How Much Would It Cost to Spend 5 Days in Tokyo?

You might be surprised to know that Japan recently ranked as the #1 country to visit (according to October edition of the Conde Naste Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards), followed by Portugal at #2 and Turkey at #3. Japan has become an extremely popular tourist destination, so it is worth considering as your next vacation stop.

Most people set their sights on Tokyo as a first stop. It is a world-class city and has so much to offer. Some people go just for the food. This is not surprising since some say Tokyo is the dining capital of the world with estimates of roughly 140,000 restaurants. When you consider that New York City has estimates of nearly 50,000 restaurants, this makes Tokyo even more impressive.

But you have to wonder, “What would it cost me to spend 5 days in Tokyo?”

Where should you go in Tokyo and what should you expect to spend on accommodations, travel, food, attractions, and other miscellaneous costs?

I spent 5 days in Tokyo this past summer and can share from my experience and the research I put into the planning. Here are 3 scenarios for you to consider.

But first, getting there and the airfare

How much you pay for airfare depends largely on the time of the year. Late winter and autumn are generally the cheapest seasons for flights.

You can learn about the best times of the year to visit Japan in this post. Ultimately, you’ll have to negotiate the best time for you with when you are able to take off from work, as well as other variables.

However, as a base, roundtrip economy flights from California airports to Tokyo can be as cheap as $700 in low seasons and as high as $3000 in high seasons. With that range in mind, I’ll assume that you’ll find a flight with your timing for about $1200 roundtrip from the US west coast to Tokyo.

As a side note, don’t overlook the benefits you can gain through credit card points and possible free flights. We’ve had several free international flights through the years from credit card promotions and point accumulations.

So, on to the 3 scenarios.

A Budget Plan

For a solo traveler on a budget, it’s possible to travel quite cheaply.

Accommodations – If you stay in capsule hotels and/or AirBnB in Tokyo, it can cost you as little as 2000 yen per night. Both options often provide access to a kitchen, but be limited with other services and amenities.

Food – Delicious bento food can be found in convenience stores like Lawson’s and Family Mart everywhere for about 500 yen per meal. Ramen shops are plentiful and a bowl of ramen will cost around 1000 yen. Conveyer belt sushi shops usually charge 100 to 300 yen per plate, so an average size sushi meal can cost between 1000 to 1500 yen, more if you are really hungry. Some capsule hotels and youth hostels include some morning pastries as a complimentary service, so you could even get by with only 2 meals in a day. For a budget traveler, it’s possible to spend less than 2000 yen per day for food.

Transportation – Although the Japan Rail pass is popular for tourists, it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you stay in Tokyo for 5 days. It would actually be cheaper to spend your money for individual tickets each day. Having said that, unless you spend a lot of time on trains, an average of 1500 yen per day for train fare will be enough.

Attractions – There are many places you can visit for free in Tokyo that allow you to have a great experience. Here are a few places for you to choose from:

Visit the Asakusa district – Walking around Asakusa is free, although some people pay for guided tours. It is home to the famous Senso-ji Temple, many shops and restaurants, and other temples. It has a classic “old Tokyo” feel.
Visit the Imperial Palace – Free guided tours are available and you can learn a lot about Japanese history at this castle where Japanese emperors have lived. There are many beautiful photo opportunities of the palace and surrounding gardens.
Enjoy a picnic or walk the gardens of Meiji Jingu – The forested area around this Shinto Shrine can make you forget you are in the largest city in the world.
See Shibuya Crossing – With 7 streets intersecting, this intersection is known as the busiest traffic intersection in the world for cars and pedestrians. All traffic lights at this intersection turn red at the same time for thousands of people to cross every two minutes. It even has nicknames like “Shibuya Scramble Crossing” and “Pedestrian Paradise.” Also, don’t miss getting a selfie with Hachiko, the iconic dog statue in Shibuya.
Visit the Tsukiji Fish Market – See the craftsmen cut fish in preparation for restaurants all around Tokyo. You may even want to enjoy a seafood meal yourself.
People watch in Harajuku – Known for their unique styles and expression, you can see youth in Harajuku dressed in very “kawaii” fashions and Harajuku goth. It is a wonderful place to see free expressions of fashion.
Visit free (and possibly weird) museums – Learn about parasites at the Meguro Parasitological Museum. See with you own eyes how poop is disposed of at the Tokyo Sewerage Museum. Become an expert on Japanese money at the Bank of Japan Currency Museum. Get a grasp of the world of advertising at The Ad Museum Tokyo.
There are so many more attractions for free or very cheap. You could watch the Godzilla head roar in Shinjuku, see young sumo wrestlers in training, and visit a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine every day and still not come close to seeing them all.

Wifi – Free wifi is available at most capsule hotels, as well as Starbucks and many train stations. Wifi is often quite slow at train stations and other public free spaces and can be frustrating to stay connected.

