7 days
7 Days in Tokyo — General Explorer
Tokyo is one of the world's most navigable megacities — trains run on time, food is exceptional at every price point, and neighborhoods each have a distinct personality. This itinerary clusters days by area to minimize transit and maximize time on the ground.
A 7-day Unknown Destination itinerary
Budget Estimate
$910
~$130/day for 7 days · USD
Before You Go
Purchase a Suica or Pasmo IC card online or at the airport — load ¥5,000 to start.
Book teamLab Borderless timed-entry tickets at least 2 weeks ahead — they sell out consistently.
Apply for a Japan Tourist Visa if your passport requires one — processing takes up to 5 business days.
Download Google Maps offline for Tokyo and the Hyperdia or Jorudan app for train routing.
Notify your bank of travel dates and confirm your card works with chip-and-PIN for Japanese ATMs.
Good to Know
7-Eleven and Lawson ATMs reliably accept foreign cards — bank ATMs often do not.
Carry cash — many smaller restaurants, kissaten cafes, and Golden Gai bars are cash-only.
Tipping is not practiced in Japan and can cause confusion or mild offense — skip it entirely.
Get a pocket WiFi unit or eSIM before leaving home — rental at the airport costs more.
Convenience store food (conbini) is genuinely good — onigiri, sandwiches, and hot foods are all solid.
Shoes you can slip on and off quickly matter — many temples, ryokan rooms, and some restaurants require removal.
Last trains run around midnight — plan evening activities around station closing times or budget for a taxi.
Day by Day
Arrival & Shinjuku Orientation
Check into Hotel
Drop bags and orient yourself to the Shinjuku neighborhood grid.
FreeTokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Free 45th-floor observation deck with panoramic city views including Mt. Fuji on clear days.
FreeShinjuku Gyoen Perimeter Walk
Stroll the outer paths of this massive park to decompress from travel.
FreeOmoide Yokocho (Memory Lane)
Narrow alley of tiny yakitori stalls — Tokyo's most atmospheric street-food corridor.
¥1,500–¥2,500Where to eat
Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku
Order yakitori and cold Sapporo draft.
Asakusa & Old Tokyo
Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo's oldest temple is quietest before 9 AM — arrive early to beat tour groups.
FreeNakamise Shopping Street
Browse 200-meter arcade of traditional snacks, fans, and souvenir shops.
¥500–¥2,000Sumida River Walk
Follow the riverbank south toward the distinctive Tokyo Skytree tower.
FreeTokyo Skytree
World's second-tallest tower — Tembo Deck at 350m gives unobstructed city panorama.
¥2,100–¥3,100Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street
Old-Tokyo shotengai (shopping street) with local bakeries, craft shops, and cats.
Free–¥1,000Where to eat
Pelican Cafe, Asakusa
Thick toast, eggs — local institution.
Sometaro, Asakusa
DIY okonomiyaki — order mixed pork.
Yanaka area izakayas
Small plates, local crowd, no English menus.
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Harajuku, Omotesando & Shibuya
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Forested Shinto shrine — a genuine calm pocket inside the city.
FreeTakeshita Street
Dense youth-fashion street — crepes, thrift shops, and extreme street style.
Free–¥1,500Omotesando Boulevard Walk
Tokyo's answer to the Champs-Élysées — lined with flagship architecture by Ando and Herzog.
FreeNezu Museum Garden
Small museum with a genuine bamboo garden — excellent escape from Omotesando crowds.
¥1,300Shibuya Crossing
Watch the world's busiest scramble crossing from the Mag's Park observation deck above.
FreeShibuya Stream & Hikarie
Riverside evening walk connecting two modern retail and dining complexes.
FreeWhere to eat
Bread, Espresso & Co., Omotesando
French toast, strong espresso — arrive early.
Afuri Ramen, Harajuku
Yuzu shio ramen — order the classic.
Shibuya Food Hall, Shibuya Hikarie B2
Dozens of counters — no wrong choice.
Akihabara & Ueno
Ueno Park Museums
Tokyo National Museum holds Japan's largest collection of national treasures — allow 2 hours.
¥1,000Ameyoko Market
Postwar open-air market under the train tracks — seafood, snacks, and discount goods.
Free to browseAkihabara Electric Town
Multi-floor electronics and anime retail district — Yodobashi Camera is the anchor store.
Free to browseRetro Game Stores
Super Potato stocks three floors of vintage Famicom and arcade hardware.
¥500–¥5,000Kanda Myojin Shrine
1,300-year-old shrine tucked next to the tech district — striking color contrast.
FreeWhere to eat
Ueno Park cafe kiosks
Coffee and taiyaki — cheap and quick.
Sushi no Midori, Ueno
Queue-based sushi — worth the 30-min wait.
Kanda area ramen alleys
Tsukemen (dipping noodles) — order large portion.
Day Trip — Nikko or Kamakura
Depart Tokyo Station
Board the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line toward Kamakura — 55 minutes direct.
¥920 each wayGreat Buddha (Kotoku-in)
13-meter bronze Amida Buddha has stood outdoors since 1252 — you can enter the statue.
¥300Hase-dera Temple
Hillside temple with sea views — hydrangea garden is spectacular in June.
¥400Komachi-dori Street
Kamakura's main shopping lane — matcha sweets, pottery, and craft shops.
Free to browseTsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Kamakura's central Shinto shrine — dramatic approach lined with cherry trees.
FreeReturn to Tokyo
Catch the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line back — arrives Shinjuku in under an hour.
¥920Where to eat
Convenience store at Tokyo Station
Onigiri and green tea — fast and solid.
Komachi-dori restaurants, Kamakura
Shirasu (whitebait) rice bowls — local specialty.
Back in Shinjuku — Fuunji ramen
Tsukemen — cash only, queues move fast.
Ginza, Tsukiji & Odaiba
Tsukiji Outer Market
Outer market stalls open at 5 AM — best tamagoyaki, fresh uni, and grilled scallops here.
¥500–¥2,000Hamarikyu Gardens
Former imperial duck-hunting ground with a tidal pond — serene contrast to Ginza next door.
¥300Ginza Shopping District
Explore the Sony Park, Uniqlo flagship, and Itoya stationery store on Chuo-dori.
Free to browseteamLab Borderless (Odaiba)
Immersive digital art museum — book timed entry in advance, plan 2–3 hours inside.
¥3,200Odaiba Waterfront at Sunset
Walk the bayside promenade for views of Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo skyline.
FreeWhere to eat
Tsukiji Outer Market stalls
Fresh oysters and tamagoyaki on a stick.
Ginza Six food hall, Ginza
Bento sets — ¥1,200–¥1,800 range.
Decks Tokyo Beach food floor, Odaiba
Ramen republic — multiple regional styles.
Shimokitazawa, Final Eats & Departure Prep
Shimokitazawa Vintage Shopping
Tokyo's indie neighborhood — dense with secondhand clothing stores, cafes, and live venues.
Free to browseShimokitazawa Kissaten (Coffee Shop)
Spend an hour in a retro jazz cafe — local institution, no laptops expected.
¥500–¥800Return to Shinjuku — Depachika Browsing
Isetan department store basement has Japan's finest food hall for last-minute gifts.
¥1,000–¥5,000Golden Gai
Six narrow alleys of micro-bars — each holds 5 to 8 people; some open by late afternoon.
¥800–¥1,500 per barWhere to eat
Bear Pond Espresso, Shimokitazawa
Cult espresso — cash only, limited hours.
Shimokitazawa curry shops
Japanese curry — thick, rich, ¥900–¥1,400.
Nagi Shokudo, Shinjuku
Vegan ramen — order the shiitake broth.
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