Tokyo is a city that rewires your senses—ancient shrines set quietly behind torii gates while just a few blocks away, LED canyons and record stores hum deep into the night. Once a fishing village called Edo, it became Japan’s capital in 1868 and now leads the world in design, dining, and urban efficiency. You’ll find ceremony and play coexisting everywhere, from morning prayers at Senso-ji to the kaleidoscope of Shibuya Crossing.

Across seven days, this itinerary moves with the city’s rhythm: neighborhoods, tastes, and textures that change from one train stop to the next. Expect standout ramen and refined kaiseki, peaceful gardens and digital art, vintage arcades and small hidden bars. We’ve balanced headline sights with local-loved gems, plus one unforgettable Mount Fuji and Hakone day trip.

Practical notes: pick up a Suica/PASMO IC card for tap-and-go transit; the JR Yamanote Line loops most major districts. For flights to Tokyo, compare options on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. For intercity trains in Japan (e.g., Hakone access), see Trip.com Trains. Cash is still useful; many small eateries are cash-preferred.

Tokyo

Tokyo’s districts are like different novels on the same shelf. Asakusa keeps Edo’s memory with incense curling through temple eaves. Harajuku and Omotesando are living runways, while Shibuya and Shinjuku glow with nightlife, ramen counters, and the soundtrack of the city.

Top sights include Meiji Shrine, the timeless Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo Skytree’s sweeping views, the reimagined teamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills, the Imperial Palace East Gardens, and the futuristic bayside of Odaiba. Food is a pilgrimage: sushi at standing bars, tonkatsu at century-old institutions, buttery tempura, and yakitori grills that perfume the alleys.

• Where to stay (curated picks): For five-star polish near the Imperial Palace, book The Peninsula Tokyo. For sky-high views in Roppongi, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. For serene design in Otemachi, Aman Tokyo. Family-friendly near Disney: Hilton Tokyo Bay. Great value and location: Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, or classic high-rise comfort at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo.
• Also browse stays: VRBO Tokyo and Hotels.com Tokyo.
• Getting in: Haneda Airport to central Tokyo is ~20–30 minutes (Monorail or Keikyu; ~$3–5). Narita Express to Tokyo Station is ~55 minutes (~$25–30). Compare flight deals on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com.

Day 1: Arrival, Shinjuku Skyline, and Tokyo Tastes

Morning: In transit. If landing early, store luggage at your hotel and refresh with a hand-poured coffee at Verve Coffee Roasters Shinjuku or the Nordic-accented Fuglen in Shibuya. Grab an onigiri from a convenience store—tuna mayo and salmon are classics.

Afternoon: Check in, then stretch your legs in Shinjuku Gyoen, a landscaped oasis blending French, English, and Japanese garden styles. Pop into Isetan’s depachika (food hall) to survey Tokyo’s snack universe—try tempura bentos or seasonal wagashi sweets.

Evening: Experience izakaya culture in Omoide Yokocho’s atmospheric alleys. Order yakitori skewers and highballs at stalls like Tachan no Mise or sample motsuyaki (grilled offal) at a counter-only nook. Nightcap in Golden Gai, where tiny themed bars such as Albatross or Deathmatch in Hell welcome travelers with playlists and stories.

Day 2: Tokyo Essentials in One Go (Guided Bus Tour)

Cover the greatest hits efficiently with a full-day coach tour. You’ll see Meiji Shrine’s cedar calm, the imperial core, Asakusa’s Senso-ji, and rise to the Tokyo Skytree viewing deck, often with a brief Tokyo Bay cruise (seasonal). It’s ideal early in the week to get oriented and decide where you’ll return.

Book: 1-Day Tokyo Bus Tour

Fuel up beforehand with a flaky melon pan and drip coffee at Café AALIYA (also known for soufflé-style French toast) or buttery croissants at Patisserie Asakusa Izumi if you meet the tour near Asakusa. For dinner post-tour, try tonkatsu at Maisen Aoyama Honten—order the juicy kurobuta loin with sesame dressing and miso soup.

Day 3: Old Tokyo to Electric Town—Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara

Morning: Start at Nakamise-dori leading to Senso-ji. Arrive early to avoid crowds and watch shopkeepers set out ningyo-yaki cakes and senbei rice crackers. Cross to the riverside for a photo with the Asahi “Flame” and Skytree looming like a silver bamboo stalk.

Afternoon: Ride to Ueno Park for the Tokyo National Museum’s samurai armor and serene sculpture garden. Lunch on tendon (tempura over rice) at Tempura Tendon Kaneko Hannosuke or slurp yuzu-kissed ramen at Afuri. Continue to Akihabara for retro game shops, gachapon heaven, and multi-story electronics; Super Potato’s vintage floor is a time capsule.

