How to Spend 1 Week in Tokyo
Why should you choose Tokyo for your Japan Trip? It’s simple, Tokyo is one of the great cities in the world. It is an expansive metropolis that blends traditional old Tokyo with the pop culture of modern Tokyo. It offers something for everybody, and you will never run out of things to do. If you’re a family, couple or group of friends, you can easily choose activities and attractions to ensure everybody is happy. So we created this page to help give you some inspiration for your Tokyo trip! On this page you will find the following information :
— How to Spend 1 Week in Tokyo
HOW TO SPEND 1 WEEK IN TOKYO
Tokyo is also home to a diverse range of neighbourhoods, each offering visitors its own unique atmosphere and attractions. To see a decent amount of Tokyo on your first trip, we recommend no less than 5 days in the capital. We have created a perfect 1 week itinerary for you to help you plan your stay! So let’s look at the best areas and activities that will give you a great 1 week introduction to the city’s culture, history and modern attractions!
Day 1 / Modern Tokyo – Shibuya / Half a Day
Shibuya is one of the most famous, and therefore busiest of Tokyo’s neighbourhoods. It is known for its youthful, vibrant atmosphere. Shibuya is known for its iconic ’Scramble Crossing’, statue of Hachikō, Harajuku, countless shops and fashion. If you want to experience the Tokyo you’ve seen in movies or on instagram, then Shibuya is a must for any first timer. However, not too far away from Harajuku is the tranquil and serene Meiji Jingue shrine which is an absolute must visit for first timers. If you’re going to visit some shrines and temples in Tokyo, make sure this is one of them. We recommend spending half a day exploring all Shibuya has to offer. Your Shibuya itinerary should include Shibuya Crossing, the Hachikō statue, Shibuya Sky, Miyashita Park, Harajuku, Meiji Jingu Shrine and plenty of shopping! If you want to experience Shibuya on your trip, join our ’Best of Both’ tour.
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Walking Tour in Shinjuku and Shibuya : The Best of Both | |
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| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 09:30 – 17:30 |
| Meeting Place | Inside Yotsuya-Sanchome Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥19,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥13,000 |
Day 1 / Modern Tokyo – Shinjuku / Half a Day
Known by locals as the entertainment district of Tokyo, Shinjuku has a long history with its nightlife, bars and restaurants. Shinjuku has an electric atmosphere, but is also tranquil in equal measure depending on where you want to explore. It offers a dynamic range of attractions to suit many people, and is perhaps geared more towards older people as oppose to Shinjuku’s more youthful culture. Surrounded by skyscrapers, a plethora of shops and department stores, and the bright lights of the games arcades and Kabukicho. Like Shibuya, visiting Shinjuku on your first trip to Tokyo will leave you with that quintessential ’Tokyo’ experience. We recommend spending half a day exploring Shinjuku. Your Shinjuku itinerary should include Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Shinjuku Historical Museum, Hanazono Shrine, Golden Gai, Kabukicho and the Godzilla statue! Join our ‘Best of Both’ tour or our ‘Hotspots and Hidden Gems’ tour to experience Shinjuku!
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Walking Tour in Shinjuku and Kagurazaka : Tokyo Hot Spots and Hidden Gems | |
| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 09:30 – 17:30 |
| Meeting Place | Inside Yotsuya Sanchome Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥19,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥13,000 |
Day 2 / Traditional Tokyo / 1 Day
For those wanting a great first introduction to Tokyo and a taste of its past, first time visitors should look no further than Asakusa. Famous for its historical and traditional atmosphere, it has some of the best temples and shrines in all of Tokyo, including the oldest temple in Tokyo, Senso-ji. Asakusa also has many narrow side streets giving you that old Tokyo vibe. These narrow streets are lined with amazing street food vendors and local crafts to pick up the perfect souvenir. Nakamise Dori is a great example of this.
