Where to Stay in Tokyo with Limited Time!

Where to stay in Tokyo with limited time in the world’s LARGEST CITY! I knew Tokyo was big, but I didn’t really get a grasp of HOW big until I arrived.

Whereas we are often “go with the flow” travelers,” it was hard to do this in Tokyo due to HOW LONG it takes to get from one site to another Tokyo.

Therefore, to be efficient and maximize your limited time in Tokyo, I recommend staying in a central location!

Here is the best, central locations to stay in, quieter alternatives and where we chose to stay and why!

Tokyo is divided into wards and has 23 of them! However, many of them are located well outside of the city center and can take up to 45 minutes to train to. These are not where you want to stay.

For limited time in Tokyo, you want to stay somewhere central and somewhere close to a train station; you are going to really have to utilize public transportation in Tokyo due to its size!

As you can see from the map below (from Tokyomaps.com), of the 23 wards, there are really about 8 that are “centrally” located. This is where you are going to find a majority of the sites to see in Tokyo.

Map from Tokyomap.com

So of the 8 central wards, where should you stay while in Tokyo?

Shinjuku– A bustling ward full of skyscrapers, entertainment, restaurants, shopping and the central train hub of Shinjuku Station

Shibuya– Another bustling ward of Tokyo full of bright lights, restaurants, shopping and the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.

Ginza/Tokyo Station– Tokyo’s business district, but also home to high-end shopping and located near the Imperial Palace

Asakusa in Taito- An area of Tokyo that is more traditional and less modern than the rest of the city

Roppongi in Minato- A district that has been known for its nightlife and clubs, but has more recently been deemed the fashion district of Tokyo and newer, trendy art galleries

My top recommendation for where to stay in Tokyo on limited time is Shinjuku, especially if you want to take a day trip from Tokyo (to Mt Fuji, for instance.) However, I’ll probably get some hate for saying this, because it is also one of the busiest and loudest areas of Tokyo.

But some of the wards in Tokyo, such as Shinjuku, are so large they could almost be a city in themselves.

So, yes, you can definitely find loud crowds in Shinjuku. But you can also get outside of the main area and find a good, central location that is a little quieter!

Again, we opted to stay in Shinjuku due to its central location and proximity to the Shinjuku Station, which is where the most direct train and buses leave from to Mt Fuji.

One thing about Tokyo, though, is that it has a lot of tiny rooms. It can be hard to find a room that fits three people, and that was exactly what we were looking for. It can also be a pricey city.

So, though I am normally all team-hotel, we ended up finding an apartment on booking.com that could accommodate three of us without having to get two hotel rooms.

It was a GREAT place and was really roomy for a Tokyo accommodation, so I definitely recommend it.

I really liked the location of our accommodation.

• It was within a 5-10 minute walk to two different metro stations, which was great.
• Plus, it was on the quieter side of Shinjuku so it really didn’t feel like we were in the hustle and bustle of the world’s largest city.

An Accommodation Recommendation

A roomy apartment with an excellent location

Book a Stay!

However, I know apartment rentals in big cities are a grey area, so if you prefer a hotel, I get it. However, this area of Shinjuku really won’t have hotels as its on the quieter, more residential side of Shinjuku.

Therefore, if you want a hotel in Shinjuku, you may be in the louder area of Shinjuku. But, you will definitely be central to a lot of things!

TIP: Be cognizant of which area of Shinjuku you choose your hotel. Shinjuku is home to a red light district, known as Kabukicho, which will probably be loud and maybe not to your liking!

Hotels I would choose from in the Shinjuku Area:

• Tokyo Stay Shinjuku located in central Shinjuku and outside of Kabukicho with great ratings!
• Apa Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae is a more budget-friendly option in the same area, but ratings are obviously lower as is any more budget-friendly option.

Shibuya

Shibuya is very similar to Shinjuku in that it is a vibrant, lively, busy ward of Tokyo. It is also within a short train ride from Shinjuku.

