How many days do you need in Tokyo?

Plan on 4 to 7 days, though how you split them matters more than the total. Four days covers four neighborhoods at a decent pace, though a week is the better trip. A week lets you add Nikkō or a night in Hakone without giving up city time, and that night away is what makes the trip feel longer than it was.

What is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Late March to early April for cherry blossoms, and October to November for clear skies and autumn color. June is the rainy season, while August is humid enough that you will end up planning your afternoons around air conditioning.

Where should I stay in Tokyo?

Three areas cover most trips in Tokyo, since where you sleep decides how much of the day you spend in transit. Shinjuku: The best transport hub in the city, with endless food, though it stays loud and bright at every hour. Shibuya: Central and young, and walkable to Harajuku and Omotesandō once you know which exit to take. Yanaka / Ueno: Old-Tokyo streets that go quiet at night, cheaper than the other two, and near the museums, which is worth something on a wet day. If you want one answer without weighing it up, book Shinjuku and stop reading.

How do you get around Tokyo?

Get a Suica or Pasmo card and tap through everything. JR and Metro lines cover the city, and the last trains run around midnight, which is the detail that decides how your night ends. A Japan Rail Pass only pays off if you are leaving Tokyo.

What should I see first in Tokyo?

Go to Senso-ji, Asakusa early in the trip, before the days start filling up with things you booked later. Tokyo's oldest temple, and if you arrive before 8am the approach street is empty. The other three stops can go in whatever order the map makes easy, since none of them depends on the others.

Is there a free Tokyo itinerary I can copy?

There is one on Arriv for Tokyo, mapped stop by stop, with a suggested order for each day. Reading it costs nothing, though you will want your own copy once the dates are real. Copy it into a trip of your own to move things around, drop what you would skip, and send the result to whoever is coming.

Tokyo, JapanBy ArrivLast checked August 2026

Plan a trip to Tokyo

Tokyo has several downtowns, each with its own station and skyline. Pick two a day and let the trains carry you between them, because the distances that look walkable on a map will quietly eat an hour.

First-timers
Food trips
Couples
Weekend getaways

Trip length

Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.

Tokyo guides

13 places on a map

Tokyo, first timer
13 places

All Tokyo guides

Tokyo at a glance

Skip this if you have already been. What follows is a first trip to Tokyo: Senso-ji, Asakusa and three more stops that hold up, Shinjuku or Shibuya for a base, and the months that are worth the airfare. 4 to 7 days is the usual answer on length.

How long: 4–7 days
When to go: Late March to early April for cherry blossoms, and October to November for clear skies and autumn color. June is the rainy season, while August is humid enough that you will end up planning your afternoons around air conditioning.
Getting around: Get a Suica or Pasmo card and tap through everything. JR and Metro lines cover the city, and the last trains run around midnight, which is the detail that decides how your night ends. A Japan Rail Pass only pays off if you are leaving Tokyo.

What to build the plan around

1
Senso-ji, Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, and if you arrive before 8am the approach street is empty.
2
Tsukiji Outer Market
The inner market moved to Toyosu, but the outer stalls stayed, and they still serve the best breakfast in the city.
3
Shibuya and Shinjuku
The crossing, the Shibuya Sky deck, and Omoide Yokochō's yakitori alley after dark, which is the order to do them in.
4
teamLab
Digital art installations with strict timed entry, so book before you fly.

Where to stay in Tokyo

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Shinjuku: The best transport hub in the city, with endless food, though it stays loud and bright at every hour.
Shibuya: Central and young, and walkable to Harajuku and Omotesandō once you know which exit to take.
Yanaka / Ueno: Old-Tokyo streets that go quiet at night, cheaper than the other two, and near the museums, which is worth something on a wet day.

Browse stays in Tokyo

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More itineraries to copy

Each one opens as a map with every stop already placed.

Tokyo planning questions

How many days do you need in Tokyo?: Plan on 4 to 7 days, though how you split them matters more than the total. Four days covers four neighborhoods at a decent pace, though a week is the better trip. A week lets you add Nikkō or a night in Hakone without giving up city time, and that night away is what makes the trip feel longer than it was.
What is the best time to visit Tokyo?: Late March to early April for cherry blossoms, and October to November for clear skies and autumn color. June is the rainy season, while August is humid enough that you will end up planning your afternoons around air conditioning.
Where should I stay in Tokyo?: Three areas cover most trips in Tokyo, since where you sleep decides how much of the day you spend in transit. Shinjuku: The best transport hub in the city, with endless food, though it stays loud and bright at every hour. Shibuya: Central and young, and walkable to Harajuku and Omotesandō once you know which exit to take. Yanaka / Ueno: Old-Tokyo streets that go quiet at night, cheaper than the other two, and near the museums, which is worth something on a wet day. If you want one answer without weighing it up, book Shinjuku and stop reading.
How do you get around Tokyo?: Get a Suica or Pasmo card and tap through everything. JR and Metro lines cover the city, and the last trains run around midnight, which is the detail that decides how your night ends. A Japan Rail Pass only pays off if you are leaving Tokyo.
What should I see first in Tokyo?: Go to Senso-ji, Asakusa early in the trip, before the days start filling up with things you booked later. Tokyo's oldest temple, and if you arrive before 8am the approach street is empty. The other three stops can go in whatever order the map makes easy, since none of them depends on the others.
Is there a free Tokyo itinerary I can copy?: There is one on Arriv for Tokyo, mapped stop by stop, with a suggested order for each day. Reading it costs nothing, though you will want your own copy once the dates are real. Copy it into a trip of your own to move things around, drop what you would skip, and send the result to whoever is coming.

Tools for a Tokyo trip

Restaurant List → MapA note full of restaurant names doesn't help at 8pm on a Tuesday. Mapped, with the hours and the walk to each one, the same list settles dinner in ten seconds because you can see which places sit within a few blocks.Couples Trip PlannerThis is the version where one of you doesn't do all the planning. You both add places to the same map, so the dinner reservations sit where either of you can find them.Weekend Trip PlannerTwo and a half days is the real budget, whatever the calendar says. Arriv builds to it: one anchor a day, food near where you already are, and Sunday left loose enough to catch a flight.AI Trip PlannerSay where you're going and how long you have. Arriv comes back with a day-by-day itinerary on a map, ordered around the walking, since crossing town twice before lunch eats the morning. Swap places, add your own, send it to whoever is coming.

Plan a trip to Tokyo

Tokyo guides

Tokyo at a glance

What to build the plan around

Senso-ji, Asakusa

Tsukiji Outer Market

Shibuya and Shinjuku

teamLab