Tokyo Itinerary: 3, 4, 5 & 7 Days (+ Snow Monkey Day Trip)

A young snow monkey sitting on a bank of fresh snow at Jigokudani, the day trip you can add to a Tokyo itinerary

Tokyo doesn’t have one centre. It’s a cluster of villages, each with its own pace: incense smoke and rickshaws in Asakusa, gravel paths under Meiji Jingu’s cedars, the neon wall of Shinjuku after dark. Most first-timers lose hours zig-zagging between them. These itineraries don’t. Each day stays in one or two neighbouring districts, so you spend your time looking at things instead of at subway maps.

You get four ready-made plans (3, 4, 5 and 7 days), the attractions you must book before you fly and when tickets go on sale, transport and airport advice, where to stay, daily budgets and seasonal swaps. All prices were checked on 2 October 2026.

And if you can spare a day, we show you how to fit in one of Japan’s strangest wildlife encounters. The bullet train reaches Nagano in about 80 minutes (our ranking of day trips by bullet train has the other options), so you can leave Tokyo after an early breakfast and be watching wild macaques around the steaming pool at Jigokudani by late morning.

Quick answer
How long? 3 days if Tokyo is one stop on a longer Japan trip; 4–5 days to see it properly; 7 days to add two day trips.
Plan by neighbourhood: east (Asakusa/Ueno) one day, centre (Tsukiji/Imperial Palace/Ginza) the next, west (Harajuku/Shibuya/Shinjuku) the third.
Book before you fly: Shibuya Sky sunset slots, teamLab, the Ghibli Museum (Lawson Ticket sales open at 10:00 JST on the 10th for the following month) and Tokyo Disney (sales open two months ahead).
Getting around: a Suica IC card for everything; add the Tokyo Subway Ticket (¥1,000 / ¥1,500 / ¥2,000 for 24/48/72 hours, as of October 2026) only if you’ll ride the subway four or more times a day.
Snow monkey day trip: about ¥22,000 return per adult if you do it yourself (October 2026 fares); best odds of bathing monkeys in December–February, though it’s never guaranteed.

How many days do you need in Tokyo?

Four or five days suits a first visit; three works if Tokyo is one stop on a longer Japan trip. Find your situation in the table to pick a plan.

If you are…	Pick	Why
Doing Tokyo as part of a 10–14-day Japan trip	3 days	Covers the big neighbourhoods; then head on to Nagano, Kanazawa or Kyoto (see our 10-day Japan itinerary with snow monkeys)
A first-timer who wants to see Tokyo properly	4 days	Adds teamLab and the bay, or a slower Shinjuku day
Keen on one trip out of the city	5 days	4 Tokyo days plus Nikko, Hakone, Kamakura or the snow monkeys
Spending a week	7 days	5 Tokyo days plus two day trips
Visiting December–March	Any plan with the snow monkey day	Cold days give the best odds of monkeys in the hot spring; see snow in Japan this winter

Which Tokyo neighbourhoods go together?

Group sights that sit next to each other on the map and you’ll halve your travel time. These are the clusters our itineraries use.

Cluster	What it’s for	Best time	Nearest stations
Asakusa / Ueno / Yanaka	Senso-ji, Ueno Park and museums, old-Tokyo lanes	Early morning	Asakusa, Ueno, Nippori
Sumida / Skytree / Ryogoku	Skytree, river walks, sumo, Edo-Tokyo Museum	Late afternoon into night	Oshiage, Ryogoku
Tokyo Station / Imperial Palace	East Gardens, red-brick station, Marunouchi	Morning	Tokyo, Otemachi
Ginza / Tsukiji	Outer Market breakfast, food halls, Kabuki-za	Morning (market), late afternoon (Ginza)	Tsukiji, Ginza, Higashi-Ginza
Harajuku / Omotesando / Shibuya	Meiji Jingu, Takeshita-dori, Scramble crossing, Shibuya Sky	Morning (shrine), sunset (Sky)	Harajuku, Omotesando, Shibuya
Shinjuku	Shinjuku Gyoen, free TMG observatory, Omoide Yokocho, Golden Gai	Afternoon garden, night alleys	Shinjuku, Tochomae
Akihabara	Retro games, anime, electronics	Afternoon or evening	Akihabara
Toyosu / Odaiba	Toyosu Market, teamLab Planets, bay views	Dawn or evening	Shijo-mae, Shin-Toyosu
Roppongi / Azabudai / Tokyo Tower	teamLab Borderless, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Tower	Afternoon into evening	Kamiyacho, Roppongi, Akabanebashi
Kichijoji / Mitaka / Koenji / Shimokitazawa	Ghibli Museum, Inokashira Park, vintage shops	Morning (match your Ghibli slot)	Mitaka, Kichijoji, Koenji, Shimokitazawa

