5 days in Tokyo
Neon, temples and the most precise bowl of noodles you will ever eat. A 5-day plan.
Tokyo is enormous but easy: spotless trains, safe streets and neighbourhoods that each feel like their own small city. It holds more celebrated restaurants than anywhere on earth, and some of the best food costs less than a cinema ticket.
Day by day
Day 1: Asakusa and Ueno
See Sensō-ji at dawn, spend the late morning at the Tokyo National Museum and wander Ueno Park.
Day 2: Harajuku and Shibuya
Walk through Meiji Jingū, browse Omotesando and watch Shibuya Crossing from Shibuya Sky at sunset.
Day 3: Shinjuku
Relax in Shinjuku Gyoen, then explore Omoide Yokocho and the tiny bars of Golden Gai at night.
Day 4: Markets, Ginza and digital art
Breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market, graze a Ginza department-store food hall and visit teamLab Planets in the evening.
Day 5: Day trip
Head to Hakone for hot springs and Fuji views, or to Nikkō for its shrines.
Make it work
- Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov. See the season calendar.
- Book ahead: the most popular sights and restaurants, especially in peak season.
- Where to eat along the way: Tsukiji Outer Market, Ichiran, Afuri.
- Getting around: Tokyo's rail network is superb.
Short on time, or staying longer?
With less time, keep the first days and skip the day trip. With more, add a slower day for a neighbourhood from our best areas to stay, or choose more from the full list of things to do.
Opening days and times change, and some sights close one day a week. Check before you go. Last reviewed October 2026.