Tokyo in 3 Days: A First-Timer's Itinerary from Senso-ji and SHIBUYA SKY to Tsukiji, teamLab or a Day Trip to Kamakura (Kanagawa) or Mt. Fuji

Hozomon, the two-story red gate of Senso-ji temple in Asakusa (Tokyo), under a blue sky, with visitors walking in front — Hozomon, the inner gate of Senso-ji in Asakusa (Tokyo), where day 1 of this plan begins.Photo: Guilhem Vellut · CC BY 2.0 · Photo details

Three days is a common first visit to Tokyo, and the city is easier than it looks once you group the sights by area. This plan keeps each day in one part of the city. Day 1 is the east side: Ueno Park, Senso-ji temple in Asakusa (Tokyo) and Tokyo Skytree. Day 2 is the west side: Meiji Jingu shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya (Tokyo), with SHIBUYA SKY at sunset and Shinjuku (Tokyo) at night. Day 3 is either the Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza (Tokyo) and teamLab Planets, or a day trip to Kamakura (Kanagawa) or Mt. Fuji.

For every stop you'll find the nearest station and line, how long to allow, when it gets busy, a plan for rain, and a link to our detailed guide. Swap the days around to suit your dates.

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Day 1: Ueno Park, then the Tokyo Metro subway to Asakusa Station (about 5 minutes), then the Tobu Skytree Line to Tokyo Skytree Station (about 3 minutes) for the evening view.
Day 2: Meiji Jingu closes at sunset (16:10 in November, 16:00 in December), so go in the morning. SHIBUYA SKY tickets go on sale 2 weeks ahead and sunset times sell first.
Day 3: the Tsukiji Outer Market is best from 9:00 to 14:00, and teamLab Planets sells timed tickets in advance only. Or take a day trip: Kamakura (Kanagawa) is about an hour from Tokyo.
Money: Tokyo's hotels add an accommodation tax, street smoking rules differ by ward, and from November 1, 2026 tax-free shopping works as a refund.

The 3 days at a glance

Train times are from Tobu Railway's access page; the day-trip time is from the official tourism site of Kamakura City (Kanagawa) (checked October 2026).

Day 1: Ueno Park, Senso-ji and Tokyo Skytree

Morning: Ueno Park. GO TOKYO, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's official travel site, says to take the Ueno Park Exit at Ueno Station. The park is open 5:00 to 23:00 and free to enter. Most of its museums open at 9:00 or 9:30 and many charge a modest fee.

Good to know: GO TOKYO notes that most museums in the park close on Mondays. If day 1 is a Monday, swap it with another day.
Smoking: Ueno and Asakusa (Tokyo) are in Taito City (Tokyo), where you can't smoke anywhere outdoors from 7 to 9 a.m. except in the ward's smoking areas. See street smoking in Tokyo, ward by ward.

Midday: Senso-ji in Asakusa (Tokyo). Tobu Railway's access page gives about 5 minutes from Ueno to Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro subway, and GO TOKYO puts the temple about 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station. The main hall is open 6:00 to 17:00 (from 6:30 between October and March), so come before late afternoon.

At the temple: Senso-ji is a Buddhist temple: put your hands together quietly, without clapping. See shrines vs temples and how to pray.
Snacks: if you buy a snack from a stall, eat it by the shop rather than while walking through the crowd: see eating while walking in Japan.
Escalators: in Tokyo most people who stand keep to the left, but standing still and holding the handrail is always fine. See escalators in Japan.

Evening: Tokyo Skytree. From Tobu's Asakusa Station, the Tobu Skytree Line reaches Tokyo Skytree Station in about 3 minutes. The decks are at 350 m and 450 m, indoors, so they also work on a rainy or windy day.

Tickets: prices change by date. Adults pay from 1,800 yen for the 350 m deck and from 3,000 yen for both decks. Tickets bought at the 4th-floor counter cost 500 yen more than online tickets.
Hours: in October 2026 the decks open at 10:00 on weekdays and 9:00 on weekends and close at 22:00, with last entry 1 hour before closing. Check the hours for your date.
Compare it with SHIBUYA SKY, Tokyo Tower and the free deck in Shinjuku (Tokyo) in Tokyo's observation decks.

