Tokyo

One of the most fascinating things about Tokyo is the way it combines both the ancient and the modern. Take the metro to the Chiyoda Ward in Central Tokyo and you'll fine yourself surrounded by a tangle of glass and steel skyscrapers - a pavilion of neatly trimmed grass and the hulking stone walls of the Imperial Palace. Much of the city is remarkably affordable for budget travelers. Tokyo has one of the finest underground train systems in the world. It's cheap, safe and fast.