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The Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo waterfront skyline seen from Daiba Park
The lattice tower of Tokyo Skytree against a blue sky
Skewers of grilled eel on sale at a stall in the Tsukiji outer market
A narrow lane of tiny bars in Shinjuku Golden Gai
The main hall of Meiji Jingu behind its gravel courtyard

Things to do in Tokyo: 13 experiences

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Photo: Sergey Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tokyo Skytree, Sumida, Tokyo

Ride Tokyo Skytree to its 450 m galleria

Check dates and prices

Photo: Akonnchiroll, CC0

Tsukiji Outer Market, Chuo, Tokyo

Graze the stalls of the Tsukiji outer market in the morning

Check dates and prices

Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0

Golden Gai, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Squeeze into a six-seat bar in Shinjuku Golden Gai

Check dates and prices

Photo: garberus, CC BY-SA 2.0

Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, Tokyo

Walk the forest approach to Meiji Jingu from Harajuku

Check dates and prices

Photo: Akonnchiroll, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tokyo is less one city than dozens of neighbourhoods joined by the best rail network in the world, and each one rewards a different day. The Japan page already covers the classics: Senso-ji in Asakusa, teamLab Planets, the Ghibli Museum, a sumo tournament, sushi at Toyosu and the Shibuya crossing. This page adds what fills the rest of a stay: the shrine forest of Meiji Jingu, breakfast at Tsukiji's outer market, the ruins of Edo Castle, the national treasures in Ueno, a single act at the Kabuki-za and a night in Golden Gai.

13 things to do in Tokyo

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The main hall of Meiji Jingu behind its gravel courtyard

Walk the forest approach to Meiji Jingu from Harajuku

Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, Tokyo

1 to 2 hoursFree

A planted forest of about 100,000 trees between Harajuku and Yoyogi, leading to the shrine of Emperor Meiji.

Check dates and pricesMeiji Jingu walk with a local guide
Been there?
Skewers of grilled eel on sale at a stall in the Tsukiji outer market

Graze the stalls of the Tsukiji outer market in the morning

Tsukiji Outer Market, Chuo, Tokyo

1 to 2 hoursFree

The wholesale fish market left for Toyosu in 2018, but the streets of shops and counters around it kept feeding Tokyo.

Check dates and pricesTsukiji food walk with five tastings
Been there?
A narrow lane of tiny bars in Shinjuku Golden Gai

Squeeze into a six-seat bar in Shinjuku Golden Gai

Golden Gai, Shinjuku, Tokyo

2 to 3 hours in the eveningGo alone or with a tour

Six narrow alleys with over 200 bars, many with room for half a dozen drinkers, a short walk from Shinjuku Station.

Check dates and pricesShinjuku izakaya and Golden Gai bar walk
Been there?
The lattice tower of Tokyo Skytree against a blue sky

Ride Tokyo Skytree to its 450 m galleria

Tokyo Skytree, Sumida, Tokyo

1.5 to 2 hoursBook ahead

The tallest tower in Japan at 634 m, with two decks that look out over the Kanto region.

Check dates and pricesTokyo Skytree deck ticket
Been there?
Autumn foliage in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Climb to the empty keep base of Edo Castle in the East Gardens

Imperial Palace East Gardens, Chiyoda, Tokyo

1 to 1.5 hoursFree

The innermost circles of the shogun's Edo Castle, now a free public garden with moats, gates, guardhouses and the stone base of its keep.

Been there?
The Honkan main building of the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park

Spend an afternoon among the national treasures in Ueno

Tokyo National Museum, Ueno, Tokyo

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

Japan's oldest and largest museum, spread over several buildings in Ueno Park.

Been there?
Red and yellow autumn trees around a lawn in Shinjuku Gyoen

Picnic under the cherry trees of Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku Gyoen, Shinjuku, Tokyo

1.5 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

A former imperial garden mixing French, English and Japanese styles, and one of Tokyo's favourite cherry blossom spots.

