Tokyo in 3 Days: Asakusa, Shibuya & the Bay
Who this is for: First-time visitors with ~3 full days who want the old east side, the neon west side and the market-and-bay quarter — grouped so you cross the city between days, not within them. Kyoto is not a sane day trip on a 3-day visit; the realistic out-of-town options are Kamakura or Hakone.
Timing assumptions: Assumes you’re based near a Yamanote-line hub, moving by train with an IC card, with arrival/departure handled separately. Day 1 is Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara (the east); Day 2 is Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku (the west); Day 3 is Tsukiji, Ginza and the bay, with a flex option to swap in a Kamakura or Hakone day trip. Check the closing-day notes — they decide which day goes where.
Getting around: Tokyo runs on rail: the JR Yamanote loop line links the major hubs (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station, Ueno), and the Tokyo Metro + Toei subway fill in everything between. Get a Suica or Pasmo IC card and tap through all of it — the tourist-oriented Welcome Suica needs no deposit, and Suica lives in Apple/Google Wallet. The flat-rate Tokyo Subway Ticket (24/48/72 hours: ~¥800/¥1,200/¥1,500) covers subway lines only, not JR. From Haneda Airport, the Keikyu Line reaches Shinagawa in ~15 minutes (~¥300) and the Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho (~¥520); from Narita, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Ueno in ~41 minutes (~¥2,300–2,600) and the Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station (~¥3,070). Trains stop around midnight–1am — know your last train. You do not want a car in Tokyo.
When to go: Late March–mid April is cherry-blossom season — Tokyo at its most photogenic and its most expensive and crowded, with Golden Week (late April–early May, a run of national holidays) immediately after. May and October–November are the sweet spots: mild, mostly dry, with autumn color in the later window. June is the rainy season; July–August is hot and humid with 35°C days (evenings and air-conditioned museums become the plan); January–February is cold but clear and the cheapest, quietest stretch — and winter mornings give the most reliable Mt Fuji views from the observation decks.
When to go — month by month
Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.
Best months to visit: Mar–May
Daylight by month
Hours of daylight through the year in Tokyo — it swings from about 9h 36m in midwinter to 14h 24m at midsummer, which decides how many stops realistically fit in a day.
Day 1 — Asakusa, Ueno & Akihabara (the east side)
Start in the oldest corner of Tokyo and work down the east side into its loudest, most electric district by evening.
- ~1.5hSenso-ji & Nakamise-dori walk-upTokyo’s oldest temple — arrive before 9am and you’ll have the great Kaminarimon lantern and the incense courtyard nearly to yourself; by 11am it’s a crowd scene. The temple grounds are free and always open.
- ~1.5hTokyo Skytree (optional) or a Sumida River walk timed entryThe 634m tower is 15 minutes’ walk across the river — advance tickets (from ~¥2,100) are cheaper than the door. Skip it if you’ve booked Shibuya Sky for Day 2; one paid skyline view is enough.
- ~2hUeno Park & the Tokyo National Museum walk-upJapan’s oldest and largest museum — the samurai swords, kimono and Buddhist sculpture galleries are the essentials. Closed Mondays (like most Tokyo museums); if today is Monday, swap this day with Day 3.
- ~2hAmeyoko market & Akihabara (evening) walk-upWalk the market street south from Ueno, then continue into Akihabara’s electronics-and-anime canyon as the neon comes on — the district is the sight; no tickets needed.
- Route logic:
- Temple crowds are brutal by late morning, so Senso-ji opens the day; the museum fills the midday; Akihabara is best after dark — a natural north-to-south, morning-to-neon sequence.
- Getting between stops:
- Ginza Line subway from Asakusa to Ueno (5 minutes), then the walk down Ameyoko to Akihabara — the whole day sits on one short north–south axis.
- Meals:
- Lunch: around Asakusa — tempura and unagi are the neighborhood classics. Dinner: Akihabara or back in Ueno; a chain gyudon or conveyor-sushi dinner is authentically Tokyo, not a compromise.
