City guide · 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
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.
Reviewed by 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
September · September in Tokyo has JMA's 1991–2020 Kanto normal of 1.2 typhoon approaches. This is a route-planning risk, but the local monthly normal is below a severe-disruption threshold; the month remains NEUTRAL with a weather fallback.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
96 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
葛西臨海水族園
Tokyo Sea Life Park, known locally as Kasai Rinkai Suizokuen, is a public aquarium located in the Kasai Rinkai Park area of Edogawa Ward. The facility focuses on aquatic environments from around the globe, with particular attention to marine ecosystems.
東京都現代美術館
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is a major public art museum in Tokyo’s Koto ward. Its collection and exhibitions focus on contemporary art from the postwar period to the present, with Japanese and international artists represented.
国立競技場
National Stadium, or Kokuritsu Kyōgijō, is Tokyo’s purpose-built national venue for athletics and football.
日本武道館
Nippon Budokan is a renowned indoor arena located in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, adjacent to the Imperial Palace grounds. Opened in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympic Games, it was originally constructed to host judo competitions.
明治神宮野球場
Meiji Jingu Stadium is a historic baseball venue in central Tokyo, beside the Meiji Jingu Outer Garden.
有明アリーナ
Ariake Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Ariake district of Koto Ward, Tokyo.
東京体育館
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is a major sports complex in Sendagaya, within Shibuya Ward. It is a working venue for athletic competitions, training and public recreation rather than a conventional sightseeing museum.
千鳥ヶ淵
Chidorigafuchi Moat is a historic waterway on the northwestern edge of the Imperial Palace grounds, forming part of the former Edo Castle fortifications. Its name refers to a shape associated with a thousand birds.
目黒川
Meguro River is a canal-like urban waterway running through central Tokyo, stretching approximately eight kilometers from Setagaya Ward through Meguro and Shinagawa wards before reaching Tokyo Bay.
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.
葛西臨海公園
Kasai Rinkai Park is a coastal park located in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo, facing Tokyo Bay. The park was developed on reclaimed land and serves as one of Tokyo's largest public parks dedicated to marine environment appreciation and recreation.
大島小松川公園
Ojima Komatsugawa Park is a public green space in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, known locally as 大島小松川公園. The park extends through the Ojima and Komatsugawa neighborhoods beside the Kyu-Yodo River water system.
飛鳥山公園
Asukayama Park is a public park in Kita ward, northern Tokyo, known locally as 飛鳥山公園. It is one of Japan’s oldest parks and was established as a recreational area during the Edo period.
旧芝離宮恩賜庭園
Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden is a historic landscape garden in central Tokyo, originally developed as a feudal lord's residence garden during the Edo period.
向島百花園
Mukojima-Hyakkaen Gardens is a historic garden located in the Mukojima area of Tokyo's Sumida Ward.
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
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
Five to six days suit a first visit. Four days can cover the main eastern, central and western clusters, while extra days allow slower neighbourhood exploration or a separate trip to western 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.
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.
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.
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.
.jpg){kind=link}