What our entertainment cost in Tokyo & Mount Fuji

We got a taste of historic and modern Japanese culture through entertainment options that didn’t break the bank. This post is about what our entertainment cost in Tokyo – and also Mount Fuji, which is a 90 minute drive from the city.

Tokyo entertainment costs

There are many ways to entertain yourself as a budget slow traveler in Japan. You can take tours, go to shows, plays, concerts, museums and more. Below are simply the choices we made as budget slow travelers who always look for the best value. Prices are per person.

$12.75 : Shibuya ‘Free’ Walking Tour (tip based), two hours
$16 : Walking tour of Tokyo (tip based), three hours
- Tip: we used TokyoLocalized, and loved our experience in the Flagship tour
$6: Tokyo National Museum
$25: TeamLab Borderless exhibit (digital art exhibition with interactive features)
- Tip: allow yourself at least three hours for this – and you must book advance!
$28: Hop on Hop off bus tours – three routes – one day pass

We also found many free things to do in Tokyo, such as:

Walking around Shinjuku, Akihabara, etc.
Observation area at the Shibuya Scramble Building (a lower floor than the paid upper deck)
Light show at the Metropolitan Government Building (Godzilla on weekends)
- Tip: use localized Google News to find free events
Fantastic free city views on the observation level at the Metropolitan Government Building
Lantern festival at Yasukuni-jinja Shrine
Walk through the huge park at Meiji Jingu Temple
Walk the grounds around the Imperial Palace
Wander the Fish Market, Ueno Park, and numerous waterfronts

Our entertainment cost us only $87.75 per person for 10 days in Tokyo. Not bad!

Just remember: that doesn’t include lodging, transportation, food and drink, etc.

Mount Fuji adventure costs

Mount Fuji is only 90 miles from Tokyo. Since it’s so close, many tourists take (long) day trips to Mount Fuji from Tokyo. Many also stay in the Fuji area.

This list below covers the cost of our entertainment (and adventures) on and around Mount Fuji.

$25: Day-long bike rental around Lake Kawaguchiko
- There are five lakes around Mount Fuji, this is the one we went to.
- Tip: save this cost by finding an Airbnb rental that includes free bicycle uses.
$12: Tickets to climb Mount Fuji on the Yoshida Trail
- This is the most popular trail with many restrooms and snack stands. The admission and the daily limit of 4,000 daily climbers are new in 2024 to combat over-tourism. The three other trails have far fewer (or no) services, and are not (yet) charging admission.
$34.50: Gear rental for the climb: trekking boots, gaiters, headlamp
- More gear means more cost. We got by with the minimum.
- Tip: we used – and highly recommend – Yamarent for the absolute best prices for quality (yet generic) gear.
$17.85: Round trip bus tickets to the Fifth Station starting point for the Yoshida Trail hike from Kawaguchiko bus station.
- Tip: for day hikers, the first bus is at 6:40 a.m., and the line is long. Get there really early to line up, or you’ll have to wait for the second bus and lose and hour of climbing time. Last return bus is 6:45 p.m. I’d recommend arriving at the bus station by 5:45 a.m. or earlier just to be assured of a seat on that first bus.

Total cost for a Mount Fuji climbing adventure starts at $65. If you need more gear or buy food, drink, gloves, walking sticks, stamps for sticks, souvenirs, etc., while on the mountain, then you’ll go way over that amount.

We saved the typical steep bike rental cost through our accommodation in Kawaguchiko.

A note about our Airbnb rentals

We stayed in Mount Fuji four nights, and Tokyo for 10 nights. That’s a bit faster than our ‘slow travel’ because Japan is a little higher priced than other countries.

We recommend this place in Tokyo – it was ideally located in Shinjuku close to the yellow JR line.

And we recommend this place in Kawaguchiko – it was new and comfortable and came with free use of good cruising bicycles.

Each rental was pricey (by our averages), at $65 and $90 respectively. But considering locations and perks of each (especially the bikes at the Kawaguchiko unit), these rentals actually saved us ‘entertainment’ money while not compromising our comfort level. Each one had really fast Wi-Fi, AC, and washing machines.

In closing

I hope I have showed potential budget slow travelers to Tokyo and Mount Fuji that you don’t have to break the bank to have a great time at each location.

Life is Now.