• ITINERARY •

The Perfect Tokyo Itinerary – First Time Visitors

It was quite tough to plan our days in the city, and that’s why we’ve come up with this Tokyo itinerary. There are so many things to do, and the city is so big that you can quickly feel overwhelmed.

We recommend you organize your days around neighborhoods. Exploring both Asakusa and Akihabara will make you feel like you’ve stepped into two completely different worlds. However, they are only some minutes apart from each other! It’s super exciting to see how everything changes as you start to reach another part of the city!

How to Get Around tokyo

If you’re buying a Japan Rail Pass, you can start using it as soon as you arrive in Tokyo, since it gives you free access to the circular JR Yamanote Line. This line connects Tokyo’s major city centers, with only a few exceptions. For those cases, you can choose to either walk or to buy single train/subway tickets.
However, if Tokyo is your first stop in Japan, you might want to activate your Japan Rail Pass only when leaving the city. Local travel is quite cheap, and you want to use the pass for the expensive intercities trains. If that’s the case, buy a prepaid card like Suica or Pasmo to travel inside Tokyo: although they won’t give you any discount, they make it easier to go around.

Sneakpeek Tip:  You can also buy a subway pass for 1 to 3 days, giving you unlimited access to 13 different routes with over 250 metro stops! Purchase it online and claim it at specific pick up points, including Narita and Haneda airports

Where to stay in tokyo

We have spent a lot of time deciding where to stay in Tokyo. We ended up staying in Ginza, but the best advice we can give you is to choose a place within walking distance of a Yamanote Line station.
Each neighborhood has it’s own vibes and perks, and by the end of this post, you will have a better idea of which one excites you the most.

TOKYO ITINERARY - day 1

ginza

Start your day at Ginza, known by being one of Tokyo’s most exclusive and upscale neighborhoods. With tall buildings, brand stores, and insane prices per one square meter of real estate, it is a luxury shopping paradise. Chuo-Dori is the main shopping area, comprising many historical department stores like Ginza Wako, Mitsukoshi, or Ginza Six. Make sure you pay a visit to one of these stores to check out a Depachika: the gigantic food halls located beneath each of Tokyo’s major department stores.

Sneakpeek tip: Visit Ginza during the weekend, when the roads are closed and traffic is forbidden. It becomes a pedestrian heaven.

Ginza district 1
Ginza district 2
Bulgari Ginza Tower
Cartier in Ginza
Louis Vuitton in Ginza

Another famous attraction in the district is the popular Tsukiji Fish Market.The market is always packed, mainly with tourists but also with some restaurant chefs, trying to get the freshest ingredients. For many years, this wholesale fish market was the largest in the world. It held a popular tuna auction in early mornings, which nowadays has moved to the new Toyosu Market.

You’ll find a lot of both street and traditional food along the narrow streets of Tsukiji. Not all the food is guaranteed to be good, so ask the locals for their opinion. We had a delicious Wagu beef, which was grilled right in front of us by a friendly vendor.

Tsukiji Fish Market 1
Fresh fish in Tsukiji Fish Market

Nakameguro, Daikanyama, and Ebisu

To get to Nakameguro from Ginza, you have two options:

  • Hibiya Line: from Ginza Station to Nakameguro station (24 minutes)
  • Yamanote Line: from Yūrakuchō Station to Meguro station (28 minutes) and walk around 2km along the beautiful Meguro River until getting to the Nakameguro area.

Meguro River is a popular cherry blossom viewing spot. If you’re there during the season, make sure you don’t miss it! Nakameguro district has a youth and hipster energy, therefore attracting an artsy and chilled crowd. Explore the many stylish cafes, eco-friendly fashion stores, and trendy restaurants.  

From Nakameguro, head to the neighbor Daikanyama, also known as the Brooklyn of Tokyo. Daikanyama is a delightful place to get away from tourists and to get an insight into how locals actually spend their time. A 15 minutes walk will take you to the T-site, an outstanding bookstore with stunning interiors, an award-winning architecture, and a great lounge. Saigoyama Park is also a local’s favorite, along with Bonjour records (fashion, books, and music) and the Mastunosuke pies and pancakes! Check out the famous vintage store Hollywood Ranch Market and take a look at the excellent collection of free-standing stores and craft breweries of Log Road.

