Tokyo is one of my favorite cities that we’ve been to so far. The amount of sites to see and food to eat was endless! Public transportation is really great in Tokyo too. All that we wanted to do was a walk or train ride away, and once you get the hang of the train system, it’s really not so bad. I will say, I relied heavily on my GPS to map out our path, so make sure to upgrade your wireless plan for this trip.
We went to Japan during the Winter time (December) and so tourist crowds were not as busy as if we were to come to Japan during Spring time. Winters are mild in Japan so it was manageable and still enjoyable!
Below you will find our itinerary for the 4 days we spent in Tokyo. Make sure to check out my post for Japan Travel and Cultural Tips before you leave. I live in the USA and learning about these details before heading to Japan allowed us to be as respectful to their culture as possible.
Day 1 | Travel Day
Late Afternoon: We landed at Narita International Airport (NGO) and took the JRail station from the Airport to Shinjuku Station. We purchased our train tickets from the Visitor Information Center for $27 USD each and also got our JRail passes stamped here (this is a must do).
Tip: We purchased a 7 day JRail pass for our 10 day trip. Your 7 days STARTS when you book your first train ticket with it. We wanted to “activate” our JRail pass when we left Tokyo for Kyoto on the bullet train. So for this train ride from the Narita Airport to Shinjuku Station, and all train travel in Tokyo, we did NOT use our JRail pass.
From Shinjuku Station, we walked .5 miles to our hotel, Shinjuku Granbell Hotel. We stayed at this hotel for all 4 nights while we were in Tokyo. The rooms in December cost $162.25 / night USD + fees and tax. I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card points to pay for our hotel stay so we saved $700 USD on lodging. These are travel funds that we could reallocate to other experiences during our trip.
The Shinjuku Granbell was a great place to stay because the location was awesome (room was tiny, but that’s what you get in Tokyo). We had easy access to Shinjuku Station and we were right in the middle of all of the action in Kabukichō. Many of our night time activities were based here since Kabukichō is home to delicious restaurants, bars/clubs, and if you’re into it, hostess clubs and love hotels. We were not out till 3am, but it was nice to be able to walk home after dinner and a cocktail.
Evening: After a long day of travel, all we wanted to do on our first night was find some good ol’ ramen. We knew that Ichiran Ramen was a popular go to, so we found one that was walking distance to our hotel, Ichiran Shinjuku Kabuki-cho. Ichiran Ramen aims to heighten customers senses through minimizing interaction with other people. You order your ramen from a vending machine, customize your flavors, and get seated in front of a window with walls blocking either side of you. After a few minutes, someone mysteriously appears to serve you your food. You then eat said food by yourself. It’s actually really fun! And the best Ramen we had the whole trip. You’ll spend around $10-15 USD here. We highly recommend this location in particular as we never had to wait to get a seat (yes we went back here twice). We came here around 7:30pm on a Monday.
Tip: It seemed to us that coming to restaurants prior to 8pm is a safe bet to not have to wait for a seat. Tokyo is a late night kind of city.
After dinner, we walked around a little bit to soak in the Tokyo lights. Kabukichō is one of those places like out of the movies. It’s bright and colorful 24/7, with so many people of different walks of life wandering around. We stopped into a few convenience stores, like Family Mart) because, well, we knew they were a tourist attraction in and of itself. Japanese convenience stores look like everyone in Japan has OCD with perfectly lined up labels across all walls of the store. During this convenience store run we stocked up on water and face masks as I was coming down with a cold and it’s polite to wear a face mask in Japan if you’re feeling ill or have a cough. After, we headed back to our hotel for bed time.
Day 2 | Shibuya & Harajuku
Morning: We were in for along day so we grabbed a quick breakfast at Shinjuku Station from a few food stands. We got dumplings, rolled egg omelette, chocolate croissant, coffee and Flippers Fluffy Pancakes to share for about $25 USD. From there we took the subway to Harajuku Station.
Our first stop in Harajuku was the Meiji Shrine. This was the first of many shrines we would visit in Japan. The actual shrine itself was not the best one we saw throughout our trip, but the actual walk to the shrine was beautiful. If you have the time and want to soak in some nature in the middle of a massive city, then I would recommend this detour, especially since it’s right outside the Harajuku train station. If you’re crunch for time in Harajuku then you could skip the Meiji Shrine.
Then we went to the main attraction of Harajuku, Takeshita Dori. Dori means street, and so Takeshita Dori is a pedestrian street in Harajuku. This is where Tokyo’s youth culture comes alive. Takeshita is lined with a bunch of unique shops, restaurants, and experiences.