How to read the plans: travel times are door-to-door, including walking. Start each day by about 8:30, because crowds build from around 10:00. 🔒 means book ahead.

What’s the best 3-day Tokyo itinerary?

Do the east (old Tokyo) on Day 1, the imperial centre and Ginza on Day 2, and the west (shrine, fashion, neon) on Day 3. Avoid putting Day 2 on a Monday or Friday, when the Imperial Palace East Gardens are closed.

Day 1: Old Tokyo to the Skytree (east)

Morning: Reach Senso-ji (Asakusa Station) by about 8:00, before the tour groups. The temple grounds are free. Walk Nakamise-dori as the shutters go up and graze on ningyo-yaki and melonpan.
Late morning: Ginza Line to Ueno (about 5 min). Stroll Ueno Park; the Tokyo National Museum is the deep-dive option (usually closed Mondays).
Afternoon: JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara (about 5 min) for retro-game floors and capsule-toy halls. Prefer quiet? Go to Nippori instead and wander the lanes of Yanaka.
Evening: 🔒 Tokyo Skytree (Oshiage, about 20 min from Akihabara) for the night view, or yakitori under the railway arches of Ueno’s Ameyoko.

Fact box: Tokyo Skytree (official, October 2026). Prices are date-based. Weekday adult advance tickets start at ¥2,100 for the Tembo Deck and ¥3,100 for the Deck + Galleria combo; same-day tickets start at ¥2,400 and ¥3,500. Advance tickets are sold from 30 days ahead until 23:59 the night before. Weekends and holidays cost more, so check your date on the official site. GetYourGuide also sells the TOKYO SKYTREE Observation Deck Admission ticket (from about $13, 4.5/5 from more than 16,000+ reviews).

Day 2: Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace and Ginza (centre)

Morning: Breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market: tamagoyaki, grilled scallops, a sushi counter. Many stalls wind down by early afternoon. Then walk or ride to the Imperial Palace East Gardens (Otemachi, about 15 min). Entry is free.
Afternoon: Admire the red-brick Marunouchi face of Tokyo Station, then walk to Ginza (about 15 min) for a department-store food hall (depachika) and wagashi.
Evening: Hibiya Line to Kamiyacho (about 10 min) for 🔒 teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills, or walk to Tokyo Tower for a cheaper night view.

Fact box: Imperial Palace East Gardens. Free, no booking. Usually closed Mondays and Fridays, 28 December–3 January and on some Imperial Court event days. Opens 9:00; closing time shifts with the season (earlier in winter).

Fact box: teamLab Borderless. A permanent museum with dynamic, date-based pricing. Recent third-party guides quote adult tickets from about ¥3,600–3,800, rising on busy dates, and say on-site tickets (when available) cost more than online. Hours vary by date. Allow 2–3 hours, and check the official teamLab ticket site for your exact price and slot.

Day 3: Shrine, fashion and the city at sunset (west)

Morning: Arrive at Meiji Jingu (Harajuku Station) as the gates open; it’s a forest walk to the shrine and entry is free. Then Takeshita-dori before the crowds, Omotesando’s architecture and Cat Street.
Afternoon: Walk to Shibuya (about 20 min) for the Scramble crossing and Hachiko. 🔒 Book Shibuya Sky for about an hour before sunset.
Evening: JR to Shinjuku (about 7 min) for Omoide Yokocho’s yakitori stalls and the tiny bars of Golden Gai (some charge a seating fee; check the door).

