The must-do highlights of Tokyo in three days

Never mind three days – you could spend three years in Tokyo and never be bored. Still, most of us don’t have that much time to explore, so for now, three days will have to suffice.

With three days in Tokyo, you can experience a vast spectrum of places and attractions, a smorgasbord of incredible food, and a wondrous contrast of old and new.

You can meet new people and see amazing things. And you will never, for a single second, grow tired of it.

DAY ONE

Our stay in Tokyo begins with some of the highlights of the more tourist-heavy centres, in the inner-east of the city: the likes of Asakusa, Ginza and Chiyoda. Prepare to take a lot of photos.

Morning

The SkyTree towers above Tokyo.Credit: iStock

What better way to begin your Tokyo adventuring than with a visit to one of its most popular attractions, and one that allows the opportunity to take in just how enormous this city really is? Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest tower, and has an observatory a colossal 450 metres above the ground.

It opens at 10am, and that is a great time to get in there and beat the crowds. Be sure to purchase your tickets online in advance (they open a week before).

Once you’re back on ground level, take a 15-minute walk to historic Asakusa for an early lunch at Namiki Yabusoba, a more-than-100-year-old soba noodle restaurant that is eternally popular, and a great way to tap into living history.

Afternoon

Senso-ji temple complex is Tokyo’s oldest.Credit: iStock

Just up the road from Namiki Yabusoba, discover one of Tokyo’s best-known historic attractions: Senso-ji. This Buddhist temple complex was constructed in 645 AD, making it Tokyo’s oldest site (though it had to be reconstructed after World War II). It’s spectacular, consisting of a sprawling main hall, a five-storey pagoda, and a separate Shinto shrine. It’s also very popular, so expect to share what should be a peaceful experience with a lot of other people.

Once you have your fill at Senso-ji, walk west to Kappabashi Street, a long strip of shops selling everything a devoted foodie could ever need, from Japanese kitchen knives, to crockery and chopsticks, to pots and pans and utensils, to the plastic models of food you see outside local restaurants.

Next, jump on the subway and head to Takebashi station, the closest point to the Imperial Palace. This is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family, built on the site of the old Edo castle, and surrounded by a sprawling complex of gardens and moats. The inner grounds are closed to the public; however, there’s plenty to enjoy during a stroll of the gardens south towards Hibiya station.

Evening

Explore Tokyo’s Giza district in the evening.Credit: iStock

Hungry? Of course you are. From Hibiya station, walk just a few minutes to your dinner destination: Ginza Shimada. This is a tachinomi, or standing bar, a style of Japanese drinking den that’s normally very casual and cheap, though the food at Shimada is incredibly high quality. There are no bookings taken, so just show up.

After dinner, take a stroll around Ginza, Tokyo’s main financial hub. Check out the unique architecture of flagship buildings for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Tiffany.

Explore high-end shopping malls like Ginza Six. And finally, take a seat at Bar Yu-Nagi, a classy cocktail bar, for a nightcap.

DAY TWO

Today we’re taking in the highlights of inner-western Tokyo, a strip of well-known, modern locales that includes Shinjuku, Omotesando, Harajuku, Shibuya and Ebisu. There’s plenty of shopping today, as well as a few historic landmarks.

Morning

The torii gate entrance to Meiji Jingu.Credit: iStock

Breakfast isn’t much of a thing in Japan. There’s no brunch culture. You won’t find a surfeit of Italian-style pastry shops. There is, however, an obsession with thick but lighter-than-air pancakes, which you can sample this morning at A Happy Pancake in Omotesando. Once you’re done there, make your way through boutique-lined streets to Meiji Jingu, a historic complex that includes a garden, a shrine and a famous torii gate. After that, it’s easy to head over to Harajuku and take in all the vintage shopping (and touristy tack) that you could ever imagine.

Afternoon

The famous crossing at Shibuya.Credit: iStock

Take a train one stop to Shibuya, yet another hugely busy hub. There’s a lot to explore here, though first you will want to grab some food: try the pasta at Kabe no Ana. This might sound like a strange suggestion, but Japan is obsessed with Italian cuisine, and Kabe no Ana is the birthplace of wafu, or Japanese-style pasta.

You can spend this afternoon on a long and meandering wander through Shibuya’s busy streets, perhaps calling into iconic stores like Tokyu Hands and Tower Records, or flagship stores for Onitsuka Tiger and H&M, electronics at Bic Camera, mall culture at Shibuya 109.

Be sure to leave time for a coffee at Starbucks – again, this sounds like strange advice but the Starbucks Shibuya enjoys front-row viewing over the famed “Shibuya Scramble”, the instantly recognisable pedestrian crossing.

Evening

The New York Bar at Tokyo’s Park Hyatt Tokyo was made famous in the movie, Lost in Translation.

Take the train one stop south now to Ebisu to enjoy dinner at Uoshin, an izakaya – a casual Japanese bar – with a focus on seafood. Uoshin does a la carte food, or you can leave the chefs to design a multi-course extravaganza, paired with all-you-can-drink sake. Trust us, you will have a good time.

Next, back on the train and head to Shinjuku for the best of Tokyo nightlife.

There’s so much on offer here, from the tiny bars of the Golden Gai area, to loud, grungy rock bars like Mother, and classy whisky bars such as Zoetrope, or unique, high-end cocktail bars like Bar Benfiddich. Call in to the Park Hyatt hotel to visit the bar made famous by Lost in Translation.

DAY THREE

Our final day is dedicated to “adventures on the Chuo Line”. This is a train line that heads west from Shinjuku to some of the low-key highlights of Tokyo: Nakano, Koenji and Kichijoji, areas known for their vintage stores, record shops, manga culture, and a few parks and temples.

Morning

Nakano Broadway.Credit: iStock

Begin your day with a high-quality flat white from Blue Bottle Coffee near Shinjuku station, before jumping on a Chuo line train and riding a few minutes to Nakano. This an area known for its manga and anime culture, as well as its charming shotengai, or old-school shopping street. It’s also home to Araiyakushi Baishoin, a beautiful temple complex with a local vibe.

From the temple, stroll over to Nakano Broadway, a classic shopping mall that houses all manner of wonder, including Mandarake, a series of 30 shops that stock absolutely everything an otaku could ever need, from figurines to manga comics, vintage toys, sporting memorabilia, J-pop paraphernalia, and any other collectable you could think of.

Afternoon

The Studio Ghibli Museum.Credit: iStock

Grab lunch in Nakano at Ramen Aoba, a classic and hugely popular store that specialises in chuka soba, a rich chicken, pork and chicken broth with thick noodles and slices of braised pork. It’s very, very good.

Jump back on the Chuo Line now and head to Koenji, Tokyo’s heartland for vintage shopping. From the train station, exit to the south and then wander to your heart’s content: the streets are filled with vintage stores selling everything from ’50s Americana to early 1900s French classics. There’s a shotengai in Koenji too.

If it’s a weekend, you now have time to reboard the Chuo Line and head further west to call into the Studio Ghibli Museum, a whimsical place dedicated to the makers of cult anime films such as Spirited Away. Book tickets online well in advance.

Evening

Spend tonight in Kichijoji, one of Tokyo’s most enjoyable neighbourhoods, with plenty of shopping and a great bar and restaurant scene. If you’re a fan of vintage and rare sneakers, call into Skit before closing time. Then, head to Harmonica Yokocho, a network of narrow, covered lanes near Kichijoji station filled with things to eat, things to drink, and people to call your friends.

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