Itinerary

5 Days in Tokyo: A Complete Day-by-Day Itinerary

Five days gives you room to breathe. You’ll cover the big sights in the first three days, then go deeper — a day trip to Kamakura or Nikko, a morning at Toyosu fish market, afternoon wandering through neighborhoods that don’t appear in most guidebooks. This is the itinerary for someone who wants to actually feel Tokyo, not just photograph it.

Best time to visit: late March through mid-April for cherry blossoms, or November for fall colors without the summer humidity.

Quick Overview

Day 1: Asakusa, Akihabara & Shinjuku

Morning — Senso-ji & Asakusa

Get to Senso-ji before 8 AM. Founded in 645 AD, it’s Tokyo’s oldest temple and draws over 30 million visitors per year — the most visited religious site in the world. The Kaminarimon gate, the incense smoke, the five-story pagoda — all of it hits harder without 500 people in frame. Walk Nakamise-dori as the stalls open and grab a hot ningyo-yaki (cake filled with red bean paste) for ¥300.

Cross the Sumida River and look back at the skyline — Tokyo Skytree, the Asahi Beer Hall’s golden flame, the old Asakusa rooftops. This view is free and better than any observation deck.

Where to eat: Sometaro for okonomiyaki — you cook it yourself on a griddle built into your table. Fun, filling, and about ¥1,000 per person.

Afternoon — Akihabara

Tsukuba Express to Akihabara (5 minutes). Spend a couple of hours in the electric town. Super Potato for retro games, Yodobashi Camera for sheer scale (8 floors of everything electronic), and the back streets for the real character — tiny hobby shops, figure stores, and arcades where salarymen play rhythm games at inhuman speed.

Where to eat: Kanda Matsuya for soba noodles. Cold seiro soba with tempura. ¥900–1,400. Cash only.

Evening — Shinjuku

JR Yamanote to Shinjuku. Start at Omoide Yokocho for yakitori and beer in the smoky alleyways. Then walk through Kabukicho — it’s loud and chaotic and you should see it at least once. End the night at Golden Gai, a labyrinth of 200+ tiny bars, each holding 5–10 people. Pick one that looks interesting, check the cover charge (usually ¥500–1,000), and have a drink.

Pro tip: Golden Gai bars often have a cover charge posted at the door. If there’s no sign, ask before sitting down. Most welcome tourists, but a few are regulars-only — just try the next one.

Day 2: Harajuku, Shibuya & Ebisu

Morning — Meiji Shrine & Harajuku

The forested walk to Meiji Shrine — dedicated in 1920 within 70 hectares of woodland planted with 120,000 trees from across Japan — is the most peaceful ten minutes you’ll have in Tokyo. Visit the shrine, then exit onto Takeshita Street for teen fashion chaos. Walk down to Cat Street and Omotesando for a more curated vibe — the Omotesando Hills building by Tadao Ando is worth ducking into just for the architecture.

Where to eat: Harajuku Gyoza Lou — pan-fried gyoza that’s crispy on the bottom and juicy inside. Six pieces for ¥290. There’s always a line, but it moves fast.

Afternoon — Shibuya

Walk to Shibuya Crossing — the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection, where up to 3,000 people cross simultaneously at peak times. For the best view, book Shibuya Sky in advance (¥2,000, the sunset slot is worth it) or grab a window seat at the Starbucks on the second floor of the Tsutaya building.

Explore Nonbei Yokocho (Drunkard’s Alley) near the station — it’s like a mini Golden Gai that most tourists walk right past. Then wander through Dogenzaka and the Center-gai backstreets.

Where to eat: Uobei (now rebranded as Sushiro near Shibuya) for conveyor belt sushi ordered via tablet. Fast, cheap, fun. ¥1,000–1,500.

Evening — Ebisu & Daikanyama

One stop on the JR to Ebisu. The Yebisu Beer Museum is free and ends with a tasting room. Walk to Daikanyama for dinner — it’s quieter, trendier, and the kind of neighborhood where you realize Tokyo has layers.

Where to eat: Afuri in Ebisu for yuzu shio ramen. Light, fragrant, and completely different from heavy tonkotsu. ¥1,100.

Pro tip: Tokyo restaurants often have realistic plastic food models (shokuhin sampuru) in their windows. If the menu is in Japanese, point at the model. Seriously — it’s what they’re there for.

Day 3: Tsukiji, Ginza, Roppongi & Tokyo Tower

Morning — Tsukiji Outer Market

Arrive by 8 AM. Eat your way through the outer market: tamagoyaki on a stick, fresh uni, grilled scallops, tuna sashimi. This is breakfast. Don’t eat before you come.

Where to eat: Graze the stalls. If you want a sit-down sushi breakfast, Sushi Zanmai is the reliable choice — omakase sets from ¥2,500.

