Explore Tokyo beyond the tourist trail

Real neighbourhood knowledge and the hidden details only locals know.

Updated

Photo: ma_emerson82 / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Where to stay

Where to Stay in Tokyo: Shinjuku, Asakusa or Shibuya? (2026)

Short answer: Shinjuku's west side for a first trip, Asakusa for atmosphere, Shibuya for short stays. 10 areas compared on this week's median hotel rates.

By Roam Tokyo Updated

The short answer: the west side of Shinjuku for a first visit, Asakusa for atmosphere, Shibuya for a short trip.

Torn between two areas? Read Shinjuku or Shibuya and Asakusa or Ueno, and check current rates on the weekly hotel price index.

Read the guide

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The map

Every place in these guides, on one map you can plan a day with.

306 places, each picked by hand: shrines and gardens, standing bars and coffee counters, viewpoints, markets and day trips. Every one lists its nearest station, a cost band, how long to allow and the best time to go.

Save the ones that appeal and open them in Google Maps as a walking route, or set your dates and search hotels around whichever part of the city is on screen.

Open the Tokyo travel map Browse every place as a list

Every place in central Tokyo on the map, plotted at its real position. Day trips and the far suburbs sit outside the frame.

Neighbourhoods

Where to base yourself and where to spend an afternoon, with the best places in each and how to get there.

  • Shinjuku

    Neon chaos, tiny bars, and a surprisingly serene garden

    Photo: Daniel Ramirez

  • Asakusa

    Old Tokyo's front door, best before the tour buses arrive

    Photo: kimishowota

  • Shibuya

    The crossing is just the cover page

    Photo: Yoshikazu TAKADA

  • Ueno

    Museums, market chaos, and Tokyo's great public park

    Photo: Ghost of Kuji

  • Shimokitazawa

    Vintage shops, live music, and the best curry in Tokyo

    Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson

  • Ryogoku

    Sumo town on the Sumida, with Hokusai and a tidal garden next door

    Photo: *_*

  • Ikebukuro

    The north side's giant hub, with Frank Lloyd Wright and a tram round the corner

    Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson

  • Sasazuka

    Daniel's stop on the Keio Line

    Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Where to stay

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