City guide · Japan
Tokyo
Neon megacity where ramen counters outshine palaces
March–May & October–November
Japanese Yen (JPY)
Japanese
Asia
The guides
The best of Tokyo, by category
Tokyo packs 14 million people, more Michelin stars than any city on earth, and centuries-old shrines into a metropolis that reinvents itself block by block. Ride the Yamanote loop from the electric chaos of Shibuya to the incense-scented lanes of Asakusa, eating astonishingly well at every stop.
The shortlist
If you only have time for the best
The single highest-rated picks across every category in Tokyo.
Hotels
See all 6- 1
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Shinjuku
4.6★5,000+ reviews - 2
Aman Tokyo
Otemachi
4.7★2,000+ reviews - 3
The Peninsula Tokyo
Marunouchi
4.6★5,000+ reviews
Restaurants
See all 6- 1
Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten
Ginza
4.5★1,000+ reviews - 2
Narisawa
Minami-Aoyama
4.6★1,500+ reviews - 3
Tempura Kondo
Ginza
4.5★1,500+ reviews
Bars
See all 6- 1
New York Bar
Shinjuku
4.5★3,000+ reviews - 2
Bar High Five
Ginza
4.6★1,000+ reviews - 3
Gen Yamamoto
Azabu-Juban
4.6★1,000+ reviews
Attractions
See all 6- 1
Senso-ji
Asakusa
4.5★100,000+ reviews
- 2
Meiji Jingu
Yoyogi
4.6★25,000+ reviews - 3
Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Shibuya
4.5★7,500+ reviews
Where to base yourself
Tokyo neighborhoods, decoded
Pick your area first — it shapes everything else about the trip.
Shinjuku
Neon, izakaya alleys, skyscrapersThe world's busiest station anchors a district that swings from government towers to the tiny bars of Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho. Kabukicho's neon and the calm lawns of Shinjuku Gyoen sit ten minutes apart.
Shibuya & Harajuku
Youth culture and streetwearHome of the Scramble Crossing, Shibuya Sky, and the Cat Street backstreets where Tokyo street fashion is born. Takeshita-dori's crepe stands give way to Omotesando's architect-designed flagship stores.
Asakusa
Old Tokyo temple townSenso-ji's lantern gate, rickshaws, and craft shops preserve the shitamachi atmosphere of pre-war Tokyo. Stay here for ryokan-style guesthouses and easy Skytree views across the river.
Ginza
Polished luxury and galleriesTokyo's grandest shopping district stacks flagship boutiques, century-old department stores, and more Michelin stars per block than anywhere on earth. On weekend afternoons the main Chuo-dori closes to cars.
Beyond the city
Day trips worth the ride
Hakone
85 min by Odakyu RomancecarHot-spring resort town with open-air onsen, the Hakone Open-Air Museum, and pirate-ship cruises on Lake Ashi beneath Mt. Fuji.
Kamakura
1 hr by JR Yokosuka LineThe 13th-century samurai capital holds the 11-meter bronze Great Buddha, hillside Zen temples, and the surf beach at Yuigahama.
Nikko
2 hr by Tobu limited expressUNESCO-listed Toshogu, the lavishly carved mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, sits among cedar forests, waterfalls, and Lake Chuzenji.
Eat like a local
What to order in Tokyo
Edomae sushi
Vinegared rice topped with aged and cured seafood — the style was invented as Tokyo Bay fast food in the early 1800s.
Try it at: Sushi Dai, Toyosu Market
Tonkotsu ramen
Noodles in a cloudy pork-bone broth simmered for days, customized by broth richness, noodle firmness, and garlic.
Try it at: Ichiran, Shibuya
Tempura
Seafood and vegetables in a whisper-thin batter fried in sesame oil, eaten piece by piece with salt or tentsuyu.
Try it at: Tempura Kondo, Ginza
Monjayaki
Tokyo's runnier answer to okonomiyaki, griddled at your table and eaten straight off the teppan with tiny spatulas.
Try it at: Tsukishima Monja Street, Tsukishima
Good to know
Tokyo essentials, answered
Four to five days covers the core: pair Shibuya and Shinjuku, Asakusa and the Skytree, Ginza and Tsukiji, and Harajuku with Meiji Jingu by area, then add a day trip to Hakone or Kamakura. The city rewards longer stays — most visitors leave wanting more.