Fact box: Shibuya Sky (October 2026). Adults ¥2,700 online for entry before 15:00, ¥3,400 from 15:00; counter tickets, if any are left, cost ¥300 more (¥3,000 / ¥3,700). Children’s tickets are sold only at the counter on the day; under-5s are free. If adult tickets sell out online, the counter won’t have any either. Open 10:00–22:30, last entry 21:20. The open-air roof closes in heavy rain or strong wind, with no refunds after entry. Online sales reportedly open four weeks ahead at midnight JST. If you’d like a guide for the crossing as well, the Shibuya: Crossing, Hachiko & Shibuya Sky Guided Tour (from about $95, 4.7/5 from 93 reviews) includes Shibuya Sky entry.

What should you add on a 4th day?

Choose the bay (Toyosu Market and teamLab Planets) or a slower Shinjuku day around the garden and the free observatory. Both work well after three busy days.

Option A: the bay

Watch the tuna auction from the free public corridor at Toyosu Market (Shijo-mae Station, Yurikamome line). The auction runs at dawn on market days, so a taxi or a nearby hotel helps. Have sushi for breakfast inside the market.
Walk to 🔒 teamLab Planets (Shin-Toyosu), then spend the afternoon on the Odaiba waterfront.

Option B: Shinjuku at a slower pace

A long morning in Shinjuku Gyoen, then the free Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) observatory (Tochomae, about 15 min walk).
After dark, watch the free projection-mapping show on the TMG building, then Kabukicho’s neon.

Fact box: teamLab Planets (official, October 2026). The official page lists adults at ¥4,200, ages 13–17 at ¥2,800, ages 4–12 at ¥1,500 and under-4s free, with dynamic pricing, so your date may differ. No tickets are sold on site; tickets can’t be cancelled or refunded, but can be changed up to three times online until two hours before entry. You walk barefoot through knee-deep water: free rental shorts are available. Scheduled to run until the end of 2027. GetYourGuide resells the teamLab Planets TOKYO entry ticket (from about $25, 4.6/5 from more than 14,000+ reviews); compare its change rules with the official site before you book.

Fact box: Shinjuku Gyoen. Adults ¥500. From 1 October to 14 March it’s open 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00), with longer hours in spring and summer. Usually closed Mondays (or the next weekday after a Monday holiday) and 29 December–3 January, but open daily in cherry-blossom season and during the early-November chrysanthemum show.

Fact box: TMG observatories (free). The South deck usually runs 9:30–22:00 and the North deck 9:30–17:30, with closures on set Mondays/Tuesdays each month and over New Year. Check the TMG site for the day you plan to go.

What’s the best 5-day Tokyo itinerary?

Do Days 1–4 above, then spend Day 5 on one day trip. Make it a Monday if you can, because many Tokyo museums close that day.

Day trip	Best season	Travel from Tokyo	Why go
Snow monkeys (Jigokudani)	December–March	About 2.5 hours each way	Wild macaques at a hot spring; see the plan below
Nikko	Autumn	About 2 hours	Ornate shrines, waterfalls, autumn colour
Hakone	All year	About 1.5–2 hours	Onsen, ropeway and (on clear days) Fuji views
Kamakura	Spring, autumn	About 1 hour	The Great Buddha and coastal temples
Yokohama	All year	About 30 min	An easy half day, good in the rain

More ideas in 15 best day trips from Tokyo. For Hakone’s baths, see best onsen near Tokyo.

How should you spend one week in Tokyo?

Use Days 1–4, then a western-suburbs day with the Ghibli Museum, then two day trips (or one day trip and a themed Tokyo day). In winter, make one of those trips the snow monkeys.

Day 5: Ghibli and the western villages

Morning: 🔒 Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (about 15 min on foot from Mitaka Station’s south exit, or take the community bus). Book a morning slot, then walk through Inokashira Park to Kichijoji.
Afternoon: Vintage shopping and coffee in Koenji or Shimokitazawa.
Evening: Canal-side bars in Nakameguro, or Shibuya’s backstreets.

