3 Days Tokyo Itinerary

3 Days Tokyo itinerary

This 3 days Tokyo itinerary is part of our Japan 10 days itinerary, available on our blog post. Inside Tokyo, we strongly recommend to stay at business hotels close to subway stations, to move faster within the city. Those hotels have good balance between price and comforts. The schedule won’t be challenging, so every traveler can do it. Some free time have been scheduled too.

Here’s a daily Google map of the complete itinerary. Table of Contents

• What you need before travel • Day 1 o Akihabara Tech & Anime o Tokyo Sky Tree & Solamachi Mall • Day 2 o Shibuya Shopping Streets o Harajuku Extravagance o Shinjuku Night Life • Day 3 o Asakusa Old Traditions o Osaiba Amusement Island & Malls

What you need before travel

✔ Tokyo subway ticket for 3 days ✔ Pocket Wi-Fi ✔ Passport ✔ Visa (required from some countries) ✔ Health assurance (to be foresight) ✔ Tokyo subway navigation app for Android or Apple ✔ Tokyo Metro Map

The cheapest way to use underground railway system is Tokyo subway ticket for 3 days (12$): buy it at Tokyo metro pass offices or at Metro Tourist Information points inside main subway stations.

Always bring with you both a map of Tokyo subways and the “Tokyo subway navigation” app, on android or iPhone.

Day 1 - Tokyo time!

9:00 ~ 13:00 Free Time or Heading Tokyo

Since you might be moving to Tokyo from a different city or from airport, use this morning as free time to reach the city, do Hotel check-in and rest before exploring. 13:00 ~ 17:00 Akihabara

Akihabara area is famous for tech and anime culture, with hundreds of shops selling action figures, videogames, tech-items and manga. In this area, between neon signs, it will be easy to get lost among dozens of nerds struggling between comic shops, arcade games and Japanese maid cafés.

Take subway to reach Akihabara station. Once there, follow directions for East Exit A3 Exit. From this side you can start your electronics district tour, where hundreds of small shops sell components of all kinds. Inside those buildings you’ll also find the latest computers, mobile phones, televisions and cameras available on the market.

We recommend a visit to Akiba Yodobashi Camera, the heart of this district, where you can spend hours through more than 6 floors of merchandise. This building also has floors dedicated to professional drawing materials and travel accessories, with prices that can be very affordable with tax free shopping.

You can also have lunch on the 8F at the famous Tonkatsu Hamakatsu for an unforgettable fried pork cutlet. Now let’s start exploring the area from the northwest side of the district: you can venture inside other famous electronics chains, like Bic Camera, Sofmap or Don Quijote, that also sells used electronics.

Talking about manga and anime culture, Mandarake is one of the biggest stores, flanked by a store specialized on retro-gaming, Super Potato.

This area also features many maid cafes present to take a break: prices are higher than a regular coffee, but the atmosphere is totally different and you’ll be welcomed by young waitresses dressed as French maids.

Alternatively, you can head to one of Tokyo’s most famous cafés, the Gundam café or the Square-Enix café, serving thematic dishes and selling gadgets.

After this short break, let’s continue exploring the area: gaming enthusiasts can visit the Sega building or the crowded arcade of Taito Station, to spend hours playing dozens of different arcade games.

Just nearby there’s a large otaku store, named Animate Akihabara, where you can buy gadgets of every anime ever created, old and new. Keep walking west, between bookshop and action figures buildings inside narrow streets, until you reach Kanda River, where you can find Final Fantasy Eorzea café, the big electronics and book shop Edion, and Akky One, a tax-free shop.

Finally, at LAOX Akihabara Main Store and Electronic Town Shopping Area, you can enjoy the latest action figures and manga shops just before getting back to the subway, heading to the highest tower in Japan. 17:00 ~ 21:00 Tokyo sky tree

During your stay in Tokyo, one evening should be spent watching the beauty of the city from above, which at night becomes an endless carpet of lights and colors.

The elegant Tokyo Sky Tree, with its 634 meters height, is lighted with hundreds of pattern combinations and colors, becoming the symbol of Tokyo. With respect to red Tokyo Tower, the higher Sky Tree offers a 360° view along with shopping experience inside the Tokyo Solamachi Mall that stands at its feet.

From Akihabara station, take Hibiya Line from stop H15 to stop H13, then take Asakusa Line from stop A14 to stop A20 (~20 mins) to reach Tokyo Oshiage Sky Tree station.

Follow directions to Tokyo Sky Tree exit to reach ground floor (1F) and begin your exploration inside this fresh looking Solamachi shopping centre: use this floor guide to reach your favorite shop.

