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3 days in Tokyo: an itinerary day by day

Shibuya Scramble Crossing seen from above by day, crowds walking across the diagonal zebra crossings between shops and busesQueue of people in front of the red and white Marion Crepes stand on Takeshita Street in HarajukuMain hall of Meiji Jingu shrine with its wide cypress-bark roof, seen across the stone courtyard between tall trees

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
11 of 15 free; 4 paid — see “Cost”
Duration
3 days, 9:30 to 17:50 each day
Start and finish
Shibuya Crossing → Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
On foot
≈ 1 h 13 min in total
Transport
6 rides, ≈ 2 h 31 min
Lunch
around 12:17
With kids
fine: short walks
Best time
Spring and November.

Day-by-day plan

Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.

Day 1 · Tokyo09:30–16:47 · 5 places · 7 h 20 min

  1. Shibuya Crossing

    · 30 min · Free

  2. 19 min · transport or taxi

  3. Takeshita Street

    · 45 min · Free

  4. 13 min on foot

  5. Meiji Jingu

    · 1 h · Free; Gyoen garden paid

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 29 min · transport or taxi

  8. Tokyo Imperial Palace

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  9. 31 min · transport or taxi

  10. Senso-ji

    · 1 h · Free

Day 2 · Tokyo09:30–17:02 · 5 places · 7 h 30 min

  1. Tokyo Tower

    · 1 h · Main Deck ¥1,500; Top Deck ¥3,300 online

  2. 5 min on foot

  3. Zojo-ji

    · 40 min · Free

  4. 19 min · transport or taxi

  5. Hamarikyu Gardens

    · 1 h · ¥300; over-65s ¥150

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 14 min on foot

  8. Tsukiji Outer Market

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  9. 14 min on foot

  10. Ginza

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Day 3 · Tokyo09:30–17:50 · 5 places · 8 h 20 min

  1. Akihabara

    · 2 h · Free

  2. 19 min · transport or taxi

  3. Ameyoko

    · 45 min · Free

  4. Lunch · 1 h
  5. 7 min on foot

  6. Ueno Park

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  7. 34 min · transport or taxi

  8. Kabukicho

    · 1 h · Free

  9. 20 min on foot

  10. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

    · 45 min · Free

Go · start

Add nearby

Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.

Kabuki-za

Tokyo, Japan

↝ 5 min1 h 30 min

Yanaka

Tokyo, Japan

↝ 19 min1 h 30 minfree

Odaiba

Tokyo, Japan

↝ 25 min3 hfree

Gotoku-ji

Tokyo, Japan

↝ 30 min45 minfree

What the route costs

11 of 15 are free; 4 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.

3Meiji Jingu501 hfree; Gyoen garden paid
4Tokyo Imperial Palace621 h 30 minfree
6Tokyo Tower561 hMain Deck ¥1,500; Top Deck ¥3,300 online
8Hamarikyu Gardens361 h¥300; over-65s ¥150
Other 11 places12 hFree
Total16 h 30 min11 of 15 free

Tips for each stop

Day 1

  1. 1

    Shibuya Crossing. The famous scramble crossing: 1,000–3,000 people cross on one green light. Free; the view from above is from Shibuya Sky.

  2. 2

    Takeshita Street. Harajuku's 350 m street of youth fashion: kawaii clothes, crêpes, rainbow candy floss. Free.

  3. 3

    Meiji Jingu. Tokyo's main Shinto shrine in a 70-hectare forest by Harajuku station. Free, sunrise to sunset.

  4. 4

    Tokyo Imperial Palace. The Emperor's residence on the site of Edo Castle. The East Gardens are free; closed Mondays and Fridays.

  5. 5

    Senso-ji. Tokyo's oldest temple in Asakusa: Kaminarimon Gate with its giant red lantern and Nakamise street. Free.

Day 2

  1. 6

    Tokyo Tower. The 333 m red-and-white tower: Main Deck at 150 m 1,500 yen, Top Deck at 250 m 3,300 online. Until 23:00.

  2. 7

    Zojo-ji. The Tokugawa shoguns' family temple below Tokyo Tower, with a gate from 1622. Grounds free.

