Shinjuku
The neon heart of the city: bars, izakaya alleyways like Omoide Yokocho, and a free view over the whole metro area from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Best at night.
Japan
Tokyo Travel Guide
Tokyo rewards the organised traveller. It is a vast city — 23 wards, a famously intricate rail network, and more neighbourhoods worth seeing than any one trip can cover — so a sensible day-by-day plan is the difference between covering real ground and losing hours to the trains. This guide covers the best time to visit, where to base yourself, and the sights that justify their reputation, with links to ready-made Tokyo itineraries you can use as-is or adapt.
JapanTypical trip: 5 days
Best time to visit
Late March to early April brings cherry blossom season — the city's most beautiful weeks and its busiest. October and November are the sweet spot: crisp air, autumn colour and manageable crowds. Avoid mid-June to mid-July, when the rainy season makes outdoor plans unreliable, and the humid August heat unless you plan around it. Note that the first week of January is quiet, as much of the city shuts down for New Year.
Where to base yourself
Shibuya
The crossing, Hachiko and some of the best shopping and people-watching in Asia. Daytime energy, then the Shibuya Sky deck at sunset if the weather is clear.
Asakusa
Old Tokyo: Senso-ji temple, the Nakamise shopping street leading to it, and river views from Sumida Park. Pair it with a short hop to Ueno's museums.
Ginza
Upscale shopping and dining on wide, ordered streets, plus the Kabukiza theatre. A calmer base than Shinjuku with excellent hotels and easy subway access.
Things to do in Tokyo
Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo's oldest temple, reached through the Nakamise-dori market street. Go early — before 9am — to see the lantern-lit main hall without the crowds.
Meiji Jingu
A serene forest shrine in the middle of the city, a five-minute walk from Harajuku station. A quiet counterpoint to the neighbourhood around it.
teamLab Planets
A walk-through digital art museum in Toyosu — book ahead, tickets sell out days in advance, and plan at least two hours inside.
Shibuya Crossing
The world's busiest pedestrian crossing is a genuine spectacle at dusk. Watch it from the second floor of Shibuya Scramble Square for the full effect.
Tsukiji Outer Market
Breakfast sushi and street snacks in the working market that outlived the inner market's move to Toyosu. Best visited before 10am.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
A free observation deck in Shinjuku with panoramic views across the city — on clear days, Mount Fuji is on the horizon.
Good to know
Get a Suica or PASMO IC card for the trains — the same card works on buses and in most convenience stores. English signage covers the major lines, but Google Maps is more reliable than any guidebook for routes and platform numbers. Small restaurants and market stalls are often cash-only.
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