Tokyo travel guide

Senso-ji

Legend says two fishermen pulled a small golden statue of Kannon from the Sumida River in 628, and the temple built for it is Tokyo’s oldest. You pass under the giant red lantern of the Kaminarimon gate, work your way through the snack stalls of Nakamise, then join people wafting incense smoke over themselves before the main hall. The hall closes in the late afternoon but the grounds stay open, so come early in the morning or after dark, when the crowds have gone and the five-storey pagoda is lit.

Meiji Jingu

A minute from Harajuku Station the noise drops away under a forest of some 100,000 trees, donated from all over Japan and planted by volunteers when the shrine was built for Emperor Meiji in 1920. The gravel path passes a wall of sake barrels given by brewers, faced by a row of Burgundy wine casks, before reaching the cypress-wood shrine, where on weekends you may see a wedding procession. It opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, so the gate times shift through the year, and entry is free.

Shibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky

When the lights stop the cars, every corner empties into the scramble at once and crowds cross in all directions without colliding. Walk it yourself, greet the statue of Hachiko the faithful dog by the station, then ride up to the open rooftop of Shibuya Sky, 229 metres up, where on a clear day Mount Fuji sits on the horizon. Sunset slots sell out first; book online, since the ticket desk has none left once the website does. Bags go in lockers before the roof.

Shinjuku Gyoen

Three gardens share one fence here, all once reserved for the imperial family: a Japanese strolling garden of ponds and teahouses, a formal French garden of plane-tree avenues, and English-style lawns under huge old trees. In spring around a thousand cherry trees of many varieties bloom in turn, so the blossom lasts longer than elsewhere in the city, and in autumn the maples and planes take over. It closes on Mondays (or the next weekday after a Monday holiday).

Imperial Palace East Gardens

This was the heart of Edo Castle, seat of the Tokugawa shoguns for more than 250 years, and its massive fitted stone walls and moats are still here. Climb the stone base of the main keep, which burned in 1657 and was never rebuilt, for a view over the lawn where the inner palace stood, then wander down to the pond garden of Ninomaru. Entry is free. Closed on Mondays and Fridays, except on national holidays.

Ueno Park and the Tokyo National Museum

Japan’s oldest museum, founded in 1872, holds the country’s largest collection of its own art: samurai armour and swords, Buddhist sculpture, kimono, and scroll paintings rotated so they never fade. Behind the main building, the calm Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures shows rows of small gilt-bronze Buddhas more than a thousand years old, and most visitors miss it. Around the museum, Ueno Park has more big museums, a zoo and Shinobazu Pond, covered in lotus in summer. The Tokyo National Museum is closed on most Mondays.

teamLab Planets

Shoes come off at the door, because early on you wade knee-deep through water where projected koi swim around your legs and burst into flowers when they touch you. Later you stand among thousands of real orchids hanging from the ceiling, and in a mirrored room of lights that seems to go on forever. Entry is by timed ticket, and the museum in Toyosu is due to run until the end of 2027.

Ghibli Museum

Hayao Miyazaki sketched this building himself, and it feels like one of his films: winding stairs, tiny doors, a rooftop garden guarded by the robot soldier from Castle in the Sky, and a plush Catbus for small children to climb on. The little cinema shows short Ghibli films you can’t see anywhere else. There are no tickets at the door: each month’s dates go on sale online at 10 AM Japan time on the 10th of the month before, and they go fast.

Tsukiji Outer Market

The wholesale fish market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the maze of about 460 shops and stalls that grew up around it stayed, and it is still one of the best places in Tokyo to graze through a morning: tuna over rice, sea urchin by the tray, scallops grilled in the shell and sweet rolled omelette on a stick. Between bites, look in on the knife makers, some run by the same family for generations. Go between 9 AM and early afternoon, bring cash, and eat where you buy rather than on the move. The market is closed on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays.

Omoide Yokocho

These two lanes beside Shinjuku Station began as a black market after the war, and their wooden shacks still seat only a handful each, so the cook’s grill is a forearm away. Order a cold beer and a few skewers of chicken, liver or leek, and let the smoke drift up into the lantern light. Seats are few, so go early in the evening and expect to sit elbow to elbow.

Depachika food halls

Under the big department stores lies a food hall you could spend an hour just looking at: counters of glossy bento, pickles in neat rows, sweets shaped like the season’s flowers, and gift melons priced like jewellery. Staff hand out samples, and in the last hour before closing many counters mark down their bento and sushi. The halls in Ginza and Shinjuku are among the biggest, and a good place to put together a picnic for Shinjuku Gyoen or Ueno Park.

Ramen counters

Tokyo ramen might be a clear, soy-dark shoyu broth, a creamy pork-bone tonkotsu, or tsukemen, thick noodles you dip into a concentrated soup, and many shops do just one bowl and do it very well. Slurping is normal and cools the noodles. Many small shops sell tickets from a machine by the door: pick your bowl, pay, then hand the ticket to the cook. The machines often take cash only, so keep coins and notes handy.

Best: Late March to early April

Cherry blossom fills the parks and riversides. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year, so book rooms early.

Best: November to early December

Autumn leaves turn ginkgo and maple gold and red; a famous season for Tokyo's gardens.

Harder: September and October

The wettest months of the year, with typhoons possible. Keep a flexible plan for rainy days.

How do you get around Tokyo?

• Transit cardLoad an IC card such as Suica or PASMO for trains, buses and shops.
• Short-stay cardWelcome Suica and Tourist PASMO are made for short visits: no deposit, valid 28 days from purchase. Both are sold mainly at Narita and Haneda airports.
• BusesBuses reach places the trains miss and take the same IC cards. Tap the reader by the door you board through.

Do you need cash in Tokyo, and do you tip?

• Cards in citiesVisa, JCB and Mastercard are widely accepted at major hotels, department stores and urban restaurants.
• ATMs for foreign cards7-Eleven’s Seven Bank ATMs take most overseas cards, with an English screen. Fees depend on your card.
• No tippingTipping isn’t customary in restaurants, cafes, taxis or hotels. Pay what the bill says.
• Tax-free shoppingSince 1 November 2026 you pay full price, including tax, at tax-free shops. Show your passport when you buy, and the tax is refunded after customs checks your goods as you leave Japan.

Useful phrases

• Excuse me / sorrySumimasen (すみません)
• Thank youArigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます)
• YesHai (はい)
• No, thank youIie, daijoubu desu (いいえ、大丈夫です)
• How much is this?Kore wa ikura desu ka? (これはいくらですか？)
• Good morningOhayou gozaimasu (おはようございます)

Local manners

• ShoesTake shoes off at homes, some inns and temples. Look for the step or slippers.
• TrainsKeep your voice low and phone on silent. Quiet carriages are common.
• QueuesLine up neatly at stations and bus stops, and wait your turn to board.
• TippingTipping is not expected. Pay the amount shown and say thank you.
• BinsPublic bins are rare, so carry your rubbish home until you find one.
• BowingA small bow is a friendly greeting. A slight nod is perfectly fine too.

Useful apps

• Google MapsWalking directions and train routes around Tokyo
• Japan Transit Planner - TravelFinding train and subway routes and fares
• SuicaTapping onto trains, subways and buses
• Google TranslateReading menus and signs with the camera
• Uber Eats: Food & GroceriesOrdering food delivery to your hotel

Download links for these are in the Tokyo guide in the Journey app.

Before you book

Check your government’s travel advice before you book.