Tokyo 5-Day Itinerary

How this 5-day Tokyo plan works

Five days is where Tokyo becomes comfortable rather than frantic. The first three days follow the loop; days four and five add a full day trip and one slower day in the neighbourhoods most visitors skip entirely.

Tokyo highlights + family-friendly detours

Where to base yourself for this plan

Stay in one place for all five nights. Shinjuku is the strongest single base because every day trip — Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone, Fuji — leaves from either Shinjuku or Tokyo Station.

Day 1: Old Tokyo

Focus: Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara

• Morning

  Senso-ji at dawn, Nakamise and Kappabashi.

• Afternoon

  Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Park.

• Evening

  Akihabara neon or a Sumida river cruise.

• Getting between them

  Ginza line and Yamanote.

Day 2: West side

Focus: Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku

• Morning

  Meiji Jingu and Omotesando.

• Afternoon

  Shibuya Sky and the crossing.

• Evening

  Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho.

• Getting between them

  Yamanote plus a 20-minute walk.

Day 3: Centre and bay

Focus: Tsukiji, Ginza, Odaiba

• Morning

  Tsukiji outer market and Hamarikyu.

• Afternoon

  Imperial Palace East Gardens and Ginza.

• Evening

  teamLab and the bayfront.

• Getting between them

  Subway and the Yurikamome line.

Day 4: Day trip: Kamakura, Nikko or Hakone

Focus: Outside Tokyo

• Morning

  Early train — Kamakura is an hour for temples and the Great Buddha, Nikko two hours for shrines and waterfalls, Hakone 90 minutes for hot springs and Fuji views.

• Afternoon

  Walk the temple trails or the Hakone loop by cable car, boat and mountain railway.

• Evening

  Back in Tokyo for dinner, or stay overnight in a Hakone ryokan if you would rather slow down.

• Getting between them

  Regional passes — the Hakone Free Pass or Nikko All Area Pass — usually beat individual tickets by a wide margin.

Day 5: Slow Tokyo: Yanaka, Nezu and Shimokitazawa

Focus: Northern and western neighbourhoods

• Morning

  Yanaka's surviving prewar lanes, cemetery cherry avenue and old shopping street — the quietest walk in central Tokyo.

• Afternoon

  Shimokitazawa for vintage shops and coffee, or Nakameguro along the canal if you prefer the polished version.

• Evening

  Last dinner somewhere local rather than in the tourist districts — Ebisu or Kagurazaka both deliver.

• Getting between them

  Yamanote to Nippori, then the Odakyu or Inokashira line west.

Adapting this plan

Choose the day trip by weather: Hakone is wasted under cloud because the draw is Mount Fuji, while Nikko's shrines and Kamakura's temples work in any conditions. If you are continuing to Kyoto, move the day trip to the end and take the shinkansen directly rather than doubling back.

Best time to run this itinerary

Late March–April brings cherry blossom (and higher rates); October–November delivers clear skies and autumn colour. June is rainy season; July–August are hot and humid.

Before you go

• Buy a Suica or Pasmo IC card at the airport — works on all trains, buses and convenience stores.

• Carry some cash for small restaurants and shrines.

• Trash bins are rare — carry rubbish until you find a convenience store.