Tokyo, Japan
What to Do in Tokyo in 7 Days: Yakitori Smoke, Quiet Shrines, and a Hakone Onsen
A picture-first walk through Tokyo in journey order, from a smoky Shinjuku alley to a steaming mountain bath in Hakone.
TL;DR
This is the Tokyo you show a friend who has never been, seven days that swing from neon alleys to forest shrines to a mountain onsen without ever feeling rushed.
- Grilled skewers and hanging lanterns in Omoide Yokocho after dark
- Senso-ji's giant red lantern before the crowds wake up
- The Shibuya Scramble seen from glass 229 meters up
- Lantern light on water inside teamLab Planets Toyosu
- A sulphur-scented ropeway and hot spring soak in Hakone
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First Night in the Smoke of Omoide Yokocho
Charcoal smoke drifts under paper lanterns, and the whole narrow lane smells like grilling chicken skin and cold beer.
You land, you drop your bag, and you go straight here. Omoide Yokocho is a cramped grid of alleys just off Shinjuku's west side, barely wide enough for two people to pass, lined with counters that seat maybe six.
Slide onto a stool, point at whatever the person next to you is having, and order yakitori by the stick. A skewer runs about 200 to 400 yen (1.50 to 3 USD), and a large draft beer is around 600 yen (4 USD). Nobody expects perfect Japanese; a smile and a finger point work fine.
When the counters fill up, wander two minutes to Golden Gai, a warren of tiny themed bars, some with room for only four drinkers. Peek at the door signs, some welcome tourists, some are members only, and pick one that feels right.
The Train In From Narita, and Where to Drop Your Bag
The Narita Express slides out of the airport in near silence, city fields blurring into a wall of buildings that never seems to end.
Before the alleys, there is the arrival. Narita sits well east of the city, so give yourself the smooth option: the Narita Express (N'EX) runs direct to Shinjuku in roughly 80 to 90 minutes for about 3,250 yen (22 USD). Reserved seats, big luggage racks, quiet car. Book it at the JR ticket counter or online through JR-East (https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/nex/).
Base yourself around Shinjuku or Shibuya for this whole trip. Both are transit hubs, so nearly every place in this log is a single train ride away, and coming home late is never a problem.
A spot like the Hotel Century Southern Tower sits right on top of Shinjuku Station, which means you can be soaking in the neon within minutes of check-in. Pick anything within a ten minute walk of either station and the rest of the week gets easier.
Senso-ji at Opening Hour, Before Anyone Else Arrives
A four meter red lantern hangs in the gate, and for once the long approach is empty enough to hear your own footsteps.
Set an alarm for this one. Senso-ji in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest temple, and by mid-morning the Nakamise shopping street below it is shoulder to shoulder. Arrive around 7am and you get the giant Kaminarimon lantern, the incense cauldron, and the main hall almost to yourself.
Fuel up first at Daikokuya, a tempura shop that has been frying since the 1880s. A tendon bowl, prawns and vegetables over rice in dark sauce, runs about 1,900 yen (13 USD). Then walk it off on Kappabashi, the kitchenware street where restaurants buy their knives, ceramics, and eerily perfect plastic food models.
When the heat builds, catch the Sumida River ferry down to Hamarikyu Gardens, an old feudal duck-hunting estate now ringed by skyscrapers. Tea in the floating teahouse over the pond is the calm end to a busy morning.
Harajuku's Wild Street, Then a Forest You Forget Is in a City
Crepe stands and rainbow candy give way, in a single turn, to a gravel path under 100,000 planted trees where the traffic just vanishes.
Start loud. Takeshita Street in Harajuku is teenage Tokyo at full volume, all crepes, thrift shops, and photo booths. Follow it into the calmer Cat Street for slower browsing and better coffee.
Then walk straight into Meiji Jingu. The moment you pass under the first wooden torii, the city noise drops away and you are on a wide forest path leading to a shrine built for Emperor Meiji. It feels impossible that Shibuya is a ten minute walk south.
When hunger hits, Afuri in nearby Ebisu does a bright yuzu-shio ramen (about 1,300 yen, 9 USD) that cuts through the day, and Maisen in Aoyama serves tonkatsu so crisp it crackles. Then head for the crossing after dark.
The Scramble From 229 Meters Up
From the open-air deck the crossing below looks like a heartbeat, a thousand people flooding the intersection, then draining away, then flooding again.
You have to do the Shibuya Crossing from the ground first, of course. Stand at the Hachiko exit, wait for the lights, and step into the swirl with everyone else. It is chaos that somehow never collides.
Then go up. Shibuya Sky caps the tower right beside the crossing, and its rooftop is fully open to the air. From up there you watch the whole intersection pulse below while the city stretches to the horizon; on a clear evening Mount Fuji sits on the skyline at sunset. Tickets run about 2,500 yen (17 USD) and book out, so reserve a timed slot online in advance.
