Discover the best of Tokyo on a budget 🇯🇵
Photo Credit: Yuya Uzu
Tokyo may be one of the most exciting places you’ll ever visit, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the most expensive. Despite its Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury hotels and designer shopping districts, Tokyo has way more to offer than a high-flying lifestyle, and fortunately for those who want bang for their buck, a lot of the best things to see are and do are priced at less than RM200.
So, stop stressing about how to pay rent and save for a holiday at the same time because we’ve got you covered with the best things to do in Tokyo on a budget, including cheap eats in Tokyo, tips on where to stay and quirky Japanese experiences you don’t want to miss.
10 tips to explore Tokyo on a budget
1. Getting around with train passes
Luckily for budget travellers, Tokyo’s public transport is actually the preferred mode of getting around the city. It is reliable, efficient, clean and safe and as a bonus, it’s inexpensive to boot. You can pre-purchase your train ticket from Narita airport into the heart of the city and combine it with a Tokyo Subway pass for the duration of your trip with prices starting from only RM110.
2. SIM cards & portable WiFi
Imagine saving all this money and then coming home to a whopping big phone bill because you ate up all your data and then some? *gulp* No, thanks!
With a 4G SIM card or pocket WiFi device, you no longer have to worry about finding a free Wi-Fi spot and you are able to snap your stories and scroll through TikTok as you please! You can even pre-purchase your SIM card or pocket WiFi and pick it up at the airport too. How convenient is that?
3. Experience more with multi-attraction passes
Deciding between two or more attractions in Tokyo? Don't just choose one, and instead, why not go for all with a multi-attraction pass, such as the Tokyo Klook Pass or Nippon Pass?
The Klook Pass allows you to bundle two or more of your preferred top attractions in Tokyo, including theme parks and museums, at a discounted price starting from RM170. If you'd like to squeeze your visits to as many attractions into one day instead, then the Nippon Pass will be more worth it as you'll get to maximise your travel in Tokyo with unlimited entries into various attractions in a day!
4. Visit underrated theme parks
Photo Credit: @kazutaka_imai on Instagram
Japan is no stranger to having some of the best theme parks in the world, and in Tokyo, you’re bound to find one that you’ll like here no matter your age or interest! The best part is that from as low as RM75, you can get an entry ticket and there’s not much more you’ll need to fork out your hard-earned dollars for once you’re inside these parks.
Sanrio Puroland is a great place for kids and the young at heart – especially those who never grew out of their Hello Kitty obsession. This indoor theme park is small but jam-packed with tame rides, arcade games, live performances, Sanrio-themed food options and a kick-ass gift shop. It’s a full day’s entertainment in any weather.
A haven for game and tech geeks, Tokyo Joypolis is the largest indoor theme park in Japan operated by SEGA, a name that may be familiar to many of you gamers. Featuring cutting edge entertainment facilities, the theme park gives you access to over 20 different thrilling rides, VR attractions, realistic simulators and arcade games.
5. Quirky themed cafes
Japan is famous for having some of the most unique cafés and restaurants in the world, with themes including animals, robots, vampires and prison, so it wouldn’t be an authentic Tokyo trip without a visit to one of these kooky eateries.
At Maidreamin Café, you will be swept away into a dream world and doted on by your waitress come dream girl as she serves you up desserts that are almost far too cute to eat. Almost. A visit starts at around RM120, and includes a drink.
If your idea of a dream scenario involves less humans and more cute animals, do I have the place for you! You won’t be able to hold in your squeals once you meet the cutest micro pigs at Mipig Cafe! Have a fun time sipping on free-flowing drinks and munching on a mipig-inspired donut. Micro pigs are quite delicate, so it’s important to wait for the pigs to approach you and play with you.
6. Get the best city views
How can you see the entire city of Tokyo for less than RM100? By viewing it from 450 metres in the sky, of course!
Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in Japan, standing at a dizzying 634m above the ground. With two viewing platforms, you can take in the whole cityscape and even catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji if it’s a clear day. Great for those who are time and cash poor.
Other great observatory alternatives in the city include Shibuya Sky and the Roppongi Hills Observation Deck. For an even cheaper option, you can head to the iconic Tokyo Tower instead, with entry priced from as low as RM40!
7. Race or cruise across the city
Could there possibly be anything more fun than zipping around the streets of Tokyo on a go-kart? Yes, the actual streets, like, where the cars drive. And did I mention you’ll be dressed as a cartoon character while you do it?
If this sounds like it’s right up your alley, you can choose a whole day’s outing or just a one-hour taste but either way, prepare to be gawked at by fellow drivers as you speed past them mere centimetres from the ground. At less than RM250, you’d be crazy not to!
For something more laid-back, you can’t look past an afternoon cruise around Tokyo Bay. On this hour-long sojourn you will enjoy afternoon tea as you sail past some of Tokyo’s most iconic places, including Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge. The best bit? This absolutely blissful outing will only cost you under RM100.
8. Affordable dining options
Like most Asian cities, some of the best and most authentic food you can eat comes from the markets. Not only will it be tasty and fresh, it will also usually be ridiculously cheap.
For street food, try Ginza Fukuyoshi or Memory Lane. If it’s seafood you love, check out the Tsukiji fish market, or if you really want to eat at a Michelin-starred establishment but don’t want to part with hundreds of dollars to do so, check out some of the cheapest (but by no means lesser quality) top restaurants including Nakiryu, Kagawa Ippuku or Kien, where you can dine for less than RM100. Yes, seriously.
9. Art and science experiences
Being on a budget doesn’t mean you miss out on cool stuff and teamLab Planets is about as out of this world as they come. A culmination of efforts from light and graphic designers, engineers, architects and more brilliant minds, Planets brings together light, water, mirrors and a clever use of space to whisk visitors away into a world where they become one with the art.
This truly has to be seen to be believed and even if you’re not an art lover, the photos you’ll score should be drawcard enough. Entry will set you back around RM130, but honestly, they could be charging so much more, cause it’s that good.
Other budget-friendly museums and galleries in Tokyo that you should definitely check out include the Art Aquarium Museum, as well as the National Museum of Nature and Science.
10. Sleep on the cheap
Photo Credit: Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusa
Japan’s living standards are incredibly high and unlike some countries where cheap accommodation translates to a ‘you get what you paid for (or worse)’ kind of situation, hostels and budget stays are genuinely very clean, quiet, comfortable and safe facilities in Tokyo.
Depending on the location, time of year and your personal needs, you can expect to pay upwards of RM70 a night for a stay at a hostel, or less than RM300 a night for a three-star hotel. For something a bit different, you could also try a capsule hotel - which start from about RM100 a night.
Money saving hacks for booking hotels in Tokyo 🏨
- Book your hotels at least 3 months in advance if you are visiting between March to April and the last weeks of November. These are the super peak seasons due to the cherry blossom and Autumn seasons.
- Expect to pay 30% more if you are travelling on a Saturday or during the peak season. Even locals from other parts of Japan love to visit Tokyo and Osaka over the weekends, hence the surge in Saturday room prices.
- Taxi fares can cost an arm and a leg hence we strongly recommend staying near a train station where you can hop onto the subway or JR line easily.
Prepaying for your essentials and activities in Tokyo will help you keep track of exactly how much you’ve spent, meaning you can enjoy the trip without worrying about a dwindling bank account!
Explore more of Tokyo with these guides!
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Klook is a world-leading travel activity and service booking platform, covering over 400 destinations and over 100,000 travel services! Klook’s mission is to empower travellers around the world to discover, book, and experience the best things to do anywhere, anytime, including attractions, activities, car rentals, tours, local transfers, wifi, and SIM cards. 🧡
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