Tokyo Travel Guide: What to See, Do, and Eat

Tokyo is Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous metropolitan area, with around 14 million people within the city’s 23 special wards and more than 37 million in the wider greater metropolitan region. It is a city of extreme contrasts — ancient Shinto shrines pressed against glass-and-steel skyscrapers, neighbourhood-scale covered shopping arcades next to luxury fashion corridors, raucous izakaya alleys a short walk from silent temple gardens.

For first-time visitors, the scale can feel overwhelming. Tokyo covers 2,194 square kilometres and contains over 290 train and metro stations within the 23 wards alone. Understanding which neighbourhoods to focus on, and how they connect, makes the city navigable quickly.

Tokyo’s Key Neighbourhoods

Each of Tokyo’s major neighbourhoods has a distinct identity. You do not need to see all of them — pick the ones that match your interests and allow time to go deep rather than rushing across the entire city.

Shinjuku — The city’s busiest transport hub and one of its most intensely alive districts. The east side delivers dense nightlife (Kabukicho entertainment district, Golden Gai’s tiny bar alley, Omoide Yokocho “Memory Lane” under the train tracks), department stores, and electronics shops. The west side is a canyon of corporate towers, with the free observation floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building offering one of the city’s best views. Shinjuku Station itself processes over 3.5 million passengers per day — the world’s busiest station.

Shibuya — Famous globally for the Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian scramble intersection, where up to 3,000 people cross simultaneously when the light changes. Shibuya is also the centre of Tokyo’s youth fashion scene, with the shopping streets of Center-gai, the Shibuya 109 fashion building, and the elevated Shibuya Sky observation deck. The neighbourhood around Daikanyama and Nakameguro (a short walk from Shibuya) is considerably calmer — boutique shops line a canal that turns spectacular during cherry blossom season.

Asakusa — The most “old Tokyo” feeling of any central district. Senso-ji temple is the anchor — Tokyo’s oldest temple, founded in 645 AD — and the Nakamise Shopping Street leading to it sells traditional snacks and souvenirs. The streets around Senso-ji, particularly Kappabashi (the wholesale kitchen district), reward slow exploration. Accommodation here tends to be cheaper than Shibuya or Shinjuku, and the area has excellent capsule hotel options.

Akihabara — The global epicentre of anime, manga, electronics, and gaming culture. Multi-floor electronics stores selling every conceivable component sit alongside maid cafes, retro game shops, and figures stores. Even if this isn’t your primary interest, the energy is unlike anything else in the city. The neighbourhood is a short walk from Ueno.

Harajuku — Two very different experiences within one postcode. Takeshita Street is a pedestrianised lane of crepe stalls, fast fashion, and everything designed to attract a teenage audience. Five minutes’ walk away, Omotesando is Japan’s most prestigious fashion boulevard — wide, tree-lined, and home to flagship stores from every major global luxury brand, many designed by Japan’s leading architects.

Ginza — Tokyo’s historic luxury shopping district. Wide boulevards, gallery spaces, Kabuki-za theatre, and the flagship stores of Japanese and international luxury brands. Prices here are the highest in the city. The Tsukiji Outer Market — the retail section of the former wholesale fish market, still very much operating — sits on Ginza’s eastern edge.

Ueno — Home to Ueno Park, which contains five major museums (including the Tokyo National Museum, Japan’s largest), the National Zoo, Ueno Toshogu shrine, and a significant stretch of cherry blossom trees. Beneath and around the park, Ameya-Yokocho market sells everything from fresh fish to knockoff goods in a dense, atmospheric market lane. Accommodation in this area skews affordable.

Shimokitazawa — A low-rise neighbourhood on the western side of the Yamanote loop, known for vintage clothing markets, independent music venues, small theatres, and a younger, creative local crowd. The vibe is deliberately unhurried and uncommercial — a useful counterpoint to the intensity of Shibuya or Shinjuku.

Yanaka — One of the few parts of central Tokyo that escaped both wartime bombing and postwar redevelopment. The neighbourhood retains a pre-modern street grid, wooden townhouses, local shotengai (shopping streets), and a large historic cemetery. The atmosphere gives a genuine sense of what much of Tokyo looked like before the 1960s. It is one of the best walks in the city.

Kagurazaka — A steep lane climbing northwards from Iidabashi Station, lined with French restaurants and bakeries, traditional Japanese restaurants, and the stone-paved Ishikawa-cho alley that runs behind geisha houses still in operation. The French-Japanese character of the neighbourhood is distinctive and unlike anywhere else in Tokyo.