For those wanting to try wearing the traditional dress of Kimono or Yukata, Asakusa is one of the best places in Tokyo to do this! Make sure to also wander off the popular tourist path in Asakusa to find hidden shrines and temples, fantastic experiences such as Taiko Drum playing and nature walks along the Sumida River in the park. For some of the best panoramic views of Tokyo, Tokyo Skytree is a must and we highly recommend visiting in the evening to watch the sunset and see Tokyo lit up! Your itinerary should include Senso-ji Temple and Asakusa Shrine, Nakamise Dori, Asakusa Tourist Information Centre, Kappabashi ’Kitchen Town’, Hoppy Dori, Taikokan Drum Museum, Samurai and Ninja Museum, Sumida Park and Tokyo Skytree. Join our ‘1 Day Walking Tour in Asakusa’ for the chance to explore this amazing area!
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Walking Tour in Asakusa : Traditional Tokyo, Culinary Delights and Nature | |
| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 09:30- 17:00 |
| Meeting Place | Outside the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre |
| Adult Rate | ¥17,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥11,000 |
Day 3 / Culture and Art / 1 Day
Ueno is the laidback and cultural hub of Tokyo. Home to Ueno Park, you will find an array of historic shrines and temples, retro shopping and eateries, some of Japan’s largest and most impressive museums, Ueno Zoo and a beautiful lake. There is also a traditional flea market held in the park most weekends where you can buy beautiful crafts. In Spring, the park shines with beautiful blooming Cherry trees that you can enjoy. From Ueno, you can hop on the JR Yamanote line to nearby Akihabara for all things anime and pop culture! Here you can enjoy the bright lights and neon signs, character cafes, games arcades and shopping for anime goods. Your itinerary should include Ameyoko, Ueno Park, Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Ueno Zoo, and a museum of your choice such as Tokyo National Museum or the National Museum of Nature and Science, Akihabara’s electric town. Join our ‘Ueno and Yanaka’ tour to experience many of the attractions mentioned above.
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Walking Tour in Ueno and Yanaka : Culture, Art and Old Tokyo | |
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| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 09:30 – 17:00 |
| Meeting Place | Outside Ueno Station Park Gate Exit |
| Adult Rate | ¥17,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥11,000 |
Day 4 / The Hidden Gem of Tokyo / Half a day to 1 Day
Just a stone’s throw away from Ueno is the nostaglic and charming area known as ‘Yanesen’ comprising of Yanaka, Sendagi and Nezu. Together, this trifecta of neighbourhoods will satisfy any first timer wanting to escape the crowds and get off the beaten path of Tokyo! Contrasting with the high rise buildings in other parts of Tokyo, the hidden gem of Yanesen is full of traditional, low level buildings full of craft shops, street food vendors and cafes. ‘Yanesen’ is also home to beautiful shrines and temples. For fans of Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, Nezu Shrine provides just as much beauty with its rows of red Torii gates. Nearby Sendagi has some great traditional shops, cafes and a small park. Yanaka is home to some amazing galleries and museums such as Asakura Museum of Scultpure.
You can even enjoy a traditional tea ceremony in Yanaka at Gallery Okubo. If you’re looking for a trendy cafe, Miyano-yu in Nezu is an old traditional bath house that has been restored into a cool cafe! Here you can enjoy matcha or coffee. So challenge yourself as a first timer to explore a different side to Tokyo! We recommend spending anywhere between half a day to 1 day exploring here. Your ’Yanesen’ itinerary should include Yanaka Cemetry and Sakura Dori, Asakura Museum of Sculpture, Yanaka Ginza, Sendagi Sudo Park, Nezu Shrine, and Nezu’s Miyano-yu Cafe. Join our ‘Yanasen’ Old Tokyo tour to experience a true hidden gem of Tokyo.
1 Day Tour
| Walking Tour in Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi : Experience Tea Ceremony and ’Yanesen’ Old Tokyo | |
| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 10.30 – 17:10 |
| Meeting Place | Outside Nippori Station WEST exit |
| Adult Rate | ¥17,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥11,000 |
Day 5 / Shopping and Relaxation / 1 Day
For your final day in Tokyo, you should enjoy any last minute shopping, and the relaxing attractions and experiences it has to offer. Head to the famous Tsukiji Outer Marketwhich opens from 6am for a breakfast like no other as you sample the culinary delights of the freshest sushi, seafood, Wagyu beef and fruits. From the market, you can take a short walk of ten minutes to one of Tokyo’s most historic and famous gardens Hamarikyu, to enjoy a walk amongst nature and a tea experience at their tea house. From there, walk 20 minutes to Zojo-ji temple to watch Buddhist Monks chanting and try your hand at Sutra copying. A very relaxing and traditional experience that you can do at the temple.
