Days that respect geography, energy, opening hours, crowd pressure, and the pleasure of not rushing.
ROUTING LOGIC
Times are suggested planning windows, including the travel buffers described below. Reorder whole days for museum closures, weather, and confirmed reservations. For a shorter visit, use the first day or first two days; extensions and alternatives are labeled.
01
Day 1
A complete first day in older Tokyo
Asakusa → Ueno → Asakusa
Senso-ji
Spend 60–90 minutes around the temple before the shopping approach fills. This first day works independently.
Nakamise and a short riverside walk
Allow 15 minutes between the temple and Sumida river; take a light snack, not a second full breakfast.
Transfer to Ueno and lunch
Allow 25–35 minutes door to door by Ginza Line and walking; eat near Ueno Station before the museum.
Tokyo National Museum
Spend about three hours. Check its calendar: if closed, walk Ueno Park and nearby Yanaka, then move the museum to Day 3.
Reserved Asakusa Imahan dinner
Allow 30–40 minutes to return to Asakusa and reach the Kokusai Street branch. Keep the evening local.
02
Day 2
Woodland, design and the contemporary city
Meiji Jingu → Harajuku → Omotesando → Shibuya
Meiji Jingu
Use the seasonal shrine opening and allow 90 minutes for the wooded approach and worship area.
AFURI Harajuku
Return toward Harajuku; allow 15–25 minutes from the shrine area and join the lunch queue.
Omotesando architecture and Ippodo tea
Allow 35–45 minutes with browsing to the Aoyama tearoom beyond Omotesando Station; it normally closes Monday, when a nearby café is the simpler pause.
Shibuya crossing
Allow 25–35 minutes by walking or local train with station exits. Check the actual SKY ticket time before shopping.
SHIBUYA SKY and dinner
Use the deck only under suitable conditions; a roof closure means a street-level evening and dinner in Shibuya, not another cross-city tower.
03
Day 3
Food trade and garden calm
Tsukiji → Hama-rikyu → Ginza
Tsukiji Outer Market
Visit after the market’s priority buying period. Choose Marutake plus Kitsuneya or a small sushi meal; do not book a tuna-auction promise here.
Hama-rikyu Gardens
Allow 20–30 minutes on foot to the appropriate gate, then 90 minutes in the garden.
Seated Tsukiji or Ginza lunch
Choose Sushiizanmai only if the morning was light; otherwise take a simple late lunch.
Ginza galleries and food halls
Allow 20–30 minutes from the garden. In heavy rain or market closures, use a longer Ginza day or the postponed National Museum.
Early dinner near your base
A third day benefits from rest; keep purchases out of rush-hour aisles.
04
Day 4
One immersive-art district
Azabudai Hills → Azabu-Juban
teamLab Borderless
Allow two to three hours at the current Azabudai Hills venue. Its ticket is not valid for Planets.
Menson RAGE lunch
Use the ramen restaurant in Garden Plaza D B1F; allow 10–15 minutes within the complex and order shamo-soba from the current menu.
Allow 20–30 minutes on foot; spend the afternoon with small shops and a café.
AFURI Azabu-Juban dinner
Use the Azabu-Juban branch from the operator’s location list and choose a lighter bowl if lunch was substantial. If Borderless is unavailable, replace the entire morning with prebooked Planets in Toyosu, lunch there and a waterfront walk; do not add both museums.
DO NOT BREAK THE RHYTHM
Four ways travelers exhaust Tokyo.
Crossing town for every mealA good nearby table beats the famous reservation that breaks the day.
Stacking major institutionsTwo famous doors do not guarantee two meaningful visits.
Ignoring the hotel resetA real break protects the evening that mattered enough to reserve.
Treating travel time as emptyThe route, street, train, river, or view can be part of the city—not an inconvenience.