Updated October 2026
Tokyo 3 Day Itinerary (2026):
What to Book, and in What Order
Three days, three districts, and only two stops that need a timed ticket. The plan below is arranged so one sold-out slot never costs you a day.
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Day 1
West: Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku
Day 2
East: Asakusa, Skytree, Toyosu
Day 3
Centre: Palace, Ginza, Tokyo Tower
Must book ahead
teamLab Planets, Shibuya Sky sunset
In short: a workable Tokyo 3 day itinerary gives each day one side of the city — west, east and centre — so the longest journey of any day is a single Yamanote hop. Only two stops in it genuinely need booking: teamLab Planets TOKYO, whose entry is a 30-minute slot sold with no walk-up counter, and the SHIBUYA SKY sunset window. Everything else on the three days is walk-in, and four of the stops charge nothing at all. Adult admission for the ticketed stops ran ¥2,500 (Shibuya Sky online), from ¥1,800 (Skytree Floor 350), from ¥3,800 (teamLab Planets) and ¥1,500 (Tokyo Tower Main Deck) on the dates in the table below.
Check the Tokyo Subway Ticket on Klook →How Many Days Do You Need in Tokyo?
Three, for a first visit. Tokyo is not one city centre with suburbs around it; it is a string of centres along a loop line, and each of the three big clusters — the west around Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku, the east around Asakusa, Skytree and Toyosu, and the centre around Tokyo Station, Ginza and Shiba — is a full day on its own. Two days means giving one of them up. The fourth and fifth days are where a day trip belongs, not the third.
What this guide does differently is treat the three days as a booking problem. Most of Tokyo is walk-in, and the handful of attractions that are not will quietly decide your schedule if you let them. So each day below carries its own table — time of day, where, how long to allow, how you get there, and whether it needs booking — and the Klook listings for that day's bookings sit directly underneath it.
Day 1 — West Tokyo: Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku
One side of the Yamanote loop, three stops apart, finishing on a rooftop. Day 1 is first because it holds the slot most likely to be sold out — the SHIBUYA SKY sunset window — and a failed booking on Day 1 can still move to Day 2 or Day 3.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning, from opening | Meiji Jingu and the Harajuku approach | 1–1.5 hours | JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku; the shrine entrance is beside the station | No ticket — free, and open sunrise to sunset |
| Late morning | Takeshita Street and Omotesando | 1.5 hours | On foot from the shrine | No |
| Early afternoon | Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and the backstreets | 1.5 hours | One Yamanote stop from Harajuku, or about 20 minutes on foot | No |
| Mid-afternoon | Shinjuku — the Metropolitan Government Building decks and Shinjuku Gyoen | 2 hours | Yamanote Line from Shibuya to Shinjuku | No — the Tocho decks charge nothing at all |
| Late afternoon / sunset | SHIBUYA SKY, on top of Shibuya Scramble Square | 1–1.5 hours | Back to Shibuya on the Yamanote; the entrance is inside the station building | Yes — a timed slot, and sunset is the one that sells out |
| Evening | Shinjuku: Omoide Yokocho and the Kabukicho izakaya streets | 2–3 hours | Yamanote Line from Shibuya | No, unless you want a guided crawl |
What to book for Day 1. The subway ticket, if your three days look like these; the Shibuya Sky slot, if you want sunset. Shibuya Sky is also the one stop here where the booking route matters as much as the ticket — the official site has rejected many foreign-issued cards since July 2024, which is covered in full in our Shibuya Sky tickets guide. The Metropolitan Government Building decks in Shinjuku are the free alternative if the slot has gone; our Tokyo observation decks comparison puts the four side by side.
