Tokyo

Tokyo is enormous and largely free to explore, which changes how you plan. Most temples, shrines and neighbourhoods cost nothing. The ticketed attractions are a short list — and two of them, teamLab and Ghibli, are among the hardest tickets to get anywhere.

This page compares live ticket prices and availability for Tokyo attractions across our booking partners.

When to visit Tokyo

Late March to early April is cherry blossom season. Spectacular, and correspondingly the most expensive and crowded time of year. Exact dates shift annually and forecasts only firm up a few weeks ahead.

May, and October to November are the most comfortable months. Mild, dry, and November brings autumn colour that rivals the spring blossom without the same crowds.

June to mid-July is rainy season — humid, grey, frequent downpours. Cheaper and quieter.

August is hot and humid, above 30°C with high humidity. Manageable if you plan indoor afternoons.

Winter is cold but dry and clear, and this is when Mount Fuji is most visible from the city.

Golden Week in late April, Obon in mid-August, and New Year are domestic travel peaks. Prices spike and popular sites fill with local visitors.

teamLab

There are two separate teamLab venues in Tokyo and they are different experiences, not two branches of the same thing.

Both require timed tickets bought in advance. They sell out weeks ahead consistently, and there is no walk-up option.

Expect to be on your feet for two hours. Some rooms have water features where you walk through shallow water — shorts or rolled trousers help, and lockers are provided.

Mirrored floors are common throughout, which is worth knowing if you’re wearing a skirt.

Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park

The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka sells tickets on a strict monthly release, usually on the 10th of the month for the following month. They sell out in minutes. There is no other way in — no tours, no resale, and tickets are name-checked at the door.

Ghibli Park is in Nagoya, not Tokyo, and is a separate day trip requiring a bullet train. Visitors regularly confuse the two.

If Ghibli matters to your trip, plan the release date before you book flights.

Temples, shrines and what costs money

Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo’s oldest temple, is free to enter. So is Meiji Jingu, the major shrine beside Harajuku.

Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower both charge, and both have upper and lower deck pricing. Skytree is taller and newer; Tokyo Tower is more nostalgic and cheaper.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has a free observation deck at 202 metres. The view is genuinely good and it costs nothing — the best-value view in the city.

Booking ahead vs walking up

Getting around

The rail network is the best in the world and also the most confusing on arrival. JR lines, Tokyo Metro and Toei subway are separate operators with separate ticketing.

A Suica or Pasmo IC card works across all of them and removes the problem entirely. Buy one at any station on arrival.

The JR Pass only makes sense if you’re travelling between cities. For Tokyo alone it is not worth it.

Trains stop running around midnight and restart around 5am. Missing the last train is a genuine and expensive mistake — taxis at night are costly.

A first-timer’s three days

Day one — east. Senso-ji and Asakusa in the morning, Ueno Park, then Akihabara in the afternoon. Skytree in the evening.

Day two — west. Meiji Jingu and Harajuku, Shibuya crossing, then Shinjuku after dark. Free observation deck at the Metropolitan Government Building at sunset.

Day three — depends on tickets. teamLab or Ghibli if you got a slot. Otherwise Tsukiji outer market in the morning, Ginza, and a day trip to Kamakura or Nikko if you have the energy.