When you first arrive, Tokyo can feel like a city that costs money just to stand in. The good news for your wallet, and your weekends, is that some of the best things here are completely free. Huge parks, sweeping city views, riverside walks, and the whole gentle ritual of a spring picnic under the cherry blossoms cost nothing but the train fare to get there. This guide points you to the green spaces and free outings that newcomers love most, plus the small bits of etiquette that make a day out smooth for everyone.
Big parks and green space
- Yoyogi Park (Shibuya) — one of Tokyo's largest and most relaxed parks, free to enter with wide lawns for picnics, joggers, and weekend crowds. Right next to the forested Meiji Jingu shrine grounds.
- Ueno Park (Taito) — a sprawling free park established in 1873, with a big pond, temples and shrines, and a cluster of museums and the zoo around it (those have their own fees).
- Shinjuku Gyoen — a beautifully landscaped garden with a small entry fee (recently 500 yen for adults, 250 yen for students and seniors 65+, free for children 15 and under). Calm, manicured, and worth it; check the official site before you go.
- Showa Kinen Park (Tachikawa) — a vast national park about 30 minutes west of the center, with flower fields and cycling paths. It has a modest entry fee (recently around 450 yen general); see the official page for current prices.
- Riverside paths — the banks of rivers like the Tama and the Arakawa, and canals near the bay, give you long free walking and cycling routes with open sky.
Free city views and free spots
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tocho), Shinjuku — its two observatories, about 202 meters up, are free to enter. On a clear day you can see all the way to Mount Fuji. Decks can close at short notice for weather or events, so check before making a special trip.
- Free and low-cost museums — Go Tokyo's official 'Free' page lists genuinely free spots, including the Sumo Museum at Ryogoku Kokugikan and the Ad Museum Tokyo, plus gardens, temples, and shrines that charge nothing.
- Weekend festivals and events — many neighborhoods run free seasonal festivals; the official Tokyo guide is a good place to scan for what's on.
Fees, opening hours, and closed days change with the season and from venue to venue, and decks or gardens can close at short notice. Before you set out, check the official page for the specific park or building — this article is orientation, not a live timetable.
Picnics and hanami (cherry-blossom viewing)
- Hanami is the spring tradition of picnicking under the cherry blossoms, usually late March to early April. Yoyogi, Ueno, and Shinjuku Gyoen are all famous spots — expect crowds.
- One that catches a lot of newcomers out: Shinjuku Gyoen strictly bans alcohol, and staff check bags at the entrance to enforce it — so if you're planning a drink with your hanami, save it for a park that allows alcohol.
- Bring trash bags. Most parks have few or no bins during peak season, so you carry your own rubbish home and sort it for recycling.
- Follow each park's own rules. Some restrict or ban alcohol, barbecues, tarps, or reserving spots — and the rules differ park to park, so check signs or the official page.
- Only take the space you need, don't leave a mat unattended to 'hold' a big area, and step off your shoes when you sit on a picnic sheet, the same as entering a home.
- There are playgrounds and open lawns for kids in most large parks; weekday mornings are the calmest time to visit.
- Which parks are completely free to enter?
- Yoyogi Park and Ueno Park are free with no entry fee. Shinjuku Gyoen and Showa Kinen Park are gardens with a small admission charge, so check their official pages. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatories are free too.
- Where can I get a free view of the city and Mt. Fuji?
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has free observation decks about 202 meters up. On a clear day you may see Mount Fuji. The decks can close at short notice for weather or maintenance, so check before a special trip.
- What's the etiquette for a hanami picnic?
- Take all your trash home, only use the space you actually need, take your shoes off on the picnic sheet, and follow each park's rules on alcohol, tarps, and reserving spots. When in doubt, check the signs or the park's official page.
