Solo travel · Tokyo · Japan
Solo travel in Tokyo
How to enjoy Tokyo at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rs1421, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Tokyo is one of the easiest cities to travel alone: counter-seat restaurants and single-booth ramen shops are made for solo diners, transport is simple, and capsule hotels and hostels are plentiful. Many solo travellers base themselves in Shinjuku.
Key facts
- Base
- Shinjuku
- Getting around
- Train
- Emergency number
- 110 for police; 119 for fire and ambulance
- Language
- Japanese
Solo travel tips
- Eat at counters: ramen, sushi, tempura and yakitori bars all suit solo diners.
- Capsule hotels and design hostels in Asakusa, Ueno and Shinjuku are good value, and many have women-only floors.
- Use a maps app for transit routes, including platform and exit numbers.
- Karaoke boxes rent rooms to single guests by the half-hour — solo karaoke is a recognised pastime.
- Get an eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi on arrival; maps and translation apps make life much easier.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, shopping and solo travellers
Shinjuku
Shinjuku combines the skyscraper district on the west side, with the free observatories of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and the east side's department stores, the Kabukicho entertainment district, Golden Gai's tiny bars and lantern-lit Omoide Yokocho. Shinjuku Gyoen garden is a 10-minute walk away, and the station has direct trains and buses to the airports, Hakone and Mount Fuji.
- Good
- Unbeatable transport links; Hotels at every price; Food and nightlife at all hours
- Watch out
- The station is a maze; Kabukicho has aggressive touts at night
- Nearby
- Shinjuku Gyoen, Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Great on your own
Religious site · Asakusa
Senso-ji Temple
Come at dawn or after dark, when the buildings are lit and the crowds have gone; the temple grounds stay accessible after the stalls close.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Photo spot
Religious site · Harajuku
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Enter from the Harajuku side and leave through the quieter Yoyogi side, or continue into Yoyogi Park next door.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Nature
Viewpoint · Oshiage
Tokyo Skytree
Pay for the upper deck only if the sky is clear; on hazy days the lower deck is enough.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
- After dark
Landmark · Shiba
Tokyo Tower
Photograph it from the grounds of Zojo-ji temple, or from the Shiba Park lawns at dusk.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
Viewpoint · Shibuya
Shibuya Sky
Book the sunset slot weeks ahead; clear winter days give the best chance of seeing Mount Fuji.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Museum · Ueno
Tokyo National Museum
Start in the main Honkan building for an overview of Japanese art, then save the dimly lit Horyuji gallery for a quiet finish.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Meeting people
- Depachika food halls — The basement food floors of department stores such as Isetan Shinjuku and Mitsukoshi Ginza sell bento, wagashi, flawless fruit and prepared dishes; near closing time many items are discounted.
- Yokocho alley dining — Tiny bars and grills packed into narrow alleys such as Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku and Ebisu Yokocho serve skewers and beer shoulder to shoulder with locals.
- Shinjuku — Golden Gai's tiny themed bars, the yakitori alleys of Omoide Yokocho and the neon of Kabukicho; Shinjuku Ni-chome is the centre of LGBTQ+ nightlife.
- Shibuya — Clubs, live-music venues, karaoke and bars around Center Gai and Dogenzaka.
Sensible precautions
Tokyo has low street crime and is easy to walk at night, but stay alert to touts and drink-spiking warnings in Kabukicho and Roppongi. Learn your hotel's earthquake procedures, and take heatstroke seriously in July and August.
- Emergency number
- 110 for police; 119 for fire and ambulance
- Staying connected
- eSIMs and pocket Wi-Fi routers are widely sold to visitors, and free Wi-Fi is available at stations, convenience stores and many cafés.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Tokyo good for solo travellers?
Tokyo is one of the easiest cities to travel alone: counter-seat restaurants and single-booth ramen shops are made for solo diners, transport is simple, and capsule hotels and hostels are plentiful.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Tokyo?
Shinjuku: Skyscrapers, neon alleys and one of the world's busiest railway stations.