Food first
Build one day around Tsukiji and Ginza, another around Asakusa, Kappabashi and Kuramae. Pick a specific dish and venue, then keep the rest of the day nearby.
Tokyo itineraries
Tokyo rewards choosing a few neighborhoods well. Pick your length, then decide whether the spare day goes to food, art, shopping or a trip out of the city.
Start with the time you have
| Time | The trip I would choose | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | The first-visit essentials → East Tokyo, west Tokyo and one museum or food-led day. | No day trip and only a taste of the city’s smaller neighborhoods. |
| 4 days | Add Ginza or a Kamakura day trip → Choose whether the extra day deepens Tokyo or takes you to the coast. | Trying to do both makes the fourth day a transit puzzle. |
| 5 days | Give art, food and shopping room → A fuller city stay with a distinct day for your strongest interest. | Kamakura or Hakone still requires replacing a city day. |
| 7 days | A Tokyo week and one excursion → Five neighborhood days, one day trip and a final day to revisit what you loved. | You will know Tokyo better but leave Kyoto for another trip. |
The decision that changes the route
Treat the city as a series of neighborhood days. Asakusa and Ueno belong together. Meiji Jingu, Omotesando and Shibuya make another coherent day. Ginza and Tsukiji can share a morning, while a day trip should have its own day.
Art and architecture
Choose exhibitions before plotting stations. Mori Art Museum, teamLab and smaller galleries do different jobs; seeing all of them is not the goal.
Shopping
Ginza is for department stores and stationery; Omotesando for fashion and architecture; Kappabashi for kitchenware. Give each a realistic browsing block.
One day out
Kamakura is the simpler day trip. Hakone makes more sense as an overnight if a ryokan and hot springs are the reason to go.
Plan the parts that cause trouble
Two food days in Tokyo →
Markets, tempura, soba and coffee with specific places and why they fit the route.
Where to stay in Tokyo →
Pick a hotel area around how you want to spend your nights.
Kamakura from Tokyo →
A day of temples and lunch with a route that avoids backtracking.
Tokyo museum choices →
Match the collection and district to the day you want.
Want to change the plan?
Keep the places you like and fit the rest around your dates, budget and people when Carmen opens.
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