Tokyo and Kanto: where to stay, what to book and costs

Stay in Tokyo and treat the rest of Kanto as day trips. Yokohama is under 40 minutes away and Kamakura about an hour, Hakone, Nikko and Kawaguchiko (the lake with the Fuji view) take about two hours each, and a snow day at Gala Yuzawa is about 1 h 20 to 1 h 35 by Shinkansen. Three days covers Tokyo, four adds a Hakone night, and five fits Nikko, Fuji and Kamakura on separate days.

Spring and autumn are the usual best seasons. Winter, the focus here, brings the lights, the clearest Fuji mornings and hot-spring weather, with parts of the Hakone ropeway reportedly shut and New Year closing much of the city. Several Tokyo fares changed in 2026 and sources disagree on a few, so the tables show ranges where they do.

Best for: first visits to Japan, temples and skyline views, a hot-spring night near Tokyo, anime and pop culture, and snow while staying in Tokyo.

Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate. Fares and fees are 2026 figures from operator pages and guides; confirm on the operator’s page before you pay.

Which trip fits you?

Tokyo core suits a first visit, Tokyo and Hakone adds a hot-spring night, and the Islands trip needs six days or more.

Tokyo to the ski resorts covers the snow day and Anime and manga the pop-culture days.

When should you go?

Winter gives the lights and the clearest Fuji mornings; spring and autumn give blossom and foliage.

Spring and summer figures are secondary-guide averages. Golden Week 2027 makes seven straight days off if you take Friday 30 April, reserved Shinkansen seats go on sale about a month ahead, and Tokyo’s average hotel room on booking sites cost $265 (¥41,300) in Golden Week 2026 against $245 (¥37,700) in May. June has 10 to 14 wet days in 30. Obon usually falls about 13 to 16 August; 2027 dates are not found. The foliage forecast is JMC’s 1 October edition as reported by an English news site; another guide gives red on 1 December.

Winter 2026-27: what is on and what shuts

• Lights. Marunouchi’s Naka-dori runs 12 November 2026 to 14 February 2027, about 1.2 km and free, per a secondary listing. Hotel New Otani lists its winter lights for 23 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, and Tokyo Dome City Winter Lights run from mid-November to early March, per a travel site. Roppongi, Caretta Shiodome and Shibuya dates are not found, and dates shift each year, so check each venue.
• New Year. Roughly 29 December to 4 January is a shutdown, with 1 January the only formal holiday. Most museums close on 1 January, and many independent restaurants, banks and post offices close longer. Department stores reopen 2 January with lucky bags. Toyosu closed from 31 December to 4 January in 2025-26; the 2026-27 dates are unclear right now, so check the market calendar. Shibuya Sky closes on 1 January only, and Meiji Jingu stays open every day. Comiket 109 runs 29 to 31 December at Tokyo Big Sight. Shinkansen seats are reported to peak on 29 to 31 December outbound and 2 to 4 January back. The 2026-27 all-night train timetable is not found; Japan New Year closures lists what shuts and when.
• Fuji. One site counted 27 clear days and 1 invisible day in December 2024. That is a past month, not a forecast, so keep an indoor plan B for every Fuji day.

How do you get there and around?

The Skyliner takes as little as 41 minutes from Narita to Keisei-Ueno, and the Keikyu line takes 14 minutes from Haneda to Shinagawa. Fares rose on several lines on 14 March 2026, so older guides show lower numbers.

The Narita Express fare for 2026-27 is unclear right now: sources show $20 (¥3,070), $20 (¥3,140) and $21 (¥3,250), so the table gives the range, and the JR East page was not readable. The last known fare, 2025-26, is $20 (¥3,070). The Skyliner stops only at Nippori and Keisei-Ueno, and the JR Pass covers the Narita Express but not the Skyliner. Airport to city in Japan compares every link, including Kansai.

