If you only have 4 days in Tokyo, this 4 day Tokyo itinerary will allow you to plan your trip with ease and navigate the city like a local. Don’t waste time on unnecessary train rides and overpriced tourist traps. This 4 days in Tokyo itinerary is designed to make the most of your precious vacation time and experience the very best of the modern and traditional sides of the city.
I guarantee that if you follow this Tokyo itinerary to the letter, you will have the most incredible trip. I have lived in Tokyo and personally tried and tested all of the activities, so you can trust that you are in safe hands!
Be sure to also check out my 5-day Tokyo itinerary for more ideas, or if you are heading to Kyoto, see my 3-day Kyoto itinerary here. If it’s your first time planning a trip to Japan, I strongly recommend downloading my essential Japan travel tips here.
4 Day Tokyo Itinerary Overview
Is 4 days in Tokyo enough? Well, to be honest, no. But even if you live in Tokyo you’ll never get to experience all of the incredible things it has to offer, it’s simply too big. So if 4 days in Tokyo is all you can manage, then I recommend the following plan:
| Location | Activities Included |
| Day 1 – Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku | Scramble crossing, Hachiko statue, shopping, rainbow street food, dessert cafes, cocktails with a view, izakayas, Meiji Shrine, karaoke |
| Day 2 – Odaiba, Asakusa, Ryogoku | Team Lab Museum, shopping, Odaiba beach, water taxi across Tokyo Bay, Sensoji Temple, Tokyo Skytree, sumo restaurant |
| Day 3 – Kichijoji, Shimokitazawa, Ginza, Shinbashi | Ghibli Museum, Inokashira Park, vintage stores, cool cafes, local vibes, hip neighborhoods, designer stores, authentic restaurants, bar-hopping |
| Day 4 – Ueno, Akihabara, Roppongi | Ueno Park & museums, electric town, gaming arcades, maid cafes, arts & culture, Kill Bill restaurant |
Tokyo Itinerary Day 1: Shibuya to Shinjuku
(We’ll start the itinerary assuming it’s your first full day in Tokyo.)
10:00 AM – Start With a Scramble in Shibuya
Arrive at Shibuya station and pay a visit to the Hachiko statue before encountering the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. At any time, there could be up to 2,500 people crossing the road in several different directions at the same time. Pro tip: Your chances of getting injured whilst crossing are greatly increased if it’s raining, when crossing the road turns into a game of “dodge the deadly umbrella spikes”.
Spend the morning discovering Shibuya’s best stores and cafes. My personal recommendations include a visit to the giant Tower Records store (especially for music fans) for some 90s vibes browsing CDs, books, and magazines. There is also a laidback cafe you can chill in and don’t be surprised if you see lines of teenage girls waiting eagerly to meet their favorite J-pop idols!
Be sure to also check out the Tokyu Hands store in Shibuya, a great place to pick up gift items and souvenirs as they sell almost everything! Choose from cute stationery, beauty products, handmade in Japan gifts, and unique gadgets you won’t find at home.
For amazing views of the city stop by the Shibuya Scramble Square building which opened in late 2019 and head on up to the Shibuya Sky viewing platform for breathtaking 360-degree views of the city. Tickets cost 2,000 yen per adult but you can save 200 yen if you order them online in advance.
If you want to try some interesting cafes in the Shibuya area I have tons of recommendations! For “only in Japan” type places try the Pepper Parlor cafe staffed by robots serving up waffle dishes, or stop for coffee at the Henn na Cafe in the basement floor of the Modi building and have robot barista Tom whip you up a latte!
Other cute cafes I love include the sand-floor Hawaiian themed Alee Beach, and the pretty L’Occitane cafe overlooking Scramble Crossing which has an extensive collection of herbal teas.
2:00 PM – Head to Harajuku & Meiji Shrine
From Shibuya, walk or take the JR Yamanote Line one stop to Harajuku station. Take a walking tour of the area, or if you can handle the madness by yourself, head down Takeshita Street opposite Harajuku station. The area is famous for its kawaii fashion stores and colorful street food. Some of the most popular food items include the rainbow toasted sandwiches and giant candy floss.
Other fun dining experiences in Harajuku include the mad Kawaii Monster Cafe, 3D Latte Art Cafe Reissue, and the all-you-can-eat conveyor belt dessert parlor Cafe Ron Ron.
After a couple of hours wandering the crazy streets of Harajuku, you’ll probably feel the need for a bit of a time-out so head over to nearby Meiji Shrine for a peaceful stroll. The shrine is accessed via a scenic path through a forest and is one of Tokyo’s most popular shrines to visit on New Year’s Day.
