Tokyo is one of those cities which you just cannot physically sum up in one visit. It is vast and there are just so many things to do. When we spent 4 days in Tokyo for the first time in 2025, we definitely felt a sense of overwhelm. There was just so much to see and discover and I remember wondering how we would ever cover all of it.
This is where my new post comes in. I wanted to make an ultimate itinerary for those people spending 4 days in Tokyo for the first time. I’ve included all of the main things to see, places to eat, where to base yourself and other hand top-tips.
If you are going to Tokyo any time soon, read on. I hope that you enjoy it.
4 Days in Tokyo for First Timers | Your Ultimate Itinerary
Getting Around
Before we get started on the ultimate itinerary, let me tell you about the Suica card. This is Tokyo’s equivalent of an Oyster card and allows you to hop on and off public transport. The app is easy to use. Just download it on your phone, top it up (it will be in Yen, so you may get a currency fee) and just tap your phone against the barriers.
We did find navigating the Metro rather challenging, but it was made possible through the magic of Google Maps. This meant that we needed to download an eSIM, but having one was a complete game changer for us. We used Sim Local; check out my post to get a handy discount code.
Where to Stay in Tokyo
We found choosing where to stay quite tricky. There are so many different areas of Tokyo and each have their own unique flavour. Some, like Harajuku and Shinjuku are more vibrant and quirky, but really aren’t for everyone. We actually spent two nights in Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku, which is famous for a giant Godzilla head. Whilst it was cool to see Godzilla as we looked out our window, the novelty wore off quickly. Plus, Shinjuku as an area is very busy, bright and loud, so we didn’t get the best night sleep. This is without saying how difficult it is to get to the airport from here.
Two hotels that I would seriously recommend though are the Shiba Park Hotel and the Park Hotel. These are both beautiful and stylish, and each has their own fun twist. Shiba Park sells itself as a library, and has been artistically crafted to showcase this. There are small reading nooks and plenty of different genres to read.
The Park Hotel though is a bit different. It is set on the 25th floor of a skyscraper and actually is described as an ‘art museum you can stay in’. Each room has been carefully designed and painted by a local artist, meaning that you get a completely unique room each time you stay in it.
Both of these hotels are in quieter areas which are well connected. We could easily explore busy Tokyo for 4 days, but knew we had a lovely hotel to retreat back to. Plus, the food in both hotels was superb.
Your Ultimate Itinerary
Day 1: Shibuya, Harajuku & Tokyo’s First Impressions
Before we get started, I’ve assumed that you’ve arrived in the evening before starting this itinerary. If you’ve arrived in the morning, you can still do this first day; there isn’t a lot of travelling to do and there are plenty of places to stop for a coffee.
Morning: Harajuku & Takeshita Street
I would start your day in Harajuku. This is home to Tokyo’s fashionable neighbourhoods, but also a place to have some fun. The epicentre of this area is on Takeshita Street. This is a really vibrant, loud and colourful lane, which has quirky shops are crepe stands lining the sides. You can find unique clothes here, souvenirs, and more anime references than you can count. Alongside this, you’ll also find different cafés where you can hang out with different animals. Whilst I don’t personally endorse this, there are cafés here where you can see otters, owls, micro pigs and even capybara.
If this isn’t your thing, then I have two other options nearby. First is the Meiji Jingu shrine, which is set in a lush, leafy park. It has to be one of my favourites in Tokyo; it is not usually too busy and is surprisingly quiet. Another option is the Tokyo Plaza Ometesando Harajuku. This is effectively a shopping centre, but one which has an amazing open-air garden roof. This is perfect for a coffee or for a light bite from the food court here.
Tip: Nearby is the restaurant Bills. We had some incredible fluffy pancakes here and it has to be one of the best brunch places in the city. The restaurant isn’t too expensive and I’d highly recommend it.
Afternoon: Shibuya Crossing
Walk down from Harajuku to the urban chaos which is Shibuya. This is one of the main hubs of the city and it is where you’ll find Shibuya Crossing, the busiest road-crossing in the world. I must say that this is one of the moments where you realise you’re in Tokyo. Walking across the crossing is definitely one of the best experiences you can have in the city. Whilst it is now heavily concentrated with influencers (you’ll see them sprint across to get the best pictures), I did enjoy walking across it.
