Tokyo in 3 Days: A Practical Itinerary
Cover the city's character without burning out.
Three days isn't long for Tokyo, but it's enough to get a feel for the city if you give each day its own neighbourhood logic and resist the urge to cross the city twice before lunch.
Day 1 — Old Tokyo
Start in Asakusa. Senso-ji is touristy but worth an early morning visit. Walk north to Yanaka, the city's best-preserved old neighbourhood — wooden houses, small temples, a quiet shōtengai of family-run shops. Lunch at a soba place; afternoon coffee at Kayaba.
End the day at Shibuya Crossing, ideally from the Shibuya Sky observation deck just before dusk. Dinner in a side-street izakaya in Ebisu.
Day 2 — Design Tokyo
Begin at Meiji Jingu — a forest in the city. Walk down to Omotesando for architecture (Prada, Dior, Tod's), then a long lunch in Aoyama. Afternoon in Daikanyama: Tsutaya Books, a coffee, and a slow browse around the side streets.
Day 3 — Markets, modern art, dinner
Tsukiji outer market for breakfast — tamagoyaki on a stick, a bowl of donburi. Late morning at TeamLab Planets or the Mori Art Museum, depending on taste. Afternoon shopping in Shimokitazawa. A late, leisurely dinner at a standing sushi bar.
Don't try to see Tokyo. Pick one neighbourhood and let it show you the others.
Logistics
- Get a Suica or Pasmo card at the airport.
- Don't bother with the JR Pass for a Tokyo-only trip.
- Book popular restaurants at least two weeks ahead.
- Most museums close on Mondays.
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