5:00 PM Spend the Evening in Shinjuku
From Harajuku, take the JR Yamanote Line a few stops to Shinjuku station.
Best enjoyed by night, Shinjuku is transformed after sunset from masses of bland office buildings to a bustling hub of city nightlife. Expect scenes of night skies illuminated by fluorescent billboards, whilst lantern-lit alleyways house hundreds of cozy restaurants and izakayas.
First, head to the free viewing platform at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, before stopping for some cocktails at the stylish Peak Bar at the Park Hyatt Hotel.
This gorgeous hotel was the setting for the Hollywood movie Lost in Translation, and their daily Twilight Time promotion allows visitors to enjoy the views with free-flowing drinks and canapes for a fraction of the price of the more well-known New York Bar.
Next, wander the streets of Shinjuku for a night of entertainment until the early hours. Find a cozy izakaya, or venture down the famous Omoide Yokocho lantern-lit alley, packed full of tiny food stalls and restaurants.
Finally, finish the evening in the bars around the Golden Gai district where you’ll find narrow streets lined with snug counter bars and charismatic owners. Bear in mind that many bars have a per person cover charge which is added to the bill, and some bars are for regular customers only, so it’s best to politely check before sitting down to avoid any mishaps. If you’re feeling a bit nervous about navigating the area by yourself, you can always join a fun night tour!
When in Tokyo, you should definitely try some karaoke at the end of the night. Even if there are only two of you, you can still rent a small private room for a reasonable price. Top karaoke rooms in Shinjuku include Karaoke no Tetsujin (one of the more reasonably priced places), Karaoke Kan, and Karaoke Uta Hiroba, whose prices also include free soft drinks.
Day 2 – Odaiba to Asakusa
10:00 AM Arrive in Odaiba
Begin the day by heading over to the island of Odaiba, one of Tokyo’s best shopping and entertainment districts. The easiest way to get to Odaiba is to take the Yurikamome monorail from Shinbashi or Shiodome stations, so you can enjoy the awesome views as you cross Tokyo Bay. You can also access Odaiba via the Rinkai Line which takes you to Tokyo Teleport station close to Borderless Museum and the Diver City Mall.
It is possible to spend a whole day on Odaiba if you wish, but if you’re short on time, the one thing you should do is check out the TeamLab Borderless Museum which opened in 2018. The vast building consists of a maze of interconnecting rooms housing stunning otherworldly digital art displays that will delight adults and children.
Tips for Visiting TeamLab Borderless in Odaiba
- Best Time to Visit Borderless: People often ask when is the best time to visit, but to be honest, it’s busy all the time. Having visited several times, I have found from personal experience having that you should either book your tickets for first thing in the morning when they open, or late afternoon at around 5pm when most tourists have left and before people leave work. Avoid weekends and public holidays at all costs!
- When to Buy Tickets: Without a doubt, you need to book your tickets in advance, it’s rare that you will be allowed to buy tickets on the door. It’s simple to book them online through Voyagin here
- Other Important Things to Note: Ladies, do not wear a skirt – several of the rooms have mirrored floors so you will regret it! Also, make sure you don’t use any flash photography, and watch out for the staff who can be slightly aggressive when it comes to enforcing the rules! (I got shouted at for walking down a staircase which apparently was NOT OK)
12:00 PM Go for Lunch
Odaiba has plenty of restaurants to choose from for lunch, I think I have pretty much tried all of them during my time living and working in the area! By far the best place for dining outlets is the Aqua City mall whose restaurants have awesome lunchtime deals, often for 1,000 yen or less. The food court on the basement floor is where you’ll find fast-food chains like Burger King and Subway, but I recommend eating at one of the restaurants overlooking Tokyo Bay. My favorites include the TGI Fridays who have generous sized lunch sets and an outdoor terrace, and La Pausa, a super cheap Italian restaurant on the 5th floor.
1:30 PM Shopping or Attractions
Spend another hour or so on Odaiba near Aqua City, either exploring the shopping malls or visiting another attraction. My top recommendations for things to do nearby are:
- Shopping at Diver City – this is my personal favorite of all the shopping malls, they have more clothing stores with Western-friendly sizes.
- Joypolis – this indoor virtual reality theme park is operated by Sega. You can get discounted tickets in advance through this website.
