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Tokyo is a sprawling, expensive city. But it’s also fabulous. Tokyo has some of the coolest, quirkiest, most interesting things to do of any large city.
Table of Contents
21+ Things to do in Tokyo, Japan
Check out the top 21+ things to do in Tokyo.
Gado Shita Yurakucho
Gado Shita Yurakucho is an area of restaurants located under the Yamanote railway line. The restaurants are clumped together under the tracks around Yurakucho Station – they extend south nearly to Shimbashi Station and north pretty close to Tokyo Station.
It’s a popular spot for after-work drinks and cheap (but delicious) meals. You’ll feel some rumble when the trains pass by overhead, which adds to the unique atmosphere.
Time Needed: varies
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- This is a great place to try some authentic izakaya or yakitori.
Imperial Palace
The Imperial Palace is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family.
The inner grounds of the Palace are only open to the public twice a year: Jan 2 for a New Years Greeting and Feb 23 for the Emperor’s Birthday.
Walking Tours (that don’t enter any buildings) of the Imperial Palace grounds are available Tuesday through Saturday at 10am or 1:30pm. They’re about 75 minutes long.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens are open to the public and you can just head in and wander around.
Time Needed: 75+ minutes
Normal Price: free tour
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- You can prebook a guided tour online or you can sign up at the Kikyomon Gate
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu)
The Meiji Shrine is one of the most popular shrines in Tokyo. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the deified souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken (who died in 1912 and 1914).
To get to the shrine you walk through a lovely forest. There are about 100,000 trees that were donated from all over the country when the shrine was constructed in the the late 1910s.
Time Needed: 60 minutes (or longer)
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- We saw a wedding when we visited the Shrine. It was beautiful! Lucky for you, weddings there aren’t uncommon. If you’re there for one of the busier weekends, a handful of weddings could occur.
Mori Art Museum
The Mori Art Museum is devoted to contemporary art and architecture. It’s a great museum with a solid layout and excellent exhibitions. If you’re only going to check out one museum in Tokyo, this would be my #1 recommendation.
Time Needed: 2 hours
Normal Price: ¥1,800*
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day*
Visitor Tips:
- The entry ticket to the Mori Art Museum includes access to the Roppongi Hills Observation Deck Tokyo City View.
- For an extra fee of ¥500, you can purchase a ticket to the Sky Deck
Nakamise Shopping Street
Nakamise Shopping Street is on the way to the Senso-ji Temple. It’s a great place to try some traditional Japanese street foods like Kiwi Dango and Ningyo Yaki. It’s also a nice place to pick up some souvenirs.
Time Needed: 15 minutes
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Robot Restaurant
The Robot Restaurant is a kitschy show in Shinjuku. It’s visited almost exclusively by tourists and it’s so absurd that it’s magical.
I know there are huge guides online that will tell you all about the show, but I think it detracts from the show if you know too much beforehand. It’s a loud, crazy, performance unlike anything you’ll experience elsewhere.
Time Needed: 2 hours
Normal Price: ¥8,500
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- See the show but skip the meal. There are so many amazing restaurants in this area.
- Show up early to get the best seats (they’re allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis).
- While you’re in Shinjuku be sure to wander around. It’s a fascinating area of Tokyo!
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
The Roppongi Hills Mori Tower offers beautiful views of Tokyo.
Time Needed: ¥1,800
Normal Price: varies
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- The ticket price includes access to the Mori Art Museum. You should definitely check it out.
- If you’d like to head up to the Sky Deck, you’ll need to pay an additional fee of ¥500.
- This applies to any tower you visit: Try to visit just before sunset. You’ll get views of the city in daylight, sunset, and nighttime.
Samurai Museum
The Samurai Museum is a cool place dedicated to the Era of the Samurai.
Check out the museum, then try on a samurai helmet (kabuki) and battle coat (jinbaori). Then, pick up a sword and take a picture (included in museum admission). You can also see a sword performance.
Time Needed: 60+ minutes
Normal Price: ¥1,900
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- They have free museum tours every 10 to 20 minutes that you can join.
- There are other activities available at the museum including Samurai Calligraphy Lessons (¥5,000), Japanese Sword Lectures (¥5,000), and a Samurai Live Music Show (¥3,000).
Senso-ji Temple
Senso-ji Temple is the oldest (and most famous) temple in Tokyo. It’s a Buddhist temple that was completed in 645 (nearly 1,400 years ago).
Time Needed: 60+ minutes
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- Go early to avoid the crowds.
Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Crossing is an extremely famous scramble crossing in Tokyo. It’s considered to be the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. During peak hours, an estimated 2,500 pedestrians will use the crossing at once!
Time Needed: 15 minutes (longer if you visit one of these spots to get an aerial photo)
Normal Price: free
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- This is the one attraction that you should see at it’s busiest. It’s CRAZY!
- You’ll drive through the crossing as part of the Street Kart tour.
Street Kart
Street Kart is a guided self-drive tour of Tokyo by Go-Kart. Yeah, GO-KART! You’ll need an international driver’s license to participate.
