Tokyo, Japan | 48-Hour Itinerary
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and is known for its bustling city life, delicious sushi and omakase, and its many beautiful shrines and temples.
Tokyo is a huge city, with many unique neighborhoods. It can be hard to determine what to fit in your itinerary if you only have 2 days in the city. This itinerary is jam-packed and hits the major sights and sounds… prepare to get your walking shoes on.
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48 Hours in Tokyo Itinerary
Day 1
Click here to download a free Google Maps link for Day 1.
Senso-ji, Nakamise-dori & Ueno Park
Senso-ji, also known as the Asakusa Kannon Temple, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. It is free to enter this temple. There is also a shopping street leading to the temple, called Nakamise-dori, that is full of shops selling crafts, souvenirs, and snacks. The street can get very crowded as it is a popular tourist spot. However, if you go right when the vendors open around 10 AM, there are fewer crowds than later in the day.
Ueno Park is located in the Ueno district and is full of museums, shrines, and a zoo. In the spring, this park is bustling with crowds taking in the blooming cherry blossoms. You can wander around this park for hours if you want, people-watching or paddle-boating on Shinobazuno Pond.
Akihabara
Akihabara is a neighborhood known for its electronic stores, perfect for anime and game lovers. You can get lost in the numerous stalls, sifting through hundreds of Wii games and manga books. Play some arcade games at GiGO which has multiple levels of entertainment. Don’t forget to grab yourself a souvenir by stopping by one of the many gachapon machines, which dispenses fun little capsule toys.
Ginza
Ginza is a glamorous shopping district and is home to the biggest Uniqlo in the world. The store is 12 stories tall and is fun to explore all the various floors. There are many other department stores, art galleries, and fine dining restaurants.
teamLAB
If you’ve been on Instagram, you’ve probably seen photos of the iconic teamLAB Planets museum. It’s an immersive art exhibit that has visitors wading through water and entering exhibits that make you forget where you are — from beautiful floral gardens to interactive lights that create a crystal universe.
It’s important to note that visitors must be barefoot during the experience. There are lockers present to place your shoes. You also have to get timed tickets beforehand which cost JPY 3,800 ($25 USD) for adults on weekdays and JPY 4,200 ($28 USD) on weekends.
There is much debate about whether teamLAB is worth the visit. It did feel very instagrammable, but I still had a wonderful experience. I would recommend it if you have the time, but if you are limited on time, I would suggest checking other things off your Tokyo bucket list.
Shibuya
Shibuya is without a doubt one of the most popular neighborhoods in Tokyo. It’s the place to be for Tokyo’s nightlife, shopping, and just plain old people-watching.
Shibuya Crossing is commonly recognized as the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. The crossing is featured in hundreds of films, photographs, and blogs. Approximately 1,000 - 2,500 people make the walk during the busiest times of the day. The best way to experience this phenomenon is to join in on the action and cross the intersection yourself. However, if you’re looking for a higher vantage point, try the Starbucks in the QFRONT building or the train station.
Don’t forget to stop at the Hachiko statue, located outside Shibuya station. Hachiko is a dog who walked to the station with his owner, Eizaburo Ueno, every morning and returned every afternoon to meet his Ueno. One day, Ueno never showed up but Hachiko still returned to the station every morning and afternoon.
Day 2
Harajuku
Harajuku is a colorful district full of young fashion, trendy bars, and dessert shops. Stop by the iconic Takeshita Street which is lined with fashion boutiques and crepe stands.
There is also Cat Street which is a more grown-up version of Takeshita Street. It’s home to more shops, ranging from local boutiques to larger brand stores.
Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku is a shopping mall that has a kaleidoscope mirror-like entrance.
Some of my favorite places I stopped at include the Hedgehog Cafe and The Matcha café which had the richest matcha I ever tasted.
Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park is located right next to Harajuku and is the perfect place to relax from all the shopping and eating you’ve likely accomplished at Harajuku. The park also hosts many festivals and events throughout the year.
Right next door is the Meiji Shrine, which is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. There are lots of English signs that describe various traditional Shinto rituals if you’d like to participate in any.
Omoide Yokocho
Omoide Yokocho is a narrow alleyway that features many food stalls serving traditional foods and alcoholic beverages. It is a food lover’s paradise — you can try yakitori and takoyaki followed by Japanese beer and sake.
Try to visit during the evening to get the full experience. This is when the lanterns are illuminated, dinner is being served, and many of the small bars begin opening.
Q&A
Where should I stay?
If you are a solo traveler or traveling on a budget, I highly recommend the Nui Hostel. I stayed here as both a solo and budget traveler and felt like it was both safe and clean. I loved the atmosphere of the place and it features a cafe/bar in the main lobby that is open to foreigners and locals alike.
If you’re willing to splurge a little more, Tokyo has many hotels such as the Shinjuku Granbell Hotel or Hamacho Hotel.
How much should I budget for Tokyo?
Tokyo can be visited on a budget or luxuriously. Meals typically cost anywhere from 1,000 yen to 5,000 yen, depending on where you are eating. The public transit costs about 100 to 200 yen per ride, but it depends on the distance you are traveling. The higher the distance, the more the ride will cost. Accommodations can cost anywhere from 4,000 yen/night to 45,000 yen/night. I stayed at Nui hostel for 3 nights and paid a total of 13,112 yen. Personally, my biggest expense in Tokyo was the shopping. I fell in love with the shopping there and admittedly dropped a couple hundred USD indulging in the fashion and stationery.
Including my hostel, I spent approximately $100 USD/day during my 3-day trip in Japan. This included food, shopping, travel, and accommodations — basically everything but the flight.
How should I get around Tokyo?
The best way to get around Tokyo is by public transit or by walking. Since the city is so large, I found it was more time-effective to take the local train than to walk everywhere.
The train is straightforward to navigate. Make sure you download Google Maps to see which trains or routes you have to take to get from Point A to Point B. Google Maps also tells you how much the ride costs.
There are several ways to pay for the train. The easiest way for me was to add the Suica transit card directly to my Apple Wallet and tap my phone on the gate when entering the station. This allowed me to add fare as needed.
Alternatively, you can purchase an IC card (Suica or PASMO) for a refundable 500-yen fee at the train station. To add more money to the card, you can recharge it at the automated ticket machines.
There is a new card called the Welcome Suica card that is intended for short-term travelers as it expires 28 days from purchase. This card does not have a deposit and works just like the other cards. Currently, this card is only available for purchase at the Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station.
Some other important points about taking the public transit in Tokyo:
Stand in line before boarding the train by following the designated spots.
Avoid eating or drinking on the train as this is usually frowned upon by locals.
Be aware of priority seats for those who are pregnant, elderly, or with disabilities.
Trains stop running around 23:30 and 00:30. They resume around 5:00.
Many trains have women-only carriages during peak hours.
