Tokyo itinerary: 4 days for a first visit

Four days is a good first visit to Tokyo. It is enough to see the old east of the city, the young west, the food markets and the palace grounds, and to leave one day for the coast. Tokyo is not one centre but a ring of them, each with its own character, and the trains are so good that the trick is not getting around but choosing where not to go.

This plan keeps each day in one part of the city, so the long walks are on foot and the long distances are on a single line. Start slowly on the first day, particularly if you have flown a long way, and keep an evening free. Tokyo does not close, and you will want to wander.

Before you go: the short version

• How long: four full days. Add two and you can add Nikko or Hakone, or move on to Kyoto.
• Where to stay: Shinjuku or Tokyo Station for the best rail links; Asakusa for a quieter, older feel; Shibuya if you want to be near the nightlife.
• From the airport: Haneda is about 30 minutes from the centre by train or monorail. Narita is further out, about an hour by express train. See from the airport to the city.
• Getting around: a transit card on your phone or in your wallet covers trains, subways and many shops. Read more in the Japan travel guide.
• Book ahead: any restaurant you have your heart set on, and the museums and observation decks that sell timed entry. Check times and book ahead.

Day 1: Asakusa and Ueno, the old east

Morning. Begin in Asakusa at Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple, through the great Kaminarimon gate and along Nakamise, the shopping street that leads to the main hall. Go early, before the tour groups, and buy a fortune slip if you like; you shake a box and a numbered stick tells you which drawer. Cross the Sumida River for a view of the Skytree and the river from the bridge, or take a river boat down the water to the gardens.

Afternoon. Take the Ginza Line to Ueno, about ten minutes away. Ueno Park holds several of the country's best museums, a pond covered in lotus leaves, and a zoo. Pick one museum, the Tokyo National Museum if you want Japanese art and swords, and leave the rest. Then walk to Ameyoko, the busy market street under the railway tracks, for snacks and the noise of vendors calling out.

Evening. Eat in Asakusa or Ueno. Izakaya, small pubs that serve plates to share, are the classic way to spend an evening, and the area has many that have been going for generations. Stay up late enough to see Sensoji's gate lit up.

Day 2: Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku, the young west

Morning. Start at Meiji Shrine, a forest of tall trees in the middle of the city and one of the calmest places in Tokyo. The approach is a long gravel path under big torii gates, and on weekends you may see a wedding procession. Then walk out to Harajuku and Takeshita Street for the youth fashion and crepes, and follow Omotesando, the tree-lined avenue of architecture and high-end shops, to Aoyama.

Afternoon. Walk or take a train to Shibuya. See the crossing, the famous scramble crossing, from the station's upper level or a nearby building, then walk across it yourself. Look for the statue of Hachiko, the dog who waited for his owner. From here, Shibuya has department stores, record shops and small streets for browsing.

Evening. Take the Yamanote Line, the loop line that circles the centre, two stops to Shinjuku. Go up to an observation deck in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for the view at dusk (check times), then drop down to Omoide Yokocho, the narrow lanes of tiny smoky yakitori bars near the station, and Golden Gai, a block of tiny bars in Kabukicho. Some bars have a cover charge or admit only regulars, so ask politely and move on if not.

Day 3: Tsukiji, Ginza and the Imperial Palace

Morning. Begin at the Tsukiji Outer Market, the food streets beside the old fish market. The wholesale market moved in 2018, but the lanes of sushi counters, tamagoyaki egg stalls, seafood and knives are still here. Eat a big breakfast standing up, and bring cash for small stalls. Walk through the Hamarikyu Gardens afterwards, a landscaped garden with a tea house beside Tokyo Bay, and watch the skyscrapers behind the pines.

Afternoon. Walk into Ginza, the shopping district of department stores and flagship shops, then on to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, where the old Edo Castle stood. Check times before you go. Stroll the moat and the stone walls, then cross to Tokyo Station, a beautiful red brick building from 1914, and Marunouchi, the business district around it.

Evening. Take a short train ride to Akihabara for the electronics shops, arcades and anime stores, which are most colourful at night. Have dinner at a ramen counter, where you buy a ticket from a machine and hand it to the cook, or at a tonkatsu place for breaded pork cutlets.

Day 4: A day trip to Kamakura

Tokyo is exhausting by the fourth day, and a day on the coast is a relief.

Morning. Take the train from Tokyo or Shinjuku to Kamakura, about an hour away. This seaside town was the seat of Japan's government in the Middle Ages and has dozens of temples. Start at Kotokuin to see the Great Buddha, a bronze statue nearly 13 metres high that sits in the open air. Then walk or take the little railway to Hase-dera, a temple on a hillside with sea views and thousands of small statues.

Afternoon. Walk back through the town's shopping street to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the main shrine. Hike a short wooded trail to a smaller temple or two if you have the energy. If the weather is warm, take the Enoden tram line to Enoshima, an island with a shrine, caves and a view of Mount Fuji on a clear day.

Evening. Return to Tokyo for a last meal. Try a neighbourhood you have not visited, perhaps Kagurazaka, an old geisha district of cobbled lanes with French and Japanese restaurants, or simply eat near where you are staying.

If you prefer mountains or a hot spring, swap Kamakura for Hakone, about 90 minutes from Shinjuku. For temples and forest, Nikko is two hours north.

With more time

• A fifth day: a museum you skipped, Yanaka's old streets, or a baseball game.
• Kyoto: the shinkansen takes a little over two hours. The Kyoto itinerary picks up where this one leaves off.
• Further on: Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima follow the same rail line. The Japan travel guide has a 12-day route.

Where to stay

• Shinjuku: the biggest rail hub, with endless restaurants and lively nights. Convenient, if overwhelming.
• Tokyo Station and Ginza: polished and central, with fast trains to Kyoto and the airports.
• Asakusa: older and quieter than the west, with a temple on the doorstep. Fewer late-night options.
• Shibuya: young, loud and close to the nightlife; a good base for a younger group.

Rooms in Tokyo are small, and a group of four may need two rooms rather than one. See where to stay with a group.

Getting around

The trains and subways are the way to move. Load a transit card onto your phone or buy one at a station, tap in and out, and let your map app choose the route. Most lines stop around midnight, so check the last train before a late dinner. Trains are quiet: keep your voice down, put your bag on your lap in busy hours, and do not take phone calls. Stations are large, and exits matter, so read the exit signs before you climb the stairs. Taxis are clean and safe but slow in traffic, and are best kept for the end of the night.

Planning Tokyo as a group

Tokyo is easy to enjoy alone and harder to enjoy in a group of six, because tables are small and the best places have no space for a large party. Book any restaurant you care about early and by the head count, split into two tables if needed, and put the timed tickets for museums and viewpoints in one plan so nobody misses a slot. Keep shared costs like the transit top-ups, a group dinner or a taxi at midnight in one place, since it is cash-heavy and easy to lose track of.

What to pack

Comfortable shoes are the first thing: you will walk many kilometres a day on hard pavements, and you will take your shoes off at some restaurants, temples and homes, so wear clean socks. Bring a small bag for your rubbish, since public bins are rare, a compact umbrella, a pocket pack of tissues and some cash. Pack for the season; summer is hot and humid, winter dry and cold. The packing list for a city break covers the rest.