What To Do in Tokyo in 3 Days? (Itinerary included!) | The Tokyo Tourist (2024)

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Got only three days to spend in Tokyo? It’s easy to stress out because that’s just 72 hours and it can go quite fast. With the right itinerary, though, you can plan every day to the minute so you can fit in all the activities and landmarks you want to see.

Do you want hour-by-hourbreakdowns of the above itinerary so you don’t miss a thing? Read on, as I’llgive you a schedule you can follow for each of your three exciting days inTokyo.

Let’s get started!

Day One

Arrival

Assuming you’reflying into Tokyo on your first day, you’ll have arrived at either the HanedaAirport International or Narita International Airport. Haneda has a singleterminal at the JR EAST Travel Service Center, which is accessible by the TokyoMonorail 2F.

There are twoairport terminals through Narita, 1 and 2-3. Both terminals should pop you outaround the JR EAST Travel Service Center and the Exchange Office.

8:30 a.m. Harajuku to Meiji-jingu Shrine at Yoyogi-koen Park and Nezu Museum

If you did allyour traveling the day before, then you’d start your day already in Tokyo. Inthat case, let’s begin your morning a little differently. Hop a subway or trainto take you to Harajuku. You can either ride the Chiyoda subway line throughHarajuku Station/Meiji-Jingumae or ride the JR Yamanote Line right to HarajukuStation.

Once you get toHarajuku, take some time to witness the beauty of the Meiji-jingu shrine atYoyogi-koen Park. Depending on which day you’re in Tokyo, expect the park to bebusy. That’s especially true on the weekends, when events and festivals attractpeople to the park.

Make sure yousee the shops on Omotesando, which is a major street in Harajuku. If you havethe time, keep walking east. You’ll come across the Nezu Museum, which is knownfor its beauteous gardens.

11 a.m. Onwards to Shibuya

If you didsqueeze in the time for the Nezu Museum, then it’s an easy enough walk to getto the Ginza subway. All you have to do is cross the Aoyama-dori and Omotesandointersection and head west. Once on the subway, ride to Shibuya. This should bea 15-minute trip, so it won’t take you long.

Get off thesubway, following the Hachiko exit. Now you can enjoy the Shibuya Crossing, apopulous destination in the city. It’s often incredibly heavy with foot traffic,especially when big events are going on. There are tons of boutiques anddepartment stores to get lost in, but don’t stay for too long! There’s stillmore to see and do on your first day in Tokyo.

1 p.m. Lunch in Shibuya

There arecountless restaurants in the area to choose from, so you certainly have yourpick. You can try sushi at Uoriki, yakitori at Morimoto or Yakitori Tetsu(which is the cheaper of the two), soba noodles at f*ckudaya, or teishoku atEchigoya Sandayu. Let your cravings and your wallet guide your decision.

2 to 2:30 p.m. Travel to Roppongi

After an hour toan hour and a half of dining, it’s time to take another ride so you cancontinue your day. This time, you want to be on the JR Yamanote Line, which youshould ride to Ebisu Station. You’re not done yet, as it’s time to get on the HibiyaLine subway east. After two stops, you should be at your destination, Roppongi.This travel should take roughly 30 minutes.

3 p.m. Roppongi Hills Complex

While you’re inRoppongi, I recommend you take some time to see the Roppongi Hills Complex. Todo so, you’ll have to go to the Mori Tower and ride 52 stories up to the TokyoCity View observation deck. It’s a gorgeous sight one of the best vantagepoints you’ll get of Tokyo!

5 to 6 p.m. Dinner in Roppongi

After you finishwith the breathtaking views of the observation deck, you’ve probably worked upquiet an appetite. You might as well stay in Roppongi and round off your dayhere with some delicious dinner. You can find teppanyaki at Restaurant OmaeXEX, pizza at Pizzkaya Roppongi (yes, there’s pizza in Japan), and even Italianat Il Figo Ingordo.

If you want to be adventurous and eat Japanese fare, try ramen at Ippudo Roppongi Branch and French and Japanese fusion food at Narisawa or Takazawa.

7 to 8 p.m. Nightlife or Go Home

Depending on how tired you are, you might elect to stay and see Roppongi at night. This is one of the best-known areas of Japan when it comes to nightlife, so you would have made the right choice. But before you go partying in Roppongi, you really need to read this article. Tokyo might not be as safe as you think.

