Before you go — three things to sort out
Tokyo rewards preparation. Sort these three things before you board:
The Shibuya Scramble — 3,000 people, five directions, every 90 seconds. You'll walk through it on Day 3.
Day 1 — Arrival & Shinjuku
Most international flights arrive at Narita or Haneda. Don't try to pack too much on arrival day — jet lag is real and Tokyo deserves your full attention. Get in, get oriented, explore the neighbourhood after dark.
- AfternoonCheck in, walk Shinjuku. Drop your bags. The area around the station is enough to explore — east exit for neon and department stores, west exit for skyscrapers.
- EveningKabukicho and Golden Gai. Tokyo's most electric district at night. Kabukicho for spectacle, Golden Gai for your first drink in a micro-bar the size of a wardrobe.
- DinnerRamen in Shinjuku. Ichiran or Fuunji for tsukemen — both within five minutes of the station. Budget ¥900–1,400.
💡 If you land at Narita, take the Narita Express (N'EX) direct to Shinjuku — 80 minutes, no changes, ¥3,070. Buy the ticket before you leave the arrivals hall.
Day 2 — Asakusa, Ueno & Akihabara
The eastern corridor of Tokyo covers 1,400 years of history and the world's densest concentration of electronics shops — sometimes in the same hour. Start early: Senso-ji temple is best before the tour groups arrive.
- 08:00Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa. Arrive before 9am. The Kaminarimon gate, Nakamise shopping street and the main hall — unhurried, without the crowds. Breakfast at a standing soba counter nearby.
- 10:00Walk the Sumida riverbank. From Asakusa south to Ueno takes 25 minutes on foot. Tokyo Skytree views across the river. Stop at the Asahi Beer Hall building.
- 11:30Ueno Park & Museums. Tokyo National Museum if you have cultural appetite (¥1,000, Japan's largest collection). Otherwise the park itself — cherry blossoms in spring, open-air stages, the zoo entrance.
- 14:00Ameyoko Market. Under the railway tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi stations — street food, fresh fish, discount fashion. ¥500 gets you a yakitori lunch.
- 16:00Akihabara. Two stops south. Multi-floor electronics shops, retro game arcades, maid cafés. You don't need to buy anything — the spectacle is the point.
💡 Suica card handles all transport today. Asakusa → Ueno ¥170, Ueno → Akihabara ¥170.
Senso-ji at dawn — get there before 9am and you'll have the courtyard almost to yourself.
Day 3 — Shibuya & Harajuku
The west side of central Tokyo is where the city feels most alive at street level. The Scramble Crossing, Meiji Shrine in the forest, Takeshita Street's chaos, Omotesando's quiet luxury — all within walking distance of each other.
- 09:00Meiji Shrine. 70 hectares of forest in the middle of the city. Take the main approach from Harajuku station — the torii gate, the gravel path, the silence that hits you despite being ten minutes from Shinjuku.
- 11:00Takeshita Street, Harajuku. The narrowest street with the highest people-per-metre ratio in Tokyo. Crêpe stalls, costume shops, cosplay. Budget ¥500–1,000 for snacks.
- 12:30Omotesando lunch. The avenue between Harajuku and Aoyama. Architecture, flagships, and some of Tokyo's best lunch spots. Gyukatsu Motomura for breaded beef cutlet — queue of 15 minutes, worth every second.
- 15:00Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Walk through it. Then watch from above — Mag's Park or Scramble Square observation deck (¥2,000, highest view in Shibuya) for the full spectacle.
- 19:00Dinner in Shibuya. Nonbei Yokocho ("Memory Lane") — a dozen tiny bars south of Shibuya station. Less famous than Shinjuku's Golden Gai, no less good.
Day 4 — Ginza, Tsukiji & Roppongi
South central Tokyo for a day of contrasts: the world's most expensive shopping street, the best tuna sashimi you'll ever eat, and a neighbourhood that transforms completely from gallery to nightclub after sunset.
- 08:00Tsukiji Outer Market. The famous inner market moved to Toyosu, but the outer market — the street stalls, the tamagoyaki vendors, the cramped sushi counters — stayed. Breakfast here is a Tokyo rite. Budget ¥1,500–2,500.
- 10:30Ginza. Ten minutes walk from Tsukiji. The Chuo-dori closes to traffic on weekends (noon–6pm) — stroll down Japan's most expensive street. Window shopping is free. The Itoya stationery store is worth an hour alone.
- 14:00teamLab Planets (Toyosu) or Hamarikyu Gardens. teamLab is spectacular, book well in advance (¥3,200). Hamarikyu is a traditional garden with a tidal pond — ¥300, almost no queues, extraordinary contrast to the surrounding skyscrapers.
- 18:00Roppongi. Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor (¥2,000, includes Tokyo city view). Roppongi Hills for dinner options. After midnight the area transforms — see it if you want to.
Day 5 — Day Trip: Kamakura or Hakone
Day 5 is for leaving Tokyo. Both Kamakura and Hakone are within 90 minutes. Choose based on what you prioritise: Kamakura is history and coast, Hakone is nature and potentially Mt Fuji views. You cannot do both justice in one day.
Kamakura if you want: the Great Buddha, seaside temples, a walkable small city you can navigate solo, shorter travel time (55 min from Shinjuku).
Hakone if you want: Mt Fuji views (weather-dependent), onsen, the Ropeway over volcanic valleys, more dramatic scenery. Takes a full day.
- 08:00Train from Shinjuku. JR Yokosuka Line to Kamakura, 55 min, ¥940. No pass needed.
