10 things to do in Tokyo

Checked against official sources · updated 6 November 2026 · Takumi Yamada

1. 01
   Bob Owen / CC BY
   See~4h round tripNeeds a 6-hour call

   Senso-ji at Asakusa

   The thunder gate, the incense cauldron, the oldest temple in the city — arrive before nine and Nakamise’s snack street is yours. The classic for a reason.

   Rail ~55 minFull guide: Senso-ji
2. 02
   Syced / CC0
   See~5hNeeds a 7-hour call

   Shibuya Crossing & Meiji Shrine

   Three thousand people per green light, then a forest shrine one JR stop away, at Harajuku, where you cannot hear the city at all (gates close at sunset: 16:40 in October, 16:10 in November). Tokyo’s whole argument in one afternoon.

   RailFull guide: Shibuya Crossing
3. 03
   Dale Cruse - 12M views / CC BY 2.0
   Eat~4h with transitNeeds a 6-hour call

   Tsukiji Outer Market crawl

   The inner auction moved; the good part stayed. Tamagoyaki on sticks, tuna cheeks, knife shops — graze stall to stall before 10 a.m. beats any restaurant.

   Rail ~45 min (taxi ~5 min from Harumi)Full guide: Tsukiji Outer Market
4. 04
   
   Do · bookable~7h tailoredNeeds a 9-hour call

   Your Tokyo, privately guided

   The most-reviewed private tour on our Tokyo shelf — tell them your Tokyo and they thread it together with trains, timing and zero stress.

   The guided version · from US$142
5. 05
   
   Do · bookable~4h incl. transitNeeds a 6-hour call

   Meiji Shrine & Harajuku walk

   Two guided hours from sacred forest to Takeshita-dori’s crepe chaos, from US$20. The best value bookable in the capital, full stop.

   Rail ~45–50 min to HarajukuThe guided version · from US$20
6. 06
   Luke Ma from Taipei, Taiwan ROC / CC BY 2.0
   See~1.5h, terminal areaNeeds a 3.5-hour call

   Odaiba & the Rainbow Bridge

   Your terminal’s own island: bay beaches, the bridge arcing home, a Statue of Liberty for the photo gag. The zero-risk plan for embarkation eve.

   Yurikamome 2 stops to Odaiba-kaihinkoenGoogle Maps
7. 07
   Sasa0403 / CC BY-SA 4.0
   See~3h, book aheadNeeds a 5-hour call

   teamLab Planets

   Wade barefoot through mirrored water rooms of digital koi — the museum foreigners rate above most temples. Tickets are sold online only, as timed slots, never at the door: book ahead, ideally the week before.

   Near ToyosuFull guide: teamLab Planets
8. 08
   espinr / CC BY
   Eat~3hNeeds a 5-hour call

   Depachika treasure hunt

   Department-store basements are Japan’s edible museums — thousand-yen bento that would cost fifty dollars anywhere else. Isetan Shinjuku is the cathedral.

   Rail ~55 min to Shinjuku (Ginza ~30 min)Google Maps
9. 09
   Stephen Kelly from San Francisco, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0
   Eat~5h, eveningsNeeds a 7-hour call

   Izakaya night: Omoide Yokocho

   Sixty lantern-lit stalls in two smoky alleys by Shinjuku station — yakitori, beer, elbows with strangers. For overnight port stays; the last train home is part of the story.

   Rail to ShinjukuGoogle Maps
10. 10
    Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0
    See~4hNeeds a 6-hour call

    Ginza & the Imperial gardens

    The composed Tokyo: flagship architecture, the weekend pedestrian paradise, and the palace’s East Gardens free next door (closed Mondays and Fridays; last entry 16:00 in October, 15:30 November–February). Where the city walks slowly.

    Rail or bus ~30 minFull guide: Imperial Palace East Gardens