Around the city, two options cover most trips:

• Tourist IC card. On an iPhone, Welcome Suica Mobile is valid 180 days with no deposit. Otherwise Tourist PASMO, sold from May 2026 near Narita and Haneda in place of PASMO Passport, is valid 28 days from purchase with no deposit, and unused balance is not refunded. IC cards, eSIM and cash has the amounts and sale points.
• Tokyo Subway Ticket. Since 14 March 2026: $6 (¥1,000) for 24 hours, $10 (¥1,500) for 48 hours, $13 (¥2,000) for 72 hours, up from $5 (¥800), $8 (¥1,200) and $10 (¥1,500). It covers Tokyo Metro and Toei lines (13 in all) but not JR, and children pay half. The Metro and Metropolitan notices were read as snippets only; one article mentions another rise in October, unconfirmed.

Two regional passes come with sums:

There is no 1-day Hakone pass. Secondary sources show a 3-day pass at $48 (¥7,500), and the old $39 (¥6,100) price is out of date. Whether the Pirate Ship boats count as the Lake Ashi cruise is unconfirmed, so check the Odakyu page. The Nikko pass can be bought no earlier than a month ahead and covers no shrine fees.

A JR Pass covers the Shinkansen to Odawara and to Utsunomiya, but not Odakyu, Tobu or Keio trains. Pass sums for a Kanto-only trip are not covered here; Can I use a JR Pass for Tokyo, Hakuba and Kyoto? covers a longer route. Toll and parking figures for car versus rail are not found. If you rent in winter, Irohazaka near Nikko needs winter tyres and sources differ on chains; Rent a car in winter with an IDP covers the licence.

Where should you stay?

Pick the area by the trips you plan: Shinjuku for Hakone and Fuji, Asakusa or Ueno for Nikko, Tokyo Station for Kamakura and the Shinkansen. Descriptions come from guides, not an official neighbourhood list. Tokyo’s average hotel room on booking sites cost $225 (¥34,800) in June 2026 and $245 (¥37,700) in May, tax included; capsule and hostel prices are not found. Hotel taxes and where to stay covers the per-night tax.

Guides for the last row: Akihabara for first-timers and Nakano Broadway and Mandarake.

What are the highlights?

Book Shibuya Sky, teamLab Planets and the Ghibli Museum first, because each sells by timed slot.

Lookout and teamLab tickets are timed and Disney’s are date-specific, so book first and fit the day around the slot. Skytree and Shibuya Sky fees are from official pages. Tokyo, Kamakura and Nikko temples and shrines has fees, hours and winter closing times for each site, and Shrine and temple etiquette has the manners. Ghibli Museum and Park tickets covers the booking terms; Japan food markets covers Toyosu and Tsukiji. Districts: Akihabara for first-timers and Nakano Broadway.

Which day trips are worth it?

Kamakura and Yokohama fit a half day, Hakone a night and Nikko a full day; Kawaguchiko depends on the weather. All fares are one way for an adult and 2026 figures.

The Super Hakone Romancecar takes 59 minutes, but in 2026 it runs only twice southbound, on weekends and holidays. The Shinjuku bus runs from about 05:45 to 22:30 and is the cheaper Fuji ride. The Kamakura crossing made famous by Slam Dunk has a guard, police and a camera, and no fine is found; see Anime pilgrimage etiquette.

In 2025-26 the Hakone Ropeway paused Sounzan to Owakudani on 8 to 19 December and 13 to 30 January, and Owakudani to Togendai from 31 January to 20 February, with replacement buses. The 2026-27 dates are unclear right now: the operator’s page lists none. Search summaries of a September 2026 notice show 7 to 24 December and 12 January to 26 February, but the notice itself was not readable. Replacement buses run about every 15 minutes, are valid for Freepass holders and queue at peak times. Hakone onsen covers the day baths.

To verify Check Hakone Navi’s live status before you plan: the 2026-27 ropeway dates above are unconfirmed. Owakudani can also halt for wind or volcanic gas and no official live status is found, so check Odakyu or Hakone Navi and the Japan Meteorological Agency; guides advise against it with asthma, a heart condition, pregnancy or small children.

What should you eat?

A Tokyo meal runs from about $1 (¥110) a sushi plate to $195 (¥30,000) and up for omakase. The tiers come from Tokyo tourism and guide sites, not menus.

