HomeTripsPlacesPhotos
bothwaysGet started
Home/Destinations/Tokyo

Tokyo travel guide: what to do, when to go, how long to stay

The most rewarding big city on earth for people who like to wander.

How long to stay
5–7 days, or 10 with a Kyoto leg
Best time to go
Late March to early April, and October to November
Rough daily budget
Mid-range: roughly ¥14,000–22,000 (about $95–150) per person per day

Tokyo doesn't have a centre so much as a dozen of them, each with its own personality — and the trains between them run so reliably that a day can hold four neighbourhoods without feeling rushed. It's enormous, immaculate, and far easier to navigate than first-timers expect.

It's also the best food city in the world at every price point. A ¥900 bowl of ramen from a vending-machine counter can outclass a tasting menu somewhere else. Plan loosely, follow your nose, and accept that you'll only see a fraction.

When to visit Tokyo

Get the bothways app
On Android, download it from Google Play. On iPhone, add it to your home screen straight from the browser.
Download onGoogle Play
bothways
HomeExplore everythingBlogFree templatesTravel questionsTermsPrivacy
Who it's for
For couplesFor group tripsCollaborative planningFor family vacationsFor bachelorette tripsFor honeymoonsFor reunion tripsFor road trips
Compare
vs Wanderlogvs TripIt

Cherry blossom and autumn colour are genuinely worth planning around, and both come with mild, dry walking weather.

  • Best window: Late March to early April, and October to November
  • Quieter and cheaper: May and early June are underrated — green, warm, and far less crowded than blossom season.
  • Worth avoiding: Mid-June to mid-July is the rainy season; August is humid to the point of being punishing.

Places to visit in Tokyo

Shibuya and the Scramble
The crossing is the postcard, but the real draw is the streets behind it — record shops, standing bars, department-store basements full of food.
Shinjuku's alley bars
Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai: six-seat bars stacked in warrens. Go early, be polite about cover charges, and don't crowd in with a group of eight.
Tsukiji Outer Market
The wholesale auction moved to Toyosu, but the outer market is still where you eat tamagoyaki and uni at 8am.
Yanaka and Nezu
The low-rise old-Tokyo pocket that survived the war and the bubble. Cemetery walks, cats, and a shopping street with no chains.
teamLab
The digital-art installations are genuinely spectacular and completely booked out. Buy tickets the moment you fix your dates.
Shimokitazawa
Vintage shops, tiny live venues, and a curry festival if your timing's lucky. The best neighbourhood for an unplanned afternoon.
Save these to a trip on bothways
Keep every spot in one shared plan the whole group can edit.

A 3-day Tokyo itinerary

A workable shape rather than a schedule to obey — two fixed things a day, and room to change your mind.

Day 1 — West side orientation
Meiji Jingu and the forest walk, then Harajuku's back streets
Lunch in Shibuya — a department store basement is the easy group answer
Afternoon in Shimokitazawa for vintage and coffee
Dinner and standing bars in Shinjuku; end in Omoide Yokocho
Day 2 — Old Tokyo and the river
Early Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast
Senso-ji in Asakusa before the coaches arrive, then Nakamise for snacks
River bus or train to Yanaka for the afternoon
Yakitori under the tracks in Yurakuchō
Day 3 — Modern Tokyo
teamLab in the morning on pre-booked tickets
Toyosu or Odaiba for lunch and the bay
Ginza in the late afternoon — Itoya, the food halls, the basement bakeries
Sushi counter dinner; book the good one weeks ahead
See the full 3-day Tokyo itinerary guide →

Getting around

Get a Suica or Pasmo on your phone and stop thinking about it. The Yamanote loop connects most of what you'll want; Google Maps handles transfers accurately down to the platform exit.

Planning Tokyo with a group

Tokyo rewards splitting up. Restaurants seat parties of two to four easily and groups of eight barely at all, so plan to break apart for meals and meet at a station. A shared plan with everyone's picks on it saves the endless 'where are you now' texting.

Tokyo FAQs

How many days do you need in Tokyo?
Five days is the sweet spot for a first visit — enough for four or five neighbourhoods plus a day trip. Three feels rushed; ten is easy to fill.
Is Tokyo expensive?
Less than you'd think. Transit, casual food and convenience-store meals are cheap; hotels and high-end dining are where the money goes.
Do you need to speak Japanese?
No. Station signage and menus in central Tokyo are bilingual, and translation apps handle the rest. A few polite phrases go a long way.
Is a Japan Rail Pass worth it?
Only if you're doing multiple long-distance legs. For Tokyo alone, or Tokyo plus one Kyoto round trip, individual shinkansen tickets are usually cheaper.
Plan your Tokyo trip together

Pairs well with

Thailand

Bangkok

The best street food on the planet, and a transport system that makes the chaos navigable.

Indonesia

Bali

Three or four completely different trips sharing one island.

Keep exploring: All destinations · Best places to visit · Itinerary guides · Travel questions
vs a Google Sheet
vs Notion
vs Google Maps lists
vs Tripsy
vs Roadtrippers
Trip planners by destination
Lisbon trip plannerTokyo trip plannerMexico City trip plannerBarcelona trip plannerRome trip plannerParis trip plannerAmsterdam trip plannerIceland trip plannerAll destinations
Travel itinerary guides
3 days in Lisbon3 days in Tokyo3 days in Mexico City3 days in Barcelona3 days in Rome3 days in Paris3 days in Amsterdam3 days in IcelandAll itineraries
Best places to visit by category
Beach destinationsFood citiesWalkable citiesBudget destinationsRomantic getawaysGroup trip destinationsOutdoors and national parksNightlife citiesFirst trip abroadWinter sunAll categories
Destinations by time of year
Travel in JanuaryTravel in FebruaryTravel in MarchTravel in AprilTravel in MayTravel in JuneTravel in JulyTravel in AugustTravel in SeptemberTravel in OctoberTravel in NovemberTravel in December
Road trips by destination
Pacific Coast HighwayThe Iceland Ring RoadThe Amalfi Coast driveThe North Coast 500The Blue Ridge ParkwayThe Great Ocean RoadRoad trip planner
Travel questions & answers
How far in advance should you plan a group trip?How do you pick trip dates everyone can actually do?How should you split costs on a group trip?How do you plan a trip when everyone has a different budget?How many days do you need in a city?How many activities should you plan per day?What is shoulder season, and is it worth travelling then?How do you choose a destination as a group?All questions
Free planning templates
Flight & Arrival TrackerDay-by-Day ItineraryShared Packing ListBudget SplitterAll templates
© 2026 bothways · plan trips with your people