Pedestrians crossing a neon-lit street in Tokyo at night, surrounded by glowing signs

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TokyoTravel Guide

Japan5 stories

The world's largest metropolis: the neon of Shibuya and Shinjuku beside silent temples — and more Michelin stars than any other city on the planet.

When to come

March–May (sakura), October–November

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Three days, planned

Tokyo is inThe ones everyone goes to Where the food is the reason

When to go

March–May (sakura), October–November

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

Kyoto360 km
half a day's travel · both good in March, April, November · a different price level (mid)
Nara370 km
half a day's travel · both good in March, April, May · a different price level (mid)
Osaka390 km
half a day's travel · both good in March, April, May
Hiroshima670 km
a full travel day · both good in March, April, May · a different price level (mid)

Plan itWhere to stay in Tokyoad · Booking.comTours and tickets

On the map

Finding Tokyo

Open in Google Maps Larger map

The stories

Reading Tokyo

A ramen bowl seen from above with thin noodles, soft-boiled egg halves, sweetcorn, spicy minced topping and fresh greens in a speckled ceramic bowl

Food

The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki

Tokyo's finest eating happens at standing counters, market stalls and six-seat alley bars — here is how to plan a full day of it, in the right order and the right neighbourhoods.

Japan · 10 min

Shibuya crossing at night with the Shibuya 109 building and glowing billboards above the traffic

The List

Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked

From an open-air rooftop over Shibuya to a free deck with Mount Fuji on the horizon, these are the places where Tokyo's scale finally makes sense.

Japan · 2 min

A Shinjuku street at night: the Hotel Gracery tower and colorful neon signs lining the road

Stays

The Storied Hotels of Tokyo

Earthquake legends, Olympic openings and a lobby so loved it was rebuilt piece by piece: where to sleep in Tokyo, neighborhood by neighborhood, among hotels with real history.

Japan · 2 min

Salmon-topped sushi rolls served on a dark plate at a Japanese restaurant counter

Food

A Market-to-Table Food Day in Tokyo

One perfect eating day, built the way Tokyo's food itself moves: from market stalls at dawn to department-store food halls, sushi at noon and smoky yakitori alleys after dark.

Japan · 2 min

ItinerariesThree Days in Tokyo: The Complete Route2 min

Planning

Tokyo, place by place

Everything below is named in one of our own stories about Tokyo. The line under each is the sentence that recommended it, and the link goes to the piece it came from.

Where to stay

The areas and addresses our writers put first

Pema G. Lama
Shinjuku
Shinjuku suits night owls: this is the Tokyo of glowing signs and late ramen.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Hibiya and Marunouchi
Tokyo
For first-timers who want the Imperial Palace, Ginza and the main train lines at hand, this is the district.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Toranomon
Tokyo
The Okura Tokyo reopened in 2019 on the site of the beloved 1962 Hotel Okura, whose modernist lobby — paper-lantern pendants, plum-blossom table arrangements — was mourned worldwide when the old building came down.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Akasaka
Tokyo
The Hotel New Otani opened ahead of the 1964 Olympics, but its real treasure is far older — a sprawling Japanese garden, roughly four centuries old, with koi ponds and a waterfall folded improbably into the political…
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Otemachi
Tokyo
Aman Tokyo distills the ryokan aesthetic — stone, washi paper, enormous baths — into the top floors of a financial-district tower.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Imperial Hotel
Tokyo
Its anchor is the Imperial Hotel, welcoming guests since 1890.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Tokyo
Nearby, the Palace Hotel Tokyo overlooks the palace moat — ask for a moat-facing balcony room, a genuine Tokyo rarity.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Okura Tokyo
Tokyo
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo
The Park Hyatt Tokyo, occupying the top floors of a Kenzo Tange tower, became a cultural landmark as the setting of Lost in Translation, its bar gazing over the neon sea.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices
Hotel New Otani
Tokyo
The Hotel New Otani opened ahead of the 1964 Olympics, but its real treasure is far older — a sprawling Japanese garden, roughly four centuries old, with koi ponds and a waterfall folded improbably into the political heart of the city.
The Storied Hotels of Tokyo Check prices

