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For a city that is renowned for being particularly expensive, it is good to know that there is an awful lot you can do in Tokyo for free. It doesn’t cost anything to visit any of the temples around the city and one of these, Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, is one of the city’s best known attractions.

Other parts of the city which are extremely picturesque and ‘must-sees’ are the city’s gardens and parks – Tokyo has some of the best in the world. Some of them have live performances frequently, others have palaces and others have some of the most beautiful fauna to be found anywhere in the world.

To learn more about the city’s history, culture, or if you want to see some unique Japanese art then there are a host of museums in Tokyo. Some are large museums sprawled out over numerous floors while others are smaller and more intimate.

If you want to see as much of Tokyo as possible without having to do much walking to do so then take some time out to go up one of the city’s observatory towers. The best known tower in the city to climb for a birds-eye view is Tokyo Tower. Another (and free) deck can be found at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku.

Will you be lucky enough?

Held every May, July and September, if you're lucky enough to be in Tokyo during one of these months you're in for a spectacle you'll never forget. Held in Kokugikan Sumo Hall, the proceedings start around 9am and continue until 6pm that evening. In this time you witness everything you ever imagined about the sport - salt throwing, stands offs and more. Subway: Ryogoku (exit 4A); ticket prices vary.

Attractions in Tokyo

• Edo-Tokyo Museum

  1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan

  Founded in 1993, this museum is where visitors come to learn more about Tokyo’s history and culture. This futuristic looking museum also looks at how the city will develop into the future also.
  
  Subway: Ryogoku (exit 4A); open Tues-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm; admission Y600.

• Shibuya

  Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

  Tokyo has many different, bustling centres, but Shibuya is arguably the busiest. They say that Shibuya Crossing, the one resembling Times Square more than any other, is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Explore this area and its lanes to find a bundle of cool restaurants, bars and shops.
  
  Subway: Shibuya.

• Akihabara

  Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan

  Known as 'Electric Town', Akihabara is the Tokyo most of us envisage when we think of the Japanese capital. This is where you will stumble upon electrical shop after electrical shop offloading hundreds of cheap cameras and other electrical goods.
  
  Subway: Akihabara.

• The Tokyo National Museum

  Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan

  The Tokyo National Museum is Japan's largest museum. Along with that, it houses the largest collection of Japanese art in the world – there are appriximately 89,000 items on display here! It is a great place to go for the afternoon to take in some authentic Japanese culture and see ancient artefacts such as Samurai swords and armour.
  
  Open Tuesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm and admission is between ¥1000 and ¥15000.

• Harajuku

  Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan

  Made famous in recent times thanks to Gwen Stefani, Harajuku is a part of Tokyo where you will see (arguably) coolest kids. The best time to visit is on Sunday afternoons when 'Harajuku girls' stand on the bridge outside the train station, posing solemnly for tourists looking to get their picture taken with Tokyo's youth of today.
  
  Subway: Harajuku.

• Sensoji Temple

  2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan

  Tokyo's oldest temple reminds you that everything in this city isn't about futuristic ideologies and electrical goods. Thousands flock to this well-maintained temple to rub incense-smoke into their skin for good health and pay their respects also.
  
  Subway: Asakusa (exit 4); admission free.

• Ginza

  Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

  Known for its plush boutiques and swanky karaoke bars, Ginza is also where you will find one of the world's most photographed pedestrian crossings. Not Tokyo's busiest crossing (that's in Shibuya), travel to take one of the most generic photos of Tokyo or just to make your way through the crowds to the other side.
  
  Subway: Ginza.

• Shinjuku

  Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

  While Roppongi is overrun with 'gaijins' rather than locals, Shinjuku is where the Japanese go to play. Worth going to during the day to witness the bright lights and take advantage of the cheap restaurants, at night it can be slightly seedy as this is where you will find the city's red light district.
  
  Subways: Shinjuku-sanchome, Shinjuku.

• The Sumo Wrestling Museum

  1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan

  For an alternative way to spend an afternoon (and inexpensive), this free museum documents the national sport very well. It is also one of the city's more interesting museums.