Evening: Dive into Shinjuku’s backstreets on a guided feast: four eateries, thirteen dishes, and stories that unlock what to order and why.

Book: Tokyo: Shinjuku Food Tour (13 Dishes at 4 Local Eateries)

If you prefer DIY, graze through Omoide Yokocho again or head to Nabezo for high-quality shabu-shabu and sukiyaki with a stellar vegetable spread; finish with matcha soft-serve nearby.

Day 4: Meiji, Harajuku, Omotesando, Shibuya + Sumo Culture

Morning: Enter Meiji Shrine through towering cypress gates; visit the sake barrel avenue and, if you wish, buy an ema plaque to leave a wish. Coffee at Streamer Coffee Company, then wander Takeshita-dori’s youth fashion whirl before gliding down Omotesando’s tree-lined avenue of Tadao Ando and Herzog & de Meuron facades.

Afternoon: Ride to Ryogoku, heartland of sumo, for an interactive show that explains techniques, rituals, and training. It’s engaging whether or not a tournament is on.

Book: Tokyo Sumo Entertainment Show with Chicken Hot Pot and Photo

Evening: Return to Shibuya for the famed scramble; the first crossing here dates back to the 1930s and is now a symphony of timing and light. Dinner ideas: Kagari (rich tori paitan chicken ramen), Uobei or Genki Sushi for fun conveyor-belt plates, or Katsu Midori for excellent value nigiri; finish with a vantage from a rooftop terrace or an izakaya on Center Gai.

Day 5: Day Trip—Mount Fuji and Hakone with Bullet Train Return

Breathe mountain air on a classic circuit: ascend to Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station (weather permitting), see the volcanic landscapes around Hakone, ride a ropeway over Owakudani’s steamy vents, and cruise Lake Ashi beneath torii gates. Return to Tokyo by shinkansen for a swift glide into the city evening.

Book: Mt Fuji and Hakone 1-Day Bus Tour Return by Bullet Train

Back in Tokyo, reward yourself with sushi at a standing bar like Uogashi Nihon-Ichi (fast, fresh, fun) or sit down for grilled eel over rice (unagi) at a long-running specialist near your hotel.

Day 6: Markets, Art, and Views—Tsukiji, Azabudai, Ginza, Skytree

Morning: Breakfast graze at Tsukiji Outer Market: tamagoyaki on sticks, fresh oysters, and negitoro handrolls. Espresso at Turret Coffee (the cream puff is a sleeper hit) and a quick stop at Kimuraya in Ginza for an-pan sweet bread—this bakery dates to 1869.

Afternoon: Immerse in digital wonder at teamLab Borderless, reopened in Azabudai Hills with newly imagined rooms that spill light and sound as you wander. Walk or short ride to Roppongi for the Mori Art Museum or a leisurely lunch at Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu (order the crispy shrimp tempura and soba).

Evening: Head east for city lights from Tokyo Skytree’s Tembo Deck. Alternatively, Tokyo Tower’s orange lattice glows romantically at blue hour. Dinner in Ginza could be tempura at Tempura Kondo (reserve ahead) or omakase at a mid-range sushiya; end with kakigori shaved ice or a matcha parfait.

Day 7: Gardens, River, and Departure

Morning: Stroll Hamarikyu Gardens—saltwater ponds framed by skyscrapers—and pause at the Nakajima teahouse for matcha and wagashi with garden views. If time allows, ride a Sumida River cruise up to Asakusa for a last look at Senso-ji’s gate and lantern.

Afternoon (Departure): Pick up elegant souvenirs at Tokyo Station’s GRANSTA (Tokyo Banana, regional kitkats, bento) before catching your train to the airport. For rail to HND/NRT, check schedules and book on Trip.com Trains; for last-minute flights or changes, compare on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. Aim to arrive 2–3 hours before an international flight.

Local dining cheat sheet (bookmark-worthy):

• Ramen: Afuri (yuzu shio), Ichiran (solo booths, rich tonkotsu), Kagari (creamy chicken paitan).
• Sushi: Katsu Midori (value), Uogashi Nihon-Ichi (standing), Sushi Zanmai (late-night friendly).
• Cutlets & grill: Maisen Aoyama (tonkatsu), Torikizoku or Yakitori Alley near Yurakucho for skewers.
• Cafés: Blue Bottle Kiyosumi, Fuglen Shibuya, About Life Coffee Brewers, Onibus Nakameguro.

Seven days in Tokyo is a vivid reel: shrine quiet, ramen steam, neon rain, and the silhouette of Fuji on the horizon. With this itinerary, you’ll move like a local, eat like a regular, and leave with a map of favorite corners that will pull you back to the city again.