Tokyo is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world, but it can also be quite expensive. If you’re planning to visit Tokyo on a budget, don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to have a great time without breaking the bank. In this blog post, I’ll share with you my 5-day itinerary for exploring Tokyo on a budget, including meals, attractions, and transportation.
This was a work trip but as the flight tickets cost me RM2,327 (it would have been about RM500 cheaper if I had bought them a month ago), I thought I might as well spend a few days before the exhibition began.
I booked my stay at APA Hotel & Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari a month ago via Booking.com. However two weeks before my trip, I had to shift the 5-night stay to begin and end one night earlier so I had to top up RM80 for it to become RM1,700. The price is for an 18sqm room complete with amenities, an ocean view and a 10 minute walk to the Exhibition convention centre which I was visiting on my last two days there.
DAY 1. NARITA AIRPORT TO CHIBA STATION
I arrived at Narita Airport at 7.45am and cleared customs within an hour. I decided to take the train to Chiba with a change at Soga Station to go to my final destination at Kaihimmakuhari Station, a 10-minute walk from my hotel. It cost me 680 yen (about RM22) and an hour ride. An airport coach would have cost 1000 yen (about RM33).
As check in time was only at 3pm, I had about 4 hours to kill. I left my bag at the hotel and walked to the beach nearby after freshening up a bit. Spent 20 minutes there and decided to walk to AEON Mall about 40 mins walk away as I took a longer route.
The AEON Mall in Murakami is huge! They have the Main Mall, a Pet Mall, an Active Mall (sports stuff) and Family Mall.
I was pretty hungy after walking around for an hour so decided to pack some food at the supermarket. I got a a 1 litter bottle of juice for 200 yen (RM6.45), dinner bento at 450 yen (about RM15) and fried squid at 200 yen (about RM7). I took the public bus back to Kaihimmakuhari Station for 100 yen (about RM3.50), a 10 minute ride away.
The hotel had a flask and provided green tea and coffee sachets so I had hot drinks for the night.
Total: 1630 yen (RM53)
DAY 2. CHIBA TO TOKYO CITY
Tokyo city is about 1 hour 15 mins away from where I was staying by train. I wanted to visit a few art galleries and have halal Ramen so I took the JR train to Ebisu station which cost me 740 yen.
The video shows how busy the train stations are
The Halal Honolulu Special Ramen shop was just a 10-minute walk away from the station. The restaurant can fit about 6 patrons downstairs and I assume about the same upstairs. We order our food using a vending machine, pass the ticket to the server and they prepare your food on the spot. My special ramen cost me 1500 yen (about RM48) so I knew this would be my last good meal for two days.
The meal was very filling and I didn’t feel hungry till much later.
I then took the train to Roponggi for 180 yen (RM5.80) which is the basic charge for a 10 minute ride. From there I walked to the National Art Gallery, spent a few minutes admiring the architecture and calligraphy for free then another 20 minutes walking to Miro Tower where the Miro Art Museum is.
When I reached upstairs, I decided to get tickets Tokyo City View instead of the WORLD CLASSROOM: Contemporary Art through School Subjects Exhibition as both tickets were priced at 2200 yen each (RM71) on weekends. How often would I be able to see Tokyo city from above?
It was well worth the ticket price.
I went to the Open Deck, breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the breeze for about 20 minutes before heading back to the train station towards Ginza which was another 180 yen.
I wanted to visit the Art Aquarium Museum at Mitsukoshi Ginza Terrace and leave by 6pm before it got too dark.
Art Aquarium Museum is a living art exhibition with more than 30,000 goldfish on display and ticket price is 2,400 yen (RM77). The first Art Aquarium was a temporary exhibition in 2007, located in Tokyo, and ran for two months. Since then, the various inceptions of the art gallery-turned-aquarium have toured Japan and the world, visiting Milan in 2015 and Shanghai in 2018.
Now interested visitors can tour the permanent Art Aquarium Museum in Tokyo. See tanks from the classic fishbowl to geisha-inspired shapes and even cubed tanks. There is a kaleidoscope of colors and shadows to be seen as the goldfish swim through the exhibition pieces.
I spent about an hour there before catching the train back to Kaihimmakuhari Station for 580 yen (RM19). Also bought myself a bottle of green tea for 108 yen (RM3.50) as I ran out of small change for the train tickets. Bought an assortment of pastries from the supermarket at the Kaihimmakuhari Station for 495 yen (RM16) which I would have for dinner and breakfast and a hot coffee from the MiniStop minimarket for 110 yen (RM3.55).
Total spent: 8493 yen (RM274)
Day 3: AEON MALL
My feet were tired from walking so much the day before that I thought of just going to AEON Mall for some souvenir shopping.
I took the bus from Kaihimmakuhari Station to Aeon Mall for 100 yen (RM3.20) and spent two hours checked out the many stores selling household items.
I bought gifts for my sisters in law, my work mates, hubby, his parents, my parents for about 6192 yen (RM200).
I had lunch at Aeon Supermarket comprising of Salmon Sushi, Hot Matcha Latte and packed Coffee Latte, garlic bread and bread with cheese totalling 989 yen (RM32).
I had the bread wih cheese, garlic bread and Coffee Latte for early dinner and the rest of it for breakfast the next day.
Total spent: 7281 yen (RM234.90)
Day 4. Makuhari Messe
I had a quick breakfast before heading out to the Japan Drone Exhibition. I spent most of my day there with a lunch break at the hotel having leftover pastries and hot tea. A business associate was kind enough to treat me to dinner so I spent about 480 yen at the nearby supermarket for more pastries to last me the next day.
It would have cost me about 2000 yen for sashimi and sushi platter so I saved quite a bit there.
Total spent: 480 yen (RM15.50)
Day 5: Makuhari Messe
I spent the half day in the hotel finishing up some work while having my pastries and hot tea so I didn’t spend anything until evening after the exhibition when I walked to Aeon to get Sushi, garlic bread and Matcha Latte for 660 yen (RM21.30).
So in total, I spent about RM4625.70 during the 5 days plus 1000 yen (RM32) for the airport coach on the last day making it RM4658 inclusive of flight and hotel stay.
All in all, Tokyo is an expensive city to visit but there are ways to save and there are things you must be willing to spend money on.
I’m blown away by how I safe I felt while travelling alone and how everything is so systemetic and clean. People are hospitable and I look forward to visiting again.
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