There is nothing quite like Tokyo. The city offers everything from serene gardens and historic temples to bustling shopping districts, anime and gaming culture, and world-class entertainment, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It is also a unique blend of Japan’s futuristic vision co-existing with its past. This Tokyo 5-day itinerary is suited for a first-time visit. It is also suited for families visiting Tokyo with kids. This 5 days in Tokyo itinerary keeps activities at a relaxed pace plus there is a visit to Tokyo DisneySea included in the trip.
Tokyo with its towering skyscrapers and well-preserved temples and shrines offers a fantastic study in contrasts. The neon-lit streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku, along with the traditional and tranquil area of Asakusa. From the anime and manga-rich Akihabara stores to the serene Imperial Palace and its gardens. From the efficiency of Tokyo metro and its gigantic train stations to the vast green parks in the city. Tokyo also offers world-class cuisine, both fine dining and street food.
We had split our Tokyo visit at the beginning and the end of our 2 weeks in Japan trip, but you can follow this itinerary for 5 consecutive days.
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Best Time to visit Tokyo
The best time to visit Tokyo is during the spring season (March until May) and autumn season (late September until November) for comfortable weather and scenic beauty. Late March to mid-April is Cherry Blossom or Sakura season in Japan. The city parks like Ueno and Yoyogi become lush with cherry blossom flowers and the cultural sites are superb against the backdrop of pink and white blooms. But do note that spring is also high season which brings massive crowds to the city.
Autumn season offers comfortable temperatures, and beautiful autumn foliage, especially in November. Autumn crowds are also high but lower compared to springtime crowds.
Summer months (June until August) are busy despite offering hot, humid weather. We visited Tokyo in mid-June when the heat was still manageable. The monsoon months of July and August are the worst in terms of heat and humidity. But summer also has many festivals and fireworks displays, such as the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in late July. And you also have to account for weather pattern changing. In 2025, there has been unprecedented rains in early September in Tokyo, as in many South east Asian regions.
Winter (December until February) is generally off-season. It provides cooler, drier weather and the lowest tourist footfall, leading to lower prices on flights and hotels.
How many days to spend in Tokyo
It is must to spend 3 to 4 days to get a feel of Tokyo and its vastness. 3 full days is the minimum to explore the best of Tokyo. Spending more than 4 days will give you enough time to easily do a day trip from Tokyo to popular areas like Hakone, Kamakura, or to Nikko national park or spending a full day at a theme park. If you want to cut out a theme park like Tokyo DisneySea altogether from this 5-day Tokyo itinerary, it frees up a full day to do a day trip to nearby areas.
We spent 5 days in Tokyo and saw the main highlights without being rushed. This 5-day itinerary for Tokyo Japan can be tweaked to suit your personal preferences. If you are a huge anime and manga fan, you can spend the whole day at Akihabara rather than the 2-hour walk tour that we took to get a feel of the area. For families travelling with young kids, there is loads to do in Tokyo but keep your schedule at an easy pace.
How to move around within Tokyo
We had taken the Airport Limousine Bus service from Narita international airport to reach our hotel in Ginza. Later while exploring Tokyo, we used the subway extensively and also walked a lot. Tokyo subway is as clean, punctual and efficient as it is known to be. We ended up using uber many a times as well within the city. An uber or a regular taxi with 3 people travelling for short distances is not much more expensive than taking the subway.
You can buy a Tokyo Subway Ticket for 24 – 72 hours to enjoy unlimited travel across Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines. We first bought Pasmo cards at a Tokyo metro station. An IC card like the pasmo (or Suica) makes it so easy to use public transport. We figured it to be a more flexible option than Tokyo subway pass for covering JR, other private railway lines, buses, etc. Definitely one of the best travel tips for Japan.
Tokyo Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Visit to teamLab Borderless, Shibuya Sky cancelled so plans changed to shopping
Day 2: Tokyo DisneySea. You can schedule the theme park to any day during your 5 days in Tokyo, it is better to pick a weekday compared to weekend.
Day 3: Wandering around Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku areas
Day 4: Exploring Ueno Park, Akihabara, and later a visit to teamLab Planets
Day 5: Cultural immersion and Samurai fun at Asakusa
You can easily crunch the Day 4 and 5 into one long day and keep aside a day to visit Hakone, Kamakura or Nikko national park.