Seriously though, this is awesome. It’s so uniquely Tokyo. Where else can you drive a go-kart around the streets of a major city?!
Time Needed: 2 hours +
Normal Price: ¥10,000 +
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- Accept and wear the faceguard mask. Driving around so low to the ground means you’ll get a little grimy.
- There are different shops that offer different tours. I recommend the Shinagawa #2 shop and the Middle Tour. It’s the perfect length and you’ll drive past (with photo opportunities):
- Shibuya Crossing
- Tokyo Tower
Takeshita Street
Takeshita Street is what Harajuku is known for – whacky, experimental, fun, colorful fashion.
If you’re looking to purchase unique souvenirs or visit quirky cafes, this is the place.
Time Needed: varies: 30 minutes to hours
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- You can get some delicious crepes on Takeshita Street.
- It’s extremely busy during the weekends. If you’d prefer fewer crowds, visit during the week. If you want to see the most of the Harajuku style, visit on a weekend.
Tokyo International Forum
Tokyo International Forum is a large convention center, concert venue, and exhibition space.
The architecture of the building is stunning. If you’re nearby, take the time to check it out. It’s a cool place to see during the day or at night.
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is made up of 6 galleries (each with a different admission fee). There’s something for everyone here.
Time Needed: 90 minutes
Normal Price: ¥800 to 1,600
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day*
Visitor Tips:
- It’s closed most Mondays.
Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum has over 100,000 objects from Japan (and other parts of Asia). It’s the oldest and largest museum in Japan.
This was my second favorite museum in Tokyo (the Mori Art Museum is my first). If you only have time for one and the Mori doesn’t have an exhibit that speaks to you, this should be your choice. If you have time to see both then do it!
Time Needed: 90 minutes
Normal Price: ¥620
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day*
Visitor Tips:
- It’s closed most Mondays.
Tokyo Skytree
The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in Tokyo. There are two observation decks: 350m and 450m.
The Skytree is exactly what you’d expect: it’s a tall structure with an observation deck.
Time Needed: 60 minutes
Normal Price: ¥3100 (weekdays) / ¥3400 (weekends and holidays) for BOTH the 350m and 450m floors.
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- Lines can be long on weekends or midday.
- Personally, I think the Skytree is a bit overrated. I liked the Mori Tower (along with the museum).
- If you’re not near the Skytree, don’t spend a ton of time commuting to it.
- This applies to any tower you visit: Try to visit just before sunset. You’ll get views of the city in daylight, sunset, and nighttime.
Tokyo Tower
The Tokyo Tower is modeled after the Eiffel Tower. But guess which one is taller? The Tokyo Tower (333m) is 9 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower (324m).
Even though the Tokyo Tower is much lower to the ground than the Tokyo Skytree, it offers excellent views.
Time Needed: 60 minutes
Normal Price: ¥3,000 for Top Deck Tour (includes both 150m and 250m observation decks)
Itineraries: 1-day, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- If you do the Street Kart Tour, you’ll pass by (and get some photos of) the Tokyo Tower. It does NOT include entry to the tower, but that’s fine (go up the Mori tower instead).
- This applies to any tower you visit: Try to visit just before sunset. You’ll get views of the city in daylight, sunset, and nighttime.
Toyosu Market
The Toyosu Market is a newly opened fish market (January 2019). It’s very well organized with lots of signs and maps. However, there is limited access to the public.
The best part of the Toyosu Market is the fish auction. There’s a free observation deck (with English signage). You can also apply for a seat in a special deck (it’s a lottery so cross your fingers). You can only apply at certain periods (usually about 6 weeks in advance).
Time Needed: 2 hours
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- The market is closed on Sundays.
- If you like sushi, you’ll love this market. It’s the best and freshest sushi you’ll likely ever eat in your life.
Ueno Onshi Park
Sit back, relax, and take a break in this tranquil park.
There are a lot of things to do in and around Ueno Park. See one of the museums in the area, visit the zoo, relax!
Time Needed: 60+ minutes *
*Note: you could spend an entire day (or more) exploring Ueno Park and all it has to offer.
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day
Visitor Tips:
- The top museums in Ueno Park (in my opinion) are the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the Tokyo National Museum, and the Ueno Royal Museum.
The Ueno Royal Museum
The Ueno Royal Museum doesn’t have a permanent exhibition. Instead, it has a constantly changing series of themed exhibitions. The Ueno Royal Museum opened in 1072 and is managed by the Japan Art Association.
Time Needed: 60 minutes
Normal Price: changes with every exhibition (occasionally free)
Itineraries: 1-day*, 3-day*
Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park is next to the Meiji Shrine but the atmosphere is completely different.
Many festivals and events are held in Yoyogi Park. It’s a fun place full of musicians, artists, cosplayers, and more.
Time Needed: 60+ minutes
Normal Price: free to enter
Itineraries: 3-day
Bonus Things To Do in Tokyo
If you have some extra time (maybe waiting on something to start, or at the end of the day), check out these places:
Unique Bars
Tokyo is home to a lot of quirky, strange, fun, funky, just different bars. Check out this list of 10 of the best unique bars in Tokyo.
