Travel Guides : Traveling to Tokyo

Tokyo is an insane, frenetic, and amazing. Here you can check out the royal palace, the early morning fish market, see the lovely cherry blossoms, celebration in the Tokyo's fashionable nightlife district, sing karaoke, and eat lots of amazing food ... I mean it's Japan after all! I like Tokyo. It's one of my favorite cities in the world. I enjoy the fast pace modern-day city that still clings to its standard past. I enjoy the orderly crowds when you anticipate turmoil.

Tokyo is a city like none other. It's not cheap, but this travel overview of Tokyo can assist you navigate the city on a spending plan to make the most out of your check out (and ideally fall in love with it too!).

Typical Costs

Hostel prices-- Most dorm beds in hostels expenses between 2,000-5,000 JPY per night. The least expensive places to stay in Tokyo are the pod hotels-- and they are rather the experience! My preferred hostel is Khao San hostel. They have a variety of areas, all which are top notch. I extremely advise them.

Budget hotel rates-- Private rooms cost between 7,000-12,000 JPY for a double room in a hotel which typically includes breakfast. There isn't such thing as "budget plan" in town. Airbnb is just getting appeal in the city and you can discover some listening there at lower rates.

Typical cost of food-- Raman noodle stores, miso and soba noodles, and donburi stalls range from 250-1,240 JPY. Purchasing groceries will cost you 3,700-5,600 JPY per week. A lot of dining establishment meals cost around 1,850 JPY. Midrange restaurants will cost around 4,350 JPY. Sushi trains cost anywhere from 120-620 JPY per piece. Junk food is around 870 JPY.

Transport-- Tokyo has a world-class train system. The Yamanote Line strikes all the city's areas and an all-day train ticket can be bought for 750 JPY. The bus is another fantastic method to explore the city, and bus stops are clearly marked. It costs 500 JPY when you board, or 1,600 JPY for a throughout the day train and bus combination ticket.

Cash Saving Tips

Skip the taxis-- Since cabs can be costly (870 JPY beginning fare), use the general public transportation to conserve cash. It goes everywhere and late into the night!

Shop at the 100 Yen shops-- There are lots of 100 Yen shops in Japan where set meals, groceries, water, toiletries, household products. This is where you wish to purchase anything you require and how you can consume and shop on a budget!

Eat at 7-11-- The 7-11, Family Mart, and other corner stores have a lot of pre-set meals for 120-370 JPY that make for a low-cost lunch alternative. In addition, supermarkets also have actually many set meals at comparable prices.

Work for your room-- Hostels in Japan let you work for your room. You'll invest a few hours in the early morning cleaning, and you'll get free accommodation for as long as you want. The Khao San Hostel chain constantly has areas available.

Couchsurf-- Using sites like Couchsurfing that allow you to stay with locals not just gets you a complimentary location to stay, but lets you interact and discover local life. Make sure you ask early-- the response rate in Japan is not always great!

Top Things to See and Do in Tokyo

See the Hachiko Statue-- The Hachiko Statue is a life-sized statue of a pet from 1925. The pet dog's owner passed away, but every day the pet still went to the train station to wait for him to return from work. It signifies loyalty and dedication to the Japanese and is a popular monument. The statue stands in front of the Shibuya Station.

Go to the Tokyo Tower-- Resembling the Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower is taller than its European version, and made entirely of steel. You can pay 1,600 JPY to go all the way to the top floor.

See the animals at Ueno Zoological Gardens-- Located in Ueno Park, the Zoological Gardens is the oldest zoo in Japan and worth a see for the day. The pandas are particularly unusual and interesting to see. Children get in free and adult tickets are 600 JPY.

Explore Ueno Park-- Ueno Park is a great location to spend a totally free day. The park is covered in cherry bloom trees. The very best time to come is when the trees are progressing, and there is also a huge festival at this time. You can also purchase food from one of the many vendors.

Go to the Imperial Palace-- The Imperial Palace, the home of the Emperor of Japan, is a wonderful location to take a trip and find out about Japanese history and existing events. It is surrounded by a gorgeous park and garden and admission is free. There's a guard modification every day, which resembles the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

Shop at the Tsukiji Fish Market-- Visit this world-famous fish market, and enjoy the suppliers sell the fish that winds up as sushi in dining establishments all over the worlds. It's stressful, crazy, and tasty. The tuna auction is now near to travelers, however you can check out the market after the auction is over. Make sure to obtain there early in the early morning and canyon on sushi for breakfast.

Watch a sumo match-- Kokugikan is Japan's most famous sumo battling arena and is where tournaments are held 3 times yearly. A visit to one of the sumo stables close by can be interesting, however must be arranged well beforehand.

Admire Sensji Temple-- This is among the most beautiful temples in Tokyo. Legend has it that in the year 628, two siblings fished a statue of Kannon (the goddess of grace) out of the Sumida River, as well as though they put the statue back into the river, it always floated back to them. Sensoji was developed close by for them. The temple is Tokyo's oldest, and was completed in 645.

Shop at Akihabara Electric Town-- For Tokyo, this is the Tsukiji Market of the electronic devices world. You can find practically anything you've ever pictured, along with all of the things you've never even dreamed of. Many up-and-coming electronics are evaluated here, and there is a lots of cool stuff to browse.

Roam Roppongi Hills-- A dream brought to life, this is a complex of architectural marvels. There are various buildings to see, all of which have been created by leading designers, in addition to numerous public art screens. This visual banquet does not cost anything-- all you need to do is catch a trip up the hill.

Drink in Golden Gai-- If you are looking for something intriguing to do in the evening, this little alley of back-street bars is an excellent location to start. There isn't really much going on during the day here, but come sundown, these zigzag hallways and closet-sized beer spaces are filled with intriguing people and cheap beverages. This is what you might think about "old-school" Tokyo.

Get on a suijo-bus-- For centuries, Tokyo has been centralized around its rivers. Among the standard ways to get around has actually constantly been by means of water-bus. This is a terrific alternative to the subway (when possible) and provides a different point of view of the dynamic city. There are even floating dining establishments, called yakata-bune.

Take a look at a sento-- A sento is a standard Japanese public bath home. While they were initially built to accommodate those that did not have such facilities internal, they are now an excellent location to go for some peace and relaxation. They are typically separated by gender. The Japanese are not shy in these locations so you need to be comfortable with nudity!

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