People contact me to plan Japan trips that span far and wide across the country. In spite of this, I’ve found a surprising truth: Tokyo, more than Tokushima or Takamatsu or the Tohoku region, is the destination that trips them up.
It’s a combination, I think, of the Tokyo’s size and the perception (which I would argue is an incorrect one) that it is somehow the quintessential Japanese city. Tokyo is also where most travelers begin their trips to Japan; they want to be able to kick things off on a momentous note, while also not succumbing to jet lag.
In most cases, I find that if you decide how many days in Tokyo you’re going to spend, the other details take care of themselves. Continue reading to see how this usually manifests.
Tokyo Often Requires Less Time Than You’d Think
For most people, even if they haven’t decided the specifics of how many days to spend in Tokyo, it feels like it has to be a large number. Tokyo is the largest city in the world, after all, and by far the largest in Japan; it occupies an even more disproportionate place in the understanding many foreign visitors have of the country. This is to say nothing of the city’s serpentine subway system, never mind the fact that you’ll be fighting jet lag during your time here.
In spite of this, a couple key truths about Tokyo override any assumptions. First, rather than one big city, you can think of Tokyo as several (slightly) smaller cities pasted together—23 to be specific, only a few of which are relevant to non-residents. Secondly, because of how efficient Tokyo’s transport system is once you understand it, it’s actually possible to see most of Tokyo’s core city center attractions in a single day.
Popular Tokyo Trip Ideas
A full day in Tokyo’s city center
It might shock you, but you can see the lion’s share of Tokyo’s attractions in just one full day. I usually like to start at Tsukiji Outer Market then continue to Asakusa where, after visiting Senso-ji temple, I can sit down for lunch. I then ride the Ginza Line across town to Harajuku, where I walked down Takeshita Street before riding the Yamanote Line down to Shibuya and back up to Shinjuku in time to see its neon-lit streets illuminate.
Tokyo on and off the beaten path
Another dimension to consider when deciding how long to spend in Tokyo? Whether you’ll explore Tokyo off its tourist trail. For example, I sometimes like to recommend my clients start one of their days in historical Yanaka (Tokyo’s oldest neighborhood) before walking down to much busier Ueno (ideally via underrated Nezu Shrine), then riding the Oedo Line over to the Ryogoku sumo district, whether or not a match is going on. They can then end the day near Tokyo Dome, whether for a baseball game, sunset from Bunkyo Civic Center or a stroll through Koishikawa Koraku-en garden.
3 days in Tokyo (including day trips)
Planning to spend three full days in Tokyo? Make sure at least one of those is devoted to day trips—the two most popular options are Nikko and Kamakura. Nikko, of course, is the historical mountain city centered around the 17th-century Tosho-gu shrine, while Kamakura (which is home to its fair share of shrines) is on the sea southwest of Yokohama, and actually served as one of Japan’s capitals before Tokyo did. Other amazing day trips include the Edo-era town of Kawagoe in Saitama prefecture and Chiba prefecture’s Nokogiriyama mountain.
(Up to) a week in Tokyo
In fact, you can actually go to Mt. Fuji (or, at least, the Fuji Five Lakes region) for the day from Tokyo, though I usually reserve that as an option for longer trips. On the other hand, if your answer for how long to stay in Tokyo is “around a week,” you may dig even deeper into the capital’s neighborhoods, be it homey inner-city idylls such as Daikanyama and Azabu-juban, or more distant (but still cool) spots like Shimokitazawa and Kichijoji, both located in western Tokyo.
Tokyo bookends
This last section is less about how long to stay in Tokyo, and more about how you structure your time there. Specifically, I sometimes suggest (especially on longer trips, like a month in Japan or so) that my clients both begin and end their trips with two more or less equal stays in Tokyo. “Think of them as ‘bookends,'” I’ll tell them, with a smile. This is great for a number of reasons, among them that you can enjoy some nostalgia before your trip is even over.
The Best Way to Incorporate Tokyo Into Your Japan Trip
Still feel tentative about Tokyo? I don’t blame you. As innately as I now understand the city, even I occasionally get overwhelmed by it. I even got slightly turned around in Shinjuku Station a couple of weeks ago! But all that aside, I do understand Tokyo exceptionally well, namely back-of-the-hand knowledge about where to go (and at what time of day) and how to string various destinations together most efficiently.
Perhaps even more importantly? I’m clear about how Tokyo, how many days you decide to spend there notwithstanding, figures into the rest of Japan. You won’t want to structure your time there the same for a two-week trip as you would for a month in Japan, just as you’ll approach the city differently on a second—or sixth—visit than you would a first. These are just a few of the reasons you might consider hiring me to plan your trip to Japan!
Other FAQ About How Many Days to Spend in Tokyo
How many days do you need in Tokyo?
The vast majority of tourists don’t need as long in Tokyo as they think. Surprisingly, most travelers can see the majority of the city center’s attractions in just one full day, and in the evenings over subsequent days, which they’ll use to take day trips just outside of town. In particular, I find that 3-5 days in Tokyo tends to be the sweet spot.
Is a week too long to spend in Tokyo?
For most travelers, I’d say that a week is too long to spend in Tokyo. The exception would be if you plan to “live” in Tokyo for a week (in which case, I’d choose a quieter neighborhood like Daikanyama or Azabu-juban), and use each day to slowly explore different parts of the city, and/or to take day trips to surrounding cities and towns.
What is the best way to spend 3 days in Tokyo?
If you have three days in Tokyo, spend the first focusing on city-center attractions, from Tsukiji Seafood Market, to Senso-ji temple, to the nightlife districts of Shibuya and Shinjuku. Split day two between a morning in either Nikko or Kamakura, and an evening amid the arcade and manga culture of Akihabara. If you don’t take a train to the Fuji Five Lakes region on day three, instead dive into underrated Tokyo neighborhoods like Yanaka and Ryogoku.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to the topic of how many days in Tokyo you need, I’d argue that most travelers are too bullish. The city is huge, of course; it’s also where your trip to Japan will likely begin (and maybe end). In spite of this, it’s not necessarily some tourism paradise, apart from a few must-see attractions and interesting neighborhoods—your time is almost always better spent farther afield, especially if it’s your first trip to Japan. To put a finer point on it, you probably need less time in Tokyo than you think. Need personalized help getting the proportions just right? Consider hiring me to plan your trip to Japan!
