What are the top things to do in Tokyo?

The most-worth-it experiences are the free icons first: Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple, and Meiji Jingu, a shrine inside a planted forest. Add a skyline view from Shibuya Sky, the digital-art rooms at teamLab, and Japanese treasures at the Tokyo National Museum. Round it out with old-town streets like Yanaka Ginza, a garden such as Koishikawa Korakuen, and a night in the tiny bars of Shinjuku's Golden Gai.

What are the best free things to do in Tokyo?

A lot of Tokyo's best is free. Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu cost nothing, and the big shrine forests and parks (Yoyogi, Ueno, Sumida) are open to all. Walking the old-town lanes of Yanaka, the backstreets of Koenji and Nakameguro, and the Marunouchi avenues costs nothing, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government observation decks give you a skyline view for free.

What is there to do in Tokyo at night?

After dark, head to Shinjuku's Golden Gai, a warren of tiny bars that each seat a handful of people, or the wider Kabukicho district nearby. Shibuya Sky and the free government decks are best at sunset, the Asakusa and Sumida riverside light up, and izakaya across the city run late. Trains and convenience stores keep going well past midnight.

How many days do you need to see Tokyo?

Five days is the comfortable amount for a first visit: enough to give each theme in this guide its own day without rushing, plus room for a day trip. With three days, focus on the must-see sights, one food-and-old-town day, and one neighborhood you want to wander. Repeat visitors can do a sharp two days around whatever they missed.

What is Tokyo best known for?

Tokyo is known for the contrast it holds together: centuries-old temples and shrines a few minutes from neon crossings and skyscrapers. It is famous for its food, from ramen counters and conveyor sushi to the basement food halls, for its trains, for pop-culture districts like Akihabara and Harajuku, and for seasonal spectacle, above all the cherry blossoms of late March.

Are teamLab and Shibuya Sky worth it?

Both are among the few paid highlights and both reward the ticket if you book ahead. teamLab's room-scale digital art is unlike anything else in the city and times out quickly, so reserve a slot. Shibuya Sky's open-air rooftop gives the best central skyline view, especially at sunset; buy a timed ticket and skip the midday crowds.

What are the best things to do in Tokyo for first-time visitors?

Start with the icons that anchor a first trip: Senso-ji and the Nakamise approach in Asakusa, Meiji Jingu and the Harajuku streets beside it, and the Shibuya Scramble with a Shibuya Sky view above it. Add one museum or teamLab for a rainy afternoon and one old-town walk, and you have seen the Tokyo most people picture before they arrive.

Is Tokyo safe to explore at night?

Yes. Tokyo is one of the safest big cities anywhere and has ranked second worldwide on the Post Office solo-travel safety index. Even the nightlife districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya feel calm after dark, late-night trains and convenience stores are busy and well lit, and a dropped wallet is often handed in at the nearest koban.

Tokyo · Travel guide

Things to Do in Tokyo

Tokyo is really a dozen cities in one, each neighborhood its own world. Use this as your map to all of it: where to go, the experiences worth your time, ready-made itineraries, where to stay, and what to know before you land.

9 neighborhoods · 10 things to do · 5 itineraries

Tokyo in brief

What shouldn't you miss in Tokyo?: The icons most first trips are built around: Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, and Meiji Jingu, a shrine inside a forest, plus the Shibuya Scramble with a Shibuya Sky view above it, the digital-art rooms of teamLab, and a night in Shinjuku's Golden Gai.
Is three days in Tokyo too much?: No. Three days is a good first visit and covers the must-see sights. Five days is the comfortable amount if you want a day for each theme in this guide plus a day trip out of the city.
Is Tokyo expensive?: Less than most people expect. Around $100 a day covers a comfortable trip, and many of the best things to do, from shrines and parks to neighborhood walks, are free.

Explore by neighborhood

Tokyo's neighborhoods, mapped

Tokyo is a collection of distinct neighborhoods, each its own world: Asakusa for old-town temples, Shibuya and Shinjuku for neon and nightlife, Ginza for refined shopping, Akihabara for pop culture, and Ueno, Harajuku, and Yanaka for parks, shrines, and quiet lanes. Tap a pin or a card to open a neighborhood's full guide.

See & do

The best things to do in Tokyo

The best things to do in Tokyo run from free icons like Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu to a Shibuya Sky view, the digital-art rooms of teamLab, and ramen counters worth the queue. Filter by what you're in the mood for, then open the neighborhood each one lives in.

Highlights across the city; each neighborhood guide has the full list for its area. Ratings link to each place's Google listing; prices are approximate, per person, in USD.

Plan your trip

Tokyo itineraries, from a weekend to a week

Most first-time visitors spend three to five days in Tokyo. Pick a ready-made Tokyo itinerary below, from a focused weekend to a full week, or hand any of them to Zoya to tailor to your dates.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Tokyo

The best areas to stay in Tokyo are Shinjuku and Shibuya for nightlife and transit, Ginza for refined calm, and Asakusa for old-town atmosphere. Pick a base by what you want from your days and nights.

A leafy canal-side street in Nakameguro, Tokyo.

Where to Stay in Tokyo

The best neighborhoods to base yourself, by what you want from your days and nights.

View the guide

Popular areas to stay

Tap an area to preview it, then open the full where-to-stay guide.

Know before you go

Tokyo travel essentials

The quick answers most Tokyo trips start with: when to go, what it costs, where to eat, and where to escape for a day.

Ready to plan your Tokyo trip?

Tell Zoya, your personal travel assistant, how you like to travel, and she'll turn any of this into a day-by-day plan that fits your dates.

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Things to Do in Tokyo

Tokyo in brief

Tokyo's neighborhoods, mapped

Asakusa

Shibuya

Shinjuku

Ginza

Akihabara

Ueno

Harajuku

Yanaka

Roppongi

The best things to do in Tokyo

Senso-ji Temple

Meiji Jingu

Shibuya Sky

teamLab Borderless

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Koishikawa Korakuen

Yoyogi Park

Ichiran Ramen

Tokyo itineraries, from a weekend to a week

Where to stay in Tokyo

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Tokyo travel essentials

Best Time to Visit

Is Tokyo Expensive?

Best Food in Tokyo

Day Trips from Tokyo

Ready to plan your Tokyo trip?

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