Our 6-Day Tokyo Itinerary

The capital city of Japan is a bustling, vibrant city that’s home to around 14 million, expanding to 41 million if you include its surrounding prefectures. Tokyo is easily one of my favourite cities and I’m lucky enough to have visited a few times. From ancient history to electric technology, a vibrant nightlife to delicious street eats, there’s something for everybody here. I adored it as a teenager obsessed with gachapon, Pokémon and Studio Ghibli, and I love it just as much now as a thirty-something (still) obsessed with gachapon, Pokémon and Studio Ghibli, only with additional loves of history, culture, books, skincare and food.

After receiving endless questions from readers here and on Instagram, I thought I’d share our itinerary in the hopes that it’ll help you with your own Japan trip plans.

Some useful tips

Carry cash with you. You’ll need cash for everything from buying train tickets to using vending machines and even for paying in restaurants that are cash-only.
Do not eat or drink while walking. You’ll soon notice how clean the streets and pavements are for this rule!
Keep noise to a minimum in public and especially on trains. Japan has a strong respect for public spaces, and this ‘rule’ makes all the difference.
Be prepared to carry your rubbish/trash all day. Bins/trash cans are hard to come upon!
Be prepared to queue for most restaurants.
Tokyo is a late-riser city, and most places – including coffee shops – don’t open until 10.30am/11am.
If you’re planning to travel by train a lot, consider loading a Suica card on your phone. We couldn’t make this work on our Google Pixel phones, but iPhones are de facto for this app.
Pack comfy shoes, comfy socks, and even ice packs for your feet. The walking will probably kill you off.
Bowing is a common way to greet people and say thank you – it’s a part of respect and everyday etiquette in Japan.
Pay attention to special rules at sacred places and shrines. There’s a traditional water-cleansing routine at entrances.
Purchase an e-SIM for your travels. I am yet to ever make pocket WiFi work in Japan and have wasted so much money this way. I like the Nomad e-SIM plans.
Take a small plain notebook to collect eki stamps for a fun souvenir! These are found at all train stations, and many main tourist attractions. I left with 14 pages of stamps after two weeks away.
Look is great for booking train tickets, day tours and experiences.

The itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at Narita Airport. Activate e-SIM, purchase JR Pass/Suica Card, exchange currency. Collect a souvenir stamp at Terminal 1 Tourist Information Centre.
Board the N’EX (Narita Express) into the city (¥5,000 round trip, but check the timetable since we couldn’t use our return, as it didn’t align with our flight time). It’s about an hour from Narita Airport to Tōkyō Station.
Arrive at Shinjuku Station.
Check in to Hotel Rio, perfectly located in Koreatown and near Kabukichō.
Settle into hotel.
Head out to check out the Godzilla at TOHO Cinema, and the Giant 3D Cat billboard. Gimmicky, but both still completely worth it.
Dinner at Kuriya – izakaya restaurant with vegan options.
Swing by FamilyMart to pick up breakfast food to eat in the morning.

Day 2

Breakfast at hotel.
Walk to Shinjuku Station to catch the Fuji Excursion Limited Express Train to Kawaguchiko, and explore Mount Fuji. The journey is around two hours. Pre-book tickets for reserved seating.
Walk 15 minutes to the Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway to head 400m up to an observation deck for a beautiful view of Mount Fuji (¥1,000 round trip).
Stay for a 100 Yen Coin snack, use the gachapon machines, and enjoy the views. Or, walk up a little to the peak of Mount Komitake, where a small Shinto shrine and stunning tree views dwell.
Descend the Ropeway and walk around Lake Kawaguchiko. It’s huge!
Lunch at Fuji Tempura Idaten.
Pop to Lawson – yes, it’s that one! – for snacks, before collecting an eki stamp and boarding a train back to the city.
Arrive in Shinjuku.
Dinner at Teppan Baby – teppanyaki restaurant with wagyu and okonomiyaki.
Late night stroll in Koreatown.

Day 3

Breakfast at HealthyTOKYO.
Head to Shibuya for (pre-booked) Street Kart experience. Obviously quite touristy, but a brilliant way to see Shibuya and Harajuku! You’ll need an international driver’s permit. Our host was incredible and took brilliant photos when we were stopped, plus made us feel at ease.
Lunch at Kyushu Jangara Ramen Harajuku.
Explore Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine surrounded by forest.
Head to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (¥500).
Enjoy soft serve in the café.
Return to hotel to freshen up.
Dinner at Kakekomi Gyoza.
Swing by 7/Eleven for hotel room dessert and snacks.

Day 4

Breakfast at hotel.
Head to Shinjuku Station and catch Toei Subway to Jimbōchō, Tokyo’s book neighbourhood.
Pick up some books as souvenirs. We bought a Japanese copy of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.
Explore Koishikawa Korakuen Garden (¥300).
Lunch at McDonald’s to try local exclusives and Shake-Shake Fries.
Afternoon tour: Imperial Palace Plaza, Senso-ji Temple and Tokyo Tower.
Return to Shinjuku.
Dinner at Ninjen Restaurant – izakaya with good vibes and tatami seating.
Dessert at Marion Crepes.

Day 5

Breakfast at CEN Diversity Hotel & Café.
Shopping at Don Quixote. Great for snacks, souvenirs and a general peruse.
Foot massages at a local salon in Koreatown.
Lunch at Tempura Shokudo Manten.
Head to Shibuya.
Grab matcha at The Matcha Tokyo and head to the Miyashita Park Centre rooftop to sip and savour.
Head to Yoyogi Park for a wander and street food at Takeshita Street.
Gachapon time!
Dinner in Golden Gai.