On East Yard 1F, visit Shotengai Shopping Street, a long gallery of 35 small food shops that resembles a street of Edo period. Try one of the many treats and snacks that will be offered by kind orders, eat a slice of fluffy cheese cake at the famous Cheese Garden Little pastry shop and buy delicious Tokyo Banana at “The First Tree”.

Step out onto Solamachi Square to take pictures of the fully lit tower from below and check out the Sky Tree Shop to buy souvenirs of your evening.

At the opposite side of the Shopping Street, take escalators at Solami Zaka Square (you can reach it through the romantic walkway along Sumida river) to reach Ghibli Store, where Tororo greets inside his scenic shop.

From Zaka square you can access the 4F East Yard by escalators and start your shopping among souvenirs and gadgets at Pokemon Center, at Nano Block store or Japanese fashion clothes at 2F & 3F.

Solami Zaka Square overlooks the main entrance of Tokyo Sky Tree. Buy your ticket, take one of the four elevators (every elevator resembles a season) and reach the panoramic deck at in just 50 seconds!

Here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Tokyo at night, from the Sumida River with its illuminated bridges to the bright red Tokyo Tower.

Onigiro advice: we recommend buying the ticket for Tembo Deck Floor (350 m): the structure of the stained glass of this floor allows for a better view with respect to the higher one (450 m). Tower last entrance is at 21, but the tower is open until 22. To call the day, you can have dinner at one of the many delicious restaurants on Solamachi’s 6F, like Rokurinsha, the tsukemen heaven!

Day 2 - Shopping & most popular areas

9:00 ~ 13:00 Shibuya fashion

Let’s start today from Shibuya, one of the most busy and dynamic areas of Tokyo. Once at Shibuya Station, follow Hachiko exit directions (A8) and reach the statue of Hachiko.

Take a picture of the most faithful dog in the world, in the middle of whose legs often doze a cat that recently became Hachiko’s best friend. Then, let yourself be carried away by crowds inside the world’s largest pedestrian crossing, surrounded by gigantic promotional screens all around.

Have breakfast or a coffee break at Starbucks Tsutaya, from which you can have a panoramic view over the intersection and its rhythmic throbbing of people.

After this break, pass through the fantasizing arches of Center Gai shopping street, crowded with people, restaurants and shops, like the huge Disney store.

Here you can take famous Japanese-style funny pictures at Purikura no Mecca and have lunch along the way. In this area, Genki Sushi is a cheap but delicious sushi restaurant. If you prefer hot dishes instead, we got some for you:

• Ippudo Ramen, a famous restaurant chain that has plenty boiling ramens for you; • The Graffiti Palace (Shibu Building), with many small ramen bars with exceptional ramen; • Curry House CoCo Ichiban, restaurant chain famous for its original Japanese curry rice.

Walk across the elegant Bunkamura Street to reach Shibuya 109 women’s shopping center, between beautiful shop assistants ladies and Japanese fashion clothes of all kinds.

If you're looking for menswear instead, return to subway statio n where Magnet by Shibuya 109 offers several floors of men’s fashion and trendy gadgets. 13:00 ~ 16:00 Harajuku extravagance

At Shibuya station, take Fukutoshin line from stop F16 to stop F15 to reach Harajuku, the area of excessive and youthful fashion, candy shops and cosplay.

Just off the subway, dive into Takeshita Dori street, where large crowds gather during the weekend. Since this district is famous for cosplay and candy shops, let’s get a crepe stuffed with cream or a bubble tea at one of the many sweet kiosks.

If that’s not enough, Totti Candy Factory will sell you the biggest rainbow cotton candy you’ve ever seen! Continue your walk, but be careful not to get lost in the mysterious side alleys of extravagant Takeshita area. Once at the end of Takeshita dori, take the main road to reach Omotesando shopping street where you can find one of Onigiro’s favorite gift shop, the Oriental Bazar, full of high-quality crafts, T-shirts and kimono.

Kiddy Land it’s also worth a visit, one of the city’s most famous toy shops where retro toys, trendy gadgets and modeling departments will make you lose your mind.

Get a glimpse of fashionable Cat Street just before moving back on Omotesando street towards Harajuku station to reach the world’s largest wooden Torii, with a height of 12 meters and width of 17, access to Meiji Jingu park. After passing the gate, dive into the tall trees of the park, where deafening singing of cicadas will greet you in summer. Follow the directions to the

Shinjuku is a futuristic neighborhood, among gleaming neon streets, huge buildings and its characteristic nightlife.

Once back at Harajuku station, take Fukutoshin line from stop F15 to F12, then change at Higashi-Shinjuku for the Oedo line from stop E02 to E28, to reach Shinjuku-Tochomae (23 mins).

Tochomae station is located in front of the Government Building, where you can freely access to south tower’s 45F Observation Deck to enjoy the panoramic sunset over Tokyo and also Mount Fuji (open until 22:30).