- Hang out on Odaiba Beach – It’s a lovely spot to chill out and will be the site of the triathlon in the Tokyo Olympics. Buy some snacks and drinks from the convenience store, and relax on the beach whilst admiring the views of the Rainbow Bridge.
- Go to the Showa Shopping Street at Decks – On the 4th floor of the Decks shopping mall, there is this very cool replica of a 1930s style shopping arcade that features food stalls, retro games, and a haunted house attraction!
3:00 PM Take the Water Taxi to Asakusa
Most tourists don’t realize that you can take a boat from Odaiba to Asakusa, and it beats squeezing back onto a train rammed full of tourists! Be sure to check the departure times in advance so you don’t miss the last boat off the island! The journey takes around one hour in total.
4:00 PM Arrive in Asakusa
Pay a visit to the famous Sensoji temple, one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions. Spend some time wandering around the small shops and stalls that line the streets leading to the inner temple complex. The traditional atmosphere is a complete contrast to Odaiba. After touring the temple, you can take a rickshaw ride or move on to your next activity!
6:00 PM Tokyo Skytree
From Sensoji temple, walk for around 15 minutes or jump on a train to Tokyo Skytree, Japan’s tallest building. If you like, go up to the observation deck and take in the views or simply explore the Solamachi shopping area.
Other interesting attractions include the planetarium located on the 7th floor, as a great spot to chill out for an hour or so. Their film screenings of starry nights and exotic landscapes are designed to bring on a state of relaxation through calming music and aromatherapy.
8:30 PM Dinner & Sumo Show
From Oshiage station take the Hanzomon line to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa and change for the Oedo line to Ryogoku. The total journey time is around 20 minutes.
If you’re looking for somewhere to have dinner around Tokyo Skytree then there are plenty of restaurants, however, if you prefer something a bit more fun and an “only in Japan” experience, I recommend hopping on the subway and heading to Ryogoku, the home of sumo wrestling.
At the Hana no Mai restaurant, you can enjoy a traditional sumo wrestler’s meal followed by live wrestling. The restaurant’s specialty dish is the chanko nabe, a kind of hot-pot filled with meat and vegetables, popular with sumo wrestlers. Check the restaurant’s entertainment schedule online before you go to check which dates sumo matches are held. Alternatively, you can book a tour to watch a sumo practice here.
Day 3 – Kichijoji to Shimokitazawa
Today is all about exploring some of Tokyo’s best local neighborhoods, away from the more touristy side of the city.
10:00 AM Ghibli Museum
This day requires some forward planning because it is essential to buy tickets in advance to the museum. If you are not bothered about visiting, just skip ahead to the next section of the itinerary, but if you are a fan of the Studio Ghibli movies, this is a must-see attraction. Book your tickets here.
You can enter the museum within 1 hour from your ticket’s designated admission time and you can stay as long as you want.
The Ghibli Museum is located in Mitaka in western Tokyo. To get to the museum take the Inokashira Line from Shibuya to Kichijoji and walk or take a bus. Alternatively, you can take the Chuo Line from Shinjuku.
Inside, the design and layout of the museum feel more like someone’s house, making it a lot of fun to stroll around if you are a fan of the animated movies. You can also get a good idea of what to expect at the museum through their YouTube channel here.
1:00 PM Lunch in Kichijoji
After visiting the museum head back to nearby Kichijoji for lunch. This area is often voted one of the best places to live in Tokyo and is particularly popular with university students. Inokashira Park is a nice spot to stroll around during the spring as it’s one of Tokyo’s top cherry blossom viewing spots, and there is also a boating lake where you can hire rowing boats.
There are plenty of great restaurants around Kichijoji to choose from, particularly around the park area and train station, covering every cuisine from sushi to hamburgers. If you want to stop for a drink, a couple of my favorite coffee spots include the Mahika Mano Cafe which has cool hammocks for seating and the Kugutsu Sou Cafe, an authentic old-school Japanese cafe that looks like the inside of a cave.
Spend some time exploring the streets of Kichijoji and then hop on the Keio-Inokashira Line to Shimokitazawa.
3:00 PM Explore Shimokitazawa
Just 10 minutes’ from Kichijoji by train will take you to another of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods. Shimokitazawa is filled with hip cafes and vintage clothing stores, giving it a laidback atmosphere compared to the more commercial areas of Ginza and Shinjuku. Some of my favorite spots in the area include the famous Totoro cream puff shop, On The Way coffee and cupcake stand, and RBL Cafe, which is owned by a quiz writer and is filled with thousands of quiz books, including an interesting selection of English books to keep you entertained whilst drinking your coffee.