Day 2 — East Tokyo: Asakusa, Skytree and Toyosu
The old-town side, and the day with the one genuinely compulsory booking. Senso-ji's main hall opens at 06:00 — 06:30 from October to March — which makes an early start here cheaper in crowds than anywhere else in the itinerary.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori, Asakusa | 1.5–2 hours | Ginza Line or Toei Asakusa Line to Asakusa | No ticket — the main hall opens 06:00 (06:30 October–March) |
| Late morning | TOKYO SKYTREE, Floor 350 (and Floor 450 if the air is clear) | 2 hours with Solamachi below it | One stop on the Tobu Skytree Line from Asakusa, or about 20 minutes on foot | Advised — the same-day counter adds a service fee per ticket |
| Early afternoon | Akihabara | 2 hours | Toei Asakusa Line or Ginza Line, changing to the JR Sobu or Yamanote | No |
| Mid-afternoon | teamLab Planets TOKYO, Toyosu | 2 hours, including the entry queue | Yurikamome to Shin-Toyosu, or Yurakucho Line to Toyosu | Required — a 30-minute entry slot, with no walk-up counter |
| Evening | Toyosu, Ginza or Tsukishima for dinner | 2 hours | Yurakucho Line from Toyosu | No |
What to book for Day 2. teamLab Planets, without exception — the entry window is 30 minutes, there is no counter at the museum, and the popular slots go weeks ahead. Our teamLab Planets tickets guide also covers what to wear, because parts of it are walked barefoot through water. Skytree is worth booking for a different reason: the same-day counter adds a service fee per ticket, so buying ahead is cheaper rather than safer — the detail is in our Tokyo Skytree tickets guide.
Day 3 — Central Tokyo: the Palace, Ginza and Tokyo Tower
The day with nothing compulsory in it, which is exactly why it goes last: by now you know how fast you move, and this is the day to shorten, lengthen or hand to a guided coach. Tokyo Tower closes at 23:00 with last admission at 22:30 — later than any other major deck in the city — so a slow afternoon does not cost you the view.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Imperial Palace East Gardens and the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station | 1.5–2 hours | Any line to Tokyo Station; the Marunouchi exit faces the palace | No ticket, but the gardens close on set days — check the week you go |
| Late morning | Ginza, plus Character Street inside Tokyo Station | 1.5 hours | On foot, or one stop on the Marunouchi Line | No |
| Early afternoon | Tsukiji Outer Market | 1.5 hours | Hibiya Line to Tsukiji or Oedo Line to Tsukijishijo | No — but most of it winds down by mid-afternoon |
| Mid-afternoon | Zojo-ji and Shiba Park, with Tokyo Tower behind the main gate | 1 hour | Toei Mita Line to Onarimon or Oedo Line to Daimon | No |
| Late afternoon into the evening | Tokyo Tower Main Deck | 1 hour | A short walk through Shiba Park from Zojo-ji | Not needed for the Main Deck; only the Top Deck Tour is timed |
| Evening | Roppongi, Shimbashi or back to your own neighbourhood | 2 hours | Hibiya or Oedo Line from Kamiyacho / Akabanebashi | No |
What to book for Day 3. Nothing, unless you want the Tokyo Tower Top Deck Tour, which is timed and sold separately from the Main Deck — our Tokyo Tower tickets guide sets out the difference. The other option for Day 3 is to stop planning it: a guided sightseeing coach ties the Imperial Palace gardens, Asakusa and Skytree together with commentary, which is the version to pick if three days of navigating sounds like work.
The “time to allow” column in all three tables is our own planning allowance, not an operator figure. Opening hours and prices are in the dated table below, each against the operator's own site.
What Does a Tokyo 3 Day Itinerary Cost in Tickets?
