How many days do you need in Tokyo?

5 days is ideal to cover Tokyo's main highlights without rushing. 3 days works if you skip day trips. 7 days lets you add Hakone, Yokohama, and explore neighbourhoods at a relaxed pace.

What is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Late March to mid-April for cherry blossoms, or mid-October to November for autumn foliage. May and September-October offer mild weather with fewer tourists. Avoid Golden Week (late April to early May) and Obon (mid-August) when domestic travel peaks.

How much does a 5-day Tokyo trip cost?

Budget: around 8,000-12,000 yen per day (approximately 53-80 USD). Mid-range: 15,000-25,000 yen per day (100-167 USD). Luxury: 40,000 yen and above per day (267+ USD). All figures exclude flights and include accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Do I need a Japan Rail Pass for Tokyo?

For Tokyo only, no. A Suica or Pasmo IC card is cheaper and more convenient for metro and buses. The JR Pass only makes sense if you are also travelling to Kyoto, Osaka or other cities by bullet train.

Do Indian passport holders need a visa for Japan?

Yes, Indian passport holders need to apply for a tourist visa at the Japanese Embassy or Consulate. Processing takes 5-7 working days. Most Western passport holders (US, UK, EU, Australia) get visa-free entry for up to 90 days.

Is Tokyo easy to navigate without speaking Japanese?

Yes. Tokyo's metro has English signage everywhere, Google Maps works perfectly for transit directions, and most restaurants have picture menus or plastic food displays. Download Google Translate with the Japanese offline pack for menus and signs.

Tokyo Shibuya Crossing neon lights at night

Home/Blog/Tokyo 5 Days

City & CultureApril 4, 2026·18 min read·IncredibleItinerary

Tokyo in 5 Days: The Only Guide You Need (Budget to Luxury, 2026)

3 complete plans with real timings, costs in yen, transit decoded — and the mistakes that ruin most Tokyo trips.

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🇯🇵 Japan·🗓 5 Days·💰 From \u00A58,000/day ($53)

Shibuya Crossing at midnight when the neon reflects off wet pavement — this is the Tokyo they promised you and it delivers. But most first-timers waste two days being confused by the metro, overpay for everything, and miss entire neighbourhoods. This guide fixes all of that.

⚡ Which Plan Are You?

Pick your budget — jump straight to your itinerary.

📋 Visa & Transit Essentials

Get a Suica card at the airport. Don't think about it. Just do it. Tokyo transit without it is suffering.

🛂Visa Requirements

Indian passportVisa required — apply at Japanese Embassy, 5–7 working days

US / UK / EUVisa-free for 90 days

Australia / NZVisa-free for 90 days

DocumentsReturn ticket, hotel booking, bank statement

\u26A0\uFE0F Apply at least 3 weeks before departure. Japan doesn’t offer visa on arrival for any nationality.

🚉Getting Around

IC CardSuica or Pasmo — ¥500 deposit, tap on/off everything

JR PassOnly worth it if visiting Kyoto/Osaka too

Google MapsBest app for Tokyo transit — shows exact platform numbers

AirportNarita Express ¥3,250 or Limousine Bus ¥3,200 to city

\u26A0\uFE0F Tokyo Metro day pass: ¥600 (24hr). Insane value if you’re hitting 4+ stations.

🗓

5 Days

Duration

💰

\u00A58,000/day

Budget From

🌸

Mar–May, Oct–Nov

Best Months

\u2708\uFE0F

Narita / Haneda

Airports

📅 The Itineraries

Click a plan — days are expandable/collapsible.

✨

Mid-Range Plan — \u00A515,000–25,000/day ($100–167)

Stay: Business hotel in Shinjuku/Shibuya · \u00A58,000–15,000/night ($53–100)

●9am: Meiji Shrine — free, serene forested walk. If you’re lucky, catch a traditional wedding procession.
●11am: Harajuku — Takeshita Street, then walk Omotesando’s tree-lined luxury boulevard. Cat Street for indie shops.
●Lunch: Bills Omotesando for ricotta pancakes (¥1,800/$12) or Afuri Harajuku for yuzu ramen (¥1,200/$8).
●3pm: Shibuya Crossing — Shibuya Sky (¥2,000) for the aerial view. Book the sunset slot.
●5pm: Ebisu — quieter, more local. Yebisu Beer Museum (free tasting ¥400).
●Evening: Shinjuku Golden Gai — pick bars with English signs if you’re nervous. Most cover charges ¥500–1,000.
●Dinner: Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) near Shinjuku Station — yakitori alley under the train tracks. ¥2,000–3,000 for a full meal with drinks.

