Day 1
Old Tokyo & the east
Start at Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori in Asakusa, wander the shitamachi backstreets, then cross the Sumida to Tokyo Skytree. End the day among the museums and lantern-lit izakaya of Ueno and Yanaka.
Tokyo runs on beautiful contradiction: a thousand-year-old temple sits blocks from the world's busiest crossing, and a hushed sushi counter hides beneath a roaring elevated train. The city rewards curiosity — duck down an alley in Golden Gai, ride the Yamanote loop, and let each neighbourhood reveal its own tempo.
Come hungry and ready to walk. Mornings belong to shrines and market stalls, afternoons to gardens and department-store food halls, and nights to yakitori smoke and neon reflected in the rain. Few cities feel this endless, or this effortless to explore.
Itinerary
Day 2
Shrines, style & neon
Begin in the forest calm of Meiji Shrine, then dive into Harajuku's Takeshita Street and Shibuya's crossing. Catch sunset from Shibuya Sky, then head to Shinjuku for yakitori in Omoide Yokocho and drinks in Golden Gai.
Day 3
Market, art & bay
Graze a seafood breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market, stroll elegant Ginza, then lose yourself in teamLab's digital worlds. Finish with a skyline dinner over Tokyo Bay.
Highlights
🏛️Landmark
Senso-ji & Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, founded in 645, is reached through the giant red Kaminarimon gate and the stall-lined Nakamise-dori. Come before 9am to have the incense-wreathed courtyard almost to yourself.
✨Experience
Shibuya Crossing
Up to 3,000 people cross at once when the lights change — the organised chaos that defines modern Tokyo. Watch it from the Starbucks window above, then ride up Shibuya Sky for the sunset panorama.
🏛️Landmark
Meiji Shrine
A serene Shinto shrine wrapped in a 70-hectare forest, a short walk yet a world away from Harajuku's crowds. Stroll the gravel approach beneath towering torii gates and you may catch a traditional wedding procession.
🖼️Museum
teamLab digital art
Wade barefoot through water and mirrored rooms of shifting light at teamLab Planets, one of the world's most immersive art museums. Tickets are timed and sell out fast, so book well ahead.
🛍️Market
Tsukiji Outer Market
Though the wholesale auctions moved to Toyosu, Tsukiji's outer market still buzzes with stalls selling tamagoyaki, grilled scallops and the freshest sushi breakfast in town. Go hungry and early, before the mid-morning tour crowds.
🌄Viewpoint
Tokyo Skytree
At 634 metres, the Skytree is the tallest tower in Japan, its observation decks turning the endless city into a glittering circuit board after dark. On clear winter days you can pick out Mount Fuji on the horizon.
Neighbourhoods
Shinjuku
The city's beating heart and the best base for first-timers: a colossal station with lines everywhere, plus Golden Gai's tiny bars, the yakitori lanes of Omoide Yokocho and the green calm of Shinjuku Gyoen.
Shibuya & Harajuku
Youth-culture central, from the famous scramble to Takeshita Street's crêpes and the boutiques of Cat Street. Neon, fashion and late-night energy.
Asakusa
Old-town Tokyo, with wooden storefronts and rickshaws around Senso-ji. Stay here for a slower, traditional pace and easy access to the river.
Ginza & Marunouchi
Polished and central: flagship stores, department-store food basements and refined dining near Tokyo Station. Great for a calmer, upscale base.
Where to eat
Sushi
From conveyor-belt counters to master omakase, Tokyo sets the world standard. For the freshest cuts, a breakfast sushi at Tsukiji or Toyosu is unbeatable.
Ramen
Every neighbourhood has its shop; slurp shoyu, tonkotsu or Tokyo's soy-based bowls. Buy your ticket at the vending machine and sit at the counter.
Tempura & soba
Lightly battered seafood and vegetables, crisp and delicate, often paired with buckwheat soba. Asakusa's old-school specialists do it best.
Monjayaki
Tokyo's own runnier cousin of okonomiyaki, cooked at your table on Tsukishima's Monja Street. Savoury, messy and made for sharing.
Good to know
Best time to visit
Spring (late March to April) brings cherry blossoms and mild days, while autumn (October to November) delivers crisp air and fiery foliage — both are ideal. Summer is hot, humid and full of festivals; winter is cold but clear, with fewer crowds and lower prices.
Getting around
Grab a Suica or PASMO IC card and tap through the metro and the JR Yamanote loop, which links nearly every major district. Trains are fast and punctual but stop around midnight, so plan late nights around that. Day trips to Kamakura, Nikko or Hakone are quick and easy by train.
- Currency
- JPY ¥
- Languages
- Japanese
How much does Tokyo cost?
A realistic daily budget per person, in three styles.
Backpacker¥5,000per person / day
Mid-range¥15,000per person / day
Comfort¥30,000per person / day
Tokyo offers a range of costs depending on your travel style.
Local tips
- ✓Carry cash — many great small restaurants, shrines and markets still don't take cards.
- ✓Book Shibuya Sky, teamLab and the Ghibli Museum weeks ahead; they sell out.
- ✓Stand on the left of Tokyo escalators and keep phone calls off the train.