Must-See Sights: Opening Hours and Entry Fees

Sight	Entry Fee	Hours	Notes
Senso-ji Temple	Free	Grounds 24hrs, main hall 6:00–17:00	Nakamise shopping street opens ~10:00
Meiji Shrine	Free	Sunrise to sunset	Forested walk, inner garden ¥500 extra
Tokyo Skytree (Main Deck, 350m)	¥2,100	10:00–21:00	Top Deck (450m) ¥3,000; book online to avoid queues
Shibuya Sky (Scramble Square rooftop)	¥2,000	10:00–22:30	Last entry 21:30; best at dusk
teamLab Planets (Toyosu)	¥3,200	9:00–21:00	Timed tickets must be pre-booked online
Tokyo National Museum (Ueno)	¥1,000	9:30–17:00 (Fri/Sat until 20:00)	Closed Mondays
Tokyo Tower	¥1,200 (Main Deck)	9:00–23:00	Main Deck 150m; Top Deck ¥3,000
Shinjuku Gyoen Garden	¥500	9:00–16:00	Closed Mondays; exceptional cherry blossoms
Ghibli Museum (Mitaka)	¥1,000	10:00–18:00	Lottery tickets only — book months in advance via official site
Tokyo Metropolitan Gov’t Building	Free	9:00–22:30 (North Tower)	Free observation deck at 202m

Best Neighbourhoods by Budget

Neighbourhood	Vibe	Budget ¥/night	Mid-range ¥/night	Luxury ¥/night
Asakusa	Traditional, local feel	¥5,000–¥9,000	¥12,000–¥18,000	¥30,000+
Ueno/Akihabara	Central, affordable	¥6,000–¥10,000	¥10,000–¥18,000	¥25,000+
Shinjuku	Transport hub, busy	¥7,000–¥12,000	¥14,000–¥25,000	¥50,000+
Shibuya	Trendy, young crowd	¥8,000–¥13,000	¥15,000–¥25,000	¥40,000+
Harajuku/Omotesando	Boutique, stylish	¥10,000–¥18,000	¥20,000–¥35,000	¥60,000+
Ginza	Luxury corridor	Not recommended	¥20,000–¥40,000	¥70,000+

Getting to Tokyo from the Airports

Tokyo is served by two airports: Narita International (NRT), about 60km east of the city centre, and Haneda (HND), significantly closer at roughly 20km south.

From Narita:

• Narita Express (N’EX) to Shinjuku/Shibuya/Yokohama: ¥3,070, approx 60–90 minutes depending on destination. Pre-book online for a slight discount.
• Airport Limousine Bus to major hotels: ¥3,200, 60–120 minutes depending on traffic.
• Keisei Skyliner to Ueno: ¥2,570, 41 minutes — fastest budget option to the east side of town.
• Taxi from Narita: ¥20,000–¥30,000 — not recommended unless splitting costs. For a fixed-price private transfer from Narita or Haneda to your hotel, Kiwitaxi is worth comparing against the limousine bus, particularly if you are travelling with luggage or in a group.

From Haneda:

• Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho Station: ¥500, 13 minutes — connects to Yamanote Line.
• Keikyu Line to Shinagawa or Asakusa: ¥300–¥340, 13–30 minutes.
• Limousine Bus to central Tokyo: ¥1,000–¥1,300.
• Taxi to central Tokyo: ¥4,000–¥8,000.

Getting Around Tokyo

Load a Suica or Pasmo IC card at any station machine (requires ¥500 deposit, any amount loadable on top). The card works on all metro lines, JR lines, buses, and even at convenience stores and some restaurants.

Day passes for tourists:

• Tokyo Metro 24hr pass: ¥800
• Tokyo Metro 48hr pass: ¥1,200
• Tokyo Metro 72hr pass: ¥1,500
• Tokyo Metro + Toei 24hr pass: ¥1,000

These passes only cover Tokyo Metro and/or Toei Subway lines — not JR lines. If you are hopping between districts frequently, the 72-hour pass pays for itself quickly. For lighter use, IC card pay-as-you-go is simpler.

Trains run approximately 05:00–00:30. After the last train, taxis are the only option — expensive and sometimes scarce during weekend nights in Shibuya or Shinjuku.

Practical Tips

Tokyo tap water is safe to drink. Public toilets — often featuring heated seats and bidet functions — are found in every station, department store, and most convenience stores, and are consistently clean. The city is remarkably safe at any hour. Vending machines on virtually every street corner sell hot and cold drinks for ¥120–¥180. Google Maps is the best navigation tool available and handles Tokyo’s complex train network accurately in English.

Mobile data is essential for navigating Tokyo — Japan’s physical SIM cards can be slow to purchase on arrival. We recommend picking up an Airalo eSIM for Japan before you fly so you have data the moment you land at Narita or Haneda.