  3. 8

    Hamarikyu Gardens. An Edo-era garden on the bay among skyscrapers: a seawater pond and a teahouse. 300 yen.

  4. 9

    Tsukiji Outer Market. A 'town of food': hundreds of stalls with sushi, tamagoyaki, dried fish and knives. Free; mornings until lunch.

  5. 10

    Ginza. Tokyo's famous upmarket shopping district with the Wako clock tower. Pedestrian at weekends 12:00–17:00.

Day 3

  1. 11

    Akihabara. The district of electronics, anime and video games: multi-storey shops and arcades. Shops roughly 10:00–21:00.

  2. 12

    Ameyoko. A noisy market under the JR tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi: 250+ stalls and street food. Free.

  3. 13

    Ueno Park. One of Japan's first parks, 1873: cherry avenue, boating pond, museums and the zoo (600 yen, closed Mondays).

  4. 14

    Kabukicho. Shinjuku's entertainment district: neon gates and the Godzilla head above the Toho building. Liveliest at night.

  5. 15

    Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Free observation decks on level 45, 202 m up: Mount Fuji on a clear day. South deck until 22:00.

Who this route is for

Good for
  • A first trip of 3–4 days
  • Anime, food and neon
  • Independent
Not for
  • Fuji is day four
  • The Ghibli Museum needs booking a month ahead
Best time

Spring and November.

How the three days work

The first two days are the 2-day itinerary. Day three is the north of the centre by day — Ueno, Ameyoko, Akihabara — and Shinjuku in the evening, when the deck and Kabukicho are at their best.

Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another one nearby — the times recalculate.

Akihabara

The main street is Chuo-dori: multi-storey electronics, anime and manga shops and game arcades. It goes pedestrian on Sundays. Shops open roughly 10:00–21:00.

Shinjuku at night

The South Observatory on level 45 of the government building stays open until about 22:00 and is free; in the evening a projection show runs on the façade. Kabukicho is 20 minutes' walk away: the neon Ichibangai gate and the Godzilla head above the Toho building.

Is 3 days in Tokyo enough?

Yes, for the highlights. With more time: Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko (the 4-day itinerary), teamLab Planets in Toyosu, the Ghibli Museum by advance booking, or Kamakura, an hour away, with its Great Buddha.

How to do it right

  • Ueno Zoo and the Tokyo National Museum close on Mondays.
  • Kabukicho is safe at night, but don't follow touts into bars.
  • Keep quiet at temples and shrines and take your shoes off before entering halls; photos inside halls are often not allowed. There is no tipping in Japan.
  • Japan uses the yen. Foreign cards work almost everywhere, but temples, markets and small cafés want cash. A Suica or PASMO card pays for trains, metro and shops by the station.
  • The Shinjuku deck is free — best at sunset.

Questions

What is a good 3-day Tokyo itinerary?

Shibuya, Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji; Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji and Ginza; Ueno, Ameyoko, Akihabara and Shinjuku.

Is 3 days in Tokyo enough?

Yes for the highlights. Fuji and Kamakura need a day each.

Where is the free observation deck in Tokyo?

In the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, level 45.

When is Akihabara open?

Shops roughly 10:00–21:00; the street is pedestrian on Sundays.

How much do three days cost?

About 2,000–3,000 yen in tickets, plus metro and food.

Is it good with kids?

Yes; there is also a separate Tokyo with kids itinerary.

How do I visit the Ghibli Museum?

Only with advance tickets; from abroad they are sold through Lawson Ticket.

What day trips from Tokyo are best?

Mount Fuji, Kamakura or Mount Takao.

When is the best time?

Spring and November.

How do I pay in Japan?

Japan uses the yen. Foreign cards work almost everywhere, but temples, markets and small cafés want cash. A Suica or PASMO card pays for trains, metro and shops by the station.

Sources and fact-check

  • Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
  • Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
  • Wikipedia: Akihabara, Shinjuku
YesGo editorial team ·
How we checkedDay one is the city's one-day route; the next days were put together by hand — an area, or a full-day trip. The YesGo planner works out the order within each day, the transfers and lunch. Prices, hours and closing days come from the place pages.

More Tokyo routes

Other cities in Japan: one-day routes