Day 1: Digital art museum, shopping expedition in Shibuya and wandering around Ginza
We had landed in Tokyo the earlier evening and settled in the Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel. Ginza is Tokyo’s upscale shopping and dining paradise and makes for a great area to stay in the city. All we had time for was a quick look around the hi-end shopping stores. We had a quick dinner at a restaurant next to our hotel and called it a day.
Start with teamLab Borderless
For your first-time visit to Tokyo, visiting a Digital Art Museum is a great option. We visited both teamLab Borderless and later, teamLab Planets. It is important to book these tickets in advance. We had booked an early morning slot to teamlab Borderless for Day 1 morning of our 5-day Tokyo itinerary. No queues, hardly any crowds, we just went in and enjoyed the art museum. But I must admit that we preferred teamLab Planets over Borderless, we did the second art museum later in the trip.
Mori Building and the surrounding area have loads of restaurants. We got to explore more of these when we stayed in this area towards the end of our Japan trip. For now, we tried Minimal, a Bean-to-Bar chocolate boutique cafe, that worked well with the drizzle outside.
TeamLab Borderless is near Azabudai Hills, and there is an iconic Tokyo landmark close by to get a fantastic aerial view of Tokyo City. Tokyo Tower is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower. This second tallest structure in Japan offers panoramic views of the city from its observation deck.
Unlucky with Shibuya Sky
The weather turned for the worse by the time we reached Shibuya. I had booked the tickets to Shibuya Sky 2 weeks in advance for whatever slot was possible for the day.
The mist was quite bad by the time we reached for our afternoon slot at Shibuya Sky. Thankfully, they allowed us to cancel with a full refund. We ate a hearty sushi meal at Matsue at Shibuya Scramble building itself.
With a steady downpour, we changed the plans for Day 1. Instead of Shibuya Sky and Meiji Jingu Shrine, it was a lot of window shopping. We also purchased some stuff at several branded stores in Shibuya: Onitsuka Tiger store (there is always a line in front of this, come rain or sunshine), Lululemon, Muji store, before we got back to Ginza.
Day 2: Tokyo DisneySea is a thrill
Unless you are a huge Disney fan, I would say devote a day to either Disneyland or DisneySea on your Tokyo itinerary, and not both. We chose to spend a full day enjoying Tokyo DisneySea. The rides and attractions at Disneyland are more geared for younger kids whereas DisneySea, apart from being unique to Tokyo, also has attractions geared for teen and adults. Besides the top-notch attractions at Tokyo DisneySea, I found the food to be surprisingly good for a theme park. No wonder Tokyo DisneySea is regarded by many as the best Disney park in the world.
If you’re going to DisneySea from central Tokyo (Tokyo Station), get a train on the JR Keiyo Line or JR Musashino Line heading towards Maihama Station, which is the gateway to the Disney resorts. Once you arrive at Maihama Station, exit and transfer to the Disney Resort Line. It’s just one stop from Maihama Station to Tokyo DisneySea Station on the Disney Resort Line.
A Happy Day at Tokyo DisneySea
Our visit to DisneySea was after exploring Kyoto, Osaka and Koyasan and going back to Tokyo. We had reached Tokyo Disney area the earlier evening and checked into Disney Hotel MiraCosta. The stay at this Disney resort gave us a Happy Entry Pass, a full 15 minutes early entry at 845 am through a separate entrance at Tokyo DisneySea. Do note that DisneySea due to its massive popularity is more crowded than Disneyland. So the early entry was definitely useful.
This early entry via a separate entrance, downloading and getting familiar with the Disney App, planning our top rides the evening before and several (paid) Fast Passes to popular rides and attractions made for a thrilling day at DisneySea. You can read my detailed guide to Tokyo DisneySea for the best Tokyo DisneySea rides, how to plan a 1-day DisneySea itinerary, and all the tips and hacks to make your day super fun.
We managed to do 11 rides and attractions during our full day here besides enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner meals and several snack items! Tower of Terror, Soaring Fantastic Flight, Raging Spirits, Journey to the center of the Earth, and Frozen were our favourites, in no particular order.
Day 3: Wandering around the modern areas – Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku.
Tokyo is vast, so it is best to bunch together nearby neighbourhoods on the same day. Post the Dinsey trip, we transferred to Tokyo Edition in Toranomon, a business district of Minato. Day 3 in Tokyo was spent exploring the modern areas of Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku.