Day 2: Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku (Tokyo)

Morning: Meiji Jingu. GO TOKYO puts the shrine 1 minute on foot from Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line); Meiji-jingumae Station on the Tokyo Metro subway is also nearby. The shrine says to allow about 10 minutes more on foot from the entrance to the main buildings. Entry is free.

Hours: the shrine opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, so the times change every month: 5:40 to 16:40 in October, 6:10 to 16:10 in November and 6:40 to 16:00 in December. That's why it comes first on day 2.
At the shrine: Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine, where people bow twice, clap twice and bow once. See how to pray at a shrine.

Afternoon: Harajuku and Shibuya (Tokyo). GO TOKYO says the area around Shibuya Station is about 20 minutes on foot from Harajuku Station, so you can walk, or ride the JR Yamanote Line. In Shibuya (Tokyo), the rules are some of the clearest in Japan:

Litter: since June 1, 2026, dropping litter anywhere in Shibuya City (Tokyo) can get you a 2,000 yen fine on the spot. Take rubbish back to the shop or to the bin next to a vending machine.
Smoking: banned in outdoor public places across Shibuya City (Tokyo), with a 2,000 yen fine.
Drinking: drinking on the street around Shibuya Station is banned every night from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drink inside a bar or restaurant instead.
Halloween (October 31): the station area is at its most crowded, and the ward announces extra measures each year. See Shibuya (Tokyo) after dark.
Rain or a break: Pokémon Center SHIBUYA is on the 6th floor of PARCO, 5 minutes from Shibuya Station. See Pokémon Center stores in Japan.

Sunset: SHIBUYA SKY. The open-air rooftop is 229 m up, at the top of the building connected to Shibuya Station. Every ticket is for a date and a 20-minute entry window, and tickets go on sale at 00:00 Japan time 2 weeks before. Adult web tickets cost 2,700 yen before 15:00 and 3,400 yen from 15:00.

Timing: in Tokyo the sun sets at 16:46 on November 1 and 16:28 on December 1, so a sunset slot in late autumn falls in the 15:00-and-later price band. Aim to arrive 30 to 60 minutes before sunset.
Bags: bags, hats and selfie sticks go into the lockers on the 46th floor before the rooftop, and SHIBUYA SKY asks you not to bring suitcases.
Weather: the rooftop can close for strong wind, rain or thunder; the indoor floor stays open. On a stormy day, swap it for Tokyo Skytree.

Night: Shinjuku (Tokyo). GO TOKYO gives 4 minutes from Shinjuku Station to Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is about 10 minutes on foot from the West Exit of JR Shinjuku Station, and its South deck at 202 m is free, open 9:30 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30). It closes on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Smoking: street smoking is banned across the whole of Shinjuku City (Tokyo); use a public smoking area.
Bar touts: in Kabukicho (Tokyo), ignore street touts who invite you to a bar. See bar scams and touts in Tokyo.

Where everything is (not to scale)

A simplified diagram, not a map. Times are from GO TOKYO, Tobu Railway and the official tourism site of Kamakura City (Kanagawa).

Day 3, plan A: Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza (Tokyo) and teamLab Planets

Morning: the Tsukiji Outer Market. The market's access page puts it 1 minute on foot from Tsukiji Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) and from Tsukijishijo Station (Toei Oedo Line). It's a working market of about 460 shops, and it recommends 9:00 to 14:00 for visitors; before 9:00 is priority time for professional buyers.

Manners: eat at the shop where you bought the food, don't touch the goods, and don't bargain. See the Tsukiji Outer Market's eight manners.
Closed days: many shops close on the market's closing days, and on Sundays and public holidays only about a third are open. Check the market's calendar before you pick day 3.
Cash: some shops take credit cards and some don't, so bring cash.

Late morning: Ginza (Tokyo). The shopping district is next door: the market's access page puts Higashi-ginza Station 3 minutes on foot from the market. Ginza (Tokyo) is in Chuo City (Tokyo), where you smoke only at designated spots.

Afternoon: teamLab Planets in Toyosu. This digital art museum is 1 minute on foot from Shin-Toyosu Station (Yurikamome Line), or 10 minutes from Exit 7 of Toyosu Station (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line). A paid shuttle bus runs from GINZA SIX.

