My Solo Trip to Tokyo
Tokyo is a dream destination for many people. I recently spent 4 days in the world’s biggest city exploring and eating my way through the city. I will not deny that I was worried about this trip due to the language barrier, having to solely rely on the public transportation, and just the overwhelming amount of things to do in the city. However, I can not wait to go back! Here is my guide of must see things that you have to do while in the city.
How I Booked this Trip
Flying out of Portland airport, Delta has good options for flights to Haneda Airport. I saw a deal from Thrifty Traveler come through for 90K roundtrip flights on Delta. I was looking for the month of April and this deal aligned with that. Having points from credit card sign up bonuses, I decided to only book my outgoing trip on points and pay for my inbound trip. So in total I used 45, 000 points and paid only $5 USD! I booked my inbound flight in yen and that was $500 USD. If I had bought that ticket in just cash it would have been around $1250 in just basic economy.
Where I stayed: Hotel Gracery Asakusa
I wanted to stay in a busy area and close to a main public transportation line. A lot of people I know liked staying in Shinjuku and Shibuya as it is very lively but I elected to stay in Asakusa. My hotel was right around the block from the metro station, Sensoji Temple, many restaurants, and outdoor markets. Even though a major tourist attraction was nearby, I found the neighborhood to be less touristy and quieter at night.
What to Do
Shibuya Sky: I did this on the first night a few hours after I landed. I did this at night and the views were great! You could see the famous Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Sky Tree, and Tokyo Tower. I would recommend trying to book a sunset time slot. I definitely recommend booking ahead here.
Wagyu & Sake Experience: This was one of my favorite experiences. I booked this through Airbnb Experiences. The course only served about 8 people which was because I got to meet other travelers and hear about their Japan adventures.
MiPig Cafe: One of the mornings I was there, I decided to try something I have only seen in Tokyo - an animal cafe. This one focused on mini pigs! I enjoyed every second of it and highly recommend it. Book ahead of time though, I lucked out because of a cancellation but if you’re there I would check early in the morning for cancellations like I did!
teamLab Planets TOKYO: I booked this art immersion experience on a day where it was raining since is mostly inside and it is definitely something people should see while in Tokyo. It is easy to get to and some people spend up to 2 hours in there. Book tickets in advance as they sell out.
Good to Know
Transportation: The public transportation system in Tokyo is for lack of better word, amazing. I was told Uber was expensive and not very reliable in the city and taxis were expensive. Whether that’s true or not, I can’t say because I just stuck with the metro. It is very cost effective and you can basically get around the entire city with a Pasmo card.
There are two types of cards: Suica and Pasmo. I opted for Pasmo because although they are essentially the same, I was only staying in Tokyo and didn’t need to access JR lines. One thing to be aware of is to get a card you need cash. Japan is a very cash heavy country.
Fun fact: You can use your transport cards to pay for items at the convenience store.
