Tokyo in 1, 2, 3, 4 up to 7 Days: Travel Itinerary Suggestions

Not much time to explore the city of Tokyo and overwhelmed on what- and when to do it? No worries, I got you covered! In this blog entry, I'll propose different day- and night time travel itirenaries, including food spots to consider, covering the main districts of Tokyo's hot spots in 1, 2, 3, 4 up to 7 days! Open your GoogleMaps, take your PowerBank and off we go!

Shortcuts to sections:

Day 1 Itinerary: Asakusa, Akihabara & Shinjuku

Day 2 Itinerary: Shibuya & Shinjuku

Day 3 Itinerary: Odaiba & Minato

Day 4 Itinerary: Chiyoda & Yokohama

Day 5 - 7 Itineraries

Day 1, 2, 3 & 4 Itineraries

Day 1 Itinerary:

Asakusa, Akihabara, Shinjuku

1. Shinpachi Shokudo

2. Kaminarimon Gate

3. Nakamise-dori Street

4. Sensoji Temple

5. Sumida River Walk

6. Kurikoan

7. Akihabara

8. Kanda Tamagoken Akihabara Store

9. Metropolitan Government Building

10. Tokyo Night & Light Showcase

11. 日本酒ト焼鳥 ふく鶴 Izakaya

Start your morning bright and early in the beautiful district of Asakusa by grabbing a traditional Japanese Teishoku breakfast with miso fish at 1. Shinpachi Shokudo, Asakusa. Continue with walking through the impressive 2. Kaminarimon Gate, landmark of Asakusa and entrance gate for the Sensoji Temple. Surpassing the gate, you will soon spot and immerse into the ancient 3. Nakamise-dori Street, one of Tokyo's oldest shopping streets originating from the 17th century, in which you will find plenty of souvenir, street food and dessert stands, oftentimes led by family-owned business for generations. If you fancy, grab a deliciously sugar-coated strawberry stick, a matcha-chocolate covered waffle or a crispy churro along the way whilst you make your way towards 4. Sensoji Temple. Also known as "Asakudera" or "Kinryuzan", Sensoji is the oldest and most famous buddhist temple in entire Tokyo. On a beautiful sunny day, you might also consider taking a walk along 5. Sumida River. From distance, you can get a good glimpse of Tokyo's Skytree, which is beautifully illuminated at nightly hours. Optionally, you can choose to hop on a boat for cuising down the river whilst enjoying the peaceful green scenery.

Route through Akihabara

Afterwards, hop on the Asakusa or Ginza line to make your way towards Akihabara Station (a roughly 20min. train ride). Grab yourself a freshly baked Taiyaki with custard cream, chocolate or traditional Anko (red bean paste) filling at 6. Kurikoan, only 2 min. from Akihabara Station. Immerse into the bustling scenery of gaming, manga & anime in 7. Akihabara. Enter some of the large gaming centres and challenge your skills at one of the various claw machines accessible. You might also be curious to visit a typical Maid Cafe or one of the diverse animal cafes. Round up your Akihabara experience with a low budget Omurice lunch at 8. Kanda Tamagoken Akihabara Store, paired with a juicy hamburger patty on the side that you can top up with some drizzled melting cheese.

As dawn should by now be slowly starting, take the metro line (e.g. Yamanote line or Shinjuku line) to Shinjuku station to walk to the 9. Metropolitan Government Building No. 1. Take the free- of- charge elevator to the observation desk and enjoy a breathtaking night view of Toyko downtown from different angles. As you make your way down again, turn left when exiting the elevator to see the Metropolitan Building from the front surface to enjoy the nightly showcase of 10. Tokyo Night & Light visual wonders on the largest permanent display in the world. Walk 8 - 10min. towards 11. 日本酒ト焼鳥 ふく鶴, a quaint and cozy Izakaya Restaurant, in which you can enjoy wonderful drinks and smaller dishes, including the creamiest fish cakes you'll ever try!

Day 2 Itinerary

Shibuya & Shinjuku

1. Hachiko Memorial Statue

2. Shibuya Crossing

3. Tokyu Plaza Omohara Forest | Omotesando

4. Takeshita Street

5. Meiji Shrine

6. Shin Udon

7. Omoide Yokocho

8. Don Quijote Shinjuku Kabukicho

9. Golden Gai

10. Godzilla Head

11. Kabukicho
    

After an already insightful first day covering the areas of Asakusa, Akihabara and a pinch of Shinjuku, it is now time to focus on two of Tokyo's most popular & busiest spots: Shibuya & Shinjuku. Get yourself a fresh onigiri, a tenderly juicy fried chicken, baked good or sweet danish treats from one of the convenience stores close to you for breakfast. We do not want to be overly full, as today will offer plenty of snacking opportunities as well as a big lunch.

