A photograph of Tokyo

City guide · Japan

Up to 1 hour in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a network of major station districts rather than a single centre. Historic Asakusa and Ueno, commercial Ginza and Marunouchi, and the western hubs of S...

Photograph · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0

22,518 Places
Suggested stay
5–6 days
Getting around
JR, subway and private rail with an IC card

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Tokyo

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Tokyo is a network of major station districts rather than a single centre. Historic Asakusa and Ueno, commercial Ginza and Marunouchi, and the western hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya each work as separate sightseeing clusters. Rail makes movement reliable, but large stations and cross-city transfers consume time. A good itinerary stays on one side of the city for half a day and uses the Yamanote loop, subway lines and through-running rail services to connect clusters.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Japanese
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+81
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 119 fire and ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A · 100 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
JNTO states that tap water is safe to drink

Planning a visit

November · November in Tokyo has mean high 16.7°C, mean low 8.8°C, rainfall 96.3 mm, 7.4 rain days. Comfortable daytime temperatures give Tokyo a strong walking and garden-sightseeing window. November visitors can plan longer days outside in Tokyo with relatively little weather friction.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: good time to visit
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  10. October: good time to visit
  11. November: best time to visit — current month
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Meiji Jingū Meiji Jingū
    02 1 hour

    Meiji Jingū

    明治神宮

    Meiji Jingū is a living Shinto shrine in Tokyo's Shibuya ward, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. It was completed in 1920, after trees were donated from across Japan to create a planned, self-renewing forest around the sacred buildings.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  2. Tokyo Imperial Palace
    03 45 min

    Tokyo Imperial Palace

    皇居

    The Imperial Palace in Tokyo has served as the residential palace of successive Emperors since 1868.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
  3. Tokyo Skytree Tokyo Skytree
    04 45 min

    Tokyo Skytree

    東京スカイツリー

    Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It serves as the primary structure for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in the Kantō region.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  4. Tokyo Tower Tokyo Tower
    05 45 min

    Tokyo Tower

    東京タワー

    Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in the Minato ward of Tokyo. The structure serves as a broadcasting antenna for television and radio signals.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  5. Ueno Imperial Grant Park Ueno Imperial Grant Park
    06 1 hour

    Ueno Imperial Grant Park

    上野公園

    Ueno Park, known locally as Ueno Onshi Koen, is a major public park in Tokyo. It occupies a significant area in the Taito ward and serves as one of the city's most prominent green spaces.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  6. Shinjuku Gyoen Shinjuku Gyoen
    07 1 hour

    Shinjuku Gyoen

    新宿御苑

    Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a large park and garden in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The local name is 新宿御苑. It occupies a significant area in one of Tokyo's busiest districts.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  7. Tsukiji fish market Tsukiji fish market
    08 45 min

    Tsukiji fish market

    築地場外市場

    Tsukiji Outer Market is a public commercial district adjacent to the former site of the Tsukiji wholesale fish market.

    • Must see
    • Market
  8. Nakamise Street Nakamise Street
    09 45 min

    Nakamise Street

    仲見世商店街

    Nakamise is the merchant approach to Sensō-ji, running about 250 metres from Kaminarimon to Hōzōmon in Tokyo's Asakusa district. It is a shopping street on the way to a working temple, not a ticketed museum or the temple's main hall.

    • High
    • Historic site
  9. Takeshita Street Takeshita Street
    10 45 min

    Takeshita Street

    Takeshita Street is a narrow pedestrian shopping street in Harajuku, running from the area beside Harajuku Station toward the northern end of Omotesando. The street is known for youth fashion, accessories, cosmetics, novelty goods, crepes and quick-service food.

    • High
    • Historic site
  10. Kabukicho Kabukicho
    11 45 min

    Kabukicho

    歌舞伎町

    Kabukichō is Shinjuku’s dense entertainment district, occupying the area northeast of Shinjuku Station. The neighborhood combines restaurants, bars, karaoke, cinemas, pachinko halls, hotels and adult-oriented businesses in a compact grid of bright signs and narrow streets.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  11. Odaiba Odaiba
    12 45 min

    Odaiba

    お台場

    Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, originally developed for defensive purposes in the 1850s and later transformed into a major commercial and leisure district during the late 20th century.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  12. Kabuki-za Kabuki-za
    13 1 hour

    Kabuki-za

    歌舞伎座

    Kabuki-za is the principal kabuki theatre in Tokyo and the most important venue for this classical Japanese performing art form. Located in the Ginza district, it has served as the cultural heart of kabuki since its original construction in 1889.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  13. Roppongi Hills Roppongi Hills
    14 45 min

    Roppongi Hills

    六本木ヒルズ

    Roppongi Hills is a major urban development in Tokyo's Minato ward, centered around the Mori Tower. Opened in 2003, the complex was developed by Mori Building Company as a model for integrated urban renewal.