Fact box: Ghibli Museum (official, October 2026). Ages 19+ ¥1,000; 13–18 ¥700; 7–12 ¥400; 4–6 ¥100; 3 and under free. Advance, date-specific tickets only, with no sales at the door. Lawson Ticket online sells tickets with a set entry time from 10:00 JST on the 10th of each month for the following month; popular dates go in minutes. Overseas, JTB Group sells tickets from the 1st of the month for entry three months later. Resale is not allowed. Check the official calendar for closure days.

Day 6: Day trip #1

Nikko, Hakone, Kamakura or the Fuji Five Lakes (see the table above).

Day 7: Day trip #2, or a themed Tokyo day

Snow monkeys (best in winter), or:
🔒 Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter (Toshimaen, about 15 min from Ikebukuro; 4.9/5 from more than 950+ reviews on GetYourGuide), then Ikebukuro’s Pokémon Center in the evening.
🔒 Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea: a full day on its own.
Ryogoku: sumo at the Kokugikan if a Tokyo tournament is on (January, May and September; check the Japan Sumo Association schedule), plus the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which reopened in spring 2026 after renovation.

Fact box: Tokyo Disney Resort (October 2026). Each 1-Day Passport is for one park, with date-based prices. The official site lists adults from ¥8,900 (junior 12–17 from ¥7,400, child 4–11 from ¥5,300). On the busiest dates the top adult price is now reported at ¥12,400, first hit on 11 and 17 October 2026 (TDR Explorer). Tickets go on sale daily at 14:00 JST for the date two months ahead.

Fact box: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo. Timed entry, online-only, non-refundable tickets with date-based pricing; for visits from 1 July 2026 the studio announced standard adult tickets of about ¥6,600–7,300. Check the official site for your date.

Can you see the snow monkeys on a day trip from Tokyo?

Yes. It’s a long but straightforward day: about 5–6 hours of travel for around 1.5–2 hours with the monkeys. Leave Tokyo by about 7:00 and you’ll be back between roughly 17:30 and 19:00. If you can spare a night, staying in Shibu Onsen turns it into the highlight of the trip.

Time	Step
~7:00	Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Nagano (from about 80 min on a Kagayaki; 85–110 min on Hakutaka/Asama)
~8:30	Nagaden limited express from Nagano to Yudanaka (about 45 min; local trains 60–80 min)
~9:30	Local bus from Yudanaka Station to the Snow Monkey Park stop (about 10 min). Alternative: the Nagaden express bus from Nagano Station East Exit, stop 23/24 (about 45 min)
~9:45	Forest trail to the park: about 1.6–2 km, 30–40 minutes each way (allow longer on snow)
~10:30–12:30	Jigokudani Monkey Park (winter hours 9:00–16:00)
~13:00–14:00	Lunch or a foot bath in Yudanaka or Shibu Onsen
~14:00–19:00	Back to Nagano and Tokyo, depending on connections

DIY cost per adult (as of October 2026; check before you travel)
Shinkansen Tokyo–Nagano: ¥8,450 × 2 (reserved seat, regular season; ¥8,250 as an Eki-net e-ticket; +¥200–400 in peak seasons, −¥200 off-peak)
Nagaden Nagano–Yudanaka: ¥1,760 × 2 (¥1,660 fare + ¥100 limited-express ticket)
Local bus: ¥390 × 2 (check the fare chart on board; cash or IC card)
Park entry: ¥800 until 30 November 2026. From 1 December 2026 the park charges ¥880 for an online (Webket) ticket or ¥1,000 at the gate (children ¥440 / ¥500), according to the park’s 20 September 2026 notice.
Total: about ¥22,000 return.
Express bus instead of Nagaden + local bus: ¥3,000 each way in winter (5 December 2026–5 April 2027), ¥2,000 the rest of the year. Buy your ticket before boarding at the Aruyo ticket office (Nagano Station East Exit, 1F) or online; don’t count on paying cash on the bus.

Snow Monkey Passes: Nagaden’s passes bundle the transport from Nagano with one park entry. They are not sold in October–November, and winter 2026–27 prices have not yet been announced; last winter’s were ¥5,100 (train) and ¥6,800 (bus). No JR pass covers Nagaden trains or buses.