So, why did we choose Shinjuku over Shibuya?

Mostly because we wanted to take a day trip to Mt Fuji and were coming in from Kyoto, so the convenience of being near Shinjuku Station appealed to us (if you are taking a day trip to Mt Fuji you are going to want to get an EARLY start! So, staying near Shinjuku Station can save time)

Pros: Very centrally located and close to many highlights in Tokyo.
Cons: Crowded area of Tokyo.

Where I would stay in Shibuya:

• Shibuya Tokyo REI Hotel– Has an excellent location near the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. But with that being said, it is also smack-dab in the crowds.
• Hotel Graphy Shibuya– Still centrally located, but not quite so close to the crossing. It is newer and looks amazing with incredible rooftop views!

Ginza near Tokyo Station

If you would like to be in a central location, but with less chaos/less interest in nightlife, the Ginza area may be a good option for you.

Here, you will still be near the main Shinkansen intercity train hub as well as the Imperial Palace.

Pros: Generally quieter than Shinjuku and Shibuya and very well-connected via public transportation.
Cons: It is close to the Imperial Palace, but rather far from most of the other Tokyo highlights.

Where I would stay in Ginza:

• Hotel Monterey Ginza– A great location in Giza near the metro staton and one stop from Tokyo Station. A more budget-friendly option with a great location
• lyf Ginza Tokyo– A little nicer and more modern hotel with still an excellent location in Giza. Little pricier than the Monterey, but Booking.com ratings are great!

Asakusa

Asakusa was one of my favorite areas of Tokyo. I really liked the traditional architecture in this district. If you’d like to get away from the skyscraper, bright lights of the modern side of Tokyo, this is a great place to do that!

However, know that Asakusa is about 50 minutes from the Shinjuku/Shibuya areas, so many of the highlights of Tokyo will require some travel time. If you are only in Tokyo for a short time, this could be less efficient when exploring.

Pros: A quieter area of Tokyo and home to more traditional architecture (more like Kyoto).
Cons: One of the further areas of “central” Tokyo, so you will have more travel time to get to the other highlights of Tokyo

Where I would stay in Asakusa:

• Asakusa Tobu Hotel– This is a nice hotel with an excellent location in the Asakusa area and is well-priced for its great ratings!
• Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu– If you haven’t stayed in a traditional ryokan, this is the place in Tokyo to do it! We did it in Kyoto and its a really cool experience. FYI: They are typically more expensive than hotels, though.

Asakusa, Tokyo

Roppongi

Roppongi is a neighborhood in Minato on the southeast, central side of Tokyo not far from the Tokyo Tower. This area is less crowded than those of Shinjuku and Shibuya, but still comes with some nightlife entertainment as well as great shopping!

Roppongi is known for its higher-end restaurants (Michelin star!) and luxury shopping (Louis Vuitton, Burberry, etc), so if you like luxury, this area could be your perfect match!

With that being said, it isn’t just for luxurious shopping and dining. It is also a big art district with many galleries and museums and you can still stay in this area for a reasonable price!

It is located about 35 minutes from Shinjuku/Shibuya areas, so its a little further from the city center, but not as far as Asakusa.

Pros: Less crowded and quieter, but still has many restaurants and shopping and a nightlife.
Cons: Again, a little further from some of the Tokyo highlights.

Where I would stay in Roppongi:

• APA Hotel & Resort Roppongi Ekihigashi– A reasonably-priced, but still highly-rated hotel
• Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo-Roppongi– A little more luxurious (you are near luxury after all), but still a great location

Tokyo Tower, Minato, Tokyo

Hopefully this breakdown gives you an idea of what the different areas of Tokyo have to offer and what will be the best area for you based on what you like and your priorities!

No matter where you choose to stay, you are going to have a great time in Tokyo (and you are going to take a lot of metro rides because Tokyo is giant!)