Asia

How Many Days in Tokyo? A 4-Day Plan, Costs and Day Trips

Kiwitours EditorialUpdated October 9, 2026 · 11 min read

Hozomon gate at Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo, with its giant straw sandal, a first stop when planning how many days in Tokyo

The short answer

How many days in Tokyo you need comes down to how far you go beyond the city: four full days covers the main districts at a sensible pace, and three is the workable minimum. Add one day each for Kamakura, Hakone or Nikko. Stay in Shinjuku, Shibuya or near Tokyo Station, and travel in January, February or June for the lowest crowds.

Tokyo is not one centre but a dozen, joined by the busiest rail network in the world. Each district can fill a day on its own, so the real question is how many of them you want to see properly.

This guide sets out what each extra day buys you and a four-day route grouped by area. It also covers 2026 transit passes and ticket prices, the hotel tax change coming in 2027, the cheapest months, and the day trips worth a fifth or sixth day.

Before you book: what to sort out first

Entry rules. US and UK passport holders can visit Japan without a visa for up to 90 days as tourists, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other nationalities should check the visa requirements by country first. Rail passes, holiday weeks and routes that join the cities are in our guide to how many days in Japan.
Departure tax. Japan’s International Tourist Tax rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per departure on 1 July 2026. Airlines usually add it to the fare.
A data plan. Station transfers are far easier with live maps; check which iPhones support eSIM before you buy one.
Travel insurance. Check what your policy pays for medical care in Japan; see whether travel insurance is worth it.
Your closed days. Several major sights close on Mondays, and one closes on Fridays too. Plan the days around them before you book anything timed.

How many days in Tokyo do you need?

Four full days is the comfortable answer for a first visit. Three works if you keep to the east side and the west side and skip the slower stops. Each day trip then adds one more day.

Days	What you see	Who it suits
3	Asakusa, the palace area, Shibuya and Shinjuku	Stopovers and short breaks
4	The above plus Ueno’s museums	Most first visits
5	One day trip: Kamakura, Hakone or Nikko	Travellers who want temples or hot springs
6	Two day trips, or a slower pace	Long-haul visits, peak seasons

The fourth day is the one most often cut and most often missed. It is the day that absorbs a rainy morning, a closed museum or simple jet lag.

Four full days covers Tokyo's main districts; each day trip adds one more.

A 4-day Tokyo itinerary grouped by area

Each day stays on one or two neighbouring lines. Crossing the city takes 30 to 40 minutes by train, so grouping saves an hour or more a day.

Day 1: Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree

Reach Senso-ji early. Its main hall opens at 6:00 from April to September and 6:30 from October to March, and entry is free.
Walk Nakamise-dori to the Kaminarimon gate before the shops fill up.
Cross the Sumida River to Tokyo Skytree. Tembo Deck tickets start at ¥1,800 for adults.

Day 2: The Imperial Palace East Gardens and Ginza

Start at the East Gardens, which open at 9:00 and charge no admission. They close on Mondays and Fridays.
Walk south through Marunouchi to Tokyo Station’s restored brick building.
Spend the afternoon and evening in Ginza.

Day 3: Meiji Jingu, Harajuku and Shibuya

Arrive at Meiji Jingu at opening. The shrine opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, and there is no admission charge.
Walk down Omotesando from Harajuku.
Finish at Shibuya Crossing in the evening.

Day 4: Ueno, Shinjuku Gyoen and Shinjuku

Visit the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno from 9:30; it closes on Mondays.
Take the train west to Shinjuku Gyoen, which charges ¥500 for adults.
Stay in Shinjuku for the evening around the station’s east side.

Grouping each day by area keeps cross-city train rides to a minimum.

What Tokyo costs: passes and tickets in 2026

Many of Tokyo’s best-known sights cost nothing to enter. Transport is the main daily cost, and the subway passes went up on 14 March 2026.

Ticket	Adult price, 2026
Tokyo Subway Ticket, 24 h	¥1,000
Tokyo Subway Ticket, 48 h	¥1,500
Tokyo Subway Ticket, 72 h	¥2,000
Tokyo Skytree, Tembo Deck	from ¥1,800
Tokyo National Museum	¥1,000
Shinjuku Gyoen	¥500
Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu, East Gardens	Free

The Tokyo Subway Ticket covers the Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines only. JR lines, including the Yamanote loop, are charged separately, so check your route before you buy the 72-hour version.

A 24-hour subway pass plus two tickets comes to ¥2,500 per adult at 2026 prices, before JR fares and food.

Tokyo’s hotel tax changes in April 2027

Tokyo charges a small hotel tax today, and it becomes a percentage next year. The figures below come from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s tax bureau.

Room rate per person, per night	Tax until 31 Mar 2027	Tax from 1 Apr 2027
Under ¥10,000	None	None
¥10,000 to ¥12,999	¥100	None
¥13,000 to ¥14,999	¥100	3%
¥15,000 and over	¥200	3%

From April 2027 the tax also applies to simple lodgings and private rentals, not only hotels and ryokan. A ¥30,000 room per person would then carry ¥900 a night, against ¥200 today.

Today's flat ¥100 or ¥200 becomes 3% of the room rate per person from April 2027, with rooms under ¥13,000 exempt.

Where to stay in Tokyo

Three areas suit most first visits: Shinjuku and Shibuya on the west side, and Tokyo Station on the east. Asakusa and Ueno suit a quieter, more budget-minded trip.

