Seven days in Tokyo feels like both forever and not nearly enough. This itinerary covers the iconic, the obscure, and the essential — with a real-world food budget and logistics plan that actually works.
Tokyo is the most efficiently overwhelming city on earth. The subway moves 8 million people a day and runs on time to the minute. The convenience stores (seven of them on every block) sell better food than most restaurants in other cities. You can eat the best ramen of your life for ¥900 standing at a counter next to a salary worker on his lunch break. Seven days is enough to understand why people come back every year.
Getting there
Two airports serve Tokyo: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND).
Haneda is 30 minutes from central Tokyo by monorail or Keikyu line (¥500). It handles mostly domestic flights and some international routes. If you can fly into Haneda, do it.
Narita is 60–80 minutes from Tokyo on the Narita Express (N'EX, ¥3,070) or Keisei Skyliner (¥2,570, slightly faster). Budget for the transport cost when comparing fares.
From the US, direct flights run from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. ANA and Japan Airlines are the primary carriers. Book 3–4 months ahead. Round trips from the West Coast regularly come in under $700; from the East Coast, $800–$1,000 is realistic.
The Japan Rail Pass (¥50,000 for 7 days) is worth buying if you're doing any long-distance travel — Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima. For Tokyo-only, it's not worth it. Buy a Suica card at the airport (¥500 deposit, load as needed) and use it for everything.
Where to stay
Shinjuku is the right base for most first-time visitors. It's chaotic, efficient, and has direct train connections to everywhere. The east side is neon, nightlife, and Kabukicho. The west side is all glass towers and department stores. Hotels in Shinjuku range from ¥8,000/night capsule hotels to ¥30,000+ for something with a view.
Asakusa is traditional Tokyo — Senso-ji Temple, rickshaws, craft shops, the old downtown feel. Excellent if you want historic atmosphere, slightly less convenient for getting around. Hotels in Asakusa start around ¥10,000/night.
Shibuya is the youth-culture center — the famous crossing, Harajuku around the corner, Daikanyama and Nakameguro a short walk away. Good if you're interested in fashion and contemporary Tokyo rather than history.
Day by day
Day 1 — Shinjuku
Get over jet lag by walking. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is ¥500 entry and one of the best parks in Asia — 58 hectares, French, English, and Japanese garden sections, absurdly peaceful for a city of 14 million. In the evening, go to Omoide Yokocho — Memory Lane, a narrow alley of tiny yakitori stalls that has barely changed since the 1950s. Sit at the counter, order chicken skewers and beer, watch the smoke.
Local secret: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck in Shinjuku is free and gives you 360-degree views over the city on clear days. You can see Fuji. It's open until 10:30 PM. Nobody talks about it because it's free.
Day 2 — Shibuya and Harajuku
Shibuya Crossing at peak hours — come at 8 AM or 6 PM, watch from the Starbucks second floor or the scramble exit of the station. It's real, it works, it's worth five minutes of your time. Then walk north through Harajuku to Meiji Shrine — a forested Shinto shrine in the middle of the city, free to enter, totally quiet.
Afternoon in Daikanyama and Nakameguro — Tokyo's most livable neighborhoods. The canal walk in Nakameguro is excellent. Dinner at one of the restaurants along the canal.
Day 3 — Asakusa and Ueno
Senso-ji before 8 AM when the tourist crowds haven't arrived — the Nakamise shopping street is closed, the temple complex is quiet, it looks the way it's supposed to look. Ueno Park in the afternoon, which has five major museums clustered together. The Tokyo National Museum is the best — ¥1,000 entry, the largest collection of Japanese art in the world.
A guided Asakusa walking tour runs about ¥3,000 and covers the temple, the old downtown streets, and the context that makes it mean something.
Day 4 — Akihabara and Ginza
Akihabara is Tokyo's electronics and anime district — multi-story arcade buildings, component shops, maid cafes. Overwhelming and fascinating even if you're not into any of it. Ginza is Tokyo's equivalent of Fifth Avenue — Chanel, Cartier, the Tsukiji Outer Market for sushi breakfast (get there by 7 AM).
Local secret: Koenji is the neighborhood the guidebooks miss. Vintage clothing shops, live music venues, indie curry restaurants, and none of the tourist infrastructure of Harajuku. Two stops west of Shinjuku on the Chuo line. Go on a weekend afternoon.
Day 5 — Day trip: Nikko or Kamakura
Nikko (2 hours by Tobu Nikko line, ¥1,400 each way): elaborate Edo-period shrines and mausoleums in a forested mountain setting. The Tosho-gu Shrine complex is UNESCO-listed. Go on a weekday.
Kamakura (1 hour by JR Yokosuka line, ¥940 each way): the Great Buddha, coastal temples, hiking trails between shrines. More relaxed than Nikko, better for warm weather. A Kamakura day trip from Tokyo with a guide runs about ¥4,000.
Days 6–7 — Neighborhoods and food
Use the last two days to go slower. Shimokitazawa for vintage shops and live music. Yanaka for the old Tokyo that survived the 20th century. TeamLab Borderless if you want the digital art experience (book ahead — it sells out).
Food guide
Ramen: Every neighborhood has its version. In Shinjuku, try Fuunji for tsukemen (dipping ramen). In Shibuya, Ichiran has individual booths — you order on a paper form, eat alone, and it's one of the stranger and better dining experiences Tokyo offers.
Sushi: Tsukiji Outer Market for standing sushi at breakfast (¥200–¥400 per piece). For a proper sit-down omakase, budget ¥15,000–¥30,000 per person at a counter in Ginza or Roppongi.
Izakaya: The after-work drink-and-eat format — grilled skewers, pickles, cold beer. Yurakucho under the train tracks has excellent ones for ¥2,000–¥3,000 per person.
Convenience stores: Seriously — 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart in Japan are a different category from anywhere else. Onigiri (rice balls), katsu sandwiches, decent coffee, hot foods. Breakfast every day should cost ¥300–¥500.
Local secret: Depachika — the basement food halls of Tokyo's department stores — are the best places to eat in the city and almost nobody mentions them. Isetan in Shinjuku, Mitsukoshi in Ginza. Multiple vendors selling prepared food from different cuisines, eat standing or take away. ¥500–¥1,200 for a full meal.
Practical notes
Getting around: Suica card on your iPhone or Android (no physical card needed). Load it at the airport. Works on every train, subway, and bus in Tokyo. Also works at convenience stores.
Language: Japanese. Learning "sumimasen" (excuse me), "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you), and "kore wa nan desu ka" (what is this?) gets you surprisingly far. Google Translate camera mode works on menus.
Cash: Japan is more cash-dependent than most developed countries. Convenience store ATMs (7-Eleven especially) accept foreign cards. Keep ¥5,000–¥10,000 on you.
Tipping: Do not tip. It is considered rude.
Safety: Extremely safe. Lost wallets get handed in. Bags left on train seats stay there.
Best time:
Seven days in Tokyo and you'll leave having barely scratched it. That's not a failure — it's the point. The city is designed to reward return visits, and it does.
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