A 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary: How to Maximize Your Time + What To Do with Another Day!
A 2 day Tokyo itinerary! We spent 8 days in Japan (because traveling around a job 🙃), and if you are planning a trip there now, you are probably realizing how much there is to do and how difficult it can be to narrow down how to spend your days!
We decided to allot 3 nights in Tokyo, spending two days exploring the epic city of Tokyo and one day taking a day trip to see Mt Fuji in all of its glory!
As first time visitors, we felt Mt Fuji was a MUST, so we had to really prioritize what we wanted to see on our 2 days in Tokyo!
So here is how to spend two days exploring great spots in Tokyo, especially for first-time visitors!
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2 Day Tokyo Itinerary Summary (with a Map)
Tokyo is the largest city in the WORLD, so it goes without saying that the options are endless on how to fill your 2 day Tokyo itinerary. However, there are a few places you really should visit, especially as a first-time visitor.
Tokyo Layout (Its HUGE!)
Knowing the layout of Tokyo will help you grasp the size of Tokyo and decide what to do and when to do it. Tokyo is GIANT. There are 23 wards in Tokyo and there is no way you will be able to visit all of them in 2-3 days.
I’m not going to go into excruciating details on all of the districts of Tokyo, because I didn’t visit them all and someone else has already done that I’m sure.
However, with only two days in Tokyo, I wouldn’t worry about visiting the very outskirts of Tokyo (Kawaguchi, Shinagawa, etc). It can take you an hour and a half to get from one side to the other and it just isn’t time efficient.
Instead, focus on the central districts (there are about 8 that are in the center of Tokyo and hold a lot of the highlights.
2 Day Tokyo Itinerary Summary
In general, we are usually pretty “go with the flow” people and tend to roam a city and then go back to places we missed. However, this was very hard to do in Tokyo due to its size and the time it takes to get from point A to point B!
If you are like this, I do recommend at least having an IDEA of where things are so that you can “go with the flow” in a more compressed area and not waste so much time traveling.
I recommend spending one day visiting the central wards in east Tokyo and one day visiting the central west portion of Tokyo; this will cover a lot of the highlights of Tokyo!
**Our first day in Tokyo was a half day due to traveling, so if you read our 8 day itinerary, you’ll know that our days were laid out a little differently. However, if I had two full days in Tokyo, this is how I would spend them!**
- Day 1– Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa District, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower
- Day 2– Meiju Jingu Temple, Shinjuku, Shibuya
Remember: you are NOT going to be able to see everything in Tokyo in 2-3 days. So really don’t sweat it when you can’t see everything while you are in Tokyo. You can see plenty enough to get a feel for the city!
Day 1 of Your 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary- Sensō-ji Temple, Asakusa, Castle and Tokyo Tower
Day 1 of your 2 day Tokyo itinerary: explore the east side of central Tokyo! Spend your day exploring the cute area of Asakusa and the beautiful temple of Sensō-ji Temple, the Imperial Palace and watch the sunset from Tokyo Tower.
Tsukiji Outer Market
If you are a fan of markets (we loved the ones in Osaka!), you can visit Tsukiji Outer Market which is full of fresh food. However, the hours are not very convenient.
It is open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm during the week and then usually 10:00am to 2:00pm on the weekends (we tried to go later in the day and it was closed).
Therefore, if you want to visit this, I recommend getting here when it opens to grab some breakfast before exploring the rest of this side of Tokyo!
Sensō-ji Temple
After the market (or to begin your day if you aren’t interested in the market!) start by visiting one of Tokyo’s prettiest (and most popular) temples, Senso-ji.
This is a Buddhist temple located in the Asakusa region of Tokyo and is one of the oldest temples in Tokyo. It is comprised of multiple buildings including the Kaminari mon, which you will come upon first from the Asakusa Station.
BEFORE heading through the Kaminari mon to the temples, I recommend getting a view from above at the Asakusa Tourist Information Center which is located JUST on the other side of the road. This gives you tourist information (obviously), but also gives you a cool view of the temples from above!