    • High
    • Historic site
  14. Yoyogi Park Yoyogi Park
    16 1 hour

    Yoyogi Park

    代々木公園

    Yoyogi Park is a large public park in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, close to Harajuku and Meiji Shrine. Known locally as 代々木公園, it combines broad lawns, wooded areas, walking routes, cycling paths, and water features in a major urban green space.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  15. Kiyosumi Garden Kiyosumi Garden
    17 1 hour

    Kiyosumi Garden

    清澄庭園

    Kiyosumi Gardens is a traditional Japanese stroll garden in Tokyo’s Fukagawa district. Its design leads visitors around a central pond, where islands, bridges, hills, and carefully positioned stones create changing views at walking level.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  16. Sumida River Sumida River
    18 1 hour

    Sumida River

    隅田川

    The Sumida River is a major waterway flowing through eastern Tokyo, connecting the Arakawa River to Tokyo Bay. It has historically defined the city's eastern geography and development.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
  17. Toyosu Market Toyosu Market
    19 45 min

    Toyosu Market

    豊洲市場

    Toyosu Market is Tokyo's principal wholesale fish and seafood market, successor to the historic Tsukiji Market. The facility relocated to the artificial island of Toyosu in October 2018.

    • High
    • Market
  18. Kappabashi kitchen street Kappabashi kitchen street
    20 45 min

    Kappabashi kitchen street

    合羽橋

    Kappabashi Kitchen Street, known locally as かっぱ橋道具街, is a specialized commercial district in Tokyo dedicated to restaurant supply and kitchenware. The street stretches approximately 800 meters and hosts numerous shops selling professional-grade cooking equipment, tableware, food replicas, and culinary tools.

    • High
    • Historic site
  19. Yanaka Ginza Yanaka Ginza
    21 45 min

    Yanaka Ginza

    谷中銀座

    Yanaka Ginza is a historic shopping street in Tokyo's Yanaka district, part of the traditional shitamachi downtown area.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  20. SHIBUYA SKY SHIBUYA SKY
    22 20 min

    SHIBUYA SKY

    Shibuya Sky

    Shibuya Sky is an observation facility in Shibuya, Tokyo, offering panoramic views of the metropolitan area. Located within the Shibuya Scramble Square complex, the attraction occupies upper floors of a prominent high-rise building.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
  21. Rikugi Garden Rikugi Garden
    23 45 min

    Rikugi Garden

    六義園

    Rikugien Gardens is a historic Japanese strolling garden in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward. Known locally as 六義園, it follows the kaiyushiki teien tradition: a walking route organized around a central pond and a sequence of changing viewpoints.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  22. Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden
    24 1 hour

    Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden

    小石川後楽園

    Koishikawa Kōrakuen is a historic Japanese garden in Bunkyō Ward, Tokyo. Its local name is 小石川後楽園. The garden is recognized as a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  23. Sumida Park Sumida Park
    25 1 hour

    Sumida Park

    隅田公園

    Sumida Park is a riverside public park along the Sumida River in Tokyo. The park stretches along both banks of the river, with sections in Taito Ward and Sumida Ward.

    • Must see
    • Nature site

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Central Tokyo is easiest to understand as an east-west sequence. Asakusa, Ueno and Yanaka carry much of the older city; Tokyo Station, Marunouchi, Nihonbashi and Ginza form the central business and shopping core; Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku anchor the west. Roppongi and Akasaka sit between those spines, while Odaiba lies across the bay. The wider metropolis extends well beyond the central wards, so Mt Takao, western Tokyo and island destinations belong to separate day plans rather than a central-city route.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Use rail for nearly every cross-city journey. Tokyo Metro operates nine lines and Toei operates four subway lines, alongside JR and private railways; a rechargeable IC card removes most ticketing friction across operators. The subway alone covers more than 280 stations, but JR passes do not cover Tokyo Metro or Toei services. Trains generally stop around midnight, so late-night plans need a route check. Inside a district, walking is usually faster than making a one-stop transfer through a very large station.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days does Tokyo need?

Suggested stay for a first visit: 5–6 days. Use five days for the main eastern, central and western Tokyo areas and chosen museums. A sixth day gives another Tokyo district more room; a trip outside the city needs separate time.

When is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Spring and autumn usually give the most comfortable walking weather. Peak blossom and foliage periods can be crowded, so the broader March-May and October-November windows are more useful than targeting one forecasted week.

Do visitors need a rail pass inside Tokyo?

Usually not. A rechargeable IC card is simpler because Tokyo journeys may involve JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei and private railways. A JR pass does not cover the two subway operators.

Does Tokyo public transport run all night?

No. The official Tokyo guide notes that last trains are commonly between about 23:30 and 00:30, with first services around 05:00. Check the final connection before a late evening across town.

Which districts should be combined?

Pair Asakusa with Ueno, Marunouchi with Ginza, and Shibuya with Harajuku. Shinjuku can fill its own half day. Grouping nearby station districts reduces transfers through large hubs.