Japan
Tokyo in summer
Tokyo is the long-haul option on this list — and the one where timing matters most. Summer is hot and humid, so the value windows are spring and autumn, when a weak yen makes food, trains and hotels remarkably cheap for a major city.
Best time to go
Late March to May, and October to November. Avoid Golden Week (late April to early May) when domestic travel peaks.
Peak season heat
June to September is humid with 30–35°C days and a rainy season in June.
Nearest airports
Haneda (HND), closest to the centre; Narita (NRT), 60–90 minutes out but often cheaper.
Flights from
€429 · good months: Mar – May, Oct – Nov
What to do in Tokyo
- Shinjuku, Shibuya and Shimokitazawa for three very different evenings
- Meiji Shrine and Yanaka for quiet mornings
- Day trips to Hakone, Kamakura or Nikko
- Convenience stores and depachika food halls — genuinely worth planning around
Tokyo in summer: the full picture
Tokyo in summer is hot and humid — expect 30–35°C with high humidity from late June through early September, plus a rainy season that usually runs mid-June to mid-July. It is the most demanding climate on this list, and it is still worth planning around because summer is when the city's festival calendar peaks.
Hanabi fireworks festivals, neighbourhood matsuri, beer gardens on department-store roofs and late-night street food are all summer-specific. Combine that with the practical advantages — obsessively reliable trains, safe streets at any hour, and a favourable exchange rate for European travellers — and a July or August trip makes sense if you treat the middle of the day as indoor time.
Tokyo also works as a base rather than a single destination: the shinkansen puts Kyoto within 2h15m and the Fuji Five Lakes, Nikko and Kamakura within two hours, so a ten-day trip can cover city, mountains and coast without repacking constantly.
Where to stay: Tokyo neighbourhoods
Shinjuku
The transport hub and the densest concentration of food, bars and neon. Convenient for day trips, overwhelming as a first impression.
Shibuya
Youth culture, shopping and the crossing. Central, well connected, busy at all hours.
Asakusa and Yanaka
Old Tokyo: Sensō-ji temple, low-rise streets, traditional sweets. Cheaper accommodation and a slower pace.
Ginza and Marunouchi
Upmarket shopping and dining beside Tokyo Station, the most convenient base for shinkansen day trips.
Shimokitazawa and Nakameguro
Vintage shops, small cafés and canal-side bars. Residential-feeling, popular for longer stays.
A five-day Tokyo itinerary
Day 1
Asakusa and the east
Sensō-ji early before the heat, Nakamise street, river cruise down the Sumida to Hamarikyu gardens, evening in Ueno.
Day 2
Shibuya and Harajuku
Meiji Shrine in the shaded forest first, Takeshita street, Omotesandō architecture, Shibuya crossing and a rooftop bar at dusk.
Day 3
Indoor day
Use the hottest day for teamLab, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Ghibli Museum (tickets released a month ahead) or a department-store food hall crawl.
Day 4
Day trip
Kamakura for the Great Buddha and a beach afternoon, or Nikko for shrines and waterfalls in cooler mountain air.
Day 5
Markets and festivals
Tsukiji outer market in the morning, Yanaka in the afternoon, and whichever summer matsuri or hanabi festival falls on your dates.
What Tokyo costs in summer
Indicative per-person daily costs, excluding flights. Shoulder = May, June, September, October. Peak = July, August and the Obon holiday week.
| Item | Shoulder season | Peak season |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range hotel (per room) | ¥16,000–26,000 | ¥22,000–38,000 |
| Business hotel / capsule | ¥8,000–14,000 | ¥11,000–18,000 |
| Food and drink per person | ¥4,500–8,000 | ¥4,500–8,500 |
| Local transport per day | ¥800–1,200 | ¥800–1,200 |
| Shinkansen day trip (return) | ¥6,000–28,000 | ¥6,000–28,000 |
Month by month
- May: 23–25°C, dry and pleasant, the best weather of the first half of the year.
- June: 26–28°C, rainy season — heavy showers rather than all-day rain, and hotels are cheaper.
- July–August: 31–35°C with very high humidity, peak festival season, Obon week in mid-August is the busiest domestic travel period.
- September: 28–30°C, humidity easing, typhoon risk in the first half.
- October: 22–24°C, clear and dry, arguably the best month of the year to visit.
What to pack
- Breathable natural fabrics; synthetic layers are unbearable in the humidity
- A folding umbrella — used for both rain and sun
- A pocket fan and cooling wipes, both sold in every convenience store
- Slip-on shoes for temples, ryokan and some restaurants
- A coin purse; cash is still expected in small restaurants and shrines
Getting around
- Airports: Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner from Narita (60–90 minutes), monorail or Keikyu from Haneda (30 minutes).
- A Suica or Pasmo IC card — including the version in Apple Wallet — covers trains, subways, buses and convenience stores.
- A Japan Rail Pass only pays off if you take at least two long shinkansen legs; for a Tokyo-based trip, buy tickets individually.
- Trains stop around midnight and restart at 05:00; plan the last connection or expect a taxi fare.
Eating and drinking
- Lunch sets at good restaurants cost a third of the same kitchen's dinner price.
- Department-store basements (depachika) sell excellent prepared food at closing-time discounts.
- Convenience-store food is genuinely good and a legitimate budget strategy.
- Summer specialities to look for: cold soba, hiyashi chūka, kakigōri shaved ice and draught beer gardens.
Mistakes to avoid
- Scheduling long outdoor walks between 12:00 and 16:00 in August.
- Booking travel during Obon in mid-August without reserving shinkansen seats.
- Assuming cards are accepted everywhere; carry ¥10,000 in cash.
- Trying to see Kyoto as a day trip and spending five hours of it on trains.
Book your Tokyo trip
Compare flights, stays, cars and tours for Tokyo in one place.
Tokyo FAQ
When are flights to Tokyo cheapest?
January to early March and late November are the lowest fare windows. Spring cherry blossom season and Golden Week are the most expensive.
Is a Japan Rail Pass worth it for a Tokyo trip?
Usually not if you stay in and around Tokyo. It only pays off once you add long shinkansen legs such as Kyoto or Hiroshima.
New to the idea? Read what Eurosummer means and how to plan one.