Tokyo travel guide

Neon districts, old temples, food and day trips. Most people stay 3–5 nights. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov.

Highlights

• Senso-ji & Asakusa
• Shibuya Crossing
• Meiji Jingu
• teamLab
• Tsukiji outer market
• Tokyo DisneySea

Things to do in Tokyo

• Senso-ji & Asakusa old town · 2 h · free. Arrive before 9am; Nakamise snack stalls open around 10am. Lit up at night with no crowds.
• Shibuya Crossing & Shibuya Sky · 2 h · about ₹1,600 per person. Sunset Shibuya Sky slots sell out — book online a few weeks ahead.
• Meiji Jingu & Harajuku · 3 h · free. Shrine forest is calm early; Takeshita Street is packed on weekend afternoons.
• teamLab Planets / Borderless digital art · 2 h · about ₹3,000 per person. Timed tickets sell out on weekends; at Planets you wade through water, so wear shorts or roll-up trousers.
• Tokyo Skytree observation decks · 1.5 h · about ₹1,600 per person. Clear winter mornings show Mt Fuji; pair with Asakusa, one stop away.
• Tsukiji outer market food walk · 2 h · about ₹2,500 per person. Go 8–10am; many stalls close by early afternoon and on Sundays/Wednesdays. Tamagoyaki and fruit work for vegetarians.
• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden · 2 h · about ₹300 per person. One of Tokyo's best cherry blossom spots (late Mar–early Apr); closed Mondays. No alcohol allowed.
• Akihabara electronics & anime district · 2.5 h · free. Carry your passport for tax-free shopping on purchases over ¥5,000.
• Tokyo DisneySea or Disneyland (full day) · Full day · about ₹5,800 per person. Date-specific tickets only, priced by demand; buy online and avoid weekends and school holidays. DisneySea is unique to Tokyo.
• Ghibli Museum, Mitaka · 2.5 h · about ₹600 per person. Book a month ahead: tickets go on sale on the 10th for the following month and sell out fast. No photos inside.
• Shinjuku evening: Omoide Yokocho & Golden Gai · 2.5 h · about ₹2,500 per person. Tiny bars often add a seat charge; mostly yakitori, so vegetarians should eat elsewhere first.
• Sumo tournament or morning practice (Ryogoku) · 4 h · about ₹5,000 per person. Tokyo tournaments run in January, May and September; tickets sell out on release. Other months, book a stable morning-practice tour.
• Odaiba waterfront & Gundam statue · 3 h · free. Ride the driverless Yurikamome over Rainbow Bridge; best after dark.
• Imperial Palace East Gardens & Marunouchi · 2 h · free. Free; closed Mondays and Fridays.
• Ueno Park & Tokyo National Museum · 3 h · about ₹600 per person. Ueno Park is a crowded cherry blossom picnic spot in early April; the museum is closed most Mondays.

Where to stay in Tokyo

• Asakusa / Ueno (budget, ₹5,500–₹8,500 a night): Business hotels and hostels near Senso-ji with direct trains to Narita and Haneda.
• Shinjuku (mid, ₹11,000–₹18,000 a night): Biggest rail hub: Romancecar to Hakone, buses to Kawaguchiko, late-night dining.
• Tokyo Station / Nihonbashi (mid, ₹12,000–₹20,000 a night): Shinkansen at the door and quieter evenings — easy with kids and luggage.
• Ginza / Marunouchi (premium, ₹28,000–₹65,000 a night): Large rooms by Tokyo standards, department stores and the Imperial Palace on foot.

What to eat

• Sushi: Tsukiji outer market and Ginza counters
• Ramen (vegan bowls available): Tokyo Station Ramen Street and Shinjuku
• Tempura & soba: Asakusa side streets

Getting there

• Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner to the city ~1h
• Haneda to Shinagawa / Hamamatsucho ~20–30 min
• Shinkansen to Kyoto ~2h15

Good to know

• Golden Week (late Apr–early May) and New Year push up hotel prices.
• Jul–Aug is hot and humid; plan indoor afternoons.

Japan itineraries with Tokyo

• Tokyo with Nikko & Hakone · 5 nights · 6 days, Tokyo → Hakone · from ₹57,150 per person, base estimate before flights. A short trip based in Tokyo, with Nikko's shrines as a day trip and an onsen night in Hakone.
• Mt Fuji views · 6 nights · 7 days, Tokyo → Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji) → Hakone · from ₹68,900 per person, base estimate before flights. Tokyo, then two nights at the Fuji lakes and an onsen night in Hakone — no Shinkansen needed.
• Tokyo & Hokkaido winter · 6 nights · 7 days, Tokyo → Sapporo · from ₹69,800 per person, base estimate before flights. Two Tokyo days, then Sapporo for the Snow Festival, Otaru in the snow and a ski day at Niseko.
• Tokyo & Kyoto first trip · 6 nights · 7 days, Tokyo → Kyoto · from ₹69,150 per person, base estimate before flights. The two essential cities for a first visit, linked by a 2h15 Shinkansen ride.
• Japan food trip · 7 nights · 8 days, Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka · from ₹77,300 per person, base estimate before flights. Markets, alleys and counters across Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, with vegetarian temple food in Kyoto.
• Tokyo & Hokkaido summer · 7 nights · 8 days, Tokyo → Sapporo · from ₹72,750 per person, base estimate before flights. Escape Honshu's summer heat: Tokyo, then cool Hokkaido with Furano lavender, Otaru and beer gardens.
• Japan honeymoon · 8 nights · 9 days, Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto · from ₹91,600 per person, base estimate before flights. City nights in Tokyo, two slow nights in a Hakone ryokan with a private onsen, and Kyoto in kimono.
• Cherry blossom Japan · 9 nights · 10 days, Tokyo → Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji) → Kyoto → Osaka · from ₹95,800 per person, base estimate before flights. Blossom parks in Tokyo, the Chureito Pagoda with Mt Fuji, and Kyoto's canals at peak bloom. Book stays 3–4 months ahead.
• Family Japan with Disney & Universal · 9 nights · 10 days, Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka · from ₹92,500 per person, base estimate before flights. Two theme-park days, digital art and an aquarium, with an easy Kyoto stop in between.
• Golden Route · 9 nights · 10 days, Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka · from ₹97,050 per person, base estimate before flights. Tokyo, an onsen night in Hakone, Kyoto with a Nara day trip, and Osaka for food — fly into Tokyo, out of Osaka.