Budget meals cost about 10 to 15% more in 2026 on rice and produce, and a wave of price rises hit in September 2026, per Japanese press reports. Monjayaki prices and top sushi counters’ booking lead times are not found. Markets are in the highlights table; Eat well in Japan covers ordering, dietary needs and costs, and What a meal costs in Japan gives 2026 chain prices.

Where can you soak?

Hakone is about 80 minutes from Shinjuku by Romancecar, Kinugawa about 2 hours from Asakusa, and Toyosu has a city bath. Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba closed on 5 September 2021, so ignore older lists. Tattoo policy is bath by bath and most of these have no official page.

Yugawara details are not found. Hakone onsen has day-bath fees and tattoo wording, and Onsen etiquette, Tattoos and onsen, Private baths and Staying in a ryokan cover rules and fallbacks.

What about the Tokyo islands?

Ogasawara is a Tokyo prefecture island group, and the ship decides the trip. The Ogasawara Maru leaves Takeshiba at 11:00 and reaches Chichijima at 11:00 the next day, about 24 hours. The return leaves Chichijima at 15:00 and reaches Tokyo at 15:00 the next day. In September 2026 sailings left every 6 to 7 days, and the ship overnights at Chichijima, so the shortest trip is about six days.

Off-peak sailings go on sale two months ahead and peak dates are announced separately, so check the Ogasawara Kaiun page for February and March. Mikurajima, reached by overnight ferry from Takeshiba, has a dolphin swim from mid-April to mid-November. You must book a bed first or entry is prohibited, and there are no day trips (one secondary source; fares not verified). For Izu Oshima and Miyake, sources name Tokai Kisen as the operator; fares and times are not found. Whale watching in Japan by month covers the season and boat rules.

Sample itineraries

The 3-day Tokyo plan costs about $70 (¥10,800) in tickets and fares, the 4-day Hakone plan about $105 (¥16,200) and the 5-day sampler about $135 (¥20,590). All sums are computed from the figures above and exclude beds, food, IC-card rides and the airport.

Tokyo core, 3 days (fits December to February).

1. Day 1. Senso-ji (no fee listed), Skytree Tembo Deck, then Marunouchi’s lights after dark (free, from mid-November).
2. Day 2. Meiji Jingu (closes about 16:00 in December, 16:20 in January), Harajuku and Shibuya, then Shibuya Sky at sunset. The plan budgets the $22 (¥3,400) slot from 15:00.
3. Day 3. teamLab Planets, then Toyosu Market in the morning if the calendar says open, and Tokyo Dome City Winter Lights (to early March).

Sum: Skytree $12 (¥1,800) + Shibuya Sky $22 (¥3,400) + teamLab $23 (¥3,600) + 72-hour Subway Ticket $13 (¥2,000) = about $70 (¥10,800). The ticket does not cover JR, so add any JR leg.

Tokyo and Hakone, 4 days (December to February).

1. Days 1 and 2. Tokyo, shortened: Asakusa, Skytree and Marunouchi; then Meiji Jingu and Shibuya Sky.
2. Day 3. Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto by Romancecar, then the Freepass loop and a hot-spring night. Part of the Hakone ropeway is reported shut for stretches in December 2026 and from 12 January to 26 February 2027; check Hakone Navi on the operator’s site before you plan, and budget for replacement buses.
3. Day 4. Hakone to Odawara, then the Romancecar back or the Shinkansen (about 33 min to Tokyo).

Sum: Skytree $12 (¥1,800) + Shibuya Sky $22 (¥3,400) + 48-hour Subway Ticket $10 (¥1,500) + Freepass $46 (¥7,100) + Romancecar both ways $15 (¥2,400) = about $105 (¥16,200). The Hakone bed is not priced; none was found.

Day-trip sampler, 5 days (November to February).

1. Days 1 and 2. Tokyo core as above.
2. Day 3. Nikko by Tobu from Asakusa (about 2 h). Toshogu in the morning, since it closes at 16:00 from November to March. Go to Kegon Falls only if the Okunikko roads are open.
3. Day 4. Kawaguchiko by bus or Fuji Excursion, Chureito Pagoda early.
4. Day 5. Kamakura by JR Yokosuka line: the Great Buddha grounds close at 17:00 in October to March, the interior at 16:30.