Book your park ticket online. The park’s tickets are date-specific, and Webket (online) ticket holders get priority entry from December to April. Without a ticket you may have to wait, and on crowded days you may be refused entry. Online tickets go on sale about three months ahead. AFP reported in June 2026 that the park was considering a cap of about 2,000 visitors a day; the park itself has not announced a number. Ticket details are in our guide to Jigokudani tickets, fees and hours.

Save on the train. JR East’s Tokudane Special 28 offers 50% off Shinkansen tickets on weekdays 7–17 December 2026 (sales close 28 days ahead, so the 14–27 October window can no longer be booked), on limited trains and seats, sold from one month to 28 days before travel on Eki-net. The older Tokudane 1 and 14 discounts have ended.

Monkeys and weather. The macaques are wild and come and go as they please, so bathing is never guaranteed; your best odds are on cold days from December to February. The trail is unpaved with steps and slopes, icy in winter, and not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, so wear grippy boots. The park may close without notice in bad weather. For the full picture, read the best time to see the snow monkeys.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are GetYourGuide affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Prefer not to plan it yourself? GetYourGuide sells two main types of snow monkey tour for Tokyo visitors: private drivers or guides who collect you in Tokyo (see our private snow monkey tour from Tokyo: prices and how to book), and small-group tours that meet you in Nagano after you ride the Shinkansen yourself. The most reviewed is the Tokyo private Snow Monkey Park and Nagano day trip (from $102 per person, 4.9/5 from 220+ reviews), with two hours at the park. A family or group of up to six can split the Nagano Snow Monkey and Zenko-ji private tour (from $443 per group, 4.8/5 from 80 reviews). If you’d rather take the train, the Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen day tour (from $164 per person, rated close to 5/5 from 55 reviews) starts in Nagano. Check whether park entry and the Shinkansen are included, the cancellation policy and how long you actually get with the monkeys. We compare them in which snow monkey tour from Tokyo is right for you. The step-by-step DIY route is in how to get to Jigokudani Monkey Park from Tokyo.

Verdict: give it a day of a 5- or 7-day trip from December to March. Outside winter, the monkeys are still there and the trail is easier, but most people come for the snow, so Nikko or Hakone may suit a summer trip better.

Which Tokyo attractions need booking, and what do they cost?

Book Shibuya Sky, teamLab, the Ghibli Museum, Disney and the Harry Potter tour before you fly. The big shrines, gardens and the TMG observatory are free or cheap and need no booking.

Attraction	Adult price (Oct 2026)	Book ahead?	Time needed	Watch out for
Senso-ji	Free	No	1–1.5 h	Crowds from 10:00
Meiji Jingu	Free	No	1 h	Gates follow sunrise/sunset
Imperial Palace East Gardens	Free	No	1–1.5 h	Closed Mon & Fri
TMG observatories	Free	No	45 min	Set monthly closure days
Shinjuku Gyoen	¥500	No	1.5–2 h	Usually closed Mon
Shibuya Sky	¥2,700 / ¥3,400 online	Yes (sunset)	1–1.5 h	Roof closes in bad weather
Tokyo Skytree	From ¥2,100 advance (weekday)	Recommended	1–1.5 h	Higher prices on busy dates
teamLab Planets	¥4,200 listed (dynamic)	Yes	1.5–2 h	No door sales or refunds
teamLab Borderless	From about ¥3,600–3,800 (dynamic, reported)	Yes	2–3 h	Check your date’s price
Ghibli Museum	¥1,000	Yes (10th of the month)	2–3 h	Sells out in minutes
Harry Potter Studio Tour	About ¥6,600–7,300	Yes	4+ h	Online only, no refunds
Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea	¥8,900–12,400	Yes	Full day	One park per ticket

How do you get around Tokyo?

Get a Suica (on your phone or as a card) and use it for everything. Add a Tokyo Subway Ticket only if you’ll ride the subway four or more times a day. Don’t buy a nationwide Japan Rail Pass just for Tokyo.

