Ultimate 4 Day Downtown Tokyo Itinerary

Hit Up All of Tokyo's Biggest and Best Sights

2 Day

4 Day

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

This 4 Day Tokyo Itinerary covers almost every bucket-list travel destination you might have in Tokyo.

(The first two days are the same as the 2 Day Essential Downtown Tokyo Itinerary)

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.

On the third day, we'll be starting off with a retro shopping street at Yanaka (谷中), checking out Tokyo's book town in Jimbocho (神保町, Jinbocho), strolling through the Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo), going through the maze that is Tokyo Station (東京駅区, Tōkyō Station Ku), and exploring the Ameyoko Shopping Street in Ueno (上野).

On the fourth day, we'll start off at the Hamarikyu Gardens (浜離宮恩賜庭園, Hamarikyū Onshi Teien), before going through Tokyo's upscale Ginza (銀座) shopping district, down to the home of the life-sized robot in Odaiba (お台場), checking out the art district of Tennōzu Isle (天王洲アイル, Tennōzu Airu), Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō Tawā), as well as the nightlife district of Roppongi (六本木, Roppongi).

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 4 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.

+ See More

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.

+ See More

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.

+ See More

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.

+ See More

お台場

Odaiba

Tokyo Bay's Man-made Island w/ a Giant Gundam

Odaiba is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay (東京湾, Tōkyō-wan), just off Tokyo’s southern waterfront, and is a lifestyle and entertainment district.

+ See More

天王洲アイル

Tennozu Isle

Tokyo's Hidden Gem Hipster Art District

Tennozu Isle is one of the more off-the-radar destinations, and in recent years has evolved to become a popular art, and street art destination with beautiful waterfront canal boardwalks.

+ See More

谷中

Yanaka

Iconic Spot of Tokyo's Retro Shitamachi Districts

Around since the 1950s, the Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street (谷中銀座商店街) feels like a page out of the Tokyo of decades gone by.

+ See More

銀座

Ginza

Tokyo's Popular Upscale Shopping District

Ginza is well-known as Tokyo’s upmarket shopping district, and is one of Tokyo’s most expensive real estate locations with one square meter costing around US$100,000. You can find all the upmarket luxury goods stores here like Gucci, Louis Vutton and so forth. For the average traveller though, you can also enjoy yourself at Ginza by checking out the flagship stores of the major Japanese chains such as Uniqlo, Muji, and Itoya.

4 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.

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.

Yanaka, Jimbocho, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station, and Ueno

Day 3: Central and Northern Tokyo

While less travelled than the East and West neighborhoods of Tokyo, the Northern and Central neighborhoods also offer a nice rustic and more retro charm to Tokyo.

Yanaka (谷中) is a popular retro shopping street, reminiscent of what Japanese call the Showa era (1926-1989, 昭和, Shōwa). Once the heart of Japanese local retail culture, shopping streets like these have become the exception with the onslaught of modern shopping districts and malls.

Jimbocho (神保町, Jinbocho) is known as Tokyo’s book town and curry heaven, and is filled with many retro book shops selling second-hand books, as well as stationery shops. While the books are almost exclusively in Japanese, it’s nonetheless interesting to check out.

The Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo) is located right in the center of Tokyo, with the gardens open to the public and the palace grounds open to the public via guided tours.

Tokyo Station (東京駅区, Tōkyō Station Ku) is located within a beautiful retro red-brick exterior on the ground level, and the underground shopping streets are filled with character shops, restaurants and souvenir shops.

Exterior of Tokyo Station in Otemachi, Tokyo

Ginza, Odaiba, Tennozu Isle, Tokyo Tower, and Roppongi

Day 4: South Tokyo

The south side of Tokyo largely consist of the waterfront neighborhoods near or in the Tokyo Bay (東京湾, Tōkyō-wan) area.

The Ginza (銀座) area is known as Tokyo’s upscale shopping district, with many flagship stores for major chains such as Uniqlo and Muji as well as department stores such as Mitsukoshi.

Odaiba (お台場) is located on a man-made island, reclaimed in the Tokyo Bay, and in recent years has grown to become a lifestyle and entertainment venue in Tokyo, as well as one of the few. artificial beachfronts where swimming is possible.

The Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō Tawā) is Japan’s second tallest building, and while the Tokyo Skytree is newer and taller, the Tokyo Tower maintains a more rustic charm to it with its Eiffel Tower-inspired design.

Roppongi (六本木, Roppongi) is well-known for being Tokyo’s bustling nightlife district, as well as a high-end shopping district with popular art museums. Roppongi Hills is a massive complex, with an observatory that also allows you to get a good view of Tokyo from way on up.

Now That You've Seen All the Major Sights in Tokyo, Travel Out Beyond

Some people might tell you that "4 days in Tokyo is not enough, you should spend two weeks in Tokyo!". We couldn't disagree more. It's not to say that there isn't plenty of things to do and see in Tokyo, but there's so much more flavour and variety in Japan that you simply can't get within Tokyo. This 4 Day Tokyo Itinerary is a great start, but it is simply the launchpad to more!

To us seeing the quaint countryside, experiencing the suburbs, checking out Japan's glorious nature, exploring its traditional side, there's so many more shades to Japan that you simply can't get even with two weeks in Tokyo. We always recommend Tokyo as a great starting point in Japan, but it should simply be a launchpad into discovering more great locations in Japan.

If you're only here for a week or so, then day trips are a great way to get that breadth of experiences.

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.

If you're going to be here for much longer than a week, then we would really recommend you check out some off-the-beaten-path places like Kanazawa (金沢) and Takayama (高山). It might be tempting to go to another big city like Osaka (大阪, Ōsaka), but we really recommend going to somewhere quieter to experience a different side of Japan.