Ultimate 2 Day Downtown Tokyo Itinerary

Hit Up The Best of What Tokyo Has To Offer in Only Two Days

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

This 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary curates the best of what Tokyo has to offer, and makes sure to tick off all the major bucket list sights.

On the first day, we'll be going through Tokyo's older downtown, starting at the famous Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji-shijō), then through the subculture and electronics capital of Akihabara (秋葉原, Akihabara), to Tokyo's oldest temple at Asakusa (浅草), as well as the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest building in Tokyo.

On the second day, we'll be going through Tokyo's modern downtown belt, starting off the day at the famed Shibuya Scramble Crossing, exploring Shibuya (渋谷), the center of youth culture in Tokyo, moving up to Meiji Jingu (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū), Tokyo's most sacred shrine, then through Harajuku (原宿), the fashion capital, and lastly, up to Shinjuku (新宿), the bustling nightlife district.

Pagoda outside Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo

Concept

Your Comprehensive Guide to Explore Downtown Tokyo

Essential Downtown Tokyo Itinerary

Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō) is the most populated city in the world, and is Japan's most popular tourist destination. The Japanese capital has plenty of neighborhoods to explore, food places to discover, and sights to check out. With so many tourist destinations to check out, and such a large sprawling city, it might be difficult to figure out where to get started, and what to cover.

Our Essential Downtown Tokyo Itinerary curates the very best of what there is to see in Tokyo, plus organizes it in an efficient way so that you can check out more places without spending unnecessary time traveling to and fro.

As a side note, we recommend checking the Ultimate Tokyo Itinerary out for those seeking for more variety in their trip. This Essential Downtown Tokyo Itinerary covers only sights within downtown Tokyo, while the Ultimate Tokyo Itinerary combines parts of this itinerary with visits to some of Tokyo's suburbs as well as day trips out to see traditional Japanese sites as well as sites of natural beauty.

Highlights on this 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary

渋谷

Shibuya

Top Places to Eat, Shop, and Explore

Shibuya is known as the center of youth culture in Tokyo, a favorite hangout amongst youngsters after school or on weekends. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing outside the station is one of Tokyo’s most iconic sights, and the Hachiko (ハチ公, Hachikō) statue near the crossing is also a popular photo spot.

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浅草

Asakusa

Bustling Shopping Street & Tokyo's Oldest Temple

Asakusa is centered on the Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist (仏教, Bukkyō) temple that was built in 645.

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築地市場

Tsukiji Market

Tokyo's World Famous Seafood Market

Tsukiji Fish Market was the world’s largest wholesale and seafood market until 2018, when the wholesale inner market shifted to a new location at Toyosu Market (including the famed tuna auction). The outer market, which consisted of food stands and restaurants where most tourists visited still remains untouched today.

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秋葉原

Akihabara

The Anime & Manga Capital of Japan

Akihabara today is known for being the mecca of anime (アニメ) and manga (漫画) sub-culture, or otaku (オタク) culture, in Japan.

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2 Day Tokyo Itinerary

Discover Tsukiji Market, Akihabara, Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, and Tsukishima

Day 1: East Tokyo

East Tokyo is home to some of Tokyo’s most famous attractions, and housed many of the shitamachi (下町, Lower City) neighborhoods during the Edo Period (1603-1867, 江戸時代, Edo-jidai). Today, popular attractions like the Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji-shijō), the Akihabara (秋葉原, Akihabara), Asakusa (浅草), and Tokyo Skytree are located there.

Tsukiji Market garnered worldwide fame for being the heart of Japan’s seafood and sushi (寿司) culture. While the inner market where tuna auctions were held has been shifted to the Toyosu Market, the outer market where the street food was sold remains. Today, it’s still a great place to get some snacks, fresh seafood, and take in the bustling atmosphere.

Akihabara is well-known as the capital of Japan’s anime (アニメ) and manga (漫画) subculture, with many anime related merchandise shops in the area. As you walk through the neighborhood, you’ll also find an abundance of arcades, as well as maid cafes lining the streets, with ladies wearing maid outfits trying to promote their cafe.

Asakusa is yet another popular sight in Tokyo with Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise Dori shopping street, as well as the large lanterns hanging on the Kaminarimon making the area a popular photo spot.

The Tokyo Skytree is Tokyo’s tallest structure at 634m and also houses a major shopping complex, as well as an aquarium at the base of the tower. There are also two observatories at 350m and 450m that visitors can go up to visit.

Stay overnight in Central Tokyo

We recommend getting an accommodation within 5 to 10 minutes of a Tokyo Metro train station for convenience. Preferably near either the East Tokyo or West Tokyo neighborhoods.

Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku

Day 2: West Tokyo

West Tokyo is home to the modern, youthful, and bustling side of Tokyo, and has traditionally housed many of its Yamanote (山手, High Town) or upper-class neighborhoods during the Edo-era. Today, its’ headlined by the Shibuya (渋谷), Harajuku (原宿), and Shinjuku (新宿) areas that have become the modern heart of the city.

Shibuya is known as the center of youth culture in Tokyo, and has grown famous internationally for the iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing. The neighborhood is filled with malls, shops, and youths hanging out after school or on weekends.

Harajuku is seen as the capital of young women’s fashion in Tokyo, with Takeshita-dori being filled with clothing stores and crepe shops. Further east is the Omotesando district, filled with cafes and high-end shopping malls.

Shinjuku is Tokyo’s second city center, a major business, nightlife, and shopping district. By day, its home to many skyscraper office towers, and by night, it’s home to many bustling (and also seedy) drinking joints, and the area is also representative of the cyberpunk-style impression that people have of Japan.

With Your First 2 Day Taste of Tokyo, Go Forth and Explore

Once you land in Tokyo, you'll be able to get a much better sense of its true size and scale. One of the unique things about Tokyo is how, despite being a big city, many of its neighbourhoods have a rather distinctibe and different aura around it. For example, the vibes between Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Harajuku are pretty different despite being in such close proximity, and Asakusa also feels entirely different.

Depending on whether you enjoy the big city bustling vibes of Tokyo or if you want something a bit more laid back, there are various other options that you can consider and explore.

If you're really out to explore all the key major neighbourhoods in Tokyo, then be sure to check out our 4 Day Tokyo Itinerary variant up above. That will take you through some of the touristy, but maybe not so unique neighbourhoods of Tokyo like Ginza, and also some of the less trodden places like Yanaka and Tennozu Isle.

However, if you're abit sick of the big city vibes of Tokyo (which we are too), then we really encourage you to explore some of the great day trip options from Tokyo or even the suburbs.

If you're looking at a more traditional Kyoto (京都, Kyōto)-like vibe, you can consider checking out our Kawagoe Day Trip Itinerary.

If you're looking for more of an outdoors, beach area, or sunset view, we really can't recommend checking out our Enoshima Day Trip Itinerary.

If you're looking to get into nature, go do some hikes, and experience Japan's forests, then you can also check out our great Chichibu Hiking Day Trip Itinerary.

Tokyo is great as a starting point for most tourists, but it is just a starting point for the wonderfulness of Japan. It is important for us to stress that Tokyo is not definitive of Japan, its big city vibes are nice, but there's so much more nature and quaint countryside in Japan that is yet to be explored.