As well as crossing, the area of Shibuya has some of the best shops around. If you came to Japan with your heart set on a Nintendo souvenir, then the Nintendo store is also here and isn’t actually too busy. There is also a Pokémon Center here and, whilst the outside is arguably the funnest looking, it is way too busy to find what you are looking for.
Side Quest – Hachiko Statue
When you cross the crossing to the side of the station, you’ll find the Hachiko Statue. There is a lovely story behind this statue of a dog. Apparently he would wait for his owner – Professor Ueno – each day after work and, even when his owner passed away, he still waited. It is nice to see and I like the story, but be prepared to queue for a while to take a selfie with Hachiko.
Tip: The best Pokémon Center in the city is Tokyo DX, which is not nearby Shibuya. My husband didn’t find anything he wanted as a souvenir in Shibuya or the Sky Tree as they were just so busy. However, DX is completely out of the way and he found what he wanted within minutes.
Evening: Shibuya Sky
Ground-level Shibuya is fun and all, but the real magic comes from above. The best, unrivalled place to see this is Shibuya Sky, which has amazing views across Tokyo. On clear days, you can even see Mt. Fuji in the distance, which has to be on the bucket list for any seasoned traveller.
Getting tickets for this though is quite complicated, and even can be difficult. The tickets are released at midnight (Japan time) two weeks in advance. This means that, for that perfect sunset picture, you’re going to need to be online within the first 10 minutes of the tickets being released. As will become apparent as you spend your 4 days in Tokyo, over-tourism is a problem in Japan and securing anything can be challenging.
We managed to get tickets for 16:30, which meant that we could enjoy the sunset and evening light. It meant that we could get some amazing views of Shibuya crossing, as well as other icons like Tokyo Tower.
Tip: If Shibuya Sky is too pricey / unavailable, there is actually a Starbucks opposite the crossing which gives you a really good view. Plus, Starbucks are everywhere in Japan and the coffee costs less than half of what it does in the UK.
Day 2: Asakusa and Electric Town
Day two involves more exploring of Tokyo, and features a nice contrast between the old and new. Before we get started though, set your alarms for an early start. Our first stop gets very busy…
Morning: Asakusa & Senso-ji Temple
We’re going to start our day at Senso-ji Temple in the area of Asakusa. This is the oldest – and most popular – shrine in the city, attracting thousands of tourists each day. I cannot recommend getting here as early as possible – before 08:30 / 09:00 or so the place is basically deserted and the tours haven’t arrived. When they do, you’ll lose the zen nature of this historic temple.
The first thing you’ll see is the iconic Thunder Gate which guards the entrance to Nakamise Street, which leads up to the temple. Walk around the gate (the gate is reserved for the Gods in Shinto religion), and along the street. Nakamise is a great place to pick up unique souvenirs, but the shops usually open at 09:00, so it may be worth doing this on the way back if you arrived earlier.
Senso-ji is a classic Shinto shrine. There isn’t loads to see here, but it is a great place to get your fortune told. To do this, pay ¥100, shake a metal box containing bamboo sticks (Mikuji-bo) and then take a random stick. This will have a number, which designates a drawer to open. Take the first fortune from it and read it. If it is good, you can take it home, if it is bad then tie it on a stand to leave your bad luck at the temple.
Tip: Senso-ji also sells traditional Shinto trinkets which each brings their own luck and fortune. Many of these are beautiful and make for fantastic souvenirs or thoughtful gifts.
Late Morning: Asakusa and Ueno Park
Once you leave the Temple, you’ll be in the middle of Asakusa. This is an older part of the city and feels like it is lost in time. There isn’t lots to see here particularly, but there are some lovely shops and cafés to explore. Plus, the architecture is very unique and is just what you imagine when you think of Edo Period Tokyo.
Your next stop will be Ueno Park, one of the best places to see Cherry Blossom in the spring. You can either catch the Metro (Ginza Line), or walk for half an hour. If you walk, you can visit my favourite shop in the city; Dengama. If you came to Tokyo looking for ceramics or pottery, this is the place to buy it. I loved looking around here and stumbled across it by accident. We left with some lovely stuff, including some unique little ceramics showing the characters from My Neighbour Totorro.
At Ueno Park, you can take your time to walk around and enjoy it. I felt that it was incredibly quiet compared to the city, and was a great place to sit to enjoy a coffee. Within the park is the Tokyo National Museum, which is definitely worth visiting. My favourite part though has to be the Shinobazu Pond area and the nearby Gojo Ten-jinja Shrine. Both felt harmonious and made for a nice walk.
