Tokyo travel guide: how to choose your areas

Planning a first trip to Tokyo? Choose your areas by what you want to do: traditional culture in Asakusa and Ueno, Tokyo Station and Marunouchi, or city shopping in Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku, with links to transport, hotels, airports and a 3-day plan.

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  • Tokyo
  • Independent travel

Tokyo is huge. On a first visit, the easiest approach is not a list of sights but a decision about which area to stay in and which part of the city to cover each day. This page sorts the entry points by purpose, then links to the transport, accommodation, airport and itinerary pages. Prices and times on each page come with official sources and the date they were checked.

What do you want to do?

What you want Which area first What the official information says Detailed page
Traditional streets and temples Asakusa Senso-ji, Kaminarimon (), the Nakamise () shopping street and the Sumida River Tokyo sightseeing by area
Parks, museums and street markets Ueno Museums, a boating pond, a shrine, the zoo and Ameyoko Tokyo sightseeing by area
Shinkansen connections and shopping malls Tokyo Station and Marunouchi The station with the most trains in Japan; the east side faces the Imperial Palace, and the Yaesu side to the west leads to Ginza and Nihonbashi Tokyo sightseeing by area
Trendy shopping and night views Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku The Shibuya crossing, young fashion in Harajuku, the skyscrapers on the west side of Shinjuku and Kabukicho on the east side Tokyo sightseeing by area
Tokyo cuisine and markets Tsukiji, Toyosu and Tsukishima Edomae sushi and monja-yaki; visiting rules for the Tsukiji Outer Market and Toyosu Market Tokyo food and markets
Shopping Ginza, Akihabara and Asakusa Department stores, electronics, traditional crafts and kitchenware Tokyo shopping areas compared
Travelling with children Ueno and Kasai The zoo, the aquarium and the family facilities listed by Tokyo’s official tourism site Tokyo with children
Cherry blossoms in spring Chidorigafuchi and Shinjuku Gyoen The character, fees and rules of each cherry blossom spot Tokyo cherry blossoms
Free views Shinjuku and Asakusa The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation rooms and the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center Free observation decks in Tokyo
Not sure yet, want a plan first East, central and west in turn Three days split into the culture of the east, a flexible centre and shopping in the west 3 days in Tokyo

Read these before you go

  • Getting around Tokyo: JR, Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway are three separate systems, and tickets do not work across all of them
  • Tokyo subway tickets compared: how to choose between the Tokyo Subway Ticket and the Tokyo Metro 24-hour ticket
  • From Haneda and Narita airports into the city: choose your transport by where you are staying
  • Where to stay in Tokyo: choose a hotel area by airport, Shinkansen and itinerary

Practical reminders

  • Admission fees and opening hours are not listed together on this page; each facility publishes its own, so check the official website before you go
  • For information that applies nationwide, such as transport IC cards and tax refunds, see Japan essentials, for example IC cards and Tax refund and departure tax

Sources