Tokyo seen from above, with Tokyo Tower in the distance
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Tokyo in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 10.1 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Tokyo stops being a crossing of screens and begins to show its layers. The first day brings together the modern and the sacred, from Shibuya to the temples of Asakusa; the second is given to the Edo past, with time for the tech district and a great museum. The pace is demanding but reasonable, with pauses to sit down and eat well.

Day 1Shibuya, gardens and temples at dusk

In the morning, “From Hachikō to the sacred forest”: Hachikō, Shibuya Crossing, Takeshita-dōri and Meiji Shrine. Have sushi at Yoshino Sushi in Nihonbashi, and keep the afternoon free for Ginza and the Hama-rikyū gardens, from where a boat runs to Asakusa. There, at dusk, “Kappa, a bodiless Buddha and hidden gods” leads you from Sensō-ji to Kappabashi and Shinobazu Pond. Have tempura in Asakusa, a short walk from where the route begins.

  1. Morning

    From Hachikō to the sacred forest: Shibuya, Harajuku and Meiji Jingū

    Mixed · 3 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Hachikō StatueAn Akita dog who waited for his owner for almost ten years and became the meeting point for the whole of Tokyo.
    2. Shibuya CrossingWhen every traffic light turns red for cars, a human tide crosses in all directions at once.
    3. Omotesandō AvenueThe ceremonial approach to a shrine that became a catwalk for luxury architecture.
    4. Takeshita-dōriThree hundred and fifty metres of crêpes, outlandish clothes and the kawaii culture Tokyo exported to the world.
    5. Great torii and sake barrels of Meiji ShrineA gate of 1,500-year-old cypress and a wall of sake barrels facing another of Burgundy wine.
    6. Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū)A shrine to the emperor who modernised Japan, in a forest planted by hand to last a hundred years.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Edo-style sushi (Edomae) at Yoshino Sushi Honten. Nihonbashi 3-8-11, Chūō, Tokio

  3. Afternoon

    Ginza

    The district of the great department stores, named after the silver mint the shogunate set up here in the early 17th century. Stroll along Chūō-dōri, look at buildings such as Wako, and walk on towards Hama-rikyū, a quarter of an hour away.

    Directions

    Hama-rikyū Gardens

    A former Tokugawa pleasure garden, with a seawater pond that rises and falls with the tide and a teahouse on the water, set against the skyscrapers of Shiodome. A boat to Asakusa leaves from its pier; check the timetable.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Kappa, a bodiless Buddha and hidden gods: Tokyo's legends

    Mysteries & legends · 3.6 km · 1 h 55 min

    1. Sensō-ji TempleTokyo's oldest temple worships an image that, according to tradition, came out of two fishermen's net, and that no one has ever seen.
    2. Sōgen-ji, the kappa templeThe grave of a merchant who, legend says, was helped by the river kappa to dig a canal.
    3. Kappabashi, the chefs' streetA golden kappa watches over the street where Japan buys its knives, its lanterns and its plastic food.
    4. The face of the Great Buddha of UenoAll that is left of a great bronze Buddha is its face: it lost its head in an earthquake and its body in a war.
    5. Kiyomizu Kannon-dōA miniature copy of a Kyoto temple, where mothers leave dolls and a pine tree forms a moon.
    6. Bentendō on Shinobazu PondA man-made island for the goddess of music and water, surrounded by memorials to knives and spectacles.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Tempura and tendon at Daikokuya Tempura. Asakusa 1-38-10, Taitō, Tokio

Day 2Edo, technology and art

Begin with “From Edo to Tokyo” from Nihonbashi Bridge: the red-brick station, Ōtemon Gate, Nijūbashi and Sakuradamon, best in the soft light of morning. Have soba at Kanda Matsuya, in the Kanda district, and walk on to Akihabara, a few minutes away. Finish in Ueno, where the National Museum awaits. It is a good day to take slowly: sit in the park for a while and let old and new Tokyo blend together.

  1. Morning

    From Edo to Tokyo: bridges, castle walls and an emperor's capital

    History · 3.5 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Nihonbashi BridgeThe bridge where all of Japan's roads began, guarded by lions and by winged kirin.
    2. Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)A red-brick palace that survived the bombs, and in whose concourse a prime minister was assassinated.
    3. Ōtemon Gate of Edo CastleThe great gate through which the feudal lords entered to answer to the shogun.
    4. Statue of Kusunoki MasashigeA 14th-century samurai turned by Meiji Japan into the great symbol of loyalty to the emperor.
    5. Nijūbashi and the Imperial PalaceTokyo's most photographed bridge, which is not quite the one everyone thinks it is.
    6. Sakuradamon GateOne snowy morning in 1860, outside this gate, an assassination hastened the end of the shoguns.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Kanda soba at Kanda Matsuya. Kanda Sudachō 1-13, Chiyoda, Tokio

  3. Afternoon

    Akihabara

    The district of electronics, anime and video games, with whole buildings of arcades, manga shops and themed cafés. Even if you buy nothing, a short stroll is enough to see geek Tokyo; it is very close to Kanda.

    Directions

    Tokyo National Museum

    Japan's oldest and largest museum, founded in 1872, with swords, kimonos, ceramics and Buddhist art spread across several pavilions. Pick one or two and don't try to see everything; check the closing day, which is usually Monday.

    Directions

The map

Tokyo in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Tokyo in 2 days

  • A rechargeable transport card saves you buying a ticket every time. Trains and the subway link Shibuya, Nihonbashi and Asakusa with few changes and signs in English.
  • Plan the museum with the calendar in hand: many museums in Japan close on Mondays. If that day falls on your second day, swap the museum for a longer stroll around Ueno.
  • If the Hama-rikyū to Asakusa boat doesn't fit your schedule, the subway gets there in under half an hour. Don't build the day around it: it is a bonus, not an obligation.

Questions

Tokyo in 2 days: your questions

Is 2 days enough for Tokyo?

For a first visit, yes: Shibuya, Meiji, central Edo and Asakusa all fit, with a little Ginza or Akihabara. Shinjuku, Odaiba and day trips to Kamakura or Nikkō get left out; with a third day, more neighbourhoods come in.

How far do you walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 10.1 km: 6.6 on day one (Shibuya and Meiji, plus Asakusa and Ueno) and 3.5 on day two (Edo). Add shops, gardens, the museum and subway rides; day one is a good deal tougher than day two.

Is it better to use the subway or walk between areas?

Use the subway. The areas are half an hour from each other and the network is punctual and clear. Save your legs for the routes, which already add up to a lot of kilometres, and for strolls around Ginza, Akihabara and Ueno.

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