Start your itinerary at Shibuya Station, where you'll directly bump into 1. Hachiko Memorial Statue when exiting the station. This memorial statue is dedicated to the Akita dog Hachiko, who has been waiting for his owner every day at Shibuya station to return home in the 1920th. One day, his owner suffered a cerebral hemorrhage causing death. Hachiko was left unimpressed, coming back to the station everyday for a total of nine years, never giving up hope to see his beloved owner again. The statue therefore symbolizes enduring loyalty up until today. If you manage to get a picture with the statue in the surrounding grape of tourists, continue your way towards 2. Shibuya Crossing, where more than 3 Mio. people pass the intersection on a daily basis. Then take a 20min. walk through the vibrant streets of Shibuya, its skyscrapers and shops towards the shopping centre 3. Tokyu Plaza Omohara Forest | Omotesando. From below, you can already spot the beautiful outside garden greenery, from which you have a beautiful observation over Shibuya's bustling streets. Take the elevator or escalator to reach the roof terrace, from which you have an excellent view onto Omotesando Street. Grab yourself a warming tea or coffee and take some time to explore some of the various shopping opportunities on each floor when exiting the building.

Keep on walking 10min. to enter the colourful gates of 4. Takeshita Street. Here, you will find everything from crazy clothing stores and souvenirs up to viral foods, such as rainbow cotton candy, creme brûlée filled Japanese crepes, ice cream, Takoyaki (octopus balls), grilled cheese sandwiches in different colourings, sugar-coated fruits, ice creams, coin cheese snacks and much more! At the end of Takeshita Street, turn left to enter Yoyogi Park (Harajuku entrance). Enjoy the silence and relaxing atmosphere of the all-surrounding greenery, whilst making your way towards the, in the 1920th established Shinto Shrine, 5. "Meiji Shrine". Shinto is the ancient original religion in Japan, embodying several values and virtues, such as living in harmony with natures, obtaining a good heart. The Meiji Shrine covers a large area of the main building itself, an inner garden area, a forest terrace (restaurant) as well as a museum to visit. After all the walking and exploration, it is now time for a well-deserved lunch at 6. Shin Udon. Pick their heavenly buttery Carbonara Udon with your choice of crispy tempura topping and be catapulted into heaven.

Satisfyingly rolling out of Shin Udon, take a 15min. digestive walk into the district of Shinjuku, starting with the exploration of Tokyo's bar street 7. Omoide Yokocho, famous for its charcoal-grilled meat skewers (yakitori), mainly serving chicken and cold beers. Then move along to one of Japan's most popular discount stores, 8. Don Quijote Shinjuku Kabukicho. Discover the various levels of electronic, animes, clothing and beauty accessoires to already spot your favourite souvenirs and home takeaways. From here, it is only a 6min. walk to your next destination, 9. Golden Gai; a six-row, rustic alley block with a total of over 280 bars, most of which only have very limited seating options. Enjoy a drink or two with the locals and then move on to marvel at the world famous 10. Godzilla Head, overlooking Shinjuku from top of a skyscraper. End the evening comfortably in a close-by restaurant, pub, club or bar in the, by lanterns illuminated, entertainment district of 11. Kabukicho. Fall exhausted into bed and call it a day!

Day 3 Itinerary:

Odaiba & Minato

1. TeamLab Planets + Ramen

2. Rainbow Bridge

3. Tokyo Tower

4. Zojoji Temple

5. Shimbashi

   
   

Today it's time to try a different breakfast than the day before! Make it a mission trying to taste something new every day! If you had an onigiri, fried chicken or egg sandwich yesterday, try to grab some baking goods from one of the local bakery shops or Daily Yamazan, mix your own vegetable- or fruit smoothie at 7Eleven or have some Japanese soufflee pancakes with Anko- or Matcha filling.

After breakfast it's time to hop on the metro towards 1. TeamLab Planets*. Get off the Shin- Toyosu Station and walk to the entrance to get in line. You have bow stepped onto the artificially created peninsula of Odaiba.

The exhibition takes you around 2 hours**. Take your time to feel, hear, see and touch different artworks in different art spaces. Once stepping out, try the freshly prepared vegan Ramen noodle soup right next to the entrance, topped with a handful of veggies and a delicious thick oat milk- tahin base. Continue your way to 2. Rainbow Bridge- you can either walk 48min. or take the metro to get off at Odaiba- kaihinkoen station. Choose the respective side you want to walk on (left or right) and take the elevator, as signposted, to the pedestrian walk onto the roughly 800 meters long bridge. Walking the bridge onto the other side towards Minato district should not take longer than 30 minutes, unless you take some time to stay on one of the benches in the middle of the walk, enjoying the view of Tokyo's cityscape and Odaiba.