Option	Price (Oct 2026)	Covers	Verdict
Suica / PASMO IC card	Pay per ride	JR, subway, private lines, buses, shops, lockers	Essential
Welcome Suica Mobile (iPhone)	No deposit	As Suica, in Apple Wallet	Best for iPhone users
Tokyo Subway Ticket (4.4/5 from more than 2,800+ reviews)	¥1,000 / ¥1,500 / ¥2,000 (24/48/72 h); children half	Tokyo Metro and Toei subway only (no JR)	Good value at 4+ rides a day
Japan Rail Pass	7 days ¥50,000 (official site)	JR nationwide	Skip for Tokyo-only trips

The Tokyo Subway Ticket is sold to overseas visitors and to Japanese travellers from outside the greater Tokyo area, as a physical card or QR ticket. Android phones bought abroad often can’t run Mobile Suica, so buy a physical card at the airport.

Airport transfers (adult, one way, as of October 2026; check before you travel):

Route	Fare	Time	Notes
Narita → Ueno: Keisei Skyliner	¥2,580	From 36 min to Nippori, about 41 min to Ueno	Discounted e-tickets and combos for overseas visitors on Keisei’s site; the GetYourGuide e-ticket has 4.7/5 from more than 1,200+ reviews
Narita → Tokyo Station: Narita Express	¥3,140 (¥3,330 to Shinjuku)	From 53 min	N’EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket for overseas visitors: ¥5,200, valid 14 days
Narita → central Tokyo: Limousine Bus	About ¥3,200 (reported)	90–120 min	Good with heavy luggage; traffic-dependent
Haneda → Shinagawa: Keikyu	About ¥300–330	About 13 min	Sources differ slightly; check Keikyu’s site
Haneda → Hamamatsucho: Tokyo Monorail	About ¥500–520	About 18 min	Connects to the JR Yamanote Line

Avoid weekday rush hours (about 7:30–9:30 and 17:30–19:30) with big bags. A luggage-forwarding service (takkyubin) will send your suitcase from hotel to hotel, usually by the next day.

Where should you stay in Tokyo?

Stay in Ginza or near Tokyo Station if you’re planning bullet-train day trips (including the snow monkeys); Shinjuku or Shibuya for nightlife and connections west; Asakusa or Ueno for value.

Area	Pros	Cons	Typical double, per night (estimate)
Shinjuku	Biggest transport hub, nightlife, trains to Hakone/Fuji	Huge, confusing station	¥15,000–35,000
Shibuya	Trendy, Yamanote access, Shibuya Sky on the doorstep	Pricey; crowded at weekends	¥18,000–40,000
Ginza / Tokyo Station	Central, quiet at night, best for Shinkansen day trips	Less nightlife; expensive	¥20,000–50,000+
Asakusa / Ueno	Best value, old-Tokyo feel, Skyliner to Narita, Hokuriku Shinkansen at Ueno	Further from the west side	¥10,000–25,000

Estimates only; cherry-blossom season and autumn are the expensive peaks. The area links open a hotel search for that district.

How much does a day in Tokyo cost?

Expect roughly ¥5,000–8,000 per person per day on a budget, or ¥10,000–20,000 mid-range, excluding your hotel (our estimates).

Per person per day (excl. hotel)	Budget	Mid-range	Luxury
Food	¥3,000–5,000	¥6,000–12,000	¥20,000+
Transport	¥700–1,000	¥1,000–2,000	Taxis ¥5,000+
Attractions	¥0–1,500	¥3,000–6,000	¥10,000+
Total	≈ ¥5,000–8,000	≈ ¥10,000–20,000	≈ ¥35,000+

Free favourites: Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu, the Imperial Palace East Gardens, the TMG observatories and projection-mapping show, the Shibuya Scramble, Yanaka’s lanes, Ueno Park and the Toyosu auction corridor.

How should you adjust the plan by season?

Swap in seasonal highlights and plan around holiday closures. Month-by-month detail is in best time to visit Tokyo.

Season	Swap in	Watch out for
Spring (late Mar–early Apr)	Cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen, Ueno Park, Meguro River, Chidorigafuchi	Book hotels and Shibuya Sky early
Summer (Jun–Aug)	Fireworks (Sumida River, usually late July), early starts, indoor teamLab	Heat, rainy season, typhoons closing the Shibuya Sky roof
Autumn (Oct–early Dec)	Ginkgo avenue at Jingu Gaien (usually late Nov), Gyoen foliage, Nikko	Peak hotel prices
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Illuminations, clear Fuji views from observatories, the snow monkey day trip	Many sights close over New Year; East Gardens shut 28 Dec–3 Jan

For a longer winter trip that adds a night in Shibu Onsen, Kanazawa and Kyoto, see our 10-day Japan itinerary with the snow monkeys.