Shopping + Shibuya Sky
Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most colourful and busy districts, packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs. We had visited Shibuya earlier but our afternoon slot to Shibuya Sky got cancelled due too poor visibility and cloudy weather. We had re-booked these and got the early afternoon slot again (impossible to get the sunset slot!)
We started the morning with some shopping – sneakers at Onitsuka Tiger and at ABC Mart, no luck at getting into the On flagship store. It was a warm, sunny day when we went to the rooftop of Shibuya Sky. But the 360 city views more than made up for the heat. There is a bar/cafe area so you can stop off for a coffee or a beer.
The iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing is visible from many other buildings nearby, but the open-air views from Shibuya Sky are unique. Very different from the deck of the tallest building in Tokyo, namely Tokyo Skytree. The closest I could think of to Shibuya Sky is the open-air Mahanakhon Skywalk on our Bangkok trip. It gets quite crowded as the evening progresses, and the coveted sunset slot is packed. We stopped at Guzman y Gomez to have burritos before heading to Harajuku district.
Takeshita Street + Cat Street
Takeshita was the first stop. This iconic street is a hub for eccentric fashion, colorful street food like rainbow cotton candy and crepes. My teen daughter shopped for some cute clothes here. While packing for Japan summer trip, I had made sure to keep enough space in the luggage to take back all the personal items we bought.
This street also has a mipig cafe – the idea of cuddling with a micro-pig didn’t appeal to us. There are also plenty of cat cafes in Harajuku and Shibuya. We were then off to Cat Street, it was great to do window shopping at some trendy boutique shops, and stores of independent designers.
Cat Street was calm and peaceful, much needed after the crowds at Takeshita Street. If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya / Harajuku for a while, go for a peaceful walk through the forest to Meiji Jingu shrine. This large, peaceful oasis in the middle of Tokyo is a Shinto Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. What you will see are its dense surrounding forest, massive wooden torii gates, and a calm inner garden. Or you can head to Yoyogi park adjacent to Meiji Jingu. This large park is a popular spot for relaxation and picnics.
Enjoying the neon-lit buildings in Shinjuku
It was early evening by the time we reached Shinjuku. We spent only an hour gazing at the neon-lit signages, skyscrapers, but this busy, colourful area offers so much more. You can head to the observation decks of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for free to enjoy panoramic views of the city. There is always a debate about the views from here versus Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. But hey, it is free!
We stopped to take in the evening buzz around the Giant 3D Cat billboard and took the subway back to Toranomon. If you are spending more time in Shinjuku and want to experience local dining, Omiode Yokocho is a great option. This lane has a certain nostalgic charm and is popular for its cozy izakayas and delicious grilled meat. The narrow lanes of Golden Gai in Shinjuku is filled with tiny bars and a lively atmosphere.
We headed back to our hotel area and went to Gyoza Mania at Toranomon Hills, a cute Chinese restaurant specializing in all types of gyoza dishes.
Day 4: Ueno Park, Akihabara and later teamLab Planets
You can use the 4th day of your Tokyo itinerary to do a day trip. Popular choices are to Hakone or Kamakura or to Nikko national park. And combine exploring Ueno Park, Akihabara with the traditional district of Asakusa on the last day in Tokyo.
We started the day with a lazy brunch at Pizza 4P in Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza. Tokyo is not just great for Japanese food, we had been trying many other cuisine options in the city. My husband wanted to spend the afternoon buying Japanese whiskey, but my daughter and I had other plans.
Ueno Park
I had booked a small-group tour via Guruwalk for a 2-hr walking excursion through parts of Ueno Park and Akihabara. I do recommend taking a tour here, as a local guide can give so much information and context to Ueno Park history and Akihabara area. Ueno Park is famous for many things – its excellent galleries and museums, the pandas at Ueno Zoo, the Shinobazu Pond, and the historic Ueno Toshogu Shrine. Also, Ueno Park is one of Tokyo’s most popular cherry blossom areas with more than 1000 cherry trees lining its central pathway.
We crossed walking path across the Shinobazu Pond to view a small temple. We then wandered to Kiyomizu Kannon Temple. Its design, including a wooden balcony extending from the hillside, was inspired by Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. If museums are to your liking, you can easily spend a day at Ueno park. Ueno Park is famous for the many museums, especially the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum for Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum.
