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Night skyline of Tokyo with the illuminated Tokyo Tower

Tokyo guide

From old downtown streets of temples and shopping lanes to districts of skyscrapers and neon, each area feels different. Trains and subways go everywhere; most main sights are about 30 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Things to see 10 classics

Classics 10 places

"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.

By interest
By how you get there
By distance
  • 1

    Senso-ji Temple and Kaminarimon Gate

    Said to be Tokyo's oldest temple. From Kaminarimon Gate with its giant lantern, the Nakamise shopping lane leads to the main hall.

    Many overseas visitors

    In the 2023 survey, 47.4% of foreign visitors to Tokyo went to Asakusa (4th) Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 2023 Survey of Foreign Visitors' Behavior

    • Temples, shrines & churches
    • History & buildings
    • Shopping & strolling

    about 60 minFreeWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Subway · About 25 min from Tokyo ・ JR Yamanote Line to Kanda, change to the Ginza subway line for Asakusa, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 4.6km

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  • 2

    Shibuya Scramble Crossing

    A crossing where crowds pour across from every side each time the lights change. The statue of the dog Hachiko stands by the station.

    • Views
    • Night views
    • Shopping & strolling

    about 30 minFree

    Train · About 30 min from Tokyo ・ JR Yamanote Line to Shibuya ・ 6.5km

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  • 3

    Meiji Jingu Shrine and Harajuku

    A shrine deep in a forest. The entrance is right beside Harajuku Station, close to Takeshita Street and its youth fashion shops.

    • Temples, shrines & churches
    • Nature
    • Shopping & strolling

    about 1.5 hrFreeWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Train · About 40 min from Tokyo ・ JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku, then about 10 minutes on foot to the main hall ・ 6.1km

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  • 4

    Shinjuku (Tokyo Metropolitan Government observatories)

    The city hall's observatories, about 200 meters up among the skyscrapers, look out over Tokyo. At night, head for the neon of the east side.

    • Views
    • Night views

    about 60 minFreeFine on a rainy day

    Train · About 30 min from Tokyo ・ JR Chuo Line rapid to Shinjuku, then about 10 minutes on foot from the west exit ・ 6.9km

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  • 5

    Ueno Park

    A park with major museums and a zoo, famous for cherry blossoms in spring. The Ameyoko market street runs south of the station.

    • Museums
    • Nature
    • With kids

    about 2 hrFreeWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Train · About 12 min from Tokyo ・ JR Yamanote Line to Ueno (Park Exit) ・ 3.8km

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  • 6

    Imperial Palace (East Gardens, Nijubashi Bridge)

    The site of Edo Castle. Stone walls and moats remain, and the East Gardens are open for walking. See Nijubashi Bridge from the plaza.

    • History & buildings
    • Nature

    about 1.5 hrFree

    Walk · About 15 min from Tokyo ・ From the Marunouchi North Exit to Otemon Gate ・ 900m

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ClassicsHidden gems

Suggested routes

Times assume a 9:00 start. Travel times are estimated from distance and vary with waiting and crowds.

  • Old downtown: Asakusa, Ueno and Yanaka

    Leave 9:00 → until about 16:43 (about 7.5 hr)

    1. 9:00Tokyo

    2. about 25 min by transport

      9:25Tokyo Skytreestay about 1.5 hr

    3. about 24 min on foot

      11:19Senso-ji Temple and Kaminarimon Gatestay about 60 min

    4. about 15 min by transport

      12:34Ueno Parkstay about 2 hr

    5. about 23 min on foot

      14:57Nezu Shrinestay about 30 min

    6. about 16 min on foot

      15:43Yanaka Ginzastay about 60 min

    Take the Ginza subway line from Asakusa to Ueno. From Ueno, Nezu and Yanaka can be covered on foot.

    Plan this route

  • Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, then Shinjuku at night

    Leave 9:00 → until about 13:15 (about 4.5 hr)

    1. 9:00Tokyo

    2. about 40 min by transport

      9:40Meiji Jingu Shrine and Harajukustay about 1.5 hr

    3. about 15 min by transport

      11:25Shibuya Scramble Crossingstay about 30 min

    4. about 20 min by transport

      12:15Shinjuku (Tokyo Metropolitan Government observatories)stay about 60 min

    Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku are neighboring stops on the JR Yamanote Line. Harajuku to Shibuya is also about 20 minutes on foot.

    Plan this route

When to go

March–May and October–November are best for walking. July–August is hot and humid (26–27°C on average); September–October is the wettest. Winter is dry and sunny.

Point at a month to see its temperature and precipitation.

Temperature (line: average; band: low to high)

Precipitation (mm)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Typical seasons

Cherry blossoms (Ueno, Chidorigafuchi)

Sanja Festival (Asakusa)

Sumida River Fireworks

Autumn leaves (ginkgo avenues)

Show as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High (℃)9.810.914.219.423.626.129.931.327.52216.712
Avg (℃)5.46.19.414.318.821.925.726.923.31812.57.7
Low (℃)1.22.159.814.618.522.423.520.314.88.83.8
Rain (mm)59.756.5116133.7139.7167.8156.2154.7224.9234.896.357.9

Temperature and precipitation are Japan Meteorological Agency normals (1991–2020, Tokyo). Seasons are typical timings and can shift by a week or two each year. JMA data

Main ways to get around

  • JR Yamanote Line

    A loop line linking Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinagawa. A full circuit takes about 1 hour; board in the direction that reaches your stop sooner.

  • Subway (Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway)

    Thirteen lines in all cover the whole city center. The two operators charge separate fares, but with an IC card you can simply tap through from one to the other.

  • Narita Express and Keisei Skyliner

    From Narita Airport, the Narita Express takes about 1 hour to Tokyo Station; the Skyliner takes about 40–45 minutes to Nippori and Ueno. Both are all-reserved.

  • Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu Line (Haneda Airport)

    From Haneda Airport, take the monorail to Hamamatsucho or the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa. Either takes about 15–20 minutes; change there to the JR Yamanote Line.

  • Water bus (Asakusa – Odaiba)

    Down the Sumida River from Asakusa to Hamarikyu, Hinode Pier and Odaiba. You pass under many bridges and see the city from the water.

Getting to Tokyo

“Classics” and “Hidden gems” are our editors' picks, not a measured popularity ranking. Travel times are estimates. Please check prices, opening hours and operating days with the official sources before you go.

Photo and data credits

Night skyline of Tokyo with the illuminated Tokyo Tower David Kernan (CC BY 4.0) / Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji with its huge red lantern Kakidai (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Crowds crossing the Shibuya Scramble Crossing at dusk Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr) (CC BY-SA 2.0) / The main hall of Meiji Jingu beyond a wide gravel courtyard Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert (CC BY-SA 4.0) / The twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Eavesdropper6735 (CC BY 4.0) / Cherry trees in full bloom and lanterns in Ueno Park Syced (CC0) / The stone bridge to the Imperial Palace and Fushimi Turret Otto Domes (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped and resized.

Local food

Regional dishes handed down in Tokyo. Many are home and community cooking, so not every dish is served at restaurants.

See all regional dishes of Tokyo (30)

“Find places serving it” opens a map app search for the dish name and the place name. The results are not chosen or recommended by this site. Please check with the shop whether it serves the dish.

Source: “Our Regional Cuisines” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), edited by this site (imported 2026-11-15) https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/index.html. Names, areas and ingredients are as written on the source pages; descriptions are excerpts of the original text. No photos are used. This page is not made or endorsed by the ministry.

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