Tokyo is the easiest huge city in the world for a first-timer, once five things are set up. Here they are, then everything else.
Set up before you land#
- Suica in your phone wallet (iPhone) or a plan to buy one at the airport (Android).
- An eSIM, installed at home.
- Offline maps of Tokyo and a translation app with Japanese downloaded.
- Bookings: teamLab, Shibuya Sky at sunset, a sumo tournament if one's on, the Ghibli Museum if you want it (sells out a month ahead).
- One restaurant reservation for the dinner you'll remember.
Where to stay#
Shinjuku, Shibuya or Asakusa, on the Yamanote line. Where to stay, hostels, neighbourhoods explained. Narita or Haneda for getting in.
How many days#
Five to seven: 5-day, 7-day, or 3-day and 2-day if that's what you have.
Must-see, must-do#
Senso-ji at 7am. Meiji Jingu's forest. Shibuya Crossing at dusk, from above. Shinjuku's Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho. Tsukiji outer market breakfast. One garden. One ramen counter with a ticket machine. One sento. One neighbourhood nobody sent you to. One day trip. Things to do in Tokyo.
Skip#
The Skytree queue (the Metropolitan Government deck is free and the view's the same), tourist-street restaurants with photo menus, "robot" and "ninja" shows, Roppongi at night, and a third district in one day.
The rules that matter#
Don't tip. Don't eat while walking. Don't talk on the phone on trains. Stand left on escalators (Tokyo) and queue for everything. Carry cash as well as cards. Take your shoes off when there's a step up. Etiquette that actually matters, do you need Japanese? (no), is Tokyo safe? (very).
When#
Best time to visit Japan; Tokyo month by month from January to December. What to wear. What it costs.
The one thing first-timers never do#
Talk to a Tokyoite. Post your dates on Roavi Community: travellers in Tokyo the same days appear together, and Local Friends who live here reply. One evening with a Local Friend, in their neighbourhood, at their izakaya, is the part of the trip that isn't in any guide, this one included.
First time in Tokyo? Spend one evening with someone who lives there.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Tokyo for a first visit?
Five to seven. Three is a sprint, five covers the famous districts and one day trip, seven adds the neighbourhoods and a day with no plan. Ten days lets you add Kyoto by shinkansen.Where should I stay in Tokyo for the first time?
Shinjuku for everything and every line, Shibuya for nightlife and youth, Asakusa for old Tokyo and value. The rule that matters more than the district: be on or next to the Yamanote loop line, so everywhere is one train away.What should a first-timer not miss in Tokyo?
Senso-ji at 7am, Meiji Jingu's forest, Shibuya Crossing at dusk, Shinjuku's Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho, Tsukiji outer market breakfast, a garden (Shinjuku Gyoen or Rikugien), a ramen counter, a sento, a neighbourhood like Yanaka or Shimokitazawa, and a Hakone or Nikko day trip.What are the biggest first-timer mistakes in Tokyo?
Staying far from the Yamanote line, trying three districts a day, not setting up Suica and data before landing, eating at tourist-street restaurants, queueing for the Skytree, tipping, talking loudly on trains, eating while walking, and never speaking to anyone who lives there.