Afternoon — Ginza & Imperial Palace

Walk to Ginza (10 minutes from Tsukiji). Window-shop the flagship stores, visit the Ginza Six rooftop garden, and stop at Itoya — 12 floors of Japanese stationery that’ll make you rethink your relationship with pens.

Continue to the Imperial Palace East Gardens (free, closed Mon/Fri). Quiet, well-maintained, and a good reset before the evening.

Where to eat: Ginza Kagari for chicken paitan ramen — creamy, rich, and unlike any ramen you’ve had. Get there at opening (11 AM) to beat the line. ¥1,200.

Evening — Roppongi & Tokyo Tower

Subway to Roppongi. The Mori Art Museum (53rd floor, ¥2,000) is open until 10 PM and includes rooftop access — arguably the best night view in the city. Walk to Tokyo Tower afterward. You don’t need to go up; it’s better from below, lit up against the sky.

Where to eat: Tsurutontan in Roppongi for udon — they serve comically large bowls with creative toppings. ¥1,200–1,800.

Pro tip: Most museums in Tokyo are closed on Mondays. Plan accordingly or you’ll find yourself standing outside a locked door.

Day 4: Day Trip to Kamakura

Getting There

Take the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku to Kamakura (about 1 hour, covered by Suica). The train ride itself is pleasant — you’ll pass through residential neighborhoods and eventually see the coast.

Morning — Great Buddha & Hase-dera

Start at Kotoku-in to see the Great Buddha (Daibutsu). Cast in 1252, it’s 13.35 meters tall, weighs approximately 121 tonnes, and has been sitting outside since a tsunami destroyed the temple around it in 1498. ¥300 entry. You can go inside the hollow statue for an extra ¥50.

Walk to Hase-dera next door — the hillside garden has ocean views and the cave with carved figures is atmospheric. ¥400.

Where to eat: Grab shirasu (tiny whitebait) on rice at one of the restaurants along Hase’s main street. It’s Kamakura’s signature dish — only available fresh when they’re in season (roughly March to December). ¥900–1,300.

Afternoon — Bamboo Temple & Komachi-dori

Take the Enoden train to Kamakura station and walk to Hokoku-ji (the Bamboo Temple). A small grove of thousands of bamboo stalks, with a tea house in the back where you can sit with matcha and look at the grove. ¥300 entry, ¥600 with matcha. It’s a 15-minute walk from the station or a short bus ride.

Walk back via Komachi-dori, the main pedestrian shopping street. Pick up souvenirs, try some Japanese sweets, and catch a train back to Tokyo.

Where to eat: Bowls on Komachi-dori for a poke bowl with local fish. ¥1,200. Or grab warabi mochi from a street vendor — it’s soft, dusted with kinako powder, and addictive.

Evening — Back in Tokyo

You’ll be back by 5–6 PM. Keep the evening low-key. Head to Nakameguro — the canal is lined with restaurants and bars and it’s gorgeous after dark (spectacular during cherry blossom season). Grab dinner and a drink at your own pace.

Pro tip: Sit on the left side of the train to Kamakura for brief glimpses of the ocean near Enoshima. If you have time, Enoshima island itself is worth a detour — a hilltop shrine, cave grottos, and seafood restaurants with ocean views.

Day 5: Shimokitazawa, Yanaka & Your Picks

Morning — Shimokitazawa

Take the Keio Inokashira Line from Shibuya to Shimokitazawa (3 minutes). This is Tokyo’s best neighborhood for vintage shopping, independent cafes, and live music venues. It was recently redeveloped with a cool open-air market area called Bonus Track — small food shops, a bookstore, and a general vibe that feels nothing like the rest of Tokyo.

Wander the vintage shops (there are dozens), grab a coffee, and enjoy a morning without a checklist.

Where to eat: Ballon d’Essai for coffee and a pastry in a calm setting. Or City Country City, a tiny second-floor cafe above a vintage shop — the kind of place you’d never find if you weren’t looking.

Afternoon — Yanaka

Take trains to Nippori station (about 30 minutes). Yanaka is old-school Tokyo — narrow streets, independent shops, temple cats, wooden houses. It survived both the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake (magnitude 7.9, which destroyed 44% of Tokyo) and World War II firebombing, so it still looks like the city did decades ago.

Walk Yanaka Ginza (the shopping street), visit a few of the 70+ temples in the area, and check out the SCAI the Bathhouse gallery — a contemporary art space in a converted 200-year-old bathhouse.

Where to eat: Yanaka Beer Hall for craft beer and sausages in a converted wooden house. ¥800–1,500. Casual and friendly.

Evening — Your Call

It’s your last night. Some options:

Pro tip: If you’re flying out of Narita the next morning, take the Narita Express from Shinjuku (about 80 minutes, ¥3,250). Book your seat the day before at the JR ticket counter — it does sell out during peak season.

Practical Info

Want to tweak this itinerary for your travel style? Tripstitch lets you adjust any day, swap activities, and get a custom plan with maps and directions — plan your Tokyo trip in seconds.