Come up around 30 minutes before sunset. You catch daylight, golden hour, and the full neon switch-on in one visit.
Tuna Auctions, Then Walking Through Water and Light
At dawn the market smells of ice and the sea; by afternoon you are ankle-deep in warm water with digital koi swimming past your shins.
Get to Toyosu Market early. This is where Tokyo's fish trade moved from old Tsukiji, and the outer ring of stalls and counters serves some of the freshest sushi breakfasts in the city. A generous chirashi bowl runs about 2,000 to 3,000 yen (14 to 20 USD).
A short walk away sits teamLab Planets, a barefoot digital art museum where you wade through actual knee-deep water while projected fish shoal around you, then step into a mirrored room of hanging lights. Book a timed ticket ahead (around 3,800 yen, 26 USD); it sells out most days.
Spend the afternoon at the other end of town in Ueno. The Tokyo National Museum holds the country's biggest collection of samurai swords, screens, and ceramics, and the Imperial Palace East Gardens nearby are free to wander. Close the day with skewers and a beer at Toritake in Ueno.
Escape to Hakone: Sulphur Vents, a Pirate Ship, and a Long Hot Soak
Steam hisses out of a grey mountainside that smells faintly of eggs, and somewhere below it a black volcanic hot spring is waiting for you.
Give the middle of the week to the mountains. The Odakyu Romancecar leaves right from Shinjuku and reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes; grab a front seat for the view (around 2,500 yen, 17 USD, details at https://www.odakyu.jp/english/romancecar/). A Hakone Free Pass covers the loop of trains, cable cars, ropeway, and boat once you arrive.
Ride the ropeway up over Owakudani, where sulphur vents steam out of the mountain and vendors sell eggs boiled black in the hot springs. Drift across Lake Ashi on a mock pirate ship with Fuji behind you on a clear day, and give an hour to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, sculptures set loose across a green hillside.
Then the reward: a soak at Tenzan Tohji-kyo, a rambling riverside onsen with a string of outdoor stone baths (about 1,450 yen, 10 USD). Tattoos and a few simple rules apply, so read the etiquette board, wash fully before you enter, and then just sink in.
Old Tokyo on the Last Day: Yanaka Lanes and a Ginza Splurge
A sunset staircase spills down into a low-slung shopping street of family shops, and a fat neighborhood cat watches you from a shop awning.
Spend your final morning in the Tokyo that predates the skyscrapers. Yanaka Ginza is a downhill shopping street of croquette stalls, senbei crackers, and old family stores that survived the war. Nearby Nezu Shrine has a short tunnel of red torii gates and a garden of azaleas, all with a fraction of the crowds you would fight elsewhere.
As the day winds down, wander Hibiya Park and the wide boulevards of central Tokyo, where the Imperial grounds meet the glass towers of the business district.
Then end big. Ginza is the place for an omakase sushi dinner, where the chef feeds you piece by piece across the counter. A serious seat here starts around 15,000 yen (100 USD) and climbs fast, so book well ahead. If that stretches the budget, the standing sushi bars nearby give you the same craft for a fraction of the price. Either way, it is a fitting last bite before the flight home.
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Frequently asked
How many days do I really need for Tokyo?
Five days covers the core neighborhoods (Shinjuku, Asakusa, Shibuya, Toyosu, and Ueno). Seven lets you add a full day trip to Hakone for onsen and Fuji views, plus a slower final day in the old Yanaka district without rushing anything.
What is the best way to get from Narita Airport into the city?
The Narita Express (N'EX) runs direct to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Tokyo stations in about 80 to 90 minutes for roughly 3,250 yen. It has reserved seats and big luggage racks. The cheaper Keisei Access Express or a highway bus also work if you are watching costs.
Do I need to book teamLab Planets and Shibuya Sky in advance?
Yes. Both use timed-entry tickets and regularly sell out, especially on weekends and holidays. Reserve teamLab Planets and Shibuya Sky online at least a few days ahead, and aim for a Shibuya Sky slot about 30 minutes before sunset for the best light.
Can I visit an onsen in Hakone if I have tattoos?
Some public baths still restrict tattoos, but many Hakone onsen are relaxed, and Tenzan Tohji-kyo is generally tattoo-friendly. If you want to be certain, book a room with a private bath or a rentable family bath. Always wash thoroughly before entering the water and check each facility's posted rules.
Is Tokyo a cash or card city?
It is increasingly card-friendly, and an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) covers almost all trains, buses, and convenience stores. That said, small izakaya counters, older shops, and some market stalls still prefer cash, so carry a few thousand yen with you.
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