For some culture, you can visit art museums like Musee Tomo, Suntory Museum of Art, Mori Art Museum, and the National Art Center Tokyo. The Nogi-jinja Shrine is here if you missed it earlier in the day.

Otherwise, youcan spend your time at Tokyo Midtown, which is an entertainment, dining, andshopping complex with a Ritz-Carlton Hotel right in the middle. It’s easy tospend hours here, but watch the time, because you don’t want to be out superlate.

Wait until yousee what’s in store for your second day in Tokyo.

Day Two

8 a.m. Asakusa-jinja Shrine and Senso-ji Temple

Good morning!It’s your second day in Tokyo and there’s a lot you can do. Hopefully, youweren’t out too late partying it up in Roppongi, because you’ll want to beawake and traveling before 8 a.m. to make the most of your day.

Once you leave your hotel, you’ll need to get on the Ginza subway and ride it until you arrive to Asakusa. This is where you’ll find several buildings that are definitely worth seeing, such as the Asakusa-jinja Shrine and the Senso-ji Temple.

If you have the time, be sure to stop into the Edo-Tokyo Museum and have a look around. Also, if you can get tickets, you’d want to head to Ryogoku from Asakusa to see a live sumo wrestling event at Ryogoku Kokugikan. This is definitely worth doing at least once! In fact, it’s one of the most awesome things about Japan! Make sure you keep reading until the end of this article, because I’ll talk more about live sumo matches. Make sure you keep reading until the end of this article, because I’ll talk more about live sumo matches.

11 a.m. Tosho-gu Shrine, Ueno-koen Park, and TokyoNational Museum

After you’ve had a few hours to enjoy the shrines and the museum in Asakusa, it’s time to move on. (If you’ve fallen in love with Asakusa you should check out the world’s tallest tower – Tokyo Skytree.) You want to get back on the Ginza subway. This time, ride it west for three stops. You’ll arrive at Ueno soon after.

There’s tons to do here, so expect to spend two or three hours in this part of Tokyo. For another landmark worth seeing, don’t miss the Tosho-gu Shrine. Ueno-koen Park, also known as Ueno Park, will keep you busy, too. After all there’s a zoo in there. You’ll also find cherry blossom trees, cafes and restaurants, and the Tokyo National Museum around here. Take some time to really take it all in and have some lunch while you’re at it.

2 p.m. Tokyo Station and Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

When you’vedecided you’ve had your fill of Ueno Park, get on the JR Yamanote Line south.You want to ride it until you get to Tokyo Station. This is another nice placeto eat lunch if you can’t find anywhere at Ueno Park that jumps out at you (unlikely,but hey, it happens).

When you get there, head into the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum. Nearby areas of interest are Hibiya-koen Park and the Bridgestone Museum of Art. Take your time exploring these areas, as your day is essentially free from here.

5 p.m. Akihabara akaElectricTown

If you’relooking for a place to unwind and relax for a few hours, try a maid café atAkihabara. These are quite the attraction since the employees dress up in maidcostumes. You’ll also find many electronics and tech shops here. Akihabara canbe quite a popular destination, especially at night, when the billboards andbuildings light up the streets.

Once you’re doneexploring all Akihabara has to offer, head back to your hotel for the night.You’re probably quite tired from getting up so early anyway! While you won’thave as early a start for your last day in Tokyo, you do want to bewell-rested.

Day Three

9 a.m. Shinjuku and Imperial Palace Area

You wake uprefreshed and ready to tackle the third and final day of your Tokyo trip. Thefirst thing you want to do after you get dressed and showered is head to theTokyo Station. You can get there by subway or train.

Upon yourarrival, head east on foot until you reach the Imperial Palace East Garden. Planto spend a good amount of time here since the garden is quite large, roughly2.3 million square feet. It also gives you a chance to get a glimpse into theinner palace area, which is seriously a treat.

You probably won’t get through all the gardens because that’s a lot to cover by foot, but do as much as you can. When you’re done, make sure you leave through the Kitahanebashi-mon exit. This’ll make it most convenient to continue on your way.