After getting the view, head to Kaminari mon and follow the popular shopping street, Nakamise-dori Street. If you are looking for souvenirs, this is the place to be! Shin-Nakamise is another popular shopping street, but you will have to take a detour down it and then return to Nakamise-dori to get to the
The street will take you all the way to the Sensō-ji Temples, which consist of several different temples.
Senso-ji Hozomon Gate, Senso-ji Hondo (main hall), and the Five-Storied Pagoda are very close together located JUST at the end of Nakamise-dori.
Sensō-ji Yōgō-dō Pavilion is tucked into a garden with a koi pond behind the gate and pagoda.
- Cost: Free to enter
Asakusa
Sensō-ji Temple is located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, so after seeing the temples, explore the rest of this area.
Asakusa is a super cute area of Tokyo that has architecture similar (with a modern twist) to the traditional architecture in Gion district of Kyoto.
Once you get all the way down Nakamise-dori to the shrine, take a left passed the pagoda and you’ll run into the cute, traditional-looking streets such as Rokuku Street!
Imperial Castle
From Asakusa, head to the Imperial Castle. We actually missed the castle because we realized too late that it was closed on Monday, which was when we were exploring this side of the city 🙃
**If you have two days in Tokyo and one of them is Monday, make sure this isn’t your Monday!**
However, based on photos and reviews, I think it is worth visiting and this is a good time to do it! From Asakusa area it is about a 40 minute train ride (I know; it looks close on the map just as everything in Tokyo does).
I would recommend taking a guided tour of the castle (we would have if we had been able to visit on Monday).
- The tours don’t take up too much time, guide you around the grounds and gardens (inside not open to the public) while providing history as well! They are highly rated and one of the most popular tours in Tokyo!
- Times: If you book far enough in advance you can book at 12:00, 1:00 pm or early afternoon tour that will fit this itinerary well.
- If you have to choose a morning tour, you can switch this with the Asakusa ward!
Walking Tour of the Imperial Palace
This is one of the most popular guided tours in Tokyo and is likely to sell out.
–Cost: 37 euros
–Duration: 2 hours
–Rating: 4.9/5
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower is an iconic site in Tokyo and worth adding to your 2 day Tokyo itinerary, especially your first time in Tokyo! It is located in the Minato ward in the southeast side of Tokyo.
From the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower only about 2o minutes via foot and train.
I recommend visiting Tokyo Tower around sunset, so this time will obviously depend on what time of year you visit. This gives you an opportunity to see the city in the daylight and then watch it come to life at night! And, on a clear day, you can even see Mt Fuji tower behind the city 😍
Tokyo Tower has two observation decks, the “main deck” which is in the middle and a top observation deck which is at the top of the tower.
To get to the top deck, you need to reserve a time, but tickets to the middle deck are general admission with no timed entry.
KNOW THOUGH. Sunset is a popular time and if you want to go all the way to the top of Tokyo Tower, it is likely to sell out (it did on us). However, you should be able to still get to the shorter observation deck without a reservation.
Tokyo Tower Observation Decks
The view from Tokyo Tower is amazing!
If you want to get the top deck, I would purchase tickets in advance (you will choose date and time of your tickets, and they are more likely to sell out)
However, if you just want to go to the main deck, you can just purchase a regular admission ticket (not timed.)
Day 2 of Your 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary- Meiju-Jingu, Shinjuku and Shibuya
On the second day of your 2 day Tokyo itinerary, visit a temple that is a little more nature-filled plus two of the most lively wards in Tokyo!
Shinjuku Apartment
Though Shinjuku has a reputation for being loud, you can find a quieter side of the ward and be close to the main train hub (which is helpful if you are city-hopping and/or day tripping!
We found an apartment on Booking.com that fit us comfortably; it was spacious (for Tokyo) and the host was very helpful. The location was also great!
Meiji Jingu
Start your day at Meiji Jingu, a shinto shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
It is located between Shinjuku and Shibuya and is a relief from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo; you would hardly even know it resides in the center of the worlds largest city!
Meiji Jingu sits on 70 hectars (~170 acres!) with a large portion of forested area. There are several different shrines on the grounds and has LARGE wooden tori gates at the entrances.
It is also home to a unique wall of sake barrels found on the gravel path from the Harajuku station. Though the barrels are empty, they are often donated to the shrine by local brewers for ceremonies at the shrine.
