Hello, been lurking on this subreddit now for a few months. Been able to gather some great advice from a lot of different posts here, so thank you to all those sharing your experiences.
I am planning a trip to Tokyo next week and was wondering what does and doesn’t seem realistic in this itinerary, and any priorities for what to do. For arriving in to Tokyo late afternoon for 4 nights staying around Shinjuku. The reason for so little time given for food is I’m not overly concerned about when or where to go, with breakfast and dinner comped by the hotel. So that’s why there’s not a lot in here for restaurants or cafes, although any recommendations welcome.
I’m using AT&T international plan, so SIM card/pocket WiFi isn’t as big a concern to me. But if it’s still way better to use sim or pocket, then I’ll keep it in mind. Also, for mid-late November, is fall foliage at or past its peak typically in Tokyo?
Day zero (Saturday afternoon)
Get into Narita, grab Welcome Suica card
Take Narita express train or a cab to Shinjuku, depending on mood after jet lag, price isn’t concern
Check into hotel at Shinjuku
Maybe Golden Gai if not passed out yet
Day one (Sunday)
Go to Shibuya Plaza, visit Hachiko statue
Go to Nintendo Shibuya (Parco)
Meji Jingu Shrine
Afternoon
Take train to ueno station
Ueno park
Walk around ahkibara
Day two (Monday)
Tokyo Disney and disneysea
Evening
Couple of drinks at Park Hyatt New York bar
Day three (Tuesday)
Ginza
Go past/through Tsujuki market, if it doesn’t look crowded
Walk around Ginza
Go over to and walk around imperial palace grounds exterior
Tokyo metro building south observatory
Around sunset/after dark
Day four (Wednesday)
Shinjuku gardens
Last minute souvenirs at don Quijote
Back to hotel, pack, head to narita for 6 pm flight to Singapore
4 comments
honestly seems doable. Not too much and not too little. Just keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore! Have fun
For your day one, I’d switch the east side (Ueno Park/Akihabara) and west side (Shibuya) to morning and afternoon, respectively. Many places in Shibuya do not open for business until 10 AM or later, but you can access Ueno Park at any time.
A couple of thoughts…..
*Do Golden Gai another night, it is meant to do with more energy, not night one
*I personally wasn’t impressed with Ueno park at all compared to other parks in Tokyo. Ueno was my least favorite area in the 7 days we were there. Decent for souvenirs though. Bring earplugs if you plan on shopping at any Donki.
*Consider Asakusa vs Ueno
*Skip Tokyo metro observatory if you’re already doing Park Hyatt
*if money isn’t a huge a factor, I would consider eating out for dinner at other places vs your hotel. You’d be missing out on some of the best food on the planet.
*Have IPhone? Get SUICA in your apple wallet, not physical card.
*If you aren’t satisfied with AT&T roaming performance when you get there (as I was with TMobile), consider Esim from Ubigi. Far outperformed any coverage I’ve ever received from any carrier in USA. And it only cost me like $15 for two weeks. Doesn’t sound like money is a huge factor for you but the Ubigi experience was just so much better.
*I just got home last night. I think fall foliage will be at or near full peak for you. Enjoy!
*Use Navitime app to help you plan most cost effective and efficient trips between your itinerary points and then use Google maps to help you get to where Navitime instructs you to go (eg train station)
*If money isn’t a factor, taxi from Narita may be way to go but do you realize it is something like 75km from Shinjuku? It will likely take you way longer and way more $$$ (guessing in excess of $200-250) in a Taxi. Narita Express is almost as comfy as Shinkansen bullet train and was fast enough (1.25 hours)
Let the wind take you wherever!
Put a little thought into lunch / dinner at some of these places. All that walking is going to make you hungry and having a food plan and backup plan is key.