Frequently asked questions

How many days in Tokyo is enough?

Three days covers the essentials. Four or five suits most first-timers, and seven lets you add two day trips.

What’s the best 3-day itinerary for a first visit?

Day 1: Asakusa, Ueno and Skytree. Day 2: Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace and Ginza. Day 3: Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku by night. Keep Day 2 off Mondays and Fridays.

Can I see the snow monkeys on a day trip from Tokyo?

Yes. Take the Shinkansen to Nagano (from about 80 minutes), the Nagaden train to Yudanaka, a 10-minute bus and a 30–40-minute walk. It costs about ¥22,000 return per adult if you do it yourself (October 2026).

When are the snow monkeys most likely to bathe?

On cold days from December to February. They’re wild, so it’s never guaranteed.

Do I need to book the snow monkey park in advance?

It’s wise. Tickets are date-specific, and online ticket holders get priority from December to April; walk-ins may wait or, on crowded days, be refused.

Is the Tokyo Subway Ticket worth it?

Yes, if you’ll take four or more subway rides a day. The 72-hour ticket (¥2,000) works out at about ¥667 a day, but it doesn’t cover JR lines such as the Yamanote.

When do Ghibli Museum tickets go on sale?

Lawson Ticket sells them from 10:00 JST on the 10th of each month for the following month. JTB Group overseas sells from the 1st of the month for three months ahead.

How far ahead should I book Shibuya Sky and teamLab?

Shibuya Sky’s online sales reportedly open four weeks ahead; book sunset slots as soon as your dates are fixed. Book teamLab two to three weeks ahead for weekends.

Is teamLab Planets closing?

It’s scheduled to run until the end of 2027. teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills is permanent.

How much is Tokyo Disney in 2026?

Adult 1-Day Passports start at ¥8,900 and reach a reported ¥12,400 on the busiest dates. Each ticket is for one park.

Do I need cash in Tokyo?

Cards and IC cards work almost everywhere in central Tokyo. Carry some cash for small shrines, food stalls and rural buses.

How much is Japan’s departure tax?

¥3,000 per departure from 1 July 2026, built into your air fare. Tickets issued before 1 July 2026 keep the old ¥1,000 rate.

How does tax-free shopping work from November 2026?

From 1 November 2026 you pay the tax-inclusive price, have the goods checked by customs when you leave Japan (within 90 days of purchase), and then receive the refund. The ¥5,000 minimum spend stays.

Is the Ghibli Museum the same as Ghibli Park?

No. The museum is in Mitaka, Tokyo; Ghibli Park is in Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya, with separate tickets.

Practical info

Verified 2 October 2026 (park fees re-checked 28 October 2026)
Tokyo Subway Ticket: ¥1,000 / ¥1,500 / ¥2,000 (24/48/72 h); Tokyo Metro and Toei only.
Shibuya Sky: ¥2,700 before 15:00 / ¥3,400 from 15:00 online; 10:00–22:30, last entry 21:20.
Ghibli Museum: ¥1,000 adult; Lawson Ticket sales open 10:00 JST on the 10th.
Shinkansen Tokyo–Nagano: ¥8,450 reserved (¥8,250 e-ticket), from about 80 minutes.
Jigokudani Monkey Park: ¥800 until 30 Nov 2026; from 1 Dec ¥880 online / ¥1,000 at the gate (park notice of 20 September 2026); winter hours 9:00–16:00.
Departure tax: ¥3,000 from 1 July 2026 (¥1,000 if your ticket was issued earlier).
Tax-free: refund system from 1 November 2026.
Tipping: not expected.
Closures: Monday is the usual museum closing day; the East Gardens close Mondays and Fridays.
All prices as of October 2026; check before you travel.

Tokyo Itineraries for 3, 4, 5 and 7 Days (Plus a Snow Monkey Day Trip)