11:30 a.m. Yasukuni-jinja Shrine and Kitanomaru-koenPark

I hope your feetaren’t too tired yet since you’ll want to continue walking after you’ve leftthe Imperial Palace East Garden. Through the Kitahanebashi-mon exit, headnorth. You’ll come upon the Kitanomaru-koen Park.

Continue alongthe park to the Yasakuni-jinja Shrine. Near the shrine, you’ll see the YushukanMuseum, a war museum told from a nationalist perspective. It’s got a touch of areputation, that’s for sure, so it’s worth checking out.

1 p.m. Lunch in Shinjuku, Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentOffices

Once you’re donewith the park and the museum, get on the Shinjuku Line subway and take it west.Get off the train when you arrive in Shinjuku. Now that you’re here, it’s timeto chow down.

There are nearly countless restaurants in Shinjuku, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a place to enjoy some lunch. If you miss American food, Brooklyn Parlor serves burgers and fries. Otherwise, you might try izakaya at Hibiki Shinjuku-ten, yakitori at Shousuke, sukiyaki at Imahan, or dim sum at Din Tai Fung. You can also find tempura at Tenkuni or Tsunahachi.

Now that your stomach is full, you can head over to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices, specifically the observation deck. Depending on the weather, you can get a pretty good view of Mt. Fuji and an even better view of most of Tokyo. It’s not one you’ll want to skip.

5 p.m. Dinner and Rest (Your Choice)

The way youspend the rest of the day is up to you. You can head back to one of the areasyou enjoyed in the past few days, such as Ginza, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. Youcould grab a bite to eat at any of the plentiful restaurants. You might againchoose to engage in some nightlife at Roppongi.

If you’re in Tokyo in September, May, or January, you might be lucky enough to be able to see a live sumo tournament. These last for about two weeks and only occur during those three months. You can also try an animal café. While cat cafes are incredibly popular in Japan, you can pet plenty of other fuzzy friends while sipping a hot beverage at Tokyo’s various animal cafes. There’s bunny cafes and even some that have hedgehogs, owls, and dogs.

If you liked thetheming of the maid café, try a robot restaurant in Shinjuku. You might alsoelect to spend some more time shopping in Tokyo Midtown. If it’s early enough,you could even return to the Imperial Palace East Garden and pick up where youleft off. Most days, the garden does close at 5 p.m. though, so you’d have toplan accordingly.

Once you feellike you’ve spent your day well, you can head back to your hotel, shower, pack,and rest up. Tomorrow will be a big travel day, but you sure did spend yourthree days well!

Other Considerations

As you followthis three-day Tokyo itinerary or plan your own, keep the following points inmind:

• Since you’ll be doing a lot of walking around outside, you don’t want your three days in Tokyo to be hampered by rain. While rain can occur any day, the rainiest times of year in Japan are June and July. Avoid traveling during those months if you can.
• Also, in July until September, weather in Tokyo can be very hot and humid, much like it is here in the US during the summertime. Again, since you’ll be outside so much, plan your trip around the weather.
• The subway metro system you’ll need to get around Tokyo requires a PASMO card. If you’ve ever been to New York City and used a Metro card, the concept is the same. You put a certain amount of money on the card and then run it through the turnstiles whenever you want to ride a subway. PASMO cards are available at train stations and airports. Don’t forget yours!
• You might have to stop at a convenience store to use an ATM with an American credit or debit card. ATMs throughout the city will not accept your card, so make sure you’re prepared with another source of funding for your trip.
• When you eat a meal in Japan, you’re not supposed to tip. Doing so could offend your waitstaff and lead to a potentially embarrassing situation for you.
• While Tokyo is regarded as a safe city, don’t be careless. Be aware of pickpockets and scammers. Keep your wits about you. Don’t bring all your money with you each time you leave your hotel. That’s what a hotel safe is for.

Conclusion

There are countless things to see and do in Tokyo, but with a tight, precise itinerary, you can hit most of the big spots and activities even if you only have three days to do so. I hope you enjoyed this guide and you were inspired by the itinerary. Feel free to tweak or otherwise change it any way you want so it matches your interests and level of enthusiasm. Good luck and enjoy yourself!

If you have any questions, you can always leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to answer it. 🙂

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