A Mid-range Plan

Accommodations – Many 3 and 4-star western style hotels can be found in Tokyo that average about 12,000 – 30,000 per night for 2 adults. With current rates, this is roughly between $100 – $200 nightly, and not really so different from American prices. It’s important to remember that Japanese hotels usually charge by the person and not by the room, but if you book a hotel from an American-based travel website in English, you won’t face any surprises.

Food – High rise department stores have many nice restaurants on the top floors where you can have a great dining experience for an average price of 1000 – 3000 yen.

Transportation – Trains and buses are dependable and convenient, so transportation doesn’t have to be expensive. If you choose to get around by taxi or Uber, then expect to pay double or triple the cost of train fare. Also, don’t expect taxi drivers to speak English. I haven’t met one yet.

Attractions – for a small fee

Visit Tokyo Tower – main deck tours are 1500 yen and top deck tours are 3500 yen per adult.
Go to the Ghibli Museum – Adult tickets are 1000 yen and cheaper for children, depending on age. Children will be fascinated with the animated film process, and you might be too!
Join a workshop and make a fake food display – This workshop is 3000 yen per person and reservations are required. Another great children’s activity and one that you can take home as a souvenir. The video on this site gives a great demonstration of the process.
Go shopping at Japan’s 100 yen shops and find some great souvenirs.

Wifi – If you must have access to wifi, rent a pocket wifi device at the airport. It’s as small as your cell phone and works like a router. Both cell phones and laptops can be connected for everyone in your family or group. Depending on the pocket wifi company you go with, it can cost between 6000 – 9000 yen for a 10-day rental. The plans get cheaper for longer-term rentals. Most rentals have high speed access for the first tier of data use, but although unlimited, can become significantly slower once the data limit is reached. Pocket wifi is reasonable and efficient for short-term use, as well as convenient for pickup and return.

A Luxurious Plan

Accommodations – Stay at a Disney Hotel, but know that you’ll need to book your reservation many months in advance. Disney Hotels in Tokyo start at around 75,000 yen and can be as expensive as 500,000 yen a night (around $500 – $3000 a night).

For a more authentic Japanese experience, stay at Yuen Bettei Daita Ryokan/Hotel in Tokyo for about 75,000 yen per night for a room for two. One good aspect about a Japanese Ryokan is that an evening meal and breakfast are often included in the price.

A peek from inside the Yuen Bettei Daita Ryokan

Food – Tokyo has more Michelin stars that any other city on the planet, so there’s more choice than you can imagine. However, you can enjoy some fantastic meals at Izakayas, including alcohol, for an average of 5000 – 10,000 yen per person. If you want to splurge and enjoy somewhere with Michelin stars, expect to pay 15,000 yen and up for the meal. Although I haven’t been to these, here are a few to consider:

Every time I’ve been to Tokyo, I’ve also been amazed at how many restaurants there are that serve various other ethnic foods that are not Japanese. I had a delicious Indian curry meal this summer. The choices seem limitless.

Transportation – Just like above, the train and bus systems are more than adequate if you stay in Tokyo. Taxi services can be useful as well.

Attractions –

Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea can be enjoyed for 9900 yen (with slight fluctuations depending on day) per day respectively, but you’ll need to reserve your tickets 2 months in advance.
Take a tour – Private tours around Tokyo with an English-speaking chauffer for groups of 4-6 people tend to go for 45,000 – 75,000 yen per group. Cheaper tours can be found at specific locations as well.
Tokyo Skytree is an even taller tower (tallest tower in the world) than Tokyo Tower. Entrance fees are between 2100 – 3500 yen, but there are additional experiences that can be purchased inside (try Yoga at 450 meters high)!
Take a cooking lesson and make sushi with a master sushi chef
Bar hop for craft beers in Shinjuku.
Shop for famous brands in Ginza, Tokyo’s high-end shopping district. The sky is the limit for how much could can spend.

Wifi – Using your cell phone provider to service you internationally tends to work well, but can be a more expensive choice. However, a popular esim service with positive reviews is Airalo. I’ve even heard Tim Ferriss say that’s what he uses when he travels. It isn’t that expensive, so consider using this esim service while in Japan.

The Bottom Line

With current yen to dollar conversions being around 150 yen for one American dollar, here is how estimates for the 3 scenarios look. International roundtrip airfare is NOT included (estimated at $1200 above).

It seemed crazy to me at first that I could spend a week in Tokyo for about $250 plus airfare, but I have experienced it myself.

Personally, I prefer to go the budget route in Tokyo and have more extravagant experiences in other places in Japan. More of those stories in other posts.

Yet, Tokyo is totally worth the visit whether you choose to be frugal or extravagant. I’ve been to both New York City and Tokyo multiple times and, although I enjoyed NYC a lot, I think Tokyo has so much to offer. Not only did I feel much safer, the cost of visiting Tokyo was more reasonable in many ways.

I hope your experience is as good as mine! Be sure to let me know how it goes for you!