Things to do in Tokyo
Kissatens, counter sushi, yakiniku, and the bars locals actually go to.
This is Tokyo for someone who wants the real texture of the city: old coffee shops and forest shrines in the morning, a counter dinner where the chef calls the shots, a cocktail in a bar that has earned its reputation over decades. You don't need to spend a fortune, but you're not cutting corners either. Three days, three distinct neighbourhoods, one trip that feels like it was designed by someone who lives here.
Day 1: Shibuya, Daikanyama, Harajuku
Start with a pour-over at Fuglen, walk off breakfast in the forest at Meiji Jingu, eat crisp rare beef cutlet in Ura-Harajuku, browse Daikanyama T-Site, then sit at a sushi counter in Shibuya.
- 9:30 AM
Fuglen Tokyo
The Tomigaya café of Oslo's Fuglen: light-roast pour-overs in a room of Norwegian vintage furniture.
Map - 10:30 AM
Meiji Jingu
Walk the ancient gravel paths under a century-old forest canopy, the ultimate contrast to the scramble below. Friends swear this is the city reset button.
Map - 12:30 PM
Gyukatsu Motomura Harajuku
Crisp rare beef cutlet you finish on a hot stone at the table; expect a short queue.
Map - 2:00 PM
Daikanyama T-Site
Daikanyama T-Site: the magazine floor alone is worth the walk, a beautifully curated bookshop that doubles as a neighbourhood cultural landmark.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sushi Sen Shibuya 渋谷 すし仙
Sit at the counter and let the chef lead the omakase; good value for Shibuya.
Map - 9:30 PM
Nonbei Yokocho
Two lanes of six-seat bars by the Shibuya tracks, a minute from dinner; pick one with a free stool.
Map
Day 2: Roppongi, Azabu, and a late grill
A slow morning around Roppongi Hills, a look up at Tokyo Tower, pizza in Azabu-Juban, wagyu yakiniku at night, then Bar Lupin, pouring in a Ginza basement since 1928.
- 9:30 AM
Roppongi Hills 六本木ヒルズ
Grab a morning coffee at one of the cafes inside Roppongi Hills, a walkable landmark right in the neighbourhood to ease into the day.
Map - 11:00 AM
- 12:30 PM
Savoy Tomato & Cheese
Neapolitan pizza from a wood oven in Azabu-Juban; order the tomato-and-cheese pie the place is named for.
Map - 7:30 PM
Yakiniku Honma
Wagyu yakiniku grilled at the table; order the assorted cuts and the tongue first.
Map - 9:30 PM
Bar Lupin
Basement bar from 1928 where Dazai Osamu drank; order a classic cocktail and keep your voice low.
Map
Day 3: Ginza and Hibiya at their own pace
Walk the Imperial Palace East Gardens, eat mid-range sushi the Ginza regulars trust, wander Hamarikyu's tidal garden, and close the trip with Spanish cooking at Zurriola and a cocktail at Star Bar.
- 9:30 AM
The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace 皇居東御苑
Stroll the Imperial Palace East Gardens, free, serene, and the best greenery within walking distance.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ginza sushi roku 銀座 鮨 魯久(ろく)
Ginza Sushi Roku, mid-range sushi that locals trust, great value for the neighbourhood.
Map - 2:30 PM
Hamarikyu Gardens
Shogun-era garden with a seawater pond under the Shiodome towers; take matcha at the island teahouse.
Map - 7:30 PM
ZURRIOLA
Modern Spanish from chef Seiichi Honda on a Ginza fourth floor; the one splurge of the day.
Map - 9:30 PM
Star Bar Ginza
Hisashi Kishi's basement bar in Ginza 1-chome, ten minutes on foot from Zurriola; order a sidecar.
Map
Where to stay
OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts
OMO3 Akasaka sits almost exactly at the centre of all three days and keeps the price honest, with Hoshino's signature local-first ethos baked in.
Hotel Risveglio Akasaka
Hotel Risveglio Akasaka is a compact, well-located option at an unknown rate that tends to suit travellers who want a quiet room and a good address without paying for a lobby.
Make Tokyo your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- teamLab Planets TOKYO: weeks ahead
- Shibuya Sky: weeks ahead
- Ghibli Museum: weeks ahead
- Ryōgoku Kokugikan: weeks ahead
- Tokyo DisneySea: weeks ahead
- Nikkō: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Takeshita Street in Harajuku is a shoulder to shoulder tourist funnel, walk parallel Ura-Harajuku instead.
- The Ichiran queue is not worth 60 to 90 minutes when Fuunji, Hayashi and Shima exist.
- Pick one viewpoint, Shibuya Sky or the free Metropolitan Government Building decks, not three paid towers.
- There is no wholesale inner market left at Tsukiji, it moved to Toyosu in 2018.
The full Tokyo travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around