3 Day Tokyo Itinerary: Shibuya, Asakusa and Shinjuku
A long weekend or stopover in Tokyo: Meiji Shrine and Shibuya Crossing on arrival, then Tsukiji, teamLab Planets, Senso-ji, and Akihabara in one full day, with both nights in Shinjuku's yakitori alleys and Golden Gai bars. One hotel, no bullet trains.
This itinerary gives Tokyo an arrival afternoon, one full day, and a departure morning, and keeps each one moving in a single direction. The arrival afternoon walks from Meiji Shrine through Harajuku to Shibuya Crossing at dusk, the full day crosses the east side from Tsukiji and teamLab to Asakusa and Akihabara before Golden Gai, and the last morning is an hour in Shinjuku Gyoen before the airport train.
It fits a Friday-to-Sunday trip best: many Tsukiji shops close on Sundays, and Shinjuku Gyoen closes on Mondays. Open it in the free trip planner to pin it to your dates and swap in anything you would rather see.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Trip Overview
3/3 days plannedDay 1
Wednesday âĸ November 18, 2026
đŊī¸Meals & Dining(1)
Dinner in Omoide Yokocho
Three stops back up the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku. About 80 shops, most of them yakitori and grilled-offal counters, are packed into a few lanes by the west exit, a market that grew up just after the war. Seats are few, so walk the lanes until a stool is free
đ¯Activities(4)
đ Morning
Arrive at Narita or Haneda, get a Suica card
Add Suica to your phone's wallet or buy a Welcome Suica at the airport station. The Narita Express runs direct to Shinjuku in about 80 minutes; from Haneda's international terminal the airport limousine bus takes about an hour (ÂĨ1,400). Hotels will hold your bags until check-in, usually 3 PM
âī¸Afternoon
Meiji Shrine
Free, and two stops from Shinjuku on the Yamanote Line, at Harajuku. A 10-minute gravel walk through planted forest leads to the main hall. The gates close around sunset, as early as 4 PM in December, so come here straight after dropping your bags
Takeshita Street and Cat Street down to Shibuya
Takeshita Street's crepes and street fashion start across the road from the shrine's Harajuku entrance. Then follow the back-street boutiques of Cat Street south to Shibuya, a 15- to 20-minute walk in all
đEvening
Shibuya Crossing at dusk
Come as it gets dark, when the big screens light up the crowd. For a free view from above, stand at the window of the walkway linking JR Shibuya Station to Shibuya Mark City
On Japan's famous lists nearby
Day 2
Thursday âĸ November 19, 2026
đŊī¸Meals & Dining(1)
Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast
Grilled scallops, tamagoyaki on a stick, and tuna bowls. The market keeps 6 to 9 AM for trade buyers and welcomes everyone from 9 to 2, and many shops close on Sundays and holidays, so come at 9 on a Saturday or weekday
đ¯Activities(4)
đ Morning
teamLab Planets
In Toyosu, a short taxi ride from Tsukiji. Tickets are not sold at the door, so book a timed slot online a few weeks ahead; a mid-morning slot fits after breakfast. You walk barefoot, partly knee-deep in water, through mirrored rooms of light; allow 90 minutes and wear trousers that roll up, or borrow the free shorts
âī¸Afternoon
Senso-ji Temple
About 45 minutes by train from teamLab, changing to the Ginza Line at Ginza. Tokyo's oldest temple, free to enter, and the main hall closes at 5 PM. Walk in through the Kaminarimon gate and the snack stalls of Nakamise street; try a freshly fried age-manju
Akihabara Electric Town
Two stops from Asakusa on the Tsukuba Express, whose station is on Kokusai-dori, west of the temple. Start at the Radio Kaikan building by the station: floor after floor of figures, trading cards, and hobby shops
đNight
Golden Gai bar hopping
The Chuo-Sobu Line runs from Akihabara straight to Shinjuku. Golden Gai is a grid of narrow lanes on the east side packed with bars that seat five to eight. Many charge a cover, usually posted at the door; ask your bartender to recommend the next bar
On Japan's famous lists nearby
Day 3
Friday âĸ November 20, 2026
3 activities
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Open this itinerary in our free trip planner to change dates, add activities, find hotels, and make it yours. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3 days enough for Tokyo?
Enough for a first taste. With one full day between an arrival afternoon and a departure morning, this plan covers Harajuku, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Asakusa, Akihabara, and Shinjuku, from a shrine forest and a 7th-century temple to Golden Gai's bars. You will leave with a long list for next time.
Should I do a day trip from Tokyo with only 3 days?
Skip day trips on a 3-day visit. Kamakura, Nikko, and Hakone each take most of a day once you count the travel there and back, and this plan has only one full day. Save them for a longer trip.
How do I get around Tokyo?
Get a Suica or Pasmo IC card on arrival and tap through the metro and JR lines. Trains run roughly 5 a.m. to midnight. Each day here moves in one direction, the west side (Harajuku to Shibuya) on arrival and the east side (Tsukiji to Akihabara) on the full day, and both nights end back in Shinjuku.
Where should I stay for a short Tokyo trip?
Shinjuku, where both evenings end and the last morning starts, so the hotels below are all there. Shibuya works nearly as well, and both have the Narita Express and airport buses. Asakusa is calmer but puts you across town from Shinjuku's bars at the end of the night.
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