- Rain / limited mobility:
- Rainy day: more time in the National Museum and the covered Nakamise arcade. Traveling with kids: swap the museum for the Sumida Aquarium at Skytree Town.
Day 2 — Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya & Shinjuku (the west side)
The Tokyo of the imagination — a forest shrine, teen-fashion chaos, the world’s busiest crossing and the neon alleys of Shinjuku, in one continuous south-then-north arc.
- ~1.3hMeiji Jingu walk-upA genuinely quiet forest shrine minutes from Harajuku Station — free, open sunrise to sunset. Go first thing; the gravel avenues under the torii gates are at their best before the tour groups.
- ~1.5hTakeshita Street & Omotesando walk-upHarajuku’s teen-fashion alley (crêpes, costumes, crowds) and then the tree-lined Omotesando avenue’s flagship architecture — a 15-minute contrast lesson in Tokyo style.
- ~2hShibuya Crossing & Shibuya Sky (book ahead) timed entryWalk the Scramble at street level, then watch it from above. Book Shibuya Sky (~¥2,700 online) as soon as your dates are fixed — the pre-sunset slots sell out weeks ahead, and the open-air roof at dusk is the best paid view in Tokyo.
- ~2hShinjuku after dark: Omoide Yokocho & Golden Gai walk-upFinish among the lantern-lit yakitori alleys west of Shinjuku Station and the 200-odd tiny bars of Golden Gai. Some Golden Gai bars charge a small seating fee or are regulars-only — the ones welcoming visitors say so.
- Route logic:
- Shrine at its quietest first, street fashion at midday, the Crossing and the rooftop at golden hour, and Shinjuku’s alleys when they’re actually lit — the sequence is built backwards from a sunset Shibuya Sky slot.
- Getting between stops:
- JR Yamanote Line one stop Harajuku → Shibuya, and four stops Shibuya → Shinjuku — the whole day sits on the west arc of the loop.
- Meals:
- Lunch: Harajuku/Omotesando cafés or a ramen shop off Cat Street. Dinner: yakitori skewers in Omoide Yokocho, then a bar stool in Golden Gai.
- Rain / limited mobility:
- No Shibuya Sky ticket? The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building’s observation decks in Shinjuku are free — swap them in before dinner. Clear winter day: both give Fuji views.
Day 3 — Tsukiji, Ginza & the bay — or a day trip out
A street-food breakfast, the polished center, and Tokyo’s digital-art bayfront — or trade the whole day for the Great Buddha or an onsen mountain valley.
- ~1.5hTsukiji Outer Market (breakfast) walk-upThe wholesale fish auction moved to Toyosu, but the outer market’s ~400 stalls remain Tokyo’s street-food breakfast — tamagoyaki, tuna bowls, knife shops. Go 8–10am, and NOT on a Sunday (mostly closed) or Wednesday (many stalls shut).
- ~2hGinza & the Imperial Palace East Gardens walk-upWalk north through Ginza’s department stores (the basement depachika food halls are free theatre) to the palace’s East Gardens — free, but closed Mondays and Fridays; if today is one, linger in Ginza instead.
- ~2.5hteamLab (Toyosu, book ahead) or an odaiba/bay afternoon book aheadTokyo’s most-booked ticket — dated, timed entry bought in advance (roughly ¥3,600–4,200, dynamic by date). Venues periodically close for long renovations, so check the official site for what’s open on your dates before you plan around it.
- ~8hAlternative: Kamakura or Hakone day trip book aheadKamakura (about an hour by JR) — the Great Buddha, temple hikes and a seaside old town — is the easy swap. Hakone (~1.5–2 hours) adds onsen and ropeways with Fuji views in clear weather; it’s better as an overnight but workable as a long day.
- Route logic:
- Markets peak at breakfast, Ginza fills the midday, and the bay’s digital art works any afternoon slot — or the whole day converts cleanly into one out-of-town trip without re-planning the first two days.
- Getting between stops:
- Hibiya or Ginza Line between Tsukiji and Ginza; the Yurikamome elevated line to the Toyosu/bay area. A Kamakura day trip is simplest by direct JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station.