- 09:30Kotoku-in — the Great Buddha. 13.35 metres of bronze, sitting in open air since the 14th century. ¥300 entry. You can go inside the statue for ¥20 extra.
- 11:00Hase-dera Temple & coastal path. Cave of a thousand small statues, sea views, and a garden with hydrangeas (best in June). Walk along the coast east toward Yuigahama beach.
- 14:00Hokokuji bamboo grove. One of Japan's most atmospheric corners. ¥500, includes matcha tea served in the grove. Taxi or 20-min bus from Kamakura station.
- 17:00Train back to Tokyo. Dinner in Shinjuku or wherever you're staying.
- 07:30Romancecar from Shinjuku. The private Odakyu line's scenic express, 85 minutes, ¥2,470. Book seats in advance.
- 09:30Hakone Ropeway over Owakudani. Active volcanic valley with steam vents and the famous black sulphur eggs. On clear days, Mt Fuji appears behind the crater. Check the webcam the night before.
- 12:00Lake Ashi cruise. Old wooden boats across the caldera lake with Fuji (or clouds) above. ¥1,200. Get off at Moto-Hakone for the cedar avenue walk.
- 15:00Onsen. Day onsen at Tenzan (¥1,300) or Hakone Yunessan (¥2,500, more facilities). Take the Hakone Tozan bus.
- 18:30Romancecar back to Shinjuku.
Use code 7PVH85 at checkout.
Day 6 — Local Tokyo: Shimokitazawa & Nakameguro
By now you've done the headline attractions. Day 6 is about the Tokyo that locals actually live in — the city that isn't in guidebooks from five years ago. Two neighbourhoods, both within 30 minutes of Shinjuku, completely different in character.
- 10:00Shimokitazawa. Take the Keio Inokashira Line from Shibuya, 3 stops, ¥130. Vintage clothing shops, independent record stores, the kind of cafés where staff recommend music. Spend the morning here. Don't plan — wander.
- 12:30Lunch at a standing lunch counter. Shimokitazawa has excellent cheap lunch options — curry rice, udon, teishoku set meals for ¥700–1,000.
- 15:00Nakameguro. 15 minutes by train (change at Shibuya). The Meguro River canal lined with cherry trees (spectacular in April), independent boutiques, coffee shops with too-good-to-sit-outside seating. The Tokyo you want to move to.
- 19:00Dinner by the river. Plenty of restaurants along the canal — izakayas, ramen, shabu-shabu. Budget ¥2,000–3,500 with drinks.
Shimokitazawa — the Tokyo that locals actually live in. No queue, no admission fee, no tour groups.
Day 7 — Shinjuku Gyoen & Ikebukuro
Last day. Flights out of Tokyo are mostly in the evening or next morning, so you have the full day. Don't try to revisit everything — pick two or three things and do them without rushing.
- 09:00Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. ¥500. Tokyo's best garden — 58 hectares, three garden styles (French formal, English landscape, Japanese traditional), 1,000 cherry trees in spring. A quiet hour before the city catches up with you.
- 11:30Ikebukuro. Two stops north of Shinjuku. The neighbour that gets overlooked — Sunshine City shopping complex, the Pokemon Center on the 6th floor, and Sunshine 60 observatory for a last city view (¥800).
- 13:30Final lunch. Tonkatsu, conveyor sushi, or go back to wherever was best this week. Tokyo rewards the second visit to good places.
- 16:00Head to the airport. Narita: take the N'EX from Shinjuku (80 min) or the Limousine Bus (100 min). Haneda: Keikyu Line from Shinagawa (30 min) or monorail from Hamamatsucho.
✈️ Allow 3 hours before an international departure. Tokyo airports are efficient but security and boarding at T1/T2 Narita takes time.
Practical notes for the whole week
Getting around
Tokyo's train network covers everything in this itinerary. A single Suica card — loaded with ¥5,000–10,000 — handles every journey. Average fare per trip is ¥200–250. Don't buy day passes unless you're doing 8+ journeys in a single day: they rarely save money for the sightseeing pace described above. See the full Suica guide and transport guide.
Food budget
Tokyo is not expensive to eat in if you eat where locals eat. A conveyor-belt sushi lunch costs ¥1,200–2,000. Ramen is ¥900–1,400. A full teishoku set meal at a regular restaurant is ¥800–1,500. You can eat brilliantly on ¥3,000–4,000 per day for all meals. Fine dining and omakase sushi are a different story — plan those separately if that's your goal. Full breakdown in the Tokyo budget guide.
Best time to visit
Spring (late March–April) is Tokyo at its most spectacular — cherry blossoms, mild temperatures, every park transformed. It is also the most crowded. Book accommodation months in advance. Autumn (October–November) is the second-best season: warm days, cool nights, autumn foliage. Summer (June–August) is humid and hot; winter (December–February) is cold but uncrowded and relatively cheap. Full breakdown in the weather and seasons guide.
What to download
Google Maps works well for navigation and train routing in Tokyo. Google Translate camera mode handles menus. Tabelog for restaurant ratings (Japanese, but the star scores are universal). These all need mobile data — sort your eSIM before departure.
Cash: Japan still runs heavily on cash. Convenience store ATMs (7-Eleven, Lawson) accept foreign cards. Carry ¥10,000–20,000 at all times.
Shoes: You will walk 15–20km per day. Wear shoes you can be on your feet in for 10 hours.
Queues: Respect them. Single file on escalators (left side standing, right side walking in Tokyo). Don't eat while walking.
IC card balance: Top up your Suica before it runs out — a near-zero balance at a ticket gate at rush hour is deeply embarrassing.