Japan · Kantō
Plan your Tokyo trip
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01Your itinerary
02Where to stay
Shinjuku
Best for first-timers and night owlsMaximum Tokyo and the city's best-connected hub — a wall of neon, department stores, and the alley bars of Golden Gai, all sitting on top of the busiest station on earth. Loud, dense, and unbeatable for getting anywhere fast.
Park Hyatt Tokyo
The skyscraper district around the government buildings trades the neon chaos for quiet rooms, city-and-Fuji views, and a short walk to the station.
¥¥¥¥Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
Compact, spotless and superbly located for the nightlife; you sacrifice square footage for a doorstep on Kabukichō and Golden Gai.
¥¥Shinjuku Kuyakusho-mae Capsule Hotel
Worth trying once for the novelty and the price — surprisingly restful, with a communal bath, and very Tokyo.
¥Shibuya
Best for style-seekers and repeat visitorsYounger, fashion-driven and endlessly energetic, radiating from the famous crossing up into the calmer, leafier hills of Ebisu and Daikanyama. Superb transport, great eating and drinking, and a scene that runs late.
Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu
A handful of newer towers put you at the centre of the action with skyline rooms; book high to escape the street noise.
¥¥¥¥Ebisuholic Hotel
Edge fifteen minutes south and the neighbourhood turns residential and chic — quieter nights, better cafés, still one stop from the madness.
¥¥¥Asakusa
Best for a traditional, better-value baseThe old shitamachi downtown around Sensō-ji temple, with a slower, more traditional feel, craft shops, and river views. Further from the nightlife but atmospheric, cheaper, and full of character.
Prostyle Ryokan Tokyo Asakusa
Sleep on tatami with a communal bath and a river view for a taste of old Tokyo without leaving the city.
¥¥¥Stay Work Asakusa Guest House
Asakusa has some of the best-value beds in central Tokyo, with easy access to the Ginza subway line and Tokyo Skytree.
¥Ginza & Marunouchi
Best for a refined, well-located splurgeThe grand, grown-up centre — flagship stores, old department halls, hushed sushi counters and serious hotels, all a walk from Tokyo Station. Polished, expensive, and beautifully central.
Shangri-La Tokyo
The Marunouchi towers deliver flawless service, sky-high bars and shinkansen platforms downstairs — ideal if day trips are on the cards.
¥¥¥¥Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza-gochome
Stay a few blocks back from the flagship avenues and rates ease while the location stays central and calm.
¥¥¥Shimokitazawa
Best for creative types and slow travellersLow-rise, bohemian and largely car-free, a warren of vintage shops, coffee bars and tiny theatres a few minutes from Shibuya. Residential and relaxed, for travellers who want to live like a local.
Mustard Hotel Shimokitazawa
New low-key stays have opened as the area gentrifies, putting you in the middle of the vintage-and-coffee scene with an easy hop to central Tokyo.
¥¥¥The Wardrobe Hotel Shimokitazawa
Book a simple room here to wake up in a genuine Tokyo neighbourhood rather than a tourist district — cafés and record shops on the doorstep.
¥¥Affiliate notePostcardRoute is reader-supported. Some links to Booking.com (stays, flights, car hire, tickets and tours, airport transfers) are affiliate links, tracked through CJ Affiliate: if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend places we would send a friend.
03Tickets & tours
Sensō-ji, Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, a vermilion complex fronted by the giant Kaminarimon lantern and a long approach of stalls selling crafts, fans and grilled…
Tip Come at dawn or after dark when the crowds thin and the whole thing is lit and nearly empty — utterly different from the midday crush.
Golden Gai, Shinjuku
Six narrow alleys of tiny hand-built bars, most seating six or seven, each its own world of theme and regulars.
Tip Look for bars with an English 'welcome' sign or no cover charge posted; some levy a seat fee on strangers, so a quick glance saves an awkward surprise.
Meiji Jingū, Harajuku
A vast forested shrine to the emperor Meiji, reached along a gravel avenue through a hushed man-made woodland that swallows the city noise the moment…
Tip Go early on a weekend and you may catch a traditional Shinto wedding procession crossing the main courtyard in full dress.
Yanaka backstreets
A rare survival of low-rise, prewar Tokyo — wooden houses, temples, cats, and the long shopping street of Yanaka Ginza.
Tip Time your wander for late afternoon and stand on Yūyake Dandan, the 'sunset staircase', as the light goes gold over the shopping lane.
Tsukiji Outer Market
The wholesale tuna auctions moved to Toyosu, but the outer market stayed — a warren of stalls selling knives, dried goods, tamagoyaki on a stick, and…
Tip Arrive hungry before 9am, eat your way down the lanes in small bites, and skip the sit-down places with the longest tourist queues for the standing counters locals use.
Shibuya Scramble & Sky
The world's most photographed crossing, a choreographed flood of people from every direction at once.
Tip View the crossing free from the second-floor window of the Starbucks across the road, then book Shibuya Sky for a sunset slot to watch the city lights come on.
Shimokitazawa
A low-rise, largely car-free maze of vintage clothing, secondhand records, tiny theatres, curry counters and third-wave coffee.
Tip Come on a weekday when the vintage shops are calm, and follow the smell of spice to one of the neighbourhood's famous soup-curry joints.
teamLab digital museums
Immersive rooms of projected light, mirrored infinity and interactive water and flowers that have become one of the city's defining draws.
Tip Buy timed tickets well in advance, wear something other than a short skirt given the mirrored floors, and go as early as your slot allows to beat the crush.
Day trips from Tokyo
Hakone
A hot-spring town in the mountains with open-air onsen, a lake, an art museum in the hills and, on a clear day, a full view of Mount Fuji.
Day tripKamakura
An hour south by train to a seaside former capital of temples, wooded hiking trails and the great bronze Buddha sitting in the open air.
Day tripNikkō
Two hours north to an extravagant mountain shrine complex of gilded, carved gates set among towering cedars and waterfalls.
Day tripEverything to do in Tokyo
Skip-the-line tickets, guided tours and day trips, all in one place on Booking.com.
04Getting there & around
Riding the trains
The train map looks like a plate of dropped noodles and it terrifies everyone for about a day, after which it becomes the best thing about the city. Two systems overlap: the JR lines, run by Japan Railways, and the subway, split confusingly between Tokyo Metro and the Toei network.
Flights
Compare fares into Tokyo and pick dates that suit the days you planned.
Airport transfers
Book a private or shared ride from the airport so the first evening starts at your door, not at a ticket queue.
Car hire from Tokyo
Only worth it for day trips beyond the city — in town, the plan above works on foot and public transport.
Affiliate notePostcardRoute is reader-supported. Some links to Booking.com (stays, flights, car hire, tickets and tours, airport transfers) are affiliate links, tracked through CJ Affiliate: if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend places we would send a friend.