💰Est. cost: \u00A515,000–20,000 ($100–133) including transport

●7am: Tsukiji Outer Market — premium sushi breakfast at Sushi Dai or Daiwa Sushi. ¥3,500–4,500 ($23–30). Queue 30–60 min.
●10:30am: teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills — ¥3,800. Pre-book or skip. No flexibility here.
●2pm: Odaiba waterfront — unicorn Gundam, Palette Town. Take the Yurikamome monorail across Rainbow Bridge.
●5pm: Akihabara — Yodobashi Camera (8 floors of electronics), Mandarake for vintage manga/anime. Super Potato for retro games.
●Dinner: Kanda Matsuya for handmade soba noodles since 1884 — ¥1,200 ($8). Cold seiro soba in summer is perfection.

💰Est. cost: \u00A516,000–22,000 ($107–147) including transport

●8am: Senso-ji — the entire Asakusa district before 9am is magical. Incense hall, fortune slips (¥100), Nakamise street.
●10am: Rickshaw ride through old Asakusa — ¥5,000 ($33) for 30 min. Surprisingly worthwhile, drivers speak English.
●Lunch: Sometaro in Asakusa — cook-your-own okonomiyaki on a hot plate. ¥1,500–2,000.
●2pm: Ueno Park — Tokyo National Museum (¥1,000), then walk through to Yanaka.
●4pm: Yanaka Ginza — the last old-Tokyo shopping street. Try menchi-katsu (fried meat patty) for ¥250.
●Evening: Sumida River cruise to Hamarikyu Gardens — ¥1,000 ($7). Green tea with city skyline views.

💰Est. cost: \u00A515,000–20,000 ($100–133) including transport

●Kamakura (recommended for first-timers): Great Buddha → Hasedera Temple → Enoshima Island. Coastal town, 1hr from Tokyo.
●Nikko (recommended for temple lovers): Toshogu Shrine complex is jaw-dropping. UNESCO World Heritage. Mountain air.
●Mid-range Kamakura: hire a kimono (¥4,000/$27) and walk the bamboo temple (Hokokuji ¥300, matcha ¥600).
●Lunch at Kamakura: fresh shirasu (whitebait) don at a harbour-side restaurant. ¥1,800–2,500.
●Return via Enoden line (cute coastal tram) if doing Kamakura. Great photos from Kamakura-koko-mae station.
●Back in Tokyo by 6pm for a final Shinjuku evening.

💰Est. cost: \u00A512,000–18,000 ($80–120) including transport

●9am: Imperial Palace East Gardens — free. The Ninomaru garden is stunning in any season.
●11am: Ginza — Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple (free, stunning architecture), then browse Ginza Six mall.
●Lunch: Ginza depachika food hall in Mitsukoshi or Matsuya — wagyu bento ¥2,000–3,000 ($13–20).
●3pm: Mori Art Museum + rooftop at Roppongi Hills — ¥2,000. Sky Deck is extra ¥500 but worth it on clear days.
●5pm: Tokyo Tower (if you haven’t yet) — ¥1,200 main deck. Less crowded than Skytree, more nostalgic.
●Final dinner: Gonpachi Nishiazabu (the Kill Bill restaurant) — ¥4,000–6,000 ($27–40) for a memorable last meal.

💰Est. cost: \u00A516,000–23,000 ($107–153) including transport

Total 5-Day Cost · \u00A575,000–125,000 ($500–833) including accommodation

💰 Budget Breakdown

Category	💰 Budget	✨ Mid-Range	💎 Luxury
🏨 Accommodation (5N)	¥15,000–25,000 ($100–167)	¥40,000–75,000 ($267–500)	¥300,000–750,000 ($2,000–5,000)
🍜 Food & Drinks	¥10,000–15,000 ($67–100)	¥25,000–40,000 ($167–267)	¥100,000–200,000 ($667–1,333)
🚉 Transport	¥5,000–8,000 ($33–53)	¥8,000–12,000 ($53–80)	¥20,000–40,000 ($133–267)
🎯 Activities	¥8,000–12,000 ($53–80)	¥15,000–25,000 ($100–167)	¥80,000–150,000 ($533–1,000)
🍶 Nightlife/Extras	¥2,000–5,000 ($13–33)	¥5,000–10,000 ($33–67)	¥20,000–50,000 ($133–333)
Total (5 days)	¥40,000–60,000 ($267–400)	¥75,000–125,000 ($500–833)	¥500,000–900,000 ($3,333–6,000)

All prices in \u00A5 (Japanese Yen), 2026. USD equivalent at ~\u00A5150/$1. Excludes international flights.

