How many days do you need in Tokyo?
Five days. That is the length of the itinerary we built for Tokyo.
Here is what each day holds. Every stop below carries its time, and every gap says how to get to the next stop, with the walk or drive time wherever both stops are mapped.
Tokyo · 5 days Japan
Best time: Late March to early April for cherry blossoms, or late October to November for cool air and fall color.
Shinjuku and ShibuyaDay 1
⛩️9:00 AMMeiji Shrine
Enter through the giant torii gate near Harajuku Station while the forest paths are still quiet.
🚶 ~32 min · 🚗 ~4 min · 1.2 mi
🍽️12:30 PMOmoide Yokocho lunch
Yakitori alleys by Shinjuku Station; point at what looks good.
🚗 ~8 min · 2.3 mi
🌇6:00 PMShibuya Crossing and Sky
Watch the scramble from above at sunset, then wander Center Gai.
Asakusa and UenoDay 2
⛩️8:30 AMSenso-ji Temple
Arrive before the tour groups; Nakamise street snacks open around 9.
🚶 ~31 min · 🚗 ~4 min · 1.2 mi
🖼️1:00 PMUeno Park museums
Pick one: Tokyo National Museum for art, or the science museum with kids.
🚶 ~16 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.6 mi
🍽️7:00 PMIzakaya night in Ueno
The lanes under the train tracks (Ameyoko) fill with after-work locals.
Tsukiji and GinzaDay 3
🍽️8:00 AMTsukiji Outer Market breakfast
Tamagoyaki skewers and the freshest tuna bowls you will ever have.
🚶 ~15 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.5 mi
🌆11:30 AMGinza stroll
Depachika food halls in the basements are free to wander and astonishing.
🚗 ~7 min · 2.1 mi
🖼️5:30 PMteamLab Planets
Book tickets ahead; you wade through knee-deep water, so wear pants that roll up (free shorts to borrow).
Day trip: Kamakura or NikkoDay 4
🚆8:00 AMTrain out of the city
Kamakura for the Great Buddha and beach; Nikko for shrines in cedar forest.
🚶 ~4 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.2 mi
🍽️12:30 PMLocal lunch
Shirasu-don (whitebait bowl) in Kamakura is the move.
🚇 Metro or walk
📍6:30 PMReturn and rest
Grab dinner near your stay; tomorrow is the packed one.
Akihabara and Tokyo StationDay 5
📍10:00 AMAkihabara arcades
Retro game floors at Super Potato; claw machines everywhere.
🚶 ~31 min · 🚗 ~4 min · 1.2 mi
🌳2:00 PMImperial Palace East Gardens
Free, calm, and ten minutes from Tokyo Station.
🚶 ~18 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.7 mi
🍽️6:00 PMRamen Street farewell bowl
Under Tokyo Station: eight famous shops in one corridor.
This is how Petrel lays out a trip. Upload your own confirmations and it builds this for your dates: flights and hotels included, with live flight status and the travel time between stops.
This is one of 126 free itineraries. Open it, change anything you want, and it becomes your trip.