Area	Best for	Trade-off
Shinjuku	Rail links, nightlife	Very busy station
Shibuya	Shopping, dining	Far from Asakusa
Tokyo Station, Ginza	Shinkansen, day trips	Quiet at night
Asakusa, Ueno	Lower prices, Narita trains	Longer rides west

Tokyo Station is the practical base if you plan two or more day trips. Shinjuku suits a Hakone day trip, since the Odakyu Romancecar leaves from there.

When is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months. Japan Meteorological Agency averages for 1991 to 2020 put Tokyo’s August daily high at 31.3°C (88°F) and its January high at 9.8°C (50°F).

Months	Average high	What to expect
Late Mar to early Apr	14-19°C	Cherry blossom, busy and pricier
Early Jun to mid-Jul	26-30°C	Rainy season
Jul to Aug	30-31°C	Hot and humid
Sep to Oct	22-28°C	The wettest months
Late Nov to early Dec	12-17°C	Autumn colour, clear days
Jan to Feb	10-11°C	Coldest, outside the peaks

Cherry blossom moves each year. The agency’s sample tree in Tokyo flowers on 24 March on average; in 2026 it opened on 19 March and reached full bloom on 28 March. For maples, the Japan Weather Association expects Tokyo’s peak around 28 November 2026.

Japan Meteorological Agency 1991-2020 normals: highs run from 10°C in January to 31°C in August; the shaded months hold the two crowd peaks.

What is the cheapest time to visit Tokyo?

Mid-January to February is usually the cheapest stretch, followed by June’s rainy season. Demand is lowest then, and none of Japan’s big holiday weeks fall inside it.

Avoid Golden Week. Japan’s public holidays on 29 April and 3 to 5 May send domestic travel and room rates up.
Avoid the New Year week, when many shops and some gardens close; the East Gardens shut from 28 December to 3 January.
Expect cherry blossom premiums in late March and early April.
Accept the rain in June. The Kanto rainy season normally runs from about 7 June to 19 July.

This guide gives no hotel prices, because rates move daily with demand. Compare the same dates in two or three of these windows before you book.

Day trips from Tokyo worth an extra day

All three are under two hours by direct train, so each fits in a single day.

Day trip	Fastest train	Leaves from
Kamakura	55 min, JR Yokosuka Line	Tokyo Station
Hakone	About 80 min, Romancecar	Shinjuku
Nikko	109 min, Spacia X	Asakusa

Kamakura is the easiest of the three, with temples, the Great Buddha and a beach town feel. Hakone suits a hot-spring day, and Nikko rewards an early start because its shrines sit high in the mountains.

All three day trips are under two hours on the fastest direct service.

Getting in from the airports

From Narita, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Nippori in 36 minutes at its fastest, for ¥2,470 per adult.
From Haneda, Keikyu trains reach Shinagawa and the Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho, each in under 20 minutes.
Send big bags ahead if your hotel is up several flights of station stairs; a carry-on checklist helps if you travel light.

What goes wrong on a Tokyo trip

Closed days. The Tokyo National Museum and Shinjuku Gyoen close on Mondays; the East Gardens close on Mondays and Fridays.
Counter surcharges. Tokyo Skytree adds a ¥500 service fee per ticket bought at its 4th-floor counter or ticket machines.
The wrong pass. The Tokyo Subway Ticket does not cover JR trains, so a Yamanote-heavy day may cost more than expected.
Short winter hours. From November to February the East Gardens close at 16:00, with last entry at 15:30.

If your plan falls apart on the day

Swap days if rain is forecast, putting the Tokyo National Museum on the wet day.
Move Monday’s plan to Asakusa or Meiji Jingu, which stay open.
Buy timed tickets online for Skytree to avoid the counter fee and the queue.
Ask a Tokyo tourist information centre, run by the city government, for closures and routes.

Frequently asked questions

How many days in Tokyo is enough for a first visit?

Four full days is enough for a first visit. That gives a day each to Asakusa, the palace and Ginza, Shibuya and Harajuku, and Ueno with Shinjuku. Add a fifth day for a trip to Kamakura, Hakone or Nikko.

Is 3 days in Tokyo enough?

Three days covers Asakusa, the palace area, Shibuya and Shinjuku if you keep each day to one area. It means dropping the Ueno museums or Skytree, and it leaves no spare day for rain or jet lag.

Where should I stay in Tokyo for the first time?

Shinjuku and Shibuya suit first-time visitors who want restaurants and evening streets nearby. Tokyo Station and Ginza suit travellers planning day trips, because the shinkansen and the Yokosuka Line to Kamakura leave from Tokyo Station.

What are the best day trips from Tokyo?

Kamakura is the easiest, 55 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka Line. Hakone is about 80 minutes from Shinjuku on the Romancecar, and Nikko is 109 minutes from Asakusa on Tobu’s fastest Spacia X service.

What are the free things to do in Tokyo?

Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu and the Imperial Palace East Gardens all charge no admission. So do Shibuya Crossing, Nakamise-dori and Omotesando. Paid gardens such as Shinjuku Gyoen start at ¥500.

What is the cheapest month to visit Tokyo?

January and February are usually the cheapest, once the New Year week is over. June is the other low-demand month, thanks to the rainy season. Avoid Golden Week at the start of May.

In short

Four full days in Tokyo covers its main districts without rushing, three is the minimum, and each day trip adds one more. Shinjuku and Shibuya suit evenings, and Tokyo Station suits day trips. January, February and June are the cheapest months, and spring and autumn the most comfortable.

Prices, opening hours and rules change without much notice. Everything here was checked against official sites in October 2026. If something no longer matches what you found on the ground, tell us and we will correct it.

Heading on to Kyoto? Our guide to how many days in Kyoto picks up where this one ends, and checked bags on international flights covers the allowance you will be flying with.