🏨

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Verified prices · Instant booking

All hotels →

Budget pick★★★★

Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki

Budget Hostel · Asakusa

From ¥3,500/night ($23)Book →

Mid-range pick★★★★

Shinjuku Granbell Hotel

Boutique · Shinjuku

From ¥12,000/night ($80)Book →

Luxury★★★★★

Park Hyatt Tokyo

Luxury · Shinjuku

From ¥65,000/night ($433)Book →

Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Helps keep our guides free.

🎯

Things to Do in Tokyo

Tours & experiences · Instant confirmation

All tours →

teamLab Borderless Skip-the-Line

Must do

⏱ 2–3 hoursFrom ¥3,800 ($25)

Tsukiji Outer Market Food Tour

Food

⏱ 3 hoursFrom ¥8,000 ($53)

Kamakura Day Trip from Tokyo

⏱ Full dayFrom ¥10,000 ($67)

Mt. Fuji & Hakone Day Tour

⏱ Full dayFrom ¥12,000 ($80)

Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Tokyo — Must-See Places

Click each thumbnail to explore Tokyo’s most iconic spots.

📸

Shibuya Crossing

📍

Shibuya Crossing

The world’s busiest intersection. Best viewed from above at Shibuya Sky, or cross it yourself during rush hour for the full adrenaline hit.

Golden Gai narrow alley bars in Shinjuku Tokyo

Golden Gai, Shinjuku — 200+ bars in six alleys, each seating 5–8 people. Cover charge \u00A5500–1,000 usually includes your first drink.

❌ Mistakes to Avoid

💳

Not getting a Suica/Pasmo card

Buying individual metro tickets wastes 5–10 minutes every ride. Get a Suica at the airport and top up. Works on all trains, buses, even convenience stores.

🚅

Buying a JR Pass for Tokyo only

The JR Pass costs ¥50,000+ and only covers JR lines. Most Tokyo sightseeing uses Metro lines, not JR. Only buy the JR Pass if you’re also going to Kyoto/Osaka.

🎨

Skipping teamLab booking

teamLab Borderless sells out weeks ahead. If you don’t pre-book online, you will not get in. No walk-ups, no exceptions.

🍱

Only eating at restaurants

Convenience store food in Japan is genuinely excellent. A ¥150 ($1) onigiri from 7-Eleven or FamilyMart is a legitimate meal. Depachika food halls in department stores are world-class.

🚕

Taking taxis everywhere

Tokyo taxis start at ¥500 and add up fast. A 20-minute ride can cost ¥3,000–5,000 ($20–33). The metro goes everywhere and runs until midnight.

💴

Ignoring cash

Japan is still heavily cash-based. Many small restaurants, shrines, and street food stalls don’t take cards. Withdraw ¥30,000–50,000 at a 7-Eleven ATM on arrival.

💡 Pro Tips

🚉

Tokyo Metro 24hr Pass

Only ¥600 ($4) for unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro lines for 24 hours. If you’re hitting 4+ stations in a day, this pays for itself by lunchtime.

🏪

Convenience Stores Are King

7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson — for ATMs (international cards), onigiri, bento boxes, bills payment, event tickets, and surprisingly good coffee. Open 24/7.

📱

Download Before You Go

Google Maps (offline Tokyo map), Google Translate (Japanese offline pack), Suica app (or physical card). These three apps solve 90% of tourist confusion.

🌸

Cherry Blossom Timing

Usually late March to mid-April. Check japan-guide.com/sakura for real-time forecasts. Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyoen are the best spots in central Tokyo.

🧳

Coin Lockers Are Everywhere

Station coin lockers: ¥300–600 for the day. Store your bags and explore hands-free. Large sizes at major stations (Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya) fill up by noon.

🎴

Tipping Is Rude

Do not tip in Japan. Not at restaurants, not to taxi drivers, not at hotels. It’s considered insulting. If you leave money on the table, staff will chase you down to return it.

Free Service