Tokyo Itinerary: 4 Days

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Researched guide · Checked on Oct 24, 2026

Four days in Tokyo is enough for the big sights plus one extra day: a day trip out of the city, or more time for the neighborhoods you love. This plan uses our 3-day itinerary for the first three days, grouped by area so you spend your time exploring, not changing trains. (Other trip lengths: 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days.)

This plan at a glance

What to book and what to check for each part of this plan. All of it is based on the official sites listed at the end of this guide.

Day	Where you go	Book ahead	Check before you go
Day 1	Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, Ueno, Akihabara	Nothing essential. Skytree tickets are also sold at the 4th-floor ticket counter on the day	Senso-ji’s main hall closes at 5:00 pm
Day 2	Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku	SHIBUYA SKY: web tickets go on sale 2 weeks ahead	Meiji Jingu closes at sunset. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government observatories close on some days
Day 3	Tsukiji, Ginza, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Toyosu	teamLab Planets: no tickets at the venue, buy ahead	The East Gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays. Tsukiji shops set their own closing days
Day 4	A day trip (Kamakura, Hakone or Mt. Fuji) or a Tokyo day	Mt. Fuji: the Fuji Excursion is all reserved seats. Hakone: Romancecar seats can be reserved online	Kamakura needs no booking. Clear mornings are best for Fuji views

Days 1 to 3: the classic sights

Follow our 3-day Tokyo itinerary for the details, times and train connections of each day:

• Day 1, east Tokyo: start early at Senso-ji before the crowds, go up Tokyo Skytree, walk Ueno Park and Ameyoko, and end in Akihabara.
• Day 2, west Tokyo: Meiji Jingu in the morning, Harajuku and Omotesando, sunset at SHIBUYA SKY above Shibuya Crossing, and the free night view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
• Day 3, the center and the bay: Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza, the Imperial Palace East Gardens and Toyosu.

Almost every stop on Days 1 to 3 is on the subway, so a 72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket (¥2,000 for adults) can cover them. It covers only Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway, not JR or private railways. If you walk a lot or ride only a few times a day, paying per ride with an IC card can cost less. See Tokyo transport passes.

Day 4, option A: a day trip

• Kamakura: the Great Buddha, temples and the sea. About an hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka Line, with no change. The easiest choice.
• Hakone: hot springs, a lake cruise and mountain views on a loop by train, cable car, ropeway and boat. A long but rewarding day.
• Mt. Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi): the Fuji Excursion limited express from Shinjuku takes about two hours. Book seats early. Prefer a bus tour? See Mt. Fuji day tours compared.
• More ideas: day trips from Tokyo.

Day 4, option B: stay in Tokyo

• Art and views: Roppongi and Azabudai, with teamLab Borderless.
• The bay: Odaiba, with Rainbow Bridge views at night.
• Local Tokyo: Shimokitazawa and Kichijoji, with the Ghibli Museum if you have tickets.
• Anime and shopping: Ikebukuro and Akihabara, including the Pokémon Centers.

Book before you go: your checklist for this plan

Work down this list from the top. Hotels, SHIBUYA SKY time slots and day trip trains can fill up, so do those first.

1. As soon as your dates are set: your hotel. See where to stay below.
2. 2 weeks before Day 2: SHIBUYA SKY. Web tickets are sold up to 2 weeks ahead, for a set entry time. Adult web tickets cost ¥2,700 for entry before 3:00 pm and ¥3,400 from 3:00 pm (¥3,000 and ¥3,700 at the ticket counter). If the web tickets sell out, the counter is sold out too. Bags can’t be taken up to the rooftop, so plan to use a locker. SHIBUYA SKY tickets guide
3. Before you fly: teamLab Planets. There are no tickets at the venue, so buy them before you go. Web tickets bought from the official ticket store can be moved to another date or time up to 2 hours before entry, up to 3 times, but they can’t be refunded. teamLab tickets guide
4. Once you choose your Day 4 trip: the Fuji Excursion to Mt. Fuji. All seats are reserved, and you book them on JR East’s Eki-net. When the train is full you can still ride standing. Mt. Fuji day trip Or the Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone. Seats can be reserved online with e-Romancecar. Hakone day trip Kamakura needs no booking.
5. If you stay in Tokyo on Day 4: Ghibli Museum, if you want to go. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 am Japan time on the 10th of each month, for the whole of the next month, on Lawson Ticket. No tickets are sold at the museum. Ghibli Museum tickets guide
6. On Day 1: if you bought a 72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket, start it. The 72 hours start from your first ride, so use it for the first time on the morning of Day 1. It does not cover JR lines or the day trip, so carry an IC card too. See how to use Suica.
7. The night before Day 3: check the day of the week. If Day 3 is a Monday or Friday, the Imperial Palace East Gardens are closed, so swap Day 2 and Day 3.
8. No booking needed: Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu and the Imperial Palace East Gardens are free to enter. Tokyo Skytree tickets can also be bought at the 4th-floor ticket counter on the day.

Budget: see our Tokyo travel budget.

Where to stay for this plan

The best bases for this plan are Ueno, the Tokyo Station area and Shinjuku. Pick the one closest to the station for your Day 4 trip.

• Ueno: the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line runs straight to Asakusa and Omotesando, and the Hibiya Line runs straight to Akihabara, Ginza and Tsukiji. Hotels in Ueno · Best hotels in Ueno
• Tokyo Station and Ginza: walk to the East Gardens and Ginza on Day 3, and take the JR Yokosuka Line straight to Kamakura. Hotels near Tokyo Station · Best hotels near Tokyo Station and Ginza
• Shinjuku: the Fuji Excursion to Mt. Fuji and the Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone leave from Shinjuku Station. Hotels in Shinjuku · Best hotels in Shinjuku

Where to eat along the route

For Days 1 to 3, see where to eat in our 3-day plan, which lists restaurants near each day’s stops.

Not sure how many days you need? Compare every trip length in how many days in Tokyo.

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