Once crossed and reached the other side, take the metro from Tamachi to Hamamatsucho Station and walk 900m to 3. Zojo- ji Temple. Explore the fractions of the formerly massive temple area (around 830.000 square meters) of Tokugawa- Shogunate (former military form of government and administrative apparatus in Edo times). Entrance is free, unless you would like to visit the temple's Treasure House Museum or the Mausoleum of the 6 Tokugawa leaders who became Shogunate. The most impressive and touching part of the temple are the, on the outside to be found, lined rows of Jizo; statues in differing sizes, being clothed and decorated in various forms. These represent the souls of unborn children, e.g. death before birth, who are being worshiped and prayed for.

A stone's throw away, you can now walk to the- probably by now illuminated- 4. Tokyo Tower, one of Tokyo's main tourist attractions, inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The tower used to be Tokyo's tallest building until 2012 when Tokyo Skytree was constructed. It contains several shops and restaurants at the foot of the tower and two observation decks; one at 150 meters, the other one at 250 meters.

End your night in 5. Shimbashi, famous for its Izakaya cuisine & bar culture, especially popular with people wearing suits for an afterwork drink. How about a special dining experience at "Ninja Aksaka"; a restaurant with hidden gems and waiters dressed in original ninja warrior clothes serving you? Or rather quite "traditional" by visiting the budget- friendly Izakaya chain "Torikizoku", offering a wide variety of different skewers and smaller dishes to choose from? Take your pick and have a toast together with the locals!

*Tickets need to be reserved up front with a dedicated time slot. Choose an early slot for TeamLab not be overly crowded.

**Make sure to wear comfortable jeans you can easily roll up, as you will be asked to take off your shoes and socks due to walking through water!

Day 4 Itinerary:

Chiyoda & Yokohama

1. Tokyo Character Street

2. Imperial Palace & Garden

3. Cup Noodle Museum

4. Red Brick Warehouse

5. Chinatown

   
   

Part 1: Tokyo Station, Character Street & Imperial Garden

Make your way towards 1. Tokyo Station, where you will find plenty of breakfast options and stores to choose from. Follow the locals to spot on their favourite breakfast places to spot on what's a good snack to try and have a small bite prior to starting your day! From here, walk to the Pokemon Store (ground level), as it is directly located next to the escalators taking you one level down to Tokyo's bustling Character Street. Wander along- and through the various iconic shops and possibly bump into some of your childhood favourite characters. After you're done, take a 15min. walk to the spacious garden area of the 2. Imperial Palace and Imperial Gardens. Explore some tropical fruit trees and beautiful flower fields whilst discovering remains of ancient palace parts and take a relaxing break at one of plenty park benches to soak in the sun or simply observe visitors strolling the park.

Part 2 after the Imperial Garden: Yokohama

Take a metro towards Yokohama Station (roughly 1 hour ride) and visit the 3. Yokohama Cup Noodle Museum! Start with the interactive immersive exhibition of Momofuku Ando, inventor of the world famous cup noodles, and continue by joining some of the creative workshop opportunities on-site, such as creating your own cup noodles or chicken ramen dish (learn more about the activities here). Have a lovely lunch at the Noodles Bazaar in a street food market atmosphere to fuel up your batteries and continue with a 6min. walk to the 4. Red Brick Warehouse. If you are lucky, you will find an outside fair with music, street stands and locally drafted beer. Have a seat next to the water and enjoy the beautiful port scenery, watching ships and boats pass by. Also take advantage to see the Warehouse from inside, discovering handmade crafts, arts, souvenir- and cafe shops. End your day by visiting Japan's largest 5. Chinatown to grab a light dinner or decide to directly head back to Tokyo.

Day 5 -7 Itineraries:

By now, you pretty much covered the most scenic and most significant hot spots of Tokyo in a short matter of time, hopefully with a lot of fun, joy and surprising moments!

If you do have more days at hand for exploring, I recommend of the following - maybe even both- things to do:

• Ginza, Roppongi & TeamLab Borderless: Spend another day in Tokyo downtown, exploring Ginza- and Roppongi district. Stroll the herewith connected boutiques, high-class luxury shopping stores. Get a more detailed overview of Tokyo's districts here. If you liked TeamLab Planets, you can also try Tokyo's newest opening, basically a sister-act of TeamLam Planets, namely TeamLab Borderless. A similar, yet different approach to the first art exhibition without any guiding map but free to move-and explore illustrations to immerse in!

• Harry Potter Studio Tours: If you are a nostalgic fan of Harry Potter, the Harry Potter Studio Tours a definite must! This extensive indoor and outdoor exhibition makes every magician's heart beat faster and offers plenty of space to explore and test your own magical skills.

  
  

• Day trips to the Prefecture of Kanagawa: A perfect way to escape the hectic city life and immerse into breathtaking panoramic sceneries of smaller village locations. Located just south of Tokyo, you can pick- and- choose different locations to visit, such as Mount Fuji area, Owakudani, Hakone Shrine and much more! To learn more about the different locations, routes and local delicacies along the way to go for, check out my article on Day Trips from Tokyo to Kanagawa.