Where to eat

Tables worth crossing the city for

Toyosu
Tokyo
Toyosu is where the tuna auction actually happens now, starting at roughly half past five in the morning and viewed either from a free upper-floor observation corridor behind glass or, if you win the advance lottery,…
The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki See on the map

What to see

The things that justify the trip

Leo Okuyama
Shibuya Sky
The open-air roof of the Shibuya Scramble Square tower, around 230 meters up, has become Tokyo's defining modern viewpoint — and it earns the hype.
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked See on the map
Atul Vinayak
Tokyo Skytree
At 634 meters, Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, with observation decks at roughly 350 and 450 meters.
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked See on the map
Fumiaki Hayashi
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Shinjuku's twin-towered city hall offers free observation decks around 200 meters up.
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked See on the map
Jaison Lin
Tokyo Tower
The 333-meter, red-and-white icon from 1958 is no longer the tallest thing around, and that is precisely its charm: from its main deck you see the skyline that grew up around it, and from the ground it remains Tokyo's…
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked See on the map
Bunkyo Civic Center
Tokyo
A local secret in plain sight: the free observation floor of a ward office building, with a celebrated westward panorama of the Shinjuku skyscrapers and, in clear winter weather, Fuji floating behind them.
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked See on the map

Things to do

Walks, tours and days out we would book again

Mount Takao
Tokyo
About an hour by train west of Shinjuku, this 599-meter mountain is Tokyo's favorite easy hike.
Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked Find tours
Asakusa to Ueno
Tokyo
Morning. Start at Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo's oldest temple.
Three Days in Tokyo: The Complete Route Find tours

Eat & drink

Where to eat

Ichiran

8.8/10

Ramen · signature: Tonkotsu ramen

The famous tonkotsu ramen chain with individual booths and ticket-machine ordering.

Branches across Tokyo

Our picks

What we'd do in Tokyo

See and do

Shibuya Sky
The open-air roof of the Shibuya Scramble Square tower, around 230 meters up, has become Tokyo's defining modern viewpoint — and it earns the hype.
Read: Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked
Find tickets
Tokyo Skytree
At 634 meters, Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, with observation decks at roughly 350 and 450 meters.
Read: Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked
Find tickets
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Shinjuku's twin-towered city hall offers free observation decks around 200 meters up.
Read: Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked
Find tickets
Tokyo Tower
The 333-meter, red-and-white icon from 1958 is no longer the tallest thing around, and that is precisely its charm: from its main deck you see the skyline that grew up around it, and from the ground it remains Tokyo's most photogenic landmark, especially lit at night.
Read: Tokyo From Above: The City's Greatest Viewpoints, Ranked
Find tickets

Eat and drink

The morning belongs to Tsukiji
The wholesale auctions left for Toyosu in 2018, and people have been wrongly announcing Tsukiji's death ever since.
Read: The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki
The old-Tokyo snack streets
Three neighbourhoods still eat roughly the way Tokyo ate before the war, and each needs about ninety minutes.
Read: The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki
The konbini is not a compromise
7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson are a real part of Japanese food culture rather than a fallback.
Read: The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki
Stringing it together
A workable single day: Tsukiji from around nine until eleven; north on the Hibiya or Oedo line to Ueno for Ameyoko, then a slow walk through Yanaka in the early afternoon; Asakusa and Nakamise in the late afternoon, with Senso-ji lit as the light goes; then west to Shinjuku for Omoide Yokocho from six.
Read: The Tokyo Street Food Guide: From Ramen to Taiyaki

Before you go

Practical essentials for Japan

Money

Japanese yen (JPY)

Language

Japanese; transport signage is well translated but spoken English is limited

Power

Type A/B, 100V — 50Hz in eastern Japan, 60Hz in the west

Getting around

A Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card covers trains, subways and buses nationwide, and the Shinkansen links the cities; since March 2026 many Tokyo-area operators also accept a contactless bank card at the gate.

Tipping

Not practised — leaving money can confuse or embarrass staff, and good service is simply part of the price.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink everywhere.

Driving

Left-hand side; a 1949 International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence.

Emergency

110 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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