- Meals:
- Breakfast: grazing the Tsukiji stalls. Lunch: a Ginza teishoku set — lunch is when Ginza’s good restaurants are affordable. Dinner: back near your base, or a final izakaya wherever the evening lands.
- Rain / limited mobility:
- Sunday or Wednesday? Move the market morning to another day and start in the East Gardens instead. Miss teamLab tickets? The free Metropolitan Government decks or a Sumida river-bus ride fill the afternoon.
⚠︎ Before you book
- Shibuya Sky, teamLab and the Ghibli Museum all sell out well ahead — book Shibuya Sky and teamLab when your dates are fixed, and Ghibli tickets at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before your visit (Lawson sale; never sold at the door).
- Closing days decide your sequence: most museums close Mondays, the Imperial Palace East Gardens close Mondays and Fridays, Tsukiji Outer Market thins out Sundays and Wednesdays, and the Ghibli Museum closes most Tuesdays.
- Cherry-blossom weeks (late March–mid April) and Golden Week (late April–early May) are Tokyo’s true peak — book hotels 3–6 months ahead or pay 40–100% over baseline.
Weather & mobility: Expect 15,000–20,000 steps a day — Tokyo days are long walks punctuated by trains. Summer (July–August) is hot and genuinely humid; start early, take the museum hours at midday, and carry water like locals do. June is rainy season — a compact umbrella lives in every konbini. Winter is cold but usually dry and clear, with the best Fuji visibility. The big stations are the real terrain: navigate by exit number (Google Maps shows them) and give yourself 10 extra minutes for any transfer at Shinjuku, Shibuya or Tokyo Station.
Budget: Tokyo is cheaper day-to-day than its reputation, thanks to a deep budget-dining culture. Approximate (verify current prices): a subway ride ¥180–250, the 24-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket ~¥800; a konbini breakfast ¥400–600; ramen ¥800–1,200; a conveyor-sushi meal ¥1,000–2,500; an izakaya dinner with drinks ¥3,000–5,000; Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu free; Tokyo Skytree from ~¥2,100 (advance); Shibuya Sky ~¥2,700 (online); teamLab from roughly ¥3,600–4,200; Ghibli Museum ¥1,000. Cherry-blossom weeks and Golden Week push hotel prices 40–100% above baseline; January–February runs well below it.
Optional swaps
- Traveling in summer? Flip each day: outdoor stops before 11am, museums and depachika at midday, and the neon districts after dark when the heat breaks.
- Want more nature and less city? Give Day 3 fully to Kamakura or Hakone instead of the market-and-bay circuit.
What this plan intentionally leaves out
- Kyoto as a day trip: The shinkansen makes it physically possible (~2h15 each way), but it burns ¥28,000+ return and most of the day in transit for a city that needs two or three days in its own right. With 3 days, stay in Tokyo; give Kyoto its own trip.
- Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea: World-class, but each is a full dawn-to-close day that displaces a third of this plan — a deliberate choice for a return visit or a longer stay, not a first 3-day pass through the city.
- The Shibuya–Harajuku shopping deep-dive: This plan walks the districts but doesn’t schedule shopping hours — that expands to fill any time it’s given. Add a fourth day if the vintage stores and boutiques are a priority.
Planning notes & sources
The day-by-day routing — an east-side day, a west-side day, and a flexible market-bay-or-day-trip day — and the time estimates here are our own, built around Tokyo’s rail geography and its closing-day quirks. Because prices, hours and seasonal windows shift (and venues like teamLab periodically close for renovation), confirm current details with GO TOKYO, the operators and the official ticket sites before you set out — especially around cherry-blossom season and Golden Week, when the city books out furthest ahead.
- GO TOKYO — official Tokyo tourism
- JNTO — official Japan tourism
- Tokyo Metro — subway network & Tokyo Subway Ticket
- JR East — Yamanote Line, Narita Express & Welcome Suica
- Keisei — Skyliner (Narita Airport access)
- MLIT — official minpaku (private-lodging) portal
- Tokyo Skytree — official tickets
- Ghibli Museum, Mitaka — official ticket rules