Once you are done here, you can exit to the Harajuku Station. Or, if you are a trendy, fashion-fan who likes to thrift, Harajuku (such as Takeshita Street) is a great place to do it.
Shinjuku
After finishing up in the Harajuku area, train to Shinjuku, one of Tokyo’s liveliest areas!
Shinjuku is only about 15 minutes from Meiji Jingu (thank goodness!).
Shinjuku is known for its clubs and nightlife and is even home to its own red light district, Kabukichō. However, during the day it feels very normal, even in the technical red light district. Aside from a few questionable signs, you can’t really tell what comes. to fruition at night.
BUT, unless you are interested in the above, I do recommend visiting Shinjuku first and then making your way to Shibuya.
Shinjuku is has great shopping and restaurants as well. Popular places to see and visit are:
- The Godzilla head
- Omoide Yokocho Street (narrow, but popular food street in the heart of Shinjuku!)
- The 3D Cat billboard
- Shinjuku Golden-gai- Alleyways with bars and taverns
- Shinjuku Cherry Tree Area in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden if you are visiting during cherry blossom season! It is close to Meiju Jingu, so start here before going to central Shinjuku.
You can also get a great view of Tokyo from above at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which has observation decks you can visit for free.
Shibuya
Once you get your feel of Shinjuku, you can train to Shibuya which is only about 15 minutes away as well.
Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s busiest and brightest wards full of shopping, dining and people! If you have seen videos of the world’s busiest street crossing, it is here- Shibuya Scramble Crossing!
A few things to do and see in Shibuya:
- Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Shibuya Center-gai
- View Shibuya Scramble Crossing from Above (Starbucks, Share Lounge, Shibuya Hikarie Sky Lobby, etc)
- MEGA Don Quijote– There are Don Quijote’s everywhere, but only one Mega. Only go early or late unless you want to fight crowds.
- Takeshita Street (can’t make that up)- A pedestrian only street with shopping and food, but is on the north side of Shibuya
- Shibuya Cat Street– A fun shopping street
Both Takeshita Street and Shibuya Cat Street are in the northern portion of Shibuya, so if you decide to go there, I recommend going there first before going to central Shibuya.
And, if you haven’t added a view of Tokyo from above to your 2 day itinerary yet, you need to. Another great place to do this is Shibuya Sky. We wanted to do this, but, alas, like many other thing, it was sold out.
So, BOOK YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE!
Book one of the best views of Tokyo from above! (it will sell out)
What to Do with Another Day (or two!)
If you have another full day in Tokyo, I recommend taking a day trip to Mt Fuji! If you don’t already have this in your itinerary, it needs to be added! Especially if this is your first time in Japan. And, Tokyo is a great starting point for your day trip.
We trained from Kyoto to Tokyo and considered stopping for a night around Mt Fuji, but the logistics ended up just being easier to take the bullet train back to Tokyo and then day trip from there.
I will say, though, that as amazing as the day trip to Mt Fuji is, it is also a lot of work and it will be a FULL day!
Here is everything you need to know about taking a day trip to Mt Fuji!
Add another Half Day to your 2 Day Tokyo Itinerary?
Some flights back to the US leave rather late. We flew out at 8pm, so we had nearly another full day in Tokyo. We opted to visit none other than Disneyland to top off our 8 day Japan trip!
After spending 8 days navigating cities, taking multiple trains and buses and going pedal to the metal, we decided to spend our last hours in Japan in the magic of Disney!
Disneyland is much more reasonably-sized than DisneyWorld in Orlando; you don’t need NEAR as much time to see the majority of the park. If you get to Disney when it opens at 9am, you will be able see the entirety of the park and ride a majority of the rides by 4 or 4:30pm.
Visit Disneyland!
Visit Disneyland, Tokyo (for a more reasonable price than DisneyWorld Orland 🙃)
2 Day Tokyo Itinerary Final Thoughts
Tokyo is a one-of-a-kind city; nearly a country all by itself and it is cool to see it in action! However, know that you definitely won’t be able to fit everything into a 2 day Tokyo itinerary (or even 3 or 4 day), but you CAN get a good grasp of the city and have a great time with only a few days!
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