Tokyo Tower is located right behind Zojo-ji temple, so we recommend visiting to take in more panoramic views of the city from the top of the retro tower. From Tokyo Tower, venture across to the lux and modern area of Roppongi. Here you can visit the Mori Building and go to the famous Teamlab Borderless exhibition. A relaxing and immersive digital art experience that is one of a kind! Roppongi also has some great luxury shopping and restaurants. Your itinerary should include Tsukiji Outer Market, Hamarikyu Gardens, Zojoji Temple, Tokyo Tower, TeamLab and shopping. Join our Tokyo Highlights tour to experience Tokyo Tower as well as many other great attractions Tokyo has to offer!
1 Day Tour
| Tokyo Highlights Tour : Sumo, Sushi, Tea, Temples and Tokyo Tower | |
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| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 08:15 – 16:30 |
| Meeting Place | Inside of Hamacho Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥19,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥13,000 |
BEST TOURS IN TOKYO
To make your Tokyo trip planning easy and smooth, we at SMR have done the hard work for you by crafting a great range of Tokyo based tours to choose from. Our tours cover a wide range of the areas mentioned above, with both the hot spots and some hidden gems in Tokyo included.
Tokyo is steeped in history. The city has faced many hardships from earthquakes, fires and the air raids of WW2, and unfortunately many of its oldest buildings and structures have disappeared over time. However, Tokyo does a fantastic job at celebrating and retaining much of its character and culture, with stunning renovations of temples and shrines, museums housing some of Japan’s finest artefacts, and pockets of neighbourhoods that have managed to preserve its original architecture despite the many challenges its faced. Pop culture lovers will rejoice at Japan’s modern aesthetic, with its bright lights and neon signs that make the city glow at night. There is so much to see and do in Tokyo. So checkout our ’Best Tours in Tokyo’ page which will give you information on the best tours in Tokyo as well as the best day trips from Tokyo throughout the Kanto region.
THINGS TO DO IN TOKYO
This page would not be complete without also suggesting our wider list of recommendations on things to do in Tokyo. Pick and mix from our recommendations to help you build a customised itinerary. So why not check out our 25 Things to Do in Tokyo page which will also give you plenty of inspiration for your short time spent in Tokyo. Here you will find some of the best activities and recommendations on how to spend your time in the Capital, as well as some tours that you could join to make the most out of your short stay!
From watching Sumo wrestlers train to eating the freshest sushi at local markets, playing Taiko drums to exploring hidden shrines and temples, Tokyo truly has it all. Our Tokyo tours enable you to pick and choose from a wide range of areas and activities to explore during your trip. Want to explore lesser known neighbourhoods in Tokyo, or do you want to get into the hustle and bustle of the world’s most populated city, then click the link above and start exploring what you can do in Tokyo to make your trip unforgettable.
HOW TO GET TO TOKYO
As Japan’s sprawling capital, Tokyo is the start and end point of numerous train lines and express bus services making it easy to reach from all over the country. Our ‘How to Get to Tokyo’ page includes detailed information about how to get there from popular starting points including Tokyo Haneda airport and Tokyo Narita. Why not also check out our ’Comparing Tokyo Haneda Airport and Tokyo Narita Airport’ page for more useful information for planning your trip.
WHERE TO STAY WHEN VISITING TOKYO
There is no shortage of accommodation in Tokyo ranging from luxury hotels, mid-range to budget, youth hostels and even capsule hotels! The areas of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Tokyo are among the most popular with tourists, all of which have excellent public transport links, shopping, bars and restaurants. Therefore they make excellent bases for a short stay in the city. Check out our Tokyo destination page which includes everything you need to know about the city, and our ‘Where to Stay in Tokyo’ page for what areas to book your hotels and find the right accommodation for you.
