My husband and I are headed to Tokyo for 9 days this coming November, and we really can’t decide between staying at Asakusa or Ueno for the duration. 1st time for my husband, 3rd time for myself though it’s been 5 years since my last visit. We’ve seen alot of threads comparing staying in Shinjuku vs Shibuya vs Asakusa, but not much direct comparison between Ueno and Asakusa. We currently have hotels booked in both areas for our first 5 nights, each within a 3-5 min walk of the respective stations with no difference in costs, so it’s a matter of which one we end up picking. We are only looking at these two options due to budget considerations and because we have a 3 day Nikko trip in the middle of our itinerary. What our current plan looks like:
Day 1 (Sat): Touchdown Narita in the late afternoon, head to hotel (Ueno or Asakusa), rest and chill.
Day 2 (Sun): Shibuya, Daikanyama, Naka-meguro, Ebisu maybe
Day 3 (Mon): Tsukiji, Ginza (skippable), Tokyo Station, Kanda-Jinbocho if we can squeeze it in.
Day 4 (Tues): Day trip to Yokohama (interchangeable with Day 5)
Day 5 (Wed): Shinjuku + Yotsuya + generally just roaming the area.
Day 6 ( Thurs): Check out of hotel. Head to Tobu-Nikko in the morning, hands-free travel (luggage to be sent up separately), roam where our heart takes us. Check in at Kinugawa.
Day 7 (Fri): Explore Kinugawa area + Edo Wonderland
Day 8 (Sat): Check out of Kinugawa in the morning, explore the area around Tobu Nikko some more if we feel like it (hands-free travel). Head back to Asakusa for the night.
Day 9 (Sun): Check out of hotel, explore Asakusa + Akihabara if there’s time. Head to airport in the late afternoon.
Alot of people have mentioned that staying near a station on the Yamanote Line is highly recommended for the convenience to explore Tokyo. I guess my main concern is *how much more convenient* is it really? Would be thankful to know what some of the pros/cons of staying near Asakusa and/or Ueno Station might be! Thanks in advance 🙂
11 comments
I slightly prefer Asakusa: due to better restaurants (I am foodie), livelier atmosphere and has Sensoji in my doorstep without crowd in the early morning/late night
Ueno if you like to jog/walk (Ueno Park) and easy access to airport
Asakusa is so close to Ueno that either will be fine.
Just compare routes between the two. From Asakusa you would rely much more on subway, it’s honestly not that bad. Yokohama you can go direct from Ueno like on the Keihin Tohoku line, would need a transfer from Asakusa.
They’re not even that far away from each other, like a mile. You can get on the Ginza Line and it’s like 3 stops. That said, I stayed in between them, east of Ueno near Kappabashi, and it was super peaceful walking to Ueno Station.
You can’t go wrong with either location. I never stayed in Ueno but it seemed like a good area the time I went. I did stay in Asakusa and loved the location. Map out location of hotel to train station or public transport and decide from there if it’s convenience you’re looking at.
Like everywhere in Tokyo, they’re different, but similar. You could stay at either place and have almost the same experience. Tokyo is a strange place because everywhere is different but everywhere is the same.
I’ve stayed in both. That’s a tough one, as everyone says it doesn’t really matter it’s so close. I would probably go with Asakusa from a touristic point of view, as maybe a little bit “more” to do, also Asakusa will have more accomodation options as well. There aren’t many hotels directly in Ueno.
In terms of food, Ueno has Ameyoko along the railway, but I never really enjoyed the vibe there, it’s a lot more clothing too. I prefer Asakusas Hoppy Street, so many options and really good vibes!
I would comment your itinerary has a fair chunk of Shinjuku/Shibuya activities. Ginza line from Asakusa takes you directly to Shibuya, but it generally does take an hour. Quite a hike!
Cant speak for Ueno but we stayed in Asakusa a week ago. It was awesome. Short walk to train station, restaurants are really close by, chill compared to the rest of Tokyo, and Sensoji was a brisk 10-15 minute walk.
I would route to your daily destinations from both areas to compare if the transportation logistics bear any preference to you.
I really enjoyed just hanging out in Asakusa area for eating, shopping etc., but stayed in Ueno. For days focused where I had most attractions on that east side of Tokyo I think Asakusa is a fine choice. That area and larger area around Sensoji are so nice for walking around.
Ueno is nice for Skyliner access from Narita especially that first day, and having direct Yamamote line, but it’s not a deal breaker IMO to transfer to another train for 1-2 stations to get to hotel.
I was just in Tokyo for a week, and didn’t use the Yamanote Line more than once or twice. There are lots of other train stations and subways stops. I almost prefer to be near a smaller station so I don’t have to contend with all the crowds.
If you can, just make sure to look at where your place is vs the station. Maybe google maps a walk route. Once we went and it looked close, but that darn 14-16 minute walk to the train station every day really became annoying. And worse when it was raining.
This time it was a two minute hop to my local subway stop and I was off somewhere…
Given that you’re traveling a lot and are conscious of your money I would recommend Ueno over Asakusa. Ueno station is way bigger and you can get to places faster and cheaper. Asakusa is pretty close to Ueno but you’d still probably end up taking a short subway ride to Ueno most of the time and the fair isn’t really expensive but you know it adds up