Afternoon: Akihabara Electric Town
As you leave Ueno Park it is a short walk to Akihabara, This is a very marmite-like part of the city and is known for anime and pop-culture. You will either love it and want to spend all afternoon and evening here, or you won’t get what the fuss is about. As somebody who isn’t really into this kind of thing, my advice is just throw yourself into it.
The main attraction here has to be the arcades. You’ll find plenty of these across the area and most of the shops are the same. On the first floors are the claw machines. These obviously are a little bit of a scam. Whilst we of course spent far more money on this than we should (and only won one small Kirby), they are all good fun and you can actually win some really cool prizes. In my opinion though, the best games are higher up.
If you are into retro games, check out Super Potato. I saw once that somebody described it as a cramped museum in the middle of a random building, and I think that this description is perfect. You can buy older games for more Retro consoles here too, but at pretty high prices.
Tip: If you’re a fan of Pokémon, don’t miss out on the Magikarp-shaped taiyaki which is sold here. They come with either a chocolate or custard filling (I’d suggest the latter; it was better!).
Evening: Games and Dinner
Akihabara gets more alive the later you stay. If you’re a fan, stay here and waste more money on arcade games. It is probably the best place in the city to do so. Plus, there are some good options for street food here too!
if it really wasn’t your thing, I’d suggest heading back to a quieter district like Shiba and enjoy a dinner of ramen or katsu.
Day 3: Shinjuku
Shinjuku is an area of Tokyo which feels different from the rest of the city. I remember thinking that it was more chaotic, busier and perfectly represents the modern world which Japan has embraced over the past few decades. Expect hectic shopping and neon lights, coupled with quiet parks and awesome views. Welcome to Shinjuku.
Tip: Just to reiterate; don’t stay here unless you really want to. It is probably one of the nightlife capitals of Tokyo, but you pay a lot more for what you get in terms of hotels and room sizes. The connections back to Heneda Airport are also not very good and you’ll need to get through Shinjuku Station; the busiest in the world.
Morning: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Is there a better start to a morning abroad than with a coffee in a park? To kick-start your morning, I’d head to one of the nearby coffee shops in Shinjuku before walking over to the Gyeon National Park. As a little side note, it is actually incredibly bad manners to eat / drink whilst walking in Japan, so save this for when you get to a bench in the park.
The Gyeon National Park has to be one of the best in the city, and perfectly balances the noise and hectic nature of Shinjuku. It costs ¥500 to enter and opens at 09:00am each morning. The Park is a whopping 144 acres, so don’t expect to see all of it in one visit. As the sun rises though, you’ll get some lovely light tones against the skyscrapers of the city.
Tip: In the middle of the park is a Starbucks. Whilst I’m not a massive fan of chains and their coffee, I would say that the positioning of this shop is perfect. It can get busy during peak seasons though. If you haven’t done so already, watch out for their Been There series Japan mug. It is really pretty.
Afternoon: Government Metropolitan Building and Shopping
Leave the Park and start exploring Shinjuku. You can choose to look in some of the nearby shops and cafés, or make a detour to see the famous 3D Cat billboard. Aside from Ginza, this is probably one of the best areas to shop in Tokyo. You’ll find plenty of things to choose from, but be warned that there isn’t any ‘locally made’ stuff here. In fact, a lot of it is quite commercial, similar to any major shopping district.
Tip: If you came to Japan in the hope to buy some Onitsuka Tigers, I found the shop here to be the best. Unlike Kyoto, I didn’t have to queue to enter the shop. I just walked in and bought my shoes!
My personal recommendation though is a trip to the Government Metropolitan Building. This has one of the best views around and – better yet – it is free to enter. The observation deck is 202m above the city and has great panoramic views. On clear days, you can see Mt. Fuji again in the distance.
Evening: Kabukicho and Golden Gai
To end your third of your 4 nights in Tokyo, head to Kabukicho. As a disclaimer, this place is the Red Light District, but it is perfectly safe as long as you don’t speak to anybody who wants to take you to a bar. In terms of overall vibe, it is quite similar to Akihabara. You have more arcade shops here, as well as street food. However, I would say that it is far more touristy and busy, and that there aren’t quite as many fun shops. You’ll also see the giant Godzilla head on top of Hotel Gracery. This roars every hour on the hour between 18:00-20:00pm.