Tickets: sold for a set time and never at the door, and they can't be refunded. Book before you go.
What to expect: you walk barefoot, and in some rooms the water comes up to your knees, so wear trousers you can roll up. Bags go in free lockers.
Hours: 8:00 to 22:00, with last entry 1 hour before closing. The museum lists Thursday, November 5 and Thursday, December 3 as closed days, and closes at 20:00 on December 31. See teamLab Planets: tickets and what to wear (affiliate link).

Instead of teamLab: Tokyo Station is close to Ginza (Tokyo). Pokémon Center TOKYO DX is about 5 minutes on foot from its Yaesu North Entrance, and the Pokémon Cafe next to it needs an advance reservation.

Day 3, plan B: a day trip to Kamakura (Kanagawa) or Mt. Fuji

Kamakura (Kanagawa). The official tourism site of Kamakura City (Kanagawa) puts the city about an hour from Tokyo by train. Eating while walking isn't banned there, but the city asks you not to eat on narrow or crowded streets, such as Komachi-dori on a busy afternoon.

Birds: black kites (large birds of prey) swoop down on food in the open air. Eat under a roof or with your back to a wall.
Smoking: banned on the street in designated areas around Kamakura Station, with a 2,000 yen fine if you ignore an order to stop.
See what Kamakura (Kanagawa) asks about eating while walking (affiliate link).

Mt. Fuji's 5th Station. You don't have to climb to stand on Mt. Fuji: roads lead up to the 5th stations, where the climbing trails begin. The Fuji Subaru Line reaches 2,305 m, its tolls are cash only, and it can close for bad weather. It's a long day from Tokyo, so check the weather and road status the evening before. See visiting the 5th Station without climbing.

A fan of Studio Ghibli? The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (Tokyo) is about 20 minutes from Shinjuku (Tokyo) by JR, but tickets go on sale at 10:00 Japan time on the 10th of each month for the next month, and none are sold at the door. See Ghibli Museum tickets (affiliate link).

Money rules to know in Tokyo

Accommodation tax: until March 31, 2027, Tokyo charges 100 yen per person per night on rooms of 10,000 yen to under 15,000 yen, 200 yen at 15,000 yen or more, and nothing under 10,000 yen. From April 1, 2027 it becomes 3% of the room charge. The hotel may ask you to pay it at the front desk. See where to stay in Tokyo.
Street smoking: each ward sets its own rule. Shibuya City and Chiyoda City (Tokyo) can fine you 2,000 yen on the spot; Shinjuku City (Tokyo) bans it across the ward; Taito City (Tokyo) bans it outdoors from 7 to 9 a.m. See street smoking in Tokyo, ward by ward.
Tax-free shopping: from November 1, 2026, shops charge the full price, and the tax is refunded after Japan Customs checks the goods when you leave. It applies to 5,000 yen or more per store per day, and the goods must leave Japan within 90 days. Keep them unopened. See the new tax-free refund.
Cash: keep some for Tsukiji's smaller shops and the Fuji Subaru Line tolls. See cash, cards or IC card, and for a daily budget, how much a day in Japan costs.

If it rains

Day 1: Tokyo Skytree's decks are indoors, and so are Ueno's museums.
Day 2: the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop can close, but the indoor floor stays open. If rain is forecast, book Skytree for that evening instead and move SHIBUYA SKY to a drier day.
Day 3: at teamLab Planets, the open-air Moss Garden can't be viewed in heavy rain, but the water and mirror rooms are inside. The Pokémon Center is indoors too.

Where to stay and how to arrive

For this plan, a hotel in Ueno or Asakusa (Tokyo) keeps day 1 short, and one in Shinjuku (Tokyo) or Shibuya (Tokyo) keeps day 2 short; Tokyo Station and Ginza (Tokyo) sit between the two. Compare the areas in where to stay in Tokyo. From Narita Airport, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Ueno in 41 minutes: see Narita Airport to Tokyo. From Haneda Airport, the airport estimates about 40 minutes to Ueno or Asakusa (Tokyo) and about 15 minutes to Shinagawa: see Haneda Airport to Tokyo. Going on to Kyoto and Osaka? Our 7-day first trip and Osaka in 2 or 3 days pick up from here.

Pick your day 3 now, then book the timed tickets for your dates, SHIBUYA SKY 2 weeks ahead and teamLab Planets as early as you can, and the rest of the trip falls into place. More ideas are on our Tokyo destination page.

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026. Fares, hours and rules change. Please check the linked guides and the official pages below before you travel.