Day 1 — Arrival & Shinjuku
Land at Narita or Haneda. Buy your Suica card. Take the train to your hotel.
Keep Day 1 light — jet lag from long-haul flights is real.
Evening: Walk around Shinjuku. Have dinner at a standing ramen bar or join a salaryman izakaya. Don’t plan too much. Let Tokyo arrive at its own pace.
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Day 2 — Asakusa, Skytree, Akihabara
Follow the Day 1 plan from the 3-day itinerary: Senso-ji → Skytree → Akihabara → Shinjuku evening.
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Day 3 — Harajuku, teamLab, Shibuya
Follow the Day 2 plan from the 3-day itinerary: Meiji Shrine → Harajuku → teamLab → Shibuya Crossing.
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Day 4 — Day Trip: Nikko or Kamakura
With 5 days you have room for a day trip. Choose based on season and interest.
Option A: Nikko (2.5 hours each way)
Japan’s most ornate shrine complex — Tosho-gu, with its famous sleeping cat carving and thousands of decorative details. Set in mountain forest. Spectacular in autumn foliage season (October–November).
Take: Limited Express Kegon from Asakusa (Tobu Line) — not covered by JR Pass but a single ticket.
Plan: Leave by 8am, arrive by 10:30am. Tosho-gu + Rinnoji Temple + waterfall hike. Return by 6pm.
Option B: Kamakura (1 hour each way)
Coastal town with the iconic Great Buddha (Kotoku-in), numerous temples, hiking trails between shrines, and a beach. More relaxed than Nikko, better in summer.
Take: JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station (covered by JR Pass).
Plan: Great Buddha → Hase-dera Temple → Komachi-dori shopping street → optional beach. Easy day.
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Day 5 — Tsukiji, Ginza, Yanaka, Shimokitazawa
Follow the Day 3 plan from the 3-day itinerary. With an extra day you can go deeper into Yanaka (a full afternoon) or combine Tsukiji breakfast with a long Shimokitazawa afternoon.
Alternative for Day 5: Spend entirely in neighborhoods you want to revisit. A second morning at Senso-ji in different light, a return to a ramen shop you loved, an afternoon in a Shimokitazawa record shop. Tokyo rewards slow exploration.
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Day 5 Evening: Roppongi
If you haven’t visited yet — Mori Art Museum (53rd floor, open until 10pm) for contemporary art with extraordinary views. Roppongi Hills complex for dinner. The neighborhood has a livelier late-night scene than Shinjuku if that’s what you want.
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Extra Tokyo Experiences for 5 Days
With more time, add these:
Odaiba: Futuristic artificial island in Tokyo Bay. teamLab Borderless (reopened here), Gundam statue, shopping malls. 30 minutes from Shinjuku by train.
Hamarikyu Gardens: Traditional garden surrounded by skyscrapers. One of Tokyo’s best photography spots. ¥300.
Ueno: Multiple museums (Tokyo National Museum is essential), Ueno Zoo, Ueno Park (best for cherry blossoms in spring).
Koenji: Lesser-known neighborhood similar to Shimokitazawa. More underground, more authentic, fewer tourists.
A proper omakase sushi dinner: 5 days gives budget room for one splurge. A counter omakase for ¥8,000–15,000 is a genuinely life-changing meal.
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5-Day Tokyo Budget
| Accommodation (5 nights) | ¥20,000 | ¥60,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Food | ¥14,000 | ¥30,000 |
| Transport incl. day trip | ¥5,000 | ¥7,000 |
| Activities | ¥6,000 | ¥14,000 |
| **Total** | **¥45,000 (~$300)** | **¥111,000 (~$740)** |
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Nikko and Kamakura day trips, teamLab tickets and skip-the-line passes for major attractions are all bookable through Klook. Book teamLab at least 1 week ahead.
Book Tokyo day trips and experiences on Klook →
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