If you still have some energy left, end the day in Ebisu and go to Afuri for dinner. Many people told us it is one of the best ramen you can have in Tokyo. If you prefer a more cozy and quiet atmosphere, check out our post about this great place where we had dinner: Udon Yamacho.

Snekpeek Tip: We were searching for a sweet dessert when we stumbled across Yebisu Garden Place Tower. The 38th and 39th floors have lots of fancy restaurants, which was not what we had in mind. However, there are massive windows offering incredible views of the city! For free!

TOKYO ITINERARY - day 2

teamlab Borderless

As we have already told you in our complete guide of must-do’s while in Tokyo, a visit to teamLab Borderless is almost mandatory. Plan to arrive there as soon as it opens! This way, you’ll avoid the crowds and make the most of your day.

Harajuku and Omotesando

Spend the afternoon in the crazy Harajuku. The journey to get there takes about 40 minutes (Rinkai Line + Yamanote Line), so plan accordingly. Harajuku is the hub for Japanese pop culture, and it’s a neighborhood with endless things to do. If you only have time to do one thing, take a stroll down the busy Takeshita street, the heart of Harajuku. Get a sugar rush from all its famous sweets, hop in a purikura photo booth, get in funky shops, and spot the “fashionable” street styles!

By the end of Takeshita, you will find Omotesando, filled with high-end luxury shops. Wander around the secondary streets to spot little boutiques and cute cafes. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the impressive entrance of the Tokyo Plaza Shopping mall!

On your way back to Harajuku station, pay a visit to the marvelous Yoyogi park, ending the day between the nature.

TOKYO ITINERARY - day 3

Shimokitazawa

The Shimokitazawa neighborhood is all about thrift shops, vintage clothes, and independent cafes. It’s a gathering place for creative people of all kinds, holding an incredible bohemian energy. It was one of our favorite places in Tokyo, and we believe it will be yours as well.

Shinjuku

Getting to Shinjuku from Shimokitazawa takes only 8 minutes, thanks to the Odakyu Line. We recommend you spend at least a night wandering around Shinjuku. The district comes alive after dark, and it is everything we’ve had in our minds when we thought about Tokyo: towering skyscrapers, bright neon lights, huge tv screens, and tons of people crossing the streets. Eating some Yakitori in Piss Alley, or sipping a drink in Golden Gai, is an absolute must (in fact, we’ve mentioned both in our best things to do in Tokyo). If you want to see the city lights from above, you can go to the free Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory, or spoil yourself with a glass of wine in the amazing Park Hyatt.

TOKYO ITINERARY - day 4

Akihabara

Welcome to the mecca of electronics, video games, and anime. By now, you will probably think you’ve seen it all: well, think again! Akihabara will still manage to surprise you with the weirdest things you can imagine. We’re talking about maid cafes, a seven-floor sex shop, massive game centers (like the towering Sega building), a nine-story electronics department, and infinite stores specialized in anime goods. We even heard about underground places where maid cafes serve real drinking breast milk!
Start in the main street of Chuo Dori and explore this strange, yet fascinating district. And above all, remember to keep an open mind!

More options

If you managed to have some time left, here are our top choices of more neighborhoods worth a visit!

Shibuya: is one of the most vibrant parts of the city. We found it quite similar to Harajuku, and that’s why we didn’t include it on this itinerary. However, you should most definitely check around if you have the time.

Head over to the popular Shibuya Crossing (Hachiko exit of Shibuya station) and feel the energy of one of the busiest pedestrian crossings of the world. If you want to take a picture from above, go to the Starbucks Shibuya Tsutaya, one of the best – and free! – places to spot it. Visit the acclaimed Center Gai street, and eat some delicious yet affordable sushi in Sushi no Midori or Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka. Finally, go up to the mind-blowing rooftop of the tallest building in Shibuya – Shibuya Scramble Square.

Asakusa: an old-fashioned district, known for the Sensoji Temple. We opted to skip it since we knew we would have the chance to visit marvelous temples in other cities, namely Kyoto. We’re glad we did it because we feel like Tokyo has much more to offer, and this choice made sense for us. However, it’s totally up to you, and despite the massive crowds of tourists, we’ve heard it’s a beautiful piece of Japanese culture. 

Koenji: another creative hub, filled with artists and alternative culture. We’ve heard it’s also a fun place for a night bar-hopping, with lots of live music concerts! 

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