Tokyo
Where to base yourself in Tokyo, what to book ahead, and how to land already online.
Tokyo is huge and layered — you won't see all of it in one trip. Pick a central base near a train line and plan around it.
Here's how we'd plan it: book your stay, reserve the few things that sell out, and sort connectivity and insurance before you fly.
Where to Stay
Your neighbourhood shapes your trip. Shinjuku or Shibuya for the busiest areas; Asakusa for old-Tokyo lanes; Nakameguro or Kuramae for quieter streets. Wherever you stay, keep within a few minutes of a train line.
Booking.com — best for choosing by neighbourhood
Use the map view over Shinjuku or Nakameguro and filter for free cancellation. Deepest spread of Tokyo's small business hotels and ryokan-style stays.
Find a Tokyo stay on Booking.com →Expedia — worth a cross-check
Cross-check the same dates here, especially if you're pairing Tokyo with a flight — bundles sometimes come in lower.
Compare Tokyo hotels on Expedia →What to Do
Book the things that sell out — the teamLab museums, a sumo morning, a food tour through Omoide Yokocho — and leave the rest open. A few we'd reserve ahead:
GetYourGuide — guided experiences
For guided experiences: a Tsukiji food walk, an izakaya hop, a Mt. Fuji and Hakone day trip. Mobile tickets, clear cancellation, detailed reviews.
Book Tokyo experiences on GetYourGuide →Viator — the long tail
For specific experiences not listed elsewhere — a kimono shoot, a market tour, an Akihabara crawl.
Browse Tokyo tours on Viator →Klook — the local-priced essentials
The one we use most in Japan. teamLab tickets, a Shinkansen day trip to Kyoto, Disney or Puroland passes, Suica transit — often under gate price, redeemed by QR.
Book Tokyo tickets on Klook →Stay Connected
You'll want data for train times and maps. Sort an eSIM before you fly and you'll land already online.
Airalo — install before you land
Grab a Japan data plan, scan the QR code, and you're online when you land. Enough for maps, translation, and trains.
Get a Japan eSIM on Airalo →Holafly — if you want unlimited
Flat-rate unlimited data, for heavy use or hotspotting a laptop.
Get unlimited data with Holafly →Stay Covered
Japan is very safe, but healthcare for visitors is paid up front and isn't cheap, and weather can disrupt plans. Sort insurance before you go.
SafetyWing — for the long, loose trip
If Tokyo is one stop on a longer trip: monthly, cross-border cover with no fixed return date.
See SafetyWing cover →Heymondo — for the fixed-date trip
For a fixed Tokyo trip: a single-trip policy with in-app doctor chat and an assistance line. Easy to see what's covered before you buy.
Get a Heymondo quote →Getting There & Around
Long-haul flights land at Narita or Haneda — compare both, as Haneda is closer to the city. You won't need a car in Tokyo; the rail network covers it. A car only makes sense for trips like Fuji's lakes, the Izu coast, or rural Tohoku.
Skyscanner — find the flight
Search the whole month for the cheapest day, and compare Narita against Haneda in one view. Compare here, then book direct.
Search flights to Tokyo on Skyscanner →DiscoverCars — only for the day trips that need it
Skip the car in central Tokyo, but for Fuji's lakes or the Izu Peninsula, compare local and international hire firms in one search, with insurance terms spelled out.
Compare car hire on DiscoverCars →The full kit list — eSIMs, insurance, and gear — is in one place.
See the full Arctrn Travel ToolkitTokyo is just the start.
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