Tokyo runs on a different frequency. The trains arrive to the second. Convenience stores serve hot food at 3am. A beer costs less than your Zone 1 tap. Air China flies there from London with one stop for £509 return this autumn and winter, with dates running all the way through March 2027.
✈️ The deal
- From: London, UK
- To: Tokyo, Japan
- Airline: Air China
- Stops: 1 stop
- Price: £509–£550 return
- When: November 2026 – March 2027
Example dates:
08/11/2026 – 24/11/2026
10/11/2026 – 24/11/2026
12/11/2026 – 30/11/2026
01/12/2026 – 22/12/2026
04/12/2026 – 22/12/2026
06/12/2026 – 26/12/2026
06/01/2027 – 26/01/2027
13/01/2027 – 26/01/2027
16/02/2027 – 28/01/2027
02/03/2027 – 24/03/2027
03/03/2027 – 24/03/2027
Tip: Your Air China layover may qualify you for a free overnight hotel. Here's how to get it →
💰 How far does your money go?
A bowl of ramen at a Tokyo noodle shop costs around £3.50. A beef bowl at Yoshinoya — filling, fast, genuinely good — runs about £2.50. A beer at an izakaya comes to roughly £1.80. That's your dinner and two drinks for under £10, in one of the world's great food cities. A pint back home costs more than a full meal here.
☀️ The weather
November is one of Tokyo's finest months: mild days between 11°C and 17°C, dry skies, and the city's famous autumn foliage at its peak. Red maples and ginkgo trees turn the parks and temple grounds gold.
December cools sharply, with daytime highs of around 12°C and nights dropping to 4°C. January and February are the coldest months — highs around 10°C and overnight lows of 2–3°C, though snow in the city centre is rare.
March brings the first signs of spring, with temperatures climbing back toward 15°C by the end of the month. Early cherry blossoms sometimes appear in late March.
🏨 Where to stay
Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Asakusa are the best areas for first-timers. Each has a distinct character.
Dormy Inn Asakusa — 8.2/10 · From £65/night A well-run Japanese chain with an on-site onsen and free late-night ramen, right by Senso-ji. Excellent value for the neighbourhood.
Park Hotel Tokyo — 8.6/10 · From £150/night Art-filled rooms with skyline views in Shiodome. The art floor rooms are worth the upgrade — each one is a one-off commission by a Japanese artist.
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo — 9.2/10 · From £520/night Set high above Nihombashi with panoramic views of the city. The spa and service match the reviews — one of Tokyo's best hotels by any measure.
🎯 What to do
Tokyo rewards wandering, but these four are worth planning around.
Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa — Tokyo's oldest temple, surrounded by a market street with street food and traditional souvenirs. Go early — by 8am the crowds are still thin and the incense drifts through in peace.
TeamLab Planets Tokyo — A barefoot walk through immersive digital art: knee-deep water rooms, mirrored installations, and continuous flower projections. Book well in advance — it sells out weeks ahead.
Shibuya Crossing — The world's busiest pedestrian crossing, best seen from the Shibuya Sky observation deck after dark. Hundreds of people moving in every direction at once — organised chaos at its finest.
Izakaya night in Shinjuku — Order draft beer, chicken skewers, and whatever the blackboard says. The alleyways of Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho) are the classic spot. Stay until the last train.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Tokyo is the entry point. Japan's highlights start within two hours of the city.
Kyoto — The cultural heart of Japan: bamboo groves, gold-leaf temples, and traditional ryokan stays. 2.5 hours by shinkansen.
Hakone — Mountain onsen town with views of Mount Fuji on clear days. Under two hours by train from Shinjuku.
Nikko — Lavishly decorated UNESCO-listed shrines surrounded by cedar forests and waterfalls. Two hours north by train.
Kamakura — Coastal town with the Great Buddha and quieter temple grounds. An hour south on the Yokosuka line.
Autumn and winter dates at this price are limited. Check availability before they go.
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