We arrived here at 10:30am and as we were strolling down the street, I noticed a SHIBA INU CAFE called Mame-Shiba Cafe. A place where I could go to pet puppies? It seemed like a dream. I noticed they opened at 11am so there was no line, perfect. It cost about $8 USD for admission, with that we got an hour to hang out with the puppies and one cup of coffee or tea. In this same building there was an owl cafe and tea cup pig cafe as well. I definitely don’t think this was a must do experience, but if you have some time, and love dogs, it’s the perfect activity.
What absolutely is a must do is going to Purikura and taking a photo. Purikura is very unassuming. It is right after the start of Takeshita Dori to the right and down the stairs. It is almost like a mall of photo booths that offer different filtering experiences. Surface level it doesn’t seem like a must do activity, but you just gotta experience it for yourself. A photo costs about $4-$6 USD, but totally worth it.
Other things to do in Harajuku: Get rainbow grilled cheese in Le Shiner and cotton candy from Totti Candy Factory, go to Togo Shrine, shop at Daiso 100 Yen or take a photo at the ‘Now is Forever’ mural.
Afternoon: From Harajuku Station we took the train to Shibuya Station. As you could tell from earlier, I am absolutely obsessed with Shiba Inus, so the first thing I did when we got out from the subway station was go take a photo of Hachiko Statue. Hachiko was a loyal akida who would greet his owner at the train station every day for 10 years. After his owner died, Hachiko continued the tradition coming to the train station every day until his own death. His loyalty is celebrated through his statue. I mean, sob, cry, heart break. I loved it.
Next we crossed Shibuya Crossing, which undoubtedly is one of the most iconic things people think about when they think Tokyo. Shibuya Crossing is the world’s busiest intersection.
Tip: Many people say to pay for a coffee at Starbucks to get a good view from above the intersection, but you can get a great view from Shibuya Station for free.
When you cross Shibuya Crossing you’re met with the shopping district of Shibuya. My husband and I perused the shops and treated ourselves to some shoes, because… vacation. For me, shopping always works up an appetite, and so we headed to get some conveyor belt/train sushi at Uobei Shibuya. This place was super high tech with touchscreens at each station that allowed you to order food at your own pace. You’ll spend around $10-20 USD here. I highly recommend trying train sushi during your trip to Japan for the experience and of course quality sushi. After, we walked off our lunch with a little more shopping and headed back to our hotel to prepare for our plans for the evening.
Other things to do in Shibuya: During the day head to, Ukiyo-e Ōta Memorial Museum of Art or check out a Manga Cafe, or return at night and go to Nonbei Yokocho and stay in a capsule hotel.
Evening: This evening we went to Robot Restaurant. I know this is a big tourist trap, but honestly, it was one of the craziest and coolest things I’ve ever seen. It’s truly something only to be seen in Tokyo. So I think it was TOTALLY worth it and super fun. It’s like if medieval times met anime/manga culture. Pretty freakin insane. Each ticket is about $72 USD for 2 hours of entertainment.
Tip: We paid extra for the bento box ticket combo (about $13 USD more). Definitely grab dinner before the show, their food is not worth it. There’s plenty of places to eat in the area!
Day 3 | Tsukiji & Akihabara
Morning: Day 3 in Tokyo was a jam packed day. Our first activity of the day was teamLAB Borderless Museum. This is another MUST DO. Tickets are about $32 USD per person, you should reserve this ticket before you go on your trip. I recommend getting the first reservation for the morning. It is less crowded right at opening, but once it becomes crowded it definitely is less enjoyable. This activity is not only for the Instagrammer or influencer, this can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone! You should make sure to set aside at least 2 hours to be here. We kept finding new rooms to stumble upon.
Tip: Make sure not to miss Crystal World, Forest of Resonating Lamps, and Flower Forest.
From teamLAB borderless we took the train over the Rainbow Bridge to Ginza and walked to Tsukiji Outer Market. The Tsukiji Market was known for it’s early morning lively fish auctions, it’s since moved to another location, but the outer market is still in tact offering amazing fresh seafood and other authentic Japanese offerings. We came here for an early walking lunch where we could try all types of seafood like scallops and tuna. We also ate some wagyu beef, sake, and mochi! All in all we spent about $30 USD total for lunch for the both of us since we shared. Tsukiji closes early afternoon so make sure to come here early.
Tip: Get a flight of sake from the sake bar here. Highly recommend!
