Tokyo Itinerary: How to Spend 4 Days

Tokyo is enormous, so this plan groups neighborhoods to keep travel time short. Buy a Suica or Pasmo card on arrival and tap through every train and bus.

Day 1: Asakusa and Ueno

Start in the morning at Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple. Walk Nakamise shopping street early, before crowds, and grab a freshly grilled ningyo-yaki cake. In the afternoon, ride two stops to Ueno for the museums and the wide park; cherry trees here are spectacular in spring. For dinner, find a small tonkatsu shop near Ueno station. The Ginza and Asakusa subway lines connect both districts directly.

Day 2: Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku

Begin at the famous Shibuya scramble crossing, then walk up to Harajuku's Takeshita street for crepes and youth fashion. Afternoon: stroll the calm forest paths of Meiji Shrine. End the day in Shinjuku among the neon of Kabukicho and the tiny bars of Omoide Yokocho, where you can eat skewers of yakitori elbow to elbow with locals. Many small izakaya here post menus only in Japanese, so photographing the page to translate makes ordering far less stressful.

Day 3: Tsukiji and Odaiba

Eat an early breakfast at Tsukiji outer market: try a tamagoyaki skewer and a bowl of kaisendon. Mid-morning, take the Yurikamome line over Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba, a waterfront area with seaside views, science museums, and big shopping malls. In the evening, soak at a themed hot-spring complex, then return to the city for ramen. The driverless Yurikamome offers great front-row windows.

Day 4: Day Trip

Pick one escape. Nikko offers ornate shrines and waterfalls about two hours north by train. Kamakura gives you a giant bronze Buddha and seaside temples roughly an hour away. Hakone delivers hot springs and Mt. Fuji views via a scenic loop of cable cars and a pirate-themed lake boat. Buy the relevant area pass before you board to save money and skip ticket lines.

Quick Tips

• Trains stop around midnight; check the last departure.
• Carry some cash; smaller restaurants are cash only.
• Stand left on Tokyo escalators.
• Rush hour runs roughly 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning.

Four days only scratches Tokyo's surface, but this loop gives first-timers the essential mix of tradition, food, and neon energy.