Sum: Tokyo days $43 (¥6,700), made of Skytree, Shibuya Sky and a 48-hour ticket; Nikko return $39 (¥6,100) plus Toshogu at $10 (¥1,600); Kawaguchiko bus return about $26 (¥4,000); Kamakura return $12 (¥1,840) plus the Buddha with interior $2 (¥350) = about $135 (¥20,590).

Rules, safety and costs

Kabukicho touts are the main documented risk, and Tokyo’s lodging tax changes on 1 April 2027.

Safety Kabukicho overcharging is the documented risk. Shinjuku police logged 91 complaints from January to June 2026, against 77 in all of 2025, and a 53-year-old tout was arrested on 9 July 2026. Do not follow touts: say “daijobu desu”, keep walking, ask the price before you sit and do not film while walking.

• Golden Gai. Seat fees run $3 to $10 (¥500 to ¥1,500), usually posted on the door, per guides. Some bars are regulars-only, and an English sign means visitors are welcome. One site lists the alley’s rules as no smoking, loitering or shouting, and no photos of bars or people without permission; no official association page is found.
• Earthquakes. The Japan Meteorological Agency sends early warnings to phones, TV and radio; the JNTO Safety Tips app is multilingual. Indoors: drop, cover, hold on, and check before using lifts in a high-rise. On a train, hold a rail and stay put until told. On the coast, evacuation orders may be in Japanese only. Save your embassy’s number.
• Typhoons. The main risk runs August to October. Typhoon Faxai in September 2019 halted JR East lines across Greater Tokyo, and Typhoon Ampil in August 2024 stopped the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya for a day. Operators announce suspensions about a day ahead; check JR East, JR Central, Tokyo Metro and the Japan Meteorological Agency. Typhoon statistics are not found.
• Emergencies. Police 110, ambulance and fire 119, free and 24 hours.
• Lodging tax. Tokyo’s tax becomes 3% of the room charge on 1 April 2027, with none below $84 (¥13,000) per person per night, and it then covers capsule hotels and private lets: $3 (¥390) on $84 (¥13,000), $3 (¥450) on $97 (¥15,000), $4 (¥600) on $130 (¥20,000). Until then Tokyo charges nothing under $65 (¥10,000) per person per night, $1 (¥100) from $65 to $97 (¥10,000 to ¥14,999) and $1 (¥200) above that. Hakone has proposed $2 (¥350) per person per stay from fiscal 2028; it needs ministry approval and is not in force in 2026-27.
• Shopping. Tax-free becomes pay-then-refund on 1 November 2026: What changed in Japan in 2026.

Can I…?

• Can I use a JR Pass for Tokyo, Hakuba and Kyoto? Yes, and whether it pays depends on your legs.
• Can I rent a car in winter with an IDP? Yes, with a paper 1949 Geneva permit, snow tyres confirmed at booking and chains in the car.
• Can I work remotely on a tourist visa? No. The Digital Nomad status is the route.
• Can I use an onsen with a tattoo? Depends on the bath, not the law.
• Can I cover a tattoo with a sticker? Yes, if the bath allows it and the tattoo is small.
• Can I use a private onsen bath? Yes, where the venue offers one; some are for overnight guests only.
• Can I take a snowboard on the Shinkansen? Yes, if the bag fits the operator’s size limit.

Where next?

• Nagano in winter for snow monkeys, Hakuba and Nozawa, one Shinkansen from Tokyo.
• Tohoku and Kansai are the next regions by rail.
• Tokyo to the ski resorts for fares and times to the snow, and Japow guide and Snow onsen towns for powder and hot springs.
• Japanese history for travellers pairs eras with sites such as Kamakura and Nikko.
• Japan outdoors by season for Fuji, hiking and whale boats; Wild and trek is the hub.
• Plan the trip, Culture, Anime and manga, Comiket for tourists and Drift and cars are the topic hubs.
• Destinations for every region, city and island.