Afternoon: After lunch we took the bus to the Imperial Palace. Unfortunately, it was under construction when we went so it wasn’t all that great of an experience when we went. Honestly though, if the full grounds were open, I still don’t think that it is a must do activity or that it is something to go out of your way to see. After Imperial Palace we took the train to Akihabara. Akihabara is known for its electronics and gaming shops. It has many establishments that are dedicated to manga and anime culture. It’s definitely a must see neighborhood! The main street with bright lights is Chuo-Dori.
While we were in Akihabara, we took a pit stop at a Maid Cafe, Maid Dreamin. Maid Cafes are cosplay restaurants that have specific fun rules on how to order and how you can treat the waitresses. For example, you had to “meow” to get your waitress to serve you. It was about $20 USD for a themed drink and a photo with the maid. Quite expensive, but if you have time it’s definitely an interesting experience!
What is a must do while in Akihabara is playing some video games! We went to Sega and we felt a bit out of place at first because a lot of the games were Japanese games that we were unfamiliar with. They do have arcade style games, you just have to dig through the many levels of video games to find it. We finally found a zombie shooting game and had a lot of fun doing it! We spent about $5 USD while we were playing video games.
Evening: In the evening, we went to SHOGUN Burger for some Wagyu beef burgers. If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat, this place is an awesome casual spot to check out. A burger and fries cost about $15 USD. After dinner, we went to Golden Gai for drinks. This is 100% a nighttime MUST DO and was conveniently 2 blocks from our hotel. Golden Gai is a discreet ally way with blocks of itty bitty bars. When I say itty bitty, I mean it. These bars fit 5-10 people inside. It’s one of the most unique nightlife districts I’ve ever experienced and I wish I had more stamina to stay out to bar hop!
Tip: Since it’s a local’s favorite too, many bars charge a sitting fee for tourists (about $5-$10 USD). There are plenty who do not charge a fee as well. If there’s a particular bar that seems interesting to you that charges a fee, I say go for it!
Day 4 | Asakusa & Ginza
Morning: By day 4 we were already craving a good old fashion American breakfast. We ate at Sarabeth’s Lumine Shinjuku in Shinjuku Station and it hit the spot! I got traditional eggs benedict and a coffee for around $25 USD. This location is hard to find because it’s on the second floor of the train station. From there we hopped on the train to head to the neighborhood, Asakusa, to see Senso-Ji Shrine.
Another thing that we needed by day 4 was a massage. Our feet and back were killing us from all of the walking. We luckily stumbled upon a massage spa, Momidokoro-rakuya, on our walk toward Senso-Ji that we highly recommend! We got a 45 minute massage for $35 USD! Our massage therapists were great and they did clothed massages (they give you a robe to wear) so you will not get oily and can go on with the rest of your day.
After our massage detour, we made our way to Senso-Ji shrine. This was one of my favorite shrines in Japan. It was beautiful and had all of the traditional Japanese cultural activities to partake in, my favorite in particular was drawing an Omukuji Fortune, which cost $1 USD per fortune. If you draw a bad fortune, do not worry! You can tie it to the racks they provide to stop the bad fortune from coming true. While we were at Senso-Ji we also purchased an Omamori lucky charm for our friend who was having a baby. The one we bought was a charm for a healthy baby and it cost about $4 USD.
Tip: If you plan to stick around Asakusa for lunch, I advise not coming to this neighborhood on a Thursday, most of the the businesses and restaurants are closed on Thursdays. That’s why we had to relocate to Ginza for lunch, which I was not mad about because we found some really good udon!
Other things to see: Unfortunately the weather was very cloudy and rainy on this day, or we would have taken the time to walk from Senso-Ji to the Tokyo Skytree to get 360 views of Tokyo from above.
Afternoon: After Senso-Ji, we took the train to get Udon Noodles for lunch from 5daime Hanayama Udon Ginza. We definitely recommend this place for it’s flat udon noodles. I admittedly had never had udon noodles before, I just always assumed I would enjoy ramen more, but boy this place changed my mind! The noodles had the perfect chewy texture and the broth was the perfect remedy for a chilly, rainy day. I got the hot noodles, but you could get them cold as well. We spent around $9 USD for a bowl.
Tip: Be prepared to wait. This place was definitely a local’s hot spot, but we came a little before lunch rush around 11:30am, and we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a seat!
Other things to do: If you have more time to spend in this area, Ginza is known for its higher end shopping and delicious restaurants.
