Hello,
Mid 30’s couple from the USA traveling to Tokyo in late August. We will be staying in Shinjuku.
We arrive 9pm on Wednesday and will have 4 full days and nights, Thursday – Sunday.
Below is our tentative itinerary.
**We would like to optimize for the following:**
1. Knocking out major attractions at non-peak hours– avoiding the rush (e.g. TeamLabs, Sensō-ji Shrine, etc)
2. Grouping location specific activities together each day
**Questions**
* I’ve grouped Asakusa with Odaiba because there’s a river boat and we’d like to go to Team Labs. Does this make sense?
* Are Shibuya and Shinjuku better saved for Friday / Saturday, given the nightlife? If so how would you re-organize to maximize getting the most out of each location Thursday – Sunday?
* Would you opt for a day trip for Sunday or use Sunday to freely explore?
​
**Thursday – Shibuya / Shinjuku (Western Tokyo)**
**Morning**
9:00am – Meiji Shrine
11:00am – Takeshita Street in Harajuku
**Afternoon / Evening**
2:30 – Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko Statue
3:30 – Shibuya PARCO
4:30 – Shibuya Sky Observation Deck
7:00 – Dinner at Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka
**Eat**
Umegaoka Sushi no Midori Sohonten
Katsu Midori (conveyor belt sushi)
**Shop**
Shibuya PARCO
Nintendo Store and the Pokemon Center.
\—–
**Friday – Asakusa / OdaibaMorning**
8:00 – 9:00am: Senso-Ji Temple
9:00 – 10:00am: Nakamise-dor
10:00 – Noon: Ueno Park & Ameyoko Shopping District
12:00 – 1:00pm: Lunch
Afternoon / Evening
1:25 PM: Asakusa to Odaiba: River Cruise (70 minutes)
4:00pm: Team Labs
7:00: Dinner
9:00: Walk Rainbow Bridge
\_\_\_\_
**Saturday – Akihabara, Ginza**
**Morning**
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Tour Tokyo Imperial Palace.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Travel to Akihabara.
**Afternoon/Evening**
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Lunch & Explore Akihabara
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Travel from Akihabara to Ginza
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Explore Ginza
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Dinner
8:30 PM – onwards: Hibiya Park or a night view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Tower
**Eat**
Kagari Ramen
**Shop**
Ginza Itoya,
**Activities**
GiGO arcade, Super Potato,The Drum Museum
\_\_\_\_
**Sunday – Open Day**
Option 1: Day Trip
* Mt TakaoIzu Oshima
Option 2: Disney Sea
Option 3: Explore more Tokyo
1 comment
Solid itinerary! The days are planned full but not too full and the activities are grouped together enough to avoid long travel times. Starting the temples early is the best way to go, they tend to crowd up during the afternoon. Given the limited time you have you will get to see a good variety or neighborhoods in Tokyo in 3 full days. The morning plan on day 2 may be a bit tight, Asakusa and Ueno Park are both big areas and you tend to stay longer than you anticipated to explore the many streets and shops around Sensoji.
As for the last day, my personal preference would be to enjoy somewhere with a different atmosphere from the big cities. A day trip out of the city is very enjoyable. I once did a trip like you guys will do to Hong Kong, for like 5 days. We also left the city to visit small town and it was really nice to feel the contrast after some days in the bustling city. Izu Oshima is probably a bit far for a single day trip, it will require a long train travel. Mt. Takao is definitely an option, but this is the most touristy mountain in the area so it tends to get pretty crowded on the weekends, not exactly relaxing. Have you considered Kamakura for a day trip?
Exploring Tokyo some more is definitely a good option as well. The last day could be used doing some sightseeing in the morning and souvenir shopping the rest of the day. You could visit a department store in Shinjuku on your last day for example. You could also visit less popular towns like Shin-Okubo, which is nearby Shinjuku, or perhaps a museum.
In the end it’s up to personal preference how you fill in your last day.