After the visit, let’s head back to the heart of Shinjuku: take again the Oedo line from stop E28 to E1 (about 2 mins) and get to ground level using Shinjuku Station West Exit. Start strolling through this futuristic neighborhood with a narrow unique street filled with Izakaya, Omoide Yokocho, where you can dine with ramen and beer at typical pubs or eat yakitori at famous Yakitori Alley.

Continue to Kabukicho area with its red-light district and hectic nightlife lighted by huge skyscrapers, until you see a Godzilla Head popping up from the rooftops. Here’s some delicious nearby restaurants for your dinner:

• Sushi Zan Mai • Tonkatsu Wako • Ichiran Ramen • Robot Restaurant

If you have time, you can also visit the Samurai Museum, open until 21:00.

Let’s finish our tour heading to Golden Gai, a small district known for its narrow alleys, filled with intimate Izakaya.

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Day 3 - Asakusa & Odaiba

9:00 ~ 14:00 Asakusa

Let’s start the last day of this 3 days Tokyo itinerary with Asakusa, Tokyo’s stunning historic district that preserves ancient Buddhist temples and a market reminiscent of ancient Edo.

Take the North Exit to exit from metro station and head to Culture Tourist Information Center to find a map of the area and climb to the top floor for panoramic picture of Asakusa.

Back on the street, pass under the huge Thunder Gate (Kaminarimon) and enter Nakamise Dori, a street full of small shops and stalls resembling an ancient Tokyo market.

If you want a sweet break, Kagetsudo Honten is in the nearby, with Tokyo’s best Melon pan, simple or filled with creams. Alternatively, you can try the original ice monaka wafer at Chochin Monaka.

At the end of Nakamise Dori you’ll reach Hozomon gate and the nearby Sensoji temple: breathe a bit of incense in front of the temple and get a message of luck from the boxes (tie your message somewhere if it’s not lucky!). This temple area also features the following points of interest:

• Five-Story Pagoda • Ishibashi Complex • Denboin Temple and Garden

Pass through Hoppy shopping street and Dempoin Street to shop in historic and old-style craft shops. For a quick lunch you might try Daikokuya, but get there around 11:45 because it’s ancient tenpura recipe is very famous!

To complete your Asakusa exploration, try one of Tokyo’s oldest Dorayaki at Kamejuu while heading back to Kaminarimon Gate, and from there go to the Sumidagawa ferry port to move to Odaiba. From the port, you can enjoy a view of Sumida River whit Tokyo Sky Tree and Asahi golden cloud & skyscraper in the background.

At Sumida Boat Terminal, take the scenic futuristic ferry and enjoy the 1-hour ride on Sumida River. Along the way you’ll see the red Tokyo Tower on the right and the elegant Rainbow Bridge. Here’s the English cruise website to know departing times and fares from Asaskusa to Odaiba Seaside Park.

14:00 ~ 18:00 Odaiba

By ferry, you can reach this artificial island inside Tokyo bay: built on a platform of recycled materials, Odaiba is now one of the most important leisure and relaxation areas of the city, attracting thousands of people on weekends.

Once you arrive at Odaiba Seaside Park, climb the panoramic terrace to take Instagram pictures of Statue of Liberty Replica with Rainbow Bridge on the background.

Enjoying the ocean breeze, keep walking to reach the 20 meters Gundam Unicorn Statue in front of Diver City shopping center. The Gundam performs animations 4 times each day, at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00.

From the big robot, the closest big mall is Venus Fort: this signature warehouse looks like an ancient European city, including the sky changing colors and shapes.

After the visit, move to the surrounding Pallet Town to take pictures of colorful Ferris wheel at sunset. Just around the corner you’ll also find the futuristic Toyota show, with a museum area dedicated to retro cars.

Return to Decks and Water City shopping malls area, where you can get lost among hundreds of different shops or enjoy nearby attractions like:

• Inside Decks Tokyo Beach Seaside mall 3F you’ll find Joypolis, a tech- amusement park with arcade games • In the same building, at 4F you can experience the retro atmosphere of Japan in the 1960s at Daiba 1-chome Shoutengai or taste original Takoyaki at Takoyaki museum • Museum of Maritime Sciences • Fuji TV Before leaving Odaiba island, return to the rooftop terrace to watch the Rainbow Bridge lit up in the evening (the bridge lights up from dusk to midnight).

At Daiba station nearby take Tokyo Monorail (Yurikamome line) to reach Shimbashi station in 20 minutes, ticket not included inside the 3 days Tokyo pass and costing like 3$. Enjoy your free evening, to spend time as you please. As general suggestion, we consider Ginza district very interesting, a trendy Tokyo district with many clubs, fine restaurants, limousines and glamour night life.

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