Cheap things to do in Tokyo
Kissatens, ramen legends and old bars: Tokyo on a shoestring, done properly.
This is Tokyo for people who want to eat well, walk far and spend little. The three days move through the city's older, quieter quarters: Daikanyama and its backstreets, the wide avenues of Ginza and Hibiya, then the shitamachi sprawl of Kanda, Akihabara and Ueno. If your idea of a good night is a bowl of spicy ramen followed by a cheap brandy cocktail in a bar that opened before your grandparents were born, this is your itinerary.
Day 1: Daikanyama to Roppongi on foot
Start slow with a kissaten coffee, lose an hour in Daikanyama T-Site's magazine floor, then follow it up with great-value soba and a French bistro dinner that somehow costs nothing.
- 9:30 AM
Fuglen Tokyo
The Tomigaya café of Oslo's Fuglen: light-roast pour-overs in a room of Norwegian vintage furniture.
Map - 10:30 AM
Daikanyama T-Site
The magazine floor is heaven, a slow, free browse through one of Tokyo's coolest bookshop-café complexes.
Map - 12:30 PM
Osobano Kouga
Great-value soba, cheap, serious, and close to the area; exactly the kind of unfussy lunch a thrifty day calls for.
Map - 2:00 PM
Roppongi Hills 六本木ヒルズ
Free to wander: Louise Bourgeois' giant spider Maman and the garden pond; the view deck is paid.
Map - 7:30 PM
LAUBURU
Great-value French bistro at local prices, a proper sit-down dinner without blowing the budget.
Map - 9:30 PM
Nonbei Yokocho
Two lanes of tiny bars by the Shibuya tracks; most charge a small seat fee, so settle in for two drinks.
Map
Day 2: Imperial Gardens and Ginza's cheap side
A free morning walk through the Imperial Palace East Gardens sets the tone for a day of conveyor-belt sushi, a street-level steam locomotive and one of Ginza's best-value beef dinners.
- 10:30 AM
The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace 皇居東御苑
Free stroll through the Imperial Palace East Gardens, manicured lawns, old castle ruins, zero yen.
Map - 12:30 PM
Sushiro Yaesu Underground Shopping Mall
Top-rated conveyor-belt sushi in the Yaesu underground mall, cheap, fast and seriously good.
Map - 2:30 PM
Hamarikyu Gardens
A 300-yen garden with a seawater pond under the Shiodome towers; matcha at the island teahouse is extra.
Map - 7:30 PM
Gyūan Ginza
Gyūan Ginza is a wallet-friendly steakhouse, top-rated and one of the cheapest ways to eat beef in Ginza.
Map - 9:00 PM
Bar Lupin
Bar Lupin is a beloved old Ginza local bar, low-key, atmospheric, and the perfect nightcap spot.
Map
Day 3: Kanda, Akihabara and the old east side
Shitamachi coffee in Asakusa, free-to-browse floors in Akihabara, a Kanda ramen lunch, spicy miso ramen at Kikanbō, then cheap drinks on Asakusa's Hoppy Street.
- 9:30 AM
Cafe Tomorrow Asakusa
Vintage shitamachi coffee shop tucked in Asakusa back streets, cheap, full of character, perfect morning kick-off.
Map - 10:30 AM
Akihabara Radio Kaikan 秋葉原ラジオ会館
Akihabara Radio Kaikan is a free-to-browse multi-floor nerd landmark, figures, retro electronics, manga, pure shitamachi chaos.
Map - 12:30 PM
Motenashi Kuroki
Akihabara ramen counter famous for its clean shio ramen; queue early, it sells out.
Map - 2:00 PM
Mansei Bridge 万世橋
Mansei Bridge is a free landmark stroll over the Kanda River, great views, photogenic red-brick arches, no entry fee.
Map - 7:30 PM
Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbō Kanda Honten
Spicy miso ramen where you set the chilli and the sansho numbing levels separately; start at medium.
Map - 9:00 PM
Hoppy Street (Hoppy-dori)
A lane of open-front izakaya by Sensō-ji; order a Hoppy and a plate of beef stew at a street table.
Map
Where to stay
Muji Hotel Ginza
Muji Hotel Ginza is calm and central but not cheap; book early or look at a business hotel nearby.
GINZA HOTEL by GRANBELL
GINZA HOTEL by GRANBELL is a solid mid-range base a short walk from Bar Lupin, Gyūan and the Day 2 Imperial Gardens route.
Make Tokyo your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- teamLab Planets TOKYO: weeks ahead
- Shibuya Sky: weeks ahead
- Ghibli Museum: weeks ahead
- Ryōgoku Kokugikan: weeks ahead
- Tokyo DisneySea: weeks ahead
- Nikkō: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Takeshita Street in Harajuku is a shoulder to shoulder tourist funnel, walk parallel Ura-Harajuku instead.
- The Ichiran queue is not worth 60 to 90 minutes when Fuunji, Hayashi and Shima exist.
- Pick one viewpoint, Shibuya Sky or the free Metropolitan Government Building decks, not three paid towers.
- There is no wholesale inner market left at Tsukiji, it moved to Toyosu in 2018.
The full Tokyo travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around