Been there?
The temple-like facade of the Kabuki-za theatre in Ginza

Watch a single act of kabuki at the Kabuki-za

Kabuki-za, Ginza, Tokyo

1 to 2 hours for one actNo booking needed

Tokyo's main kabuki theatre sells tickets for one act as well as whole programmes, so you can try kabuki in an hour or two.

Been there?
Electronics and anime shop signs along a street in Akihabara

Dig through the floors of Akihabara's electronics and anime shops

Akihabara, Chiyoda, Tokyo

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

Tokyo's electronics district turned centre of otaku culture, where component stalls share streets with figure shops, retro games and maid cafes.

Been there?
The twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 in Shinjuku

See Tokyo for free from the 45th floor of the city hall

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku, Tokyo

About 1 hourFree

Tokyo's city hall in Shinjuku has free observation decks on the 45th floor of each of its twin towers.

Been there?
Frozen tuna laid out on the auction floor at Toyosu Market

Watch the tuna auction and eat sushi at Toyosu Market

Toyosu, Tokyo

No booking needed

Watch the tuna auction from about 5:30 at the market that replaced Tsukiji, then take a seat at a sushi counter upstairs.

Tours in Tokyo
Been there?
The Shibuya scramble crossing seen from the Shibuya Sky deck

Cross the Shibuya Scramble, then watch it from above

Shibuya, Tokyo

Free

Cross with the crowd as the lights turn green under neon and giant screens, then watch it from an open-air deck above.

Tours in Tokyo
Been there?
A Miyagi salmon and roe ekiben bought at Tokyo Station, on a train table

Ride the Shinkansen with an ekiben from Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station

Book ahead

Pick a regional lunch box from more than 150 kinds at Tokyo Station and eat it in your Shinkansen seat.

Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Tokyo yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Haneda Airport is close to the centre, with the Keikyu line and the Tokyo Monorail into the city. Narita Airport is further out: the Narita Express and the Keisei Skyliner take about an hour. Shinkansen from Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and the north arrive at Tokyo Station, and many also stop at Shinagawa or Ueno.

  • Getting around

    The JR Yamanote loop line links Tokyo, Ueno, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya, and the Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines fill in the rest. A rechargeable IC card such as Suica or Pasmo works on all of them and in many shops. Trains stop around midnight, so plan the last ride home after a night out.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, four days for a first visit: one for Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara, one for Shinjuku and Harajuku, one for Tsukiji, Ginza and the Imperial Palace, and one for a museum or a day trip to Kamakura, Hakone or Nikko.

  • When to go

    Late March to early April brings the cherry blossom, and November the autumn colour in the parks; both are busy. June is the rainy season, and July and August are hot and humid. Winter is cold but mostly dry and clear, the best season for seeing Mount Fuji from the city.

  • Where to stay

    Shinjuku and Shibuya are the liveliest bases at night and well connected to the west. Around Tokyo Station and Ginza is central and best for the Shinkansen. Ueno and Asakusa are cheaper and quieter, with easy airport trains from Ueno.

Questions travellers ask

Is Tokyo Skytree worth it if I go up the city hall for free?

They give different views. The free city hall observatories in Shinjuku are on the 45th floor and look over the western skyscrapers. Skytree's decks are at 350 m and 450 m, far higher, and look over the east of the city and the river. If you only do one, the free one covers the basics.

Is Tsukiji market still worth visiting?

Yes, for food. The wholesale market and its tuna auction moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market of shops and small restaurants stayed and is busiest in the morning. Most of it closes on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays.

Can visitors drink in Golden Gai?

Yes, in many of the bars. Many cater only to regulars introduced by another customer, but others welcome newcomers and put up signs and price lists in English to attract visitors.

Do I need a ticket for the Imperial Palace East Gardens?

No. Entry is free and needs no booking. The gardens close on Mondays and Fridays and over the New Year, from 28 December to 3 January.

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Things to do in Japan

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