5:30 PM Shopping in Ginza
Take the Inokashira line back to Shibuya, then change for the Ginza subway line.
Ginza is one of Tokyo’s oldest districts and is one of the city’s most popular shopping areas with its designer boutiques, vast department stores, and the swanky new Ginza Six shopping mall. Even if you’re on a tight budget, I recommend visiting for window-shopping and people watching!
Another of Ginza’s most popular attractions is the Kabuki theater, where you can buy cheap tickets for around 1,000 yen to watch one act of a play whilst listening to the translation through an audio guide.
Kabuki is a traditional form of Japanese drama that is performed exclusively by male actors wearing elaborate makeup. A whole performance lasts for hours, so dipping your toe in with a single act is a good way to get a feel for this performing art form.
7:30 PM Dinner & Drinks in Shinbashi
If you’re looking for somewhere to have dinner in Ginza then there are plenty of restaurants, however, if you prefer somewhere more authentic and a bit less ritzy I recommend walking a few minutes to Shinbashi where many of the city’s office workers flock to after work for dinner.
One of my favorite areas for eating and drinking is the Ginza Corridor street which is particularly lively at night and offers a glimpse into local life in Tokyo.
If you would like to enlist a local person to help you navigate the Shinbashi area, try downloading Tokyo-based app OodyMate which connects travelers with locals to help them find authentic restaurants for free.
Day 4 – Ueno to Roppongi
10:00AM Explore Ueno Park and the Museums
It’s your last day in Tokyo! Today, let’s take a break from shopping and soak up some culture. Start the day with a visit to Ueno Park, where you’ll find museums to include the Tokyo National Museum and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. If you’re not into museums at all or have kids with you, then I recommend switching out this morning in Ueno to something like a visit to the Sunshine City entertainment complex in Ikebukuro or the amusement park at Tokyo Dome.
As someone against animal tourism, I do not recommend visiting Ueno Zoo or any zoos in Japan because I have found the enclosures to be very small and the animals often appear to be distressed.
After spending the morning exploring the museums around Ueno, make a coffee stop at one of the park side cafes, before heading over to Akihabara.
1:00 PM Discover Tokyo’s Electric Town, Akihabara
From Ueno, walk for around 15 minutes or board the Yamanote Line train two stops to Akihabara.
Following World War II, the Akihabara area became known as “electric town” due to the high number of stores selling electronic goods. Today the area is particularly popular with fans seeking Japanese anime and manga products and is also home to most of Tokyo’s maid cafes.
Visiting a maid cafe is a bit of a weird experience, but definitely one of those things that you should try once. It’s like going to a regular cafe, except the staff are dressed like French maids and they do a little song and dance performance to entertain their guests. Prior to going, I was a bit concerned the whole thing would feel a bit seedy, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a mix of clients including couples and tourists, and not just a room of single men. One of the more tourist-friendly establishments is the Maidreamin cafe, which you can book in advance online here.
If you’re into giant robots Akihabara is also home to the Gundam Cafe. If you have an international driving permit you can try street go-karting, or visit one of the many gaming arcades. Try Super Potato for retro games, or Tokyo Leisure Land for music ones.
5:00 PM – Spend the Evening in Roppongi
From Akihabara, head over to Roppongi via the Hibiya subway line. Take a stroll around the commercial districts of Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills, or head to the Mori Art Museum and observatory, which regularly plays host to some of the most interesting modern art exhibitions in Tokyo.
7:30 PM – Dinner at Gonpachi
Spend your final evening in Tokyo at one of its most famous restaurants, Gonpachi. This is probably the most touristy place to eat in Tokyo that I would recommend, but I still think it’s worth a visit for the setting and atmosphere, not to mention the food is good and not too expensive.
Gonpachi is the restaurant that Quentin Tarantino based the famous fight scene on in the movie Kill Bill. You’ll notice a framed picture of the movie director on display inside the restaurant, which has also played host to celebrities and former US president George Bush.
The menu is typical of what you would expect to find in a Japanese izakaya, from charcoal-grilled meat skewers to sushi, and the Gonpachi chain are also known for their soba noodles.
After dinner spend some time enjoying Roppongi’s famous nightlife with its extensive array of nightclubs and bars. Alternatively, head to nearby Tokyo Tower to see it lit up at night!
That’s it! A whirlwind tour of Tokyo in 4 days! What would you include in your ideal 4 day Tokyo itinerary? Let me know in the comments below!
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