Less than most people expect, because four of the stops above are free. Every figure below is the operator's own published price, with the site it was read off and the date it was read — not an estimate, and not a Klook price.
| Stop | Official price | Opening hours | Booking | Source & date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHIBUYA SKY (Day 1) | ¥2,500 adult online, ¥3,000 at the door | Per-date calendar — open the official page for your own date | Advised — Online is ¥500 cheaper than the door and the only way to hold a sunset slot — those sell out, the rest of the day usually does not. | Shibuya Sky official site, 19 October 2026 |
| TOKYO SKYTREE, Floor 350 (Day 2) | from ¥1,800 adult, from ¥900 child | 10:00–22:00 with last admission 21:00 on the date we checked; the calendar varies by day | Advised — The same-day counter adds a ¥500 service fee per ticket, so booking ahead is simply cheaper. | tokyo-skytree.jp, 19 October 2026 |
| teamLab Planets TOKYO (Day 2) | from ¥3,800 adult, ¥1,500 child | Listed 08:00–22:00 and varying by date, with last admission an hour before closing | Required — Entry is a 30-minute slot and the adult price moves with the date, so the slot is the booking. | teamlab.art and the official Planets ticket store, 9 October 2026 |
| Tokyo Tower, Main Deck (Day 3) | ¥1,500 adult, ¥600 child | 9:00–23:00 with last admission 22:30 | Not needed — The Main Deck costs the same at the door, and runs to 23:00. Only the ¥3,300 Top Deck Tour is cheaper online, and it is timed. | tokyotower.co.jp, 20 October 2026 |
| Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building decks (Day 1) | Free | Varies, and which of the two decks is open varies with it | Not needed — No ticket of any kind. Hours and which of the two decks is open vary, so check the day before. | metro.tokyo.lg.jp, 19 October 2026 |
| Senso-ji, Asakusa (Day 2) | No admission charge published for the main hall | Main hall 06:00–17:00, opening 06:30 from October to March | Not needed — Walk in. The hall opens long before anything else on this itinerary, which is why Day 2 starts here. | senso-ji.jp, 21 October 2026 |
| Meiji Jingu, Harajuku (Day 1) | Free | Sunrise to sunset, published month by month — 05:40–16:40 in October | Not needed — The shrine itself is free and open every day of the year; facilities inside keep shorter hours, mainly 09:00–16:00. | meijijingu.or.jp, 21 October 2026 |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket (all three days) | ¥1,000 / ¥1,500 / ¥2,000 adult for 24 / 48 / 72 hours | n/a | Not needed — Sold to visitors only, at airports and designated counters. It covers Tokyo Metro and Toei but not JR — including the Yamanote Line. | tokyometro.jp, 19 October 2026 |
Subject to change — confirm at booking. The Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu rows were read off those two sites on 21 October 2026; every other row carries the date from our own guide for that ticket. The ticketed stops also appear, with the same figures and dates, in the Japan attraction ticket prices table.
Which Tokyo Attractions Need Booking in Advance?
Two of the fourteen stops above, and that is the single most useful thing to know before you start planning. Here is the whole itinerary sorted by how far ahead each thing has to be bought.
Book before you fly
teamLab Planets, because entry is a 30-minute slot with no walk-up counter and the popular windows go weeks out. The SHIBUYA SKY sunset slot, for the same reason. And the airport train or bus for your arrival, because the one queue you cannot plan around is the one you join after a long flight.
Book a few days out
Tokyo Skytree, where booking ahead is simply cheaper than the same-day counter, and the Top Deck Tour at Tokyo Tower if you want the higher level. A guided day tour, if you would rather hand one of the three days to somebody else.
Do not bother booking
Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu, the Scramble Crossing, Tsukiji Outer Market, Zojo-ji, the Tokyo Tower Main Deck and the free Metropolitan Government Building decks. None of them sell a timed ticket, and queuing for a slot you do not need is the most common way a Tokyo itinerary loses an afternoon.
Cancellation is the other half of this. Tokyo weather can ruin a rooftop and nothing else, so the two timed tickets are worth buying through a route that lets you move or cancel them — which is the practical argument for booking the decks and teamLab through Klook rather than an operator site that may also reject a foreign card. Our things to do in Tokyo guide lists the same split across the whole city rather than just this itinerary.