Unique Cafes
It’s not just bars, Tokyo has some epically out-there cafes, too. Check out this list of 23 of the most unique cafes in Tokyo.
Play Pachinko
Pachinko is a gambling game. It’s like a slot machine meets pinball. Pachinko parlors are all over Tokyo. It’s an experience and you should give it a shot!
Newbie Tip: wander around the parlor and enjoy observing others play to limit the amount of time (and cash) you gamble with. I only lost about $10 usd.
Note: technically gambling is illegal so you win prizes (little balls) which you then exchange for cash.
Suggested Itineraries for Tokyo
If you’ve only got a couple of days in Tokyo, check out one of these itineraries for 1-day in Tokyo or 3-days in Tokyo. You’ll be busy, but you’ll have a great time!
1-Day in Tokyo Itinerary
Frankly, one day in Tokyo just isn’t going to be enough BUT if that’s all you have, make the most of every minute with this packed itinerary.
If you don’t want to do the Street Kart Tour, you should still check out Shibuya Crossing and the Tokyo Tower.
Normal Price: ¥21,040+ with Street Kart / ¥14,020+ no Street Kart
*prices include Tokyo National Museum as the option. If you choose another, your price will increase.
- Nakamise Shopping Street
- Robot Restaurant (¥8,500)
- Samurai Museum (¥1,900)
- Senso-ji Temple
- Street Kart (¥10,000)
- Shibuya Crossing
- Tokyo Tower (¥3,000*)
- Choose one:
- Roppongi Hills Mori Tower & Mori Art Museum (¥2,300)
- OR
- Ueno Onshi Park & a Museum
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (¥800+)
- Tokyo National Museum (¥620)
- The Ueno Royal Museum (varies)
- Ueno Onshi Park & a Museum
3-Days in Tokyo Itinerary
Tokyo is so spread out that you’re going to end up spending a lot of time commuting. I’ve tried to limit that by organizing days that are a bit closer together.
Normal Price: ¥27,220+ (includes ALL museums)
Day 1:
- Nakamise Shopping Street
- Senso-ji Temple
- Tokyo Skytree (¥3100)
- Imperial Palace
- Tokyo International Forum
- Gado Shita Yurakuchi
Day 2:
- Toyosu Market
- Yoyogi Park
- Meiji Shrine
- Takeshita Street
- Samurai Museum (¥1900)
- Robot Restaurant (¥8500)
Day 3:
- Street Kart (¥10000)
- Shibuya Crossing
- Tokyo Tower
- Ueno Onshi Park
- Museum(s):
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (¥800+)
- Tokyo National Museum (¥620)
- The Ueno Royal Museum (varies)
- Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (¥2300)
- The Mori Art Museum
Have More Time?
If you have more than 3 days in Tokyo, here are some more (time-consuming) things to do and great day trips out of the city:
Things to Know About Tokyo, Japan
Japan is a small island country but Tokyo is a giant, sprawling city. Here’s everything you need to know to make your trip exceptional.
Money in Tokyo
Japan uses the yen (¥).
Tipping is NOT customary in Japan. In fact, it’s often considered rude. Don’t tip, period.
Language in Tokyo
The official language of Japan is Japanese.
English is widely spoken in Tokyo. Signage is usually in Japanese and English.
How to Get Around Tokyo
Tokyo is NOT a walkable city. Certain areas are walkable when you’re in them, but you won’t be walking from one area to another.
Public transit is great. The metro system is huge! It looks super complicated, but it’s actually simple to navigate (especially if you buy a Suica card and just ignore the multiple owners and prices).
Google Maps works really well in Tokyo for getting around.
Taxis are crazy expensive in Tokyo, especially at night when they charge an additional surcharge. Licensed taxis will have a green licence plate.
Uber exists in Tokyo but not a lot of them so it can be difficult to get one (but it’s definitely worth trying as it’s MUCH cheaper than a regular taxi).
Things to Eat in Tokyo
Everyone knows about sushi and ramen, and you should eat those in Tokyo. But here are two tasty and less well-known things that you should definitely try in Tokyo.
Also, try a meal at a 7-11. I know it sounds crazy, but they have a TON of actual meals that you can eat on the go. It’s so different than what you’ll find elsewhere.
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet. Think of it like Japanese Schnitzel. It’s usually served with sauce, rice, cabbage, pickles, and miso soup.
Shabu Shabu
Shabu Shabu is a hot pot dish with broth, veggies, meat. It’s delicious and one of my favorite foods. It’s best eaten with a group of people!
Enjoy Tokyo!
Tokyo is a fabulous (although spread out) city! Even if you only have a few days, you can still see a lot of awesome stuff.
Ready for more? It might be time to check out Europe. Head over to 21+ Things to do in Amsterdam, Netherlands next.
Have you been to Tokyo? What was your favorite thing in the city? Let me know in the comments below!
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