One Japanese desert that I really wanted to try out was Taiyaki. Taiyaki is a red bean pastry shaped like a fish. I made sure to look up where the best place to get Taiyaki was and my research led us to Taiyaki Wakaba. It was this tiny little shop in Shinjuku and from what I could tell, another local’s hotspot. Win! There was a long line wrapped around the corner. There was a lot of workers coming after their work day buying Taiyaki in bulk to bring back to their families. On top of being a local hotspot, they make waiting in line fun since there’s windows wrapped around the building where you can watch them make the Taiyaki, it’s a mesmerizing thing to watch. Taiyaki will run you about $1 USD, really affordable and filling dessert!
Tip: If you’re lucky enough, grab a seat inside, take a break, enjoy your Taiyaki with some fresh complimentary hot green tea.
Evening: This evening we kept it tame and got ramen from, you guessed it, our favorite place, Ichiran Ramen. We had a train to catch to Kyoto the next day, so we called it an early night to pack and get a long night’s sleep!
4 Days in Tokyo Itinerary
| Day 1 | Travel Day | |
| Afternoon: | |
| » Land at Narita International Airport | |
| » Take JR Narita Express train to Shinjuku Station | $27 USD |
| » Check into Shinjuku Granbell Hotel | Saved $700 USD |
| Evening: | |
| » Dinner at Ichiran Shinjuku Kabuki-cho for Ramen | $10 USD |
| » Check out local Japanese convenience stores like Family Mart & grab necessities |
| Day 2 | Shibuya & Harajuku | |
| Morning: | |
| » Breakfast at the the train station | $10 USD |
| » Train from Shinjuku Station to Harajuku Station | |
| » Breath some fresh air at Meiji Shrine | |
| » Walk down Takeshita Dori | |
| » Pet cute Shiba Inus at Mame-Shiba Cafe | $8 USD |
| » Take photos at Purikura | $4 USD |
| Afternoon: | |
| » Train from Harajuku Station to Shibuya Station | |
| » Take a photo with Hachiko Statue | |
| » Walk across Shibuya Crossing, busiest crosswalk in the world | |
| » Go shopping in Shibuya | |
| » Eat train sushi at Uobei Shibuya | $15 USD |
| » Train from Shibuya Station to Shinjuku Station | |
| Evening: | |
| » Dinner in Kabukicho, we ate at Ichiran Ramen again ☺ | $10 USD |
| » Check out a must watch show at Robot Restaurant | $72 USD |
| Day 3 | Tsukiji & Akihabara | |
| Morning: | |
| » Train from Shinjuku Station to Tokyo Teleport Station | |
| » Experience my favorite thing in Tokyo, teamLAB Borderless Museum | $32 USD |
| »Take the train over Rainbow Bridge toward Ginza | |
| » Eat a walking lunch at Tsukiji Outer Market | $15 USD |
| Afternoon: | |
| » Bus from Tsukiji to Takebashi Station | |
| » Walk around Imperial Palace gardens | |
| » Train from Imperial Palace to Akihabara | |
| » Walk Chuo-Dori in Akihabara | |
| » Grab a snack and entertainment at Maid Dreamin | $20 USD |
| » Play games at Sega | $5 USD |
| Evening: | |
| » Train from Akihabara to Shinjuku Station | |
| » Eat some yummy premium wagyu beef burgers at SHOGUN Burger | $15 USD |
| » Grab drinks at must see, Golden Gai, ally way of bars | $20 USD |
| Day 4 | Asakusa & Ginza | |
| Morning: | |
| » Eat an American breakfast at Sarabeth’s Lumine Shinjuku | $25 USD |
| » Train from Shinjuku Station to Asakusa | |
| » Get a much deserved 45 min massage at Momidokoro-rakuya | $35 USD |
| » Walk to Senso-Ji shrine (don’t miss all of the little shrines around Senso-Ji) | |
| » Get an Omukuji Fortune at Senso-Ji Shrine | $1 USD |
| » Train from Asakusa to Ginza | |
| Afternoon: | |
| » Eat the best flat Udon noodles at 5daime Hanayama Udon Ginza | $9 USD |
| » Try Taiyaki, a fish shaped red bean pastry, at Taiyaki Wakaba | $1 USD |
| Evening: | |
| » Eat more ramen at Ichiran Shinjuku Kabuki-cho | $10 USD |
| » Pack your bags and get ready for the train to Kyoto the next morning |
*Check out 3 Days in Kyoto Itinerary here!
All train/bus costs came out to about $60 over 4 days
Total Cost for Food, Transport & Experiences (1 person) – $404