Where to Stay for Three Days in Tokyo
With three days and two timed tickets, the base that costs you least is the one on the Yamanote loop that is also a subway interchange. These three are picked on that basis — Shinjuku and Shibuya for the Day 1 side of the city, Ueno and Asakusa for Day 2, Tokyo Station for Day 3 and for anything you add afterwards.
- ▸Shinjuku — On the Yamanote loop and the terminus for the Chuo, Odakyu and Keio lines, so most of west Tokyo is a single ride away. Hotels on Klook →
- ▸Tokyo Station / Marunouchi — A Yamanote stop and the start of the Tokaido and Tohoku shinkansen — the easiest base if you are taking day trips out of the city. Hotels on Klook →
- ▸Ueno / Asakusa — Ueno is on the Yamanote loop and the Ginza Line runs from there to Asakusa, which puts Senso-ji and Akihabara within a few stops. Hotels on Klook →
Hotel links go to Klook's own search for that area, which pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability are Klook's.
How Do You Get From the Airport, and On to Kyoto?
Three days in Tokyo almost always has an airport day at each end, and often a shinkansen at the far end. Both are worth settling before you fly, for the same reason: they are the two parts of the trip where a queue costs you hours rather than minutes.
From Narita. The Narita Express runs to Tokyo Station, Shinjuku and Shibuya without a transfer, which covers all three of the bases above. The Keisei Skyliner is the faster option if you are staying on the Ueno and Asakusa side. The limousine bus is the one to pick with large luggage or a hotel that is not beside a station, and Klook sells it bundled with the subway pass, which is one booking instead of two. Journey times and the full route-by-route comparison are in our Tokyo airport transfer guide.
From Haneda. Close enough to central Tokyo that the choice matters much less — the Keikyu Line and the Tokyo Monorail both reach the Yamanote loop quickly, and that same guide covers both.
On to Kyoto or Osaka. If these three days are the first leg of a longer trip, the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station is the obvious next move, and the question is only whether a rail pass earns its price across the rest of your route. Our Tokyo to Kyoto guide compares the train types and fares, and our JR Pass guide works through the break-even — which, for a trip that is only Tokyo plus one other city, usually comes out against the pass. For getting around within the three days, our Getting Around Tokyo guide explains how IC cards and the subway lines fit together.
One more arrival-day booking that is not transport: data. Every timed ticket on this itinerary is a QR code in an inbox, and every one of the “getting there” columns above assumes you can open a map. An eSIM activated before departure means none of that depends on finding airport Wi-Fi. See Klook eSIM options → Our best eSIM for Japan guide compares it against the alternatives.
Is 3 Days Enough for Tokyo?
For a first visit, yes — provided you do not try to put a day trip inside it. The honest trade is this: a Mt. Fuji or Hakone day out of Tokyo is a whole day, not an excursion, and spending one of three on it means dropping a third of the city. With four or five days the same trip is the best thing you can add.
If you do want to make the swap, the two day trips worth the trade are Kawaguchiko, for the Fuji viewpoints and the lake, and Hakone, for the hot-spring loop that a single pass covers end to end. The independent route to the Fuji side is in our Mt. Fuji day trip guide, and the guided versions are compared in our Mt. Fuji day tour comparison.
Common Questions
1. How many days do you need in Tokyo?
2. Is 3 days enough for Tokyo?
3. Which Tokyo attractions need booking in advance?
4. What is the best order to do a Tokyo 3 day itinerary in?
5. Do I need a Tokyo Subway Ticket for three days?
6. Where should I stay for a 3 day Tokyo itinerary?
7. Can I do a Mt. Fuji day trip inside three days in Tokyo?
8. Is three days in Tokyo enough with children?
9. What should I book for the arrival and departure days?
Settle the two timed tickets first
teamLab Planets and the Shibuya Sky sunset slot are the only two bookings that can break this itinerary, and both go weeks ahead. Klook checks out in English, takes foreign cards the official sites sometimes reject, and keeps all three days on one account.
Book the timed tickets on Klook →