Tokyo in 3 Days: Shrines, Digital Art, Markets, and Temples

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM

★★★★★ 4.5 (54,194)

This barefoot, water-and-light digital art museum in Toyosu is a striking, immersive way to start the day with a fresh, hands-on experience.

Getting there: The museum sits at 6-chōme-1-16 Toyosu, Koto City, in the Toyosu waterfront district of Tokyo Bay, an area also known for Toyosu Market and its sushi breakfast spots. The easiest access point is Toyosu Station, served by both the Yurikamome (automated waterfront line) and the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, from the station it's roughly a 5-10 minute walk, and signage in the area generally points visitors toward the entrance.

Fish Market Tsukiji Outer Market

★★★★☆ 4.2 (55,877)

The outer market's grid of stalls and small eateries serves fresh sashimi, grilled skewers, and tamagoyaki, making it a natural lunch stop full of variety.

Getting there: The market sits between Tsukiji Station (Hibiya Line, exit 1 or 2) and Shintomicho Station (Yurakucho Line), both about a 3-5 minute walk. If arriving from central Tokyo, Tsukiji Station is the more direct option. Ginza is a 15-minute walk south, so many visitors combine a morning market visit with an afternoon in Ginza's department stores. Look for the covered Namiyoke Inari Shrine area as a landmark near the market's eastern edge. It's a good orientation point if the lanes feel maze-like.

Hamarikyu Gardens

★★★★★ 4.5 (12,635)

A attraction rated 4.5 by visitors, included as a stop on this route.

Zojo-ji

★★★★★ 4.5 (12,700)

Zojo-ji's wooden Sanmon gate framed against Tokyo Tower makes this a striking, low-key morning temple visit.

Getting there: Zojo-ji sits in Shibakoen, Minato City, a short walk from either Onarimon Station or Shibakoen Station on the Toei subway lines, and also walkable from Tokyo Tower itself if you're already in that area.

Tokyo Tower

★★★★★ 4.5 (98,696)

Tokyo Tower's Eiffel-Tower-inspired silhouette and skyline views make it a fitting, scenic way to end the day.

Getting there: The tower sits at 4-chōme-2-8 Shibakōen, Minato City, in the Shiba Park area, a low-key neighborhood of temples and green space rather than neon. The closest station is Akabanebashi on the Toei Oedo Line, about a 5-minute walk via the Akabanebashi exit. Onarimon and Kamiyacho stations, both on the Toei Mita/Hibiya lines, are roughly 6-8 minutes on foot. Shiba-koen Station (Toei Mita Line) also works and drops you near Zojoji Temple, which sits directly at the tower's base and is worth pairing with your visit.

Meiji Jingu

★★★★★ 4.6 (51,737)

Meiji Jingu offers a forested, gravel-path approach to a grand Shinto shrine, making it a calm and atmospheric way to start the day before crowds build.

Getting there: The shrine sits in Shibuya ward at 1-1 Yoyogikamizonochō, straddling the border of Harajuku and Yoyogi. The easiest approach is from JR Harajuku Station (Yamanote Line), exit toward Omotesando and you'll see the first giant torii gate almost immediately. Alternatively, Meiji-Jingumae Station on the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin subway lines drops you at Exit 2, a short walk from the same entrance.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

★★★★★ 4.6 (45,370)

This 144-acre former imperial estate blends French, English, and Japanese garden styles, giving the afternoon a slower, green counterpoint to the shrine visit.

Getting there: The most convenient entrance is Shinjuku Gate, a five-minute walk from Shinjuku-gyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi subway line. Take Exit 1 and follow the signs. Alternatively, Sendagaya Station on the JR Sobu Line feeds into the Sendagaya Gate on the park's northeast side, and Shinjuku Station's New South Exit is about a 10-minute walk to the Shinjuku Gate as well, useful if you're combining the visit with shopping around Shinjuku Station.

Shibuya Crossing

★★★★★ 4.5 (22,494)

As the huge scramble intersection outside Shibuya Station, this is the classic burst of city energy to close out the day.

Getting there: The crossing sits directly outside the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo's largest transit hubs, served by JR lines (Yamanote, Saikyo, Shonan-Shinjuku), the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Fukutoshin subway lines, plus the Keio and Tokyu lines. Take the Hachiko Exit specifically, it deposits you almost on top of the crossing and next to the famous Hachiko dog statue, a popular meeting point named after the loyal Akita who waited for his owner at the station for years.

Sensō-ji

★★★★★ 4.6 (97,093)

Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, anchors the evening with its Nakamise-dōri approach, Five-Story Pagoda, and neighboring Asakusa Shrine.

Getting there: The temple sits at 2-chōme-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City. The most direct approach is Asakusa Station, served by the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and the Toei Asakusa Line, plus the Tobu Skytree Line; take Exit 1, which puts you almost directly in front of the Kaminarimon ("Thunder Gate"), the temple's iconic red entrance with its giant paper lantern. The Tsukuba Express also stops at a separate Asakusa Station a short walk away.

Tokyo National Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (31,172)

As a five-building complex holding Japan's largest collection of Japanese art and antiquities, this museum rewards a longer, unhurried afternoon.

Getting there: The museum sits at the top of Ueno Park, an easy walk from Ueno Station (JR, Ginza Line, Hibiya Line) or the slightly closer Uguisudani Station on the JR Yamanote Line. From Ueno Station's park exit, it's about a ten-minute walk straight through the park past the fountain plaza.

Smith & Wollensky in Tokyo

★★★★☆ 3.9 (83)

A trendy rated 3.9 by visitors, included as a stop on this route.

Getting there: The restaurant is located in Ginza, Tokyo's upscale shopping and dining district, long known for luxury boutiques, department stores, and a dense concentration of high-end restaurants. Ginza is well served by multiple subway lines (Ginza Station sits at the junction of the Ginza, Marunouchi, and Hibiya lines, while Higashi-Ginza and Yurakucho stations offer additional access), so arriving by train from most parts of central Tokyo takes well under half an hour.