We only had an hour to spend in this lovely park and as we exited from the southern entrance of the park, we came upon a striking bronze statue of this samurai warrior with his dog. Our guide gave us a short history of the legendary samurai Saigo Takamori. We then made our way to Akihabara.
Lively Akihabara
If you or your kid is into video games and comic books, Tokyo’s Akihabara district will wow you. You’ll find 4-story arcades, an array of comic book and anime shops, and numerous animal cafes suitable for older children and teens. The lively atmosphere of Akihabara, with its bright lights and bustling streets, makes it a visually stimulating and exciting place to explore.
Even for a person like me who is not into manga or anime, it was super interesting to see the gaming arcades, the wide array of shops for Japanese pop culture, quirky souvenirs and cutting-edge gadgets, plus themed cafes.
When we chanced upon several girls dressed up in costumes, handing out flyers or coupons to some people, we had so many questions for our guide! he patiently explained the concept of maid cafes, where waitresses in maid costumes address diners with formal honorifics, assume a variety of cute poses, and make diners bless their food with adorable spells! Most maid cafes cater primarily to Japanese customers.
Stunning view of Tokyo Tower
We could have easily gone back to Ueno Park and admired the pandas at the zoo. But we had an evening slot booked at another Digital Art Museum and wanted an easy afternoon. So after the excellent walking tour, we headed back to our hotel. What a wonderful time spent admiring the Tokyo Tower from the hotel lobby. And then an early dinner at mi familia, a Mexican restaurant nearby before heading to Toyosu.
Immersive experience at teamLab Planets
We had visited teamLab Borderless on our first morning in Tokyo. The evening slot at teamLab Planets was far more crowded. There was a snaking line just to get inside. So while booking, do try and get an earlier slot here than later in the day. If you had to choose between teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets, my vote is for the latter. Planets is far more engaging, it is designed to engage multiple senses through water, light, and tactile elements.
TeamLab Planets is divided into 4 main areas: Water, Garden, Forest, and Open-Air. We stored our bags and shoes in a locker room and first went to experience the water area. The water is until ankle level so even if you are wearing pants, you can fold them up. I was wearing a dress but that was an issue in a room with mirrored floor, so make sure you are wearing a long dress. There is also an infinite crystal room here, amazing to have a vision of an infinite universe.
The forest area is even more interactive and athletic. There was a steady downpour that evening so we didn’t go to the open area. The last section for us for the garden area. It was incredible to see real orchids growing suspended here and move gently as we moved through them.
Day 5: Immerse in culture and history in Asakusa
The historic Sensō-ji
Asakusa district is known for its historic temples and traditional streets. The morning of our last full day in Tokyo was spent exploring Sensō-ji complex and Nakamise street on a rainy day. Again, I had booked a small group tour via Guruwalk, and while the local guide was informative, a guide is not necessary. The local guide did provide a hands-on way for everyone to engage with and appreciate the culture of the country. I must admit that we had seen many other fabulous temples and shrines on our Kyoto trip earlier. And hence the Senso-ji tour did not wow us. It would be a different experience to visit this temple first before others in Kyoto.
Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, and also Tokyo’s oldest-established temple with a history going back 1,400 years. The shopping street leading to Sensoji Temple, known as Nakamise-dori, is lined with many shops selling crafts, souvenirs, sweet & savoury snacks. This street is actually on temple property and so it starts and ends with a temple gate. At the southern end is the outer gate of Kaminarimon, and at the northern end is the inner gate of Hozomon.
After walking through all the structures in and around Sensō-ji, our guide showed us a bit more of Asakusa. He gave many recommendations for enjoying local snacks like the creme or ice-cream filled ‘melonpan’ bread. And the chain restaurant Ichiran Ramen branch in Asakusa. And finally, the famous and colourful Don Quijote spread over 7 floors.
Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree
We finally ended the tour at Sumida River. If you have time, you can explore a bit more of the area around this historically significant river. Sumida River is bordered by a variety of tranquil parks and gardens that provide a welcome respite. One of the best ways to experience the Sumida River is on a sightseeing boat cruise.
The Sumida River Walk is a promenade connecting several parks that provides a convenient walking route from Asakusa all the way to Tokyo Skytree. The afternoon we visited Sumida River, Japan’s tallest tower at 634 m was covered in mist and clouds across the river bank. We couldn’t make time to visit Tokyo Skytree that offers a must-see view of the city. A common question posed by first-time visitors to Tokyo is to choose between Shibuya Sky, Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. There is no wrong answer to be honest!
