokan asakusa – A modern Ryokan hotel in the heart of Asakusa, a stay here is true luxury with open air baths, hot tubs and incredible dinner.
$$$ The Aoyama Grand Hotel – amazing location, lots of amenities and a beautiful interior!
How to get to Tokyo?
There are two airports in Tokyo – Narita and Haneda.
Haneda Airport:
The cheapest way from Haneda Airport to the city centre is either by Monorail (6-700 yen) or by Keikyu Airport Line (about 500 yen to city centre). Both will take around 45 minutes to an hour depending on where in Tokyo you are headed.
You can also get the Limousine Bus for a more convenient journey. It costs around $10 and takes 45 minutes to most hotels.
Narita Airport:
The cheapest way to and from Narita Airport is the Asakusa/Keisei Narita Line. It will get you to central for around 1,400 yen ($9.40) and takes a bit more than an hour.
Alternatively, you could take the Narita Express Train which takes 50ish minutes and costs ~3,250 yen ($22), or the Keisei Skyliner which takes around 40 minutes and costs ~2,470yen ($16.60). Your destination within Tokyo will depend on which one is better.
There is also an Airport Limousine Bus which is really convenient if you have heavy luggage as you will not need to drag it through Tokyo’s stations. The bus takes +/- 90 minutes and costs roughly $25.
How to get around Tokyo by public transport:
Tokyo’s public transportation network is extensive and pretty efficient. You can either buy single trip tickets at the ticket machines each time or use an IC card. An IC card is a prepaid card that you can use for transportation or even the convenience stores, lockers and many more things around Japan.
Tokyo’s version is called Suica but you can also use Osaka’s Icoca card or any other. Prices start at ¥1000 including a 500yen deposit that is refundable at the end of your holiday. The other 500yen are loaded onto the card. You can buy the ICOCA at JR stations or Kansai airport and top it up at any train/subway station and most convenience stores. You can also add the card directly to your Apple wallet.
I found using Google Maps to get around Kyoto accurate and also easiest.
How many days do you need in Tokyo?
I would recommend at least 5 days in Tokyo. There is just so much to do and Tokyo is huge!! This does not include daytrips to Mount Fuji and Kamakura, so you may want to plan 7 days+.
Here is my itinerary for 5 days in Tokyo: The Ultimate 5-Day Tokyo Itinerary on a Budget
Hi, I'm Bell
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