Tokyo

Food lovers, families, design and culture travellers — with transport that makes the scale easy

¥130,000budget · 5 days89 / 100Nollu score5–7 dayssuggested length

Tokyo at a glance

Tokyo is not one city but many neighbourhoods stacked together. Give a day to each area rather than chasing a list, and the city opens instead of overwhelming — quiet shrines, frenetic crossings and the best meals of your trip within walking distance.

Best time to visitMarch to April (cherry blossom) and October to November (autumn colour) are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot and humid; winter is crisp.

Where to base yourself

Shinjuku / west sideSkyscrapers, food alleys and a transport hub — energetic and convenient.
Asakusa / east sideSenso-ji, old-town lanes and a calmer, historic feel with river views.
Shibuya / HarajukuYouth culture, shopping and the famous crossing — vivid and walkable.

A sample 3-day rhythm

Day 1Settle in, make your first meal count and take an evening walk near your base.
Day 2Start at one great site (Senso-ji or Meiji Shrine) early, then a district of museums or shopping before dusk.
Day 3Pick a day trip or a themed neighbourhood — a market breakfast, neighbourhood temples or a big park.

Want more? Use the planner to stretch this into a full trip.

Tips before you go

Buy a prepaid IC card (Suica or Pasmo) for trains, buses and convenience stores.
Lunch is the cheaper, calmer way to try famous restaurants.
Look up as well as ahead — Tokyo's interesting layers are above eye level.
On trains, follow the quiet-carriage cues; silence is a courtesy, not coldness.

Common questions

Is Tokyo easy for first-timers?: Easier than its reputation. The trains are logical and signage is good; the challenge is choice, not navigation.
How many days?: Five to seven days lets you cover three or four neighbourhoods plus a day trip.

Editor's destination note