Senso-ji / Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0
ITINERARY
Tokyo in 3 Days: South, West and East Tokyo, One Area per Day10 stops, in the order with the least travel time
Tokyo has so many train lines that if you get the order wrong, you can lose hours just changing trains. This itinerary gives each day one part of the city.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Stops
- 10
- Total travel
- 5 h 45 mintrain & bus
- Stay
- Shibuya Station area → Asakusa Station areaWhere to stay ↓
Saves 3 h 43 min of travel compared with the obvious order(9 h 28 min → 5 h 45 min)
Assumes you arrive at Tokyo Station at 10:30 on day 1 and are back at Tokyo Station by 16:30 on the last day (a typical schedule if you come to Tokyo by shinkansen or plane).
The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace are closed on Mondays and Fridays.
Route and arrival times
All times are Japan time (JST), in 24-hour format.
Day 110:30–17:18 · travel 2 h 3 min
- 10:30Tokyo Station 東京駅Depart
- ↓ Travel 18 min
- 10:48East Gardens of the Imperial Palace 皇居東御苑1 h
- ↓ Travel 31 min
- 12:20Lunch 1 h
- 13:20Tsukiji Outer Market 築地場外市場1 h
- ↓ Travel 30 min
- 14:49Zojo-ji 増上寺45 min
- ↓ Travel 6 min
- 15:40Tokyo Tower 東京タワー1 h
- ↓ Travel 39 min
- 17:18Shibuya Station area 渋谷駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 209:00–15:02 · travel 2 h 2 min
- 09:00Shibuya Station area 渋谷駅周辺Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 5 min
- 09:05Shibuya Center-gai 渋谷センター街1 h
- ↓ Travel 27 min
- 10:32Meiji Jingu 明治神宮1 h
- ↓ Travel 34 min
- 12:06Lunch 1 h
- 13:06Roppongi Hills 六本木ヒルズ1 h
- ↓ Travel 56 min
- 15:02Asakusa Station area 浅草駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 309:00–14:40 · travel 1 h 40 min
- 09:00Asakusa Station area 浅草駅周辺Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 2 min
- 09:02Senso-ji 浅草寺1 h
- ↓ Travel 26 min
- 10:29Tokyo Skytree 東京スカイツリー1 h
- ↓ Travel 35 min
- 12:03Lunch 1 h
- 13:03Ueno Park 上野公園1 h
- ↓ Travel 37 min
- 14:40Tokyo Station 東京駅Arrive
Travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance. They don't include transfers, timetables or opening hours (how far off they can be).
Where to stay
Night 1: Shibuya Station area, Night 2: Asakusa Station area. An area with plenty of hotels, close to the first stop the next morning.
Visiting different places? Where to stay (general guide)
General guidance, not calculated by this site.
| If you're mainly visiting | Area to stay |
|---|---|
| Asakusa and Skytree (east) | Asakusa / Ueno 浅草・上野 |
| Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku (west) | Shinjuku / Shibuya 新宿・渋谷 |
| Tokyo Station and Ginza (central) | Tokyo Station / Nihonbashi 東京駅・日本橋 |
| Easy access to the airports | Shinagawa / Hamamatsucho 品川・浜松町 |
We don't link to hotel booking sites on English pages yet. Search for the area name on the booking site you use.
If you have time
- Tokyo National Museum 東京国立博物館
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden 新宿御苑
- Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社
- Nihonbashi 日本橋
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
5 notes
- Each day covers one side of Tokyo: day 1 is the south, from the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace to Tsukiji, Zojo-ji and Tokyo Tower; day 2 is the west, with Shibuya, Meiji Jingu and Roppongi; day 3 is the east, with Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree and Ueno.
- Where you stay is worked out from this order: the first night in Shibuya, the second near Asakusa. Each morning, the first stop of the day is only a short ride away.
- On the last day you finish at Ueno Park and get back to Tokyo Station in 37 min (arriving 14:40).
- Night 1: Shibuya Station area. It's 39 min from Tokyo Tower, the last stop of the day, and 5 min to Shibuya Center-gai, the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
- Night 2: Asakusa Station area. It's 56 min from Roppongi Hills, the last stop of the day, and 2 min to Senso-ji, the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
FAQ
Can you see these 10 classic Tokyo sights in 3 days?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 17:18, and travel adds up to 5 h 45 min over 3 days (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Where is the most convenient area to stay in Tokyo?
Where you stay on this itinerary: Shibuya Station area (night 1), Asakusa Station area (night 2). It sits between the last stop of one day and the first stop of the next, and there are plenty of hotels in the area.
Should I visit Senso-ji or Tokyo Skytree first?
Senso-ji. The second night is near Asakusa Station, so you walk to Senso-ji first thing in the morning, then cross the Sumida River to the Skytree.
Which days are the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace closed?
Mondays and Fridays. This itinerary visits them on day 1, so start on a day when they're open.
Should I stay in Shibuya or Asakusa?
On this itinerary, both. The first night is near Shibuya Station, so day 2 can start right away in Shibuya; the second night is near Asakusa Station, so day 3 can start at Senso-ji in the morning.
Tokyo: 2 days, 1 night (7 stops) →