Fun at Samurai Ninja Museum
We had lunch at a Japanese burger joint, Shogun Burger and then killed some time shopping for souvenirs in Asakusa. Until it was time for our pre-booked slot at Samurai Ninja Museum. For families travelling to Tokyo, I do recommend this highly. The museum is a good blend of engaging information on samurai and ninja history. We had got some information on samurai culture on our day trip to Himeji Castle, but this was far more in-depth.
We had loads of fun wearing samurai costumes and taking funny photos. Then there was an informative session of the samurai history. The person presenting it was so engaging with the audience – adults and kids alike. And finally, we had a hands-on session on practising some ninja skills. That was great fun too (for some, I plainly sucked at it!).
For our last evening in Tokyo, we chose to go to Roppongi – where many hot-spots for fine dining and night life abound. Our teppanyaki dinner at Cher ton ton was excellent, priior reservation required.
What to do in Tokyo with kids
Tokyo, at times, feels like it was designed for childhood amusement. From Disney theme parks to fun restaurants like the Hello Kitty-themed Cafe de Miki to animal cafes.
Most families travelling to Tokyo with kids will add Disneyland and DisneySea to their itinerary for sure. Go to both if you are spending a week or more in Tokyo and are huge Disney fans, else one theme park is good to be added to your Tokyo itinerary. If your child is more into video games and comic books than Disney princesses, head to Tokyo’s Akihabara district instead.
Families can also find plenty of outdoor spaces like Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park or Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens to explore and stretch their legs. The Digital Art Museums are interactive and engaging, especially teamLab Planets. And I do recommend the Samurai and Ninja Museum in Asakusa.
Where to stay in Tokyo
It is difficult to comprehend how vast Tokyo city is unless you visit it. So it really matters where you stay to make the best of your Tokyo itinerary. For a Tokyo trip beyond 4 days, you can easily split your stay in 2 different areas. Wherever you stay in Tokyo, It is important to choose a Tokyo hotel that is close to a train station to visit other parts of the city easily.
We ended up staying 3 locations, because our Tokyo experience was at the beginning and end of the Japan trip. The first leg was in Ginza for a couple of nights at the start of our Japan trip, then 2 nights at a Tokyo Disney resort, and finally, in Toranomon for the last 4 nights.
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel, right next to Ginza Six. From Disney resort, we transferred to Tokyo Edition in Toranomon, a business district of Minato. We had booked this luxury hotel using Bonvoy points. Toranomon is a modern, well-connected base with luxury hotels, though it lacks the immediate nightlife of other areas.
Popular areas to stay in Tokyo
Of all these locations, Ginza is my absolute favourite. From being Tokyo’s upscale shopping paradise to having fabulous dining options to catching a show at a Kabuki-za Theatre, Ginza is beautiful and accessible. However, it may be more expensive than other districts in Tokyo.
The other popular area to stay for a first-time visit is Shibuya or Shinjuku. Both areas are very accessible via Tokyo metro, have loads of hotels and airbnbs plus dining options. These colourful areas have neon-lit buildings and a lively nightlife scene. Do note that these areas are also crowded, busy and could be noisy. Many folks prefer to stay in Roppongi. It is a more upscale version of Shibuya or Shinjuku. Loads of dining options plus nightlife but not as crowded.
If you are looking for a serene neighbourhood to stay in Tokyo, no better option than Asakusa. This is Tokyo’s traditional heart close to Senso-ji and Sumida river. It is calm and is preferred by many families. With its central location and easy access to public transportation, it is a good base for exploring the city.
Planning a trip to Japan? Check out –
Start with Essential Travel Tips For Japan and 2 Weeks in Japan
City Itineraries: 3 Days in Kyoto Itinerary, Osaka 3 Day Itinerary
Day Trips: Best day trips from Tokyo, Best day trips from Osaka, Ultimate Guide to Tokyo DisneySea
And finally, the Best Hotels in Japan and Japan summer packing checklist
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Looks like a great itinerary for Tokyo. We spent a few days in the city, but didn’t make it to any of the TeamLAB venues, and after reading this I’m bummed. We will have to go back!
There is so much to explore in Tokyo that the first tip is just to get a feel.