Where to stay in Ueno
last update: March 09, 2021
If you have already
decided to stay in Ueno, on this page you will find some tips on the best hotels and other types of accommodation for all budgets. If, on the other hand,
you are not sure about the best area to sleep in Tokyo, we recommend that you also take a look at the page
Where to stay in Tokyo.
Business hotels
Ueno is packed with business hotels. At the same level of the hotel, the prices are on average among the lowest in all of Tokyo.
APAs are a business hotel chain with very low prices, very small but modern, clean and perfectly equipped rooms. This hotel is located across from Shinobazu Pond and 5 minutes from Ueno Station. The Keisei train station for Narita Airport is even closer. With a few yen more you can also select, when booking, a room with a park view, even if the windows are very small.
Price range: single rooms 5,000-7,000¥, double rooms 6,000-8,000¥.
A hotel housed in a brand new 11-storey building, opened in 2019 and located just 100 meters from Ueno Station. Normal-sized, modern and comfortable rooms. The hotel has a very nice panoramic terrace on the top floor, with several seating areas to relax.
Price range: single rooms 5,000-6,000¥, double rooms 7,000-8,000¥.
Dormy Inns are our favorite hotel chain in Japan. This hotel is located 300 meters from Ueno station, along a very characteristic shopping street and next to one of Tokyo's best tsukemen restaurants (Menya Musashi Bukotsu). Small but modern rooms equipped with all comforts. On the top floor there is a splendid onsen with indoor and outdoor thermal baths. Like all Dormy Inns, free ramen in the evening for all guests. Outstanding buffet breakfast for 1000¥ per person.
Price range: single rooms 6,000-8,000¥, double rooms 10,000-12,000¥.
Capsule hotels
In the Ueno district there are numerous capsule hotels. Some of these have recently been modernized to meet the needs of the growing number of tourists.
As the name implies, until recently this place was only costing 1980 yen a night. Now the prices have increased slightly but the name has remained the same. However, it is
one of the cheapest capsule hotels in all of Tokyo. Don't be fooled by the word "hostel" in the name, inside it's just like a capsule hotel. The hostel or capsule hotel, if you prefer, is located along a road north of Ueno station (20 minutes on foot). Uguisudani station is a little closer (15 minutes). In addition to your capsule you will also have a very large locker (often in capsule hotels the lockers are too small to fit large suitcases). On the third floor there is a common area with tables and chairs, a microwave and a kettle. On the roof there is a common terrace. A women-only floor is also available.
Price range: standard capsule 2180-2500¥, superior capsule 2750-3000¥.
A capsule hotel along a very characteristic small street, full of izakayas and restaurants, 3 minutes walk from Ueno station. The capsules are quite long and more spacious than average. The property offers a large public bath, a sauna, a relaxation area with recliners, a huge manga library to read, a bar/restaurant open until late at night at very low prices. A women-only floor is also available.
Price range: capsule 3000-4000¥.
Hostels
Ueno also offers a wide choice of hostels, it is one of the most popular areas for backpackers to stay, along with the nearby
Asakusa.
A new, modern and clean hostel in a perfect location, practically next to Ueno station and in front of the overpass that allows you to climb over the railway tracks and arrive at Ueno Park in a few minutes. Google maps is wrong and suggests a longer route, there are stairs that will make you significantly shorten the route. The hostel offers beds in 6-bed rooms, and different types of private rooms. Inside there is also a kitchen and a bar. The breakfast buffet costs 620¥.
Price range: bunk bed 2500-4000¥, double rooms 5000-7000¥.
This hostel is a 7-minute walk from Ueno Station, while the Inaricho metro stop (Ginza line) is in the immediate vicinity. The property is brand new and very popular with foreign tourists, and the staff speaks English. It offers beds in shared 4 or 6 bed rooms at one of the lowest prices in Tokyo. There are both rooms divided by gender and mixed rooms. Finally, private rooms are also available and are very cheap. A large kitchen is available to all guests.
Price range: bunk beds 1500-2000¥, double rooms 3000-3500¥.
Hotels with panoramic view
Ueno is not an area of skyscrapers. If you are looking for a room with a panoramic view from above, the only high-rise hotel is the Life Tree Hotel. For another type of panoramic view, you can opt for a hotel with rooms overlooking Ueno park and its pond.
A hotel housed in a new and modern skyscraper of about 30 floors, located less than 5 minutes walk from Ueno station and the park of the same name. As already mentioned, this is the only hotel in the area from which it is possible to enjoy a view from above, on the Ueno side, overlooking the park and the station, or on the Tokyo Sky Tree and Sumida River side. The rooms are nice but average. For a larger window, the superior rooms are recommended. Excellent buffet breakfast from a room with a large panoramic window on the 20th floor.
Price range: single rooms 7,000-10,000¥, double rooms 12,000-15,000¥.
A hotel directly overlooking Shinobazu Pond and Ueno Park, while the station is less than a 5 minute walk away. The building is not very high, so if you want to enjoy a beautiful view of the park, ask specifically for a high floor and possibly a room on the park side (otherwise the view is worth nothing). For the rest, a hotel with very particular boutique-style furnishings. Rooms are a bit small for the price that is asked. There are also public baths and a sauna available to guests. The excellent breakfast buffet is generally included in the price.
Price range: single rooms 11,000-13,000¥, double rooms 14,000-16,000¥.
Love hotels
The area around Ueno station is not an area to find many love hotels. However, in the immediate vicinity, just one stop along the
JR Yamanote line, close to
Uguisudani station, there is one of the largest love hotel areas in all of Tokyo, with very low fares. Spending one or more nights in a
love hotel (
What are love hotels?) is a very interesting experience and it's a great idea especially if you are traveling with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
Love hotels usually can't be booked in advance, but you take a room the same evening, directly on the spot (prices range between 6,000¥ and 15,000¥ for a room taken in the evening until the next morning).
Currently there are no love hotels on western booking sites, you have to go to the place the same evening. In general you should always be able to find some rooms that are available, there's plenty of choice. You may have some problems only if you go very late on a Saturday night.
Guided tours, activities and other things to do
If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use
Rakuten Travel Experiences.
How to use Rakuten Travel Experiences
Rakuten Travel is a very useful website to
enrich your travel experience, especially if you are going solo or it's your first time in Japan.
Because of the language barrier (and more), in Japan it is very difficult to interact with the locals and to get off the tourist track.
Thanks to Rakuten Travel you can find a lot of interesting and sometimes unique
guided tours and activities all over Japan (and not only in Japan), that you would otherwise never be able to enjoy.
But there's more: on Rakuten Travel you can also
buy tickets for several famous attractions, events, transportation and other useful services for tourists. Last but not least, you can
reserve a table in hundreds of restaurants.
Some examples
Take a look at Rakuten Travel Experiences
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