After seeing the Neon lights, walk to another area called the Golden Gai. This small district captures what life was like in Tokyo before mega-industrialisation. You’ll find small izakaya here, which are effectively more intimate bars and restaurants. You can always have a good conversation when you enter them; there will only be a few people in each one.
Tip: If you don’t fancy entering an izakaya by yourself, book onto a food tour. This is one of the best places in Tokyo to do this.
Day 4: Minato City, Imperial Palace and Ginza
For your final day in Tokyo, I’d suggest a quieter pace. We’re going to start in Minato City, which is where we stayed in during our stay at Shiba Park Hotel. It is a more upmarket area, but one that is almost silent in comparison to areas such as Shinjuku. Today is a big contrast to the day before, but one which is needed after a late night at the Golden Gai!
Morning: Minato City
The area of Minato City was the first part of Tokyo we explored. I remember thinking how quiet it was; it really was as far from my original vision of Tokyo as possible! The area feels almost suburban and, without the skyscrapers and Tokyo Tower in the background, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d entered suburbia.
Shiba Park should be your first stop. Here, you’ll find the Tokyo Tower and the Zojoji Temple. Let’s start with the tower, one of the most iconic sights in the city. I personally don’t see much point of going up it, mainly because the area around has been developed so much. The tower looks so much better as part of the view, either from the park or from a nearby lookout, like Shibuya Sky. The Tower symbolises the rapid growth that Japan experienced post the Second World War and has been a landmark since then.
Tip: I actually think that the best view I had of the Tokyo Tower was from the Park Hotel, which was located just a short way out of Minato City. Our room was on the 34th floor and we could see the tower against Mount Fuji. Easily one of the best / most iconic travel views of my life.
Zojoji Temple is one of the underrated heroes in Tokyo, and is a must-see. It is not too busy and is incredibly beautiful to look at and explore. The highlights here are the jizo statues. These are cast in the shape of young people and are said to protect the souls of children. There are also the tombs of six Tokugawa Shoguns, which is rather cool to see.
Afternoon: The Imperial Palace
Just up the road from Minato City is the Imperial Palace, the home of the Japanese Emperor. Without doubt, this is one of the most impressive things to see in the city. When you arrive, you’ll notice line upon line of perfectly manicured fir trees in a large area. These are well-worth seeing by themselves; I love the contrast between these and the rows of skyscrapers in the distance.
The Palace Grounds are actually free to enter. You’ll need to queue (this is Japan, after all!) and have your bag checked, but can then wander the grounds to your heart’s content. In all honesty, this won’t take you too long and you can easily cover this in an hour. The buildings and walls here are just incredibly impressive and are worth exploring.
From here, catch the Metro or walk to the district of Ginza, where high-end fashion and shopping rules. You can either dive in and buy those final souvenirs, or just window shop around. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from too, so take your time to relax for some lunch.
Tip: Along the way from the Palace to Ginza, you’ll stop by the station. If you are travelling by Shinkansen, I’d buy your tickets here. There weren’t any queues and you don’t pay the slight surcharge that you’ll get from Klook / GetYourGuide. The station is also right by the Pokémon Center DX which I mentioned earlier, so this could be the perfect time to pick up the souvenir.
Evening: Drinks and Food in Ginza or Minato
For the final evening of your 4 days in Tokyo, I’d say to either eat in Ginza or Minato. The former has more chains and options, but the high-end independents are in Minato. Personally, I’d go for Minato and find a top local restaurant.
Tip: As a side-note, the 7-Eleven menus in Tokyo are fantastic. Some of the foods have actually gone viral because of how good they are, as well as being cheap. Examples are the egg salad sandwich and the crème brûlée ice cream.
Final Thoughts | 4 Days in Tokyo for First Timers
4 days in Tokyo may not seem like a long time, but it is the perfect amount to get a good introduction to the city. Of course, if you are staying longer, there is still plenty to see and do. You could take a day trip to Mount Fuji or Hakone, as well as seeing some lesser-seen spots in Tokyo such as the Gōtokuji Temple (the famous ‘cat temple’).
I hope that you found my ultimate itinerary helpful. As always, do get in touch if you have any questions. I always love hearing from you.
