Updated October 2026
Tokyo 5-Day Itinerary (2026):
5 Days in Tokyo, Day by Day
Three city days and two days out of the city, arranged so the only five bookings that matter are settled before you fly.
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Day 1
Harajuku, Nakameguro, Shibuya
Day 2
Asakusa, Ueno, Yanaka
Day 3
Tsukiji, Toyosu, Odaiba, Tokyo Tower
Day 4
Kawaguchiko, for Mt. Fuji
Day 5
Kamakura, back for the evening
Must book ahead
teamLab Planets, Shibuya Sky sunset, the Fuji bus
In short: a Tokyo 5-day itinerary works best as three city days plus two day trips — west Tokyo on Day 1, old Tokyo on Day 2, the bay on Day 3, Kawaguchiko for Mt. Fuji on Day 4 and Kamakura on Day 5. The two days out of the city are what five days buys you over three: the Fujikyu bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko is listed at approximately 1 hour 45 minutes each way, and the JR Yokosuka Line runs Tokyo to Kamakura in 59 minutes with no change. Only five things in the whole plan need booking — teamLab Planets, the SHIBUYA SKY sunset slot, the Fuji bus in both directions, the Tsukiji food walk and the Asakusa kimono appointment. Admission for the ticketed stops ran ¥2,500 (Shibuya Sky online), from ¥3,800 (teamLab Planets), ¥1,500 (Tokyo Tower Main Deck), ¥1,000 (Tokyo National Museum) and ¥300 and ¥400 for the two Kamakura temples on the dates in the table below.
Check the Tokyo Subway Ticket on Klook →How Should You Split 5 Days in Tokyo?
Three days in the city, two days out of it. Tokyo is not one centre with suburbs around it; it is a string of centres along a loop line, and three of those clusters are a full day each. Add a fourth and a fifth day and the question changes completely — you are no longer choosing which part of Tokyo to drop, you are choosing which day trip to add. That is the one structural difference between this plan and our Tokyo 3 day itinerary, which has to leave Mt. Fuji out altogether.
The five days below are also not the three-day plan with two days bolted on. With the extra room, each city day takes in a district three days cannot reach — Daikanyama and Nakameguro on Day 1, Ueno Park and Yanaka on Day 2, Hama-rikyu and Odaiba on Day 3 — and the pace drops to something you can actually keep for five consecutive days.
What this guide does differently is treat the five days as a booking problem. Most of Tokyo is walk-in, and the handful of things 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 — with that day's bookings directly underneath it.
Day 1 — West Tokyo: Harajuku, Nakameguro and Shibuya
One side of the Yamanote loop, finishing on a rooftop. Day 1 goes first because it holds the slot most likely to be sold out — the SHIBUYA SKY sunset window — and a failed booking on Day 1 still has four days to move into.
| 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 | Omotesando and Cat Street, walking south | 1.5 hours | On foot from the shrine | No |
| Early afternoon | Daikanyama and the Meguro River at Nakameguro | 2 hours | Tokyu Toyoko Line, one or two stops from Shibuya | No |
| Mid-afternoon | Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and the backstreets | 1.5 hours | Toyoko Line back up to Shibuya | No |
| Late afternoon / sunset | SHIBUYA SKY, on top of Shibuya Scramble Square | 1–1.5 hours | 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 for the city days, and 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 our Shibuya Sky tickets guide covers in full. If the sunset slot has gone, the free Metropolitan Government Building decks in Shinjuku are twenty minutes away on the same line; our Tokyo observation decks comparison puts the four side by side.
Day 2 — Old Tokyo: Asakusa, Ueno and Yanaka
The low-rise, pre-war side of the city, and the day where five days earns its keep: Ueno Park and the Yanaka lanes are the first things a three-day plan has to drop. Senso-ji's main hall opens at 06:00 — 06:30 from October to March — so an early start here costs less 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 hours | Ginza Line or Toei Asakusa Line to Asakusa | No ticket — the main hall opens 06:00 (06:30 October–March) |
| Mid-morning | Kimono or yukata rental, then the temple lanes and the Sumida riverside | 3–4 hours, including the dressing appointment | The shops are a few minutes on foot from Kaminarimon | Yes — the shop takes a slot, and the outfit is due back the same day |
| Early afternoon | TOKYO SKYTREE and Solamachi (optional — skip it if you would rather have the time) | 2 hours | 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 |
| Mid-afternoon | Ueno Park and the Tokyo National Museum | 2–2.5 hours | Ginza Line from Asakusa to Ueno, about 5 minutes | Not needed — but the museum closes on Mondays |
| Late afternoon | Yanaka Ginza and the lanes around it | 1.5 hours | JR Yamanote Line to Nippori, then on foot | No |
| Evening | Ameyoko, under the tracks at Ueno | 2 hours | One Yamanote stop back from Nippori | No |
What to book for Day 2. The kimono appointment, and Skytree if you are doing it. The rental is the thing that sets the shape of this day rather than the thing that decorates it: the Klook listing for Kimono Yae, by Kaminarimon, asks for the outfit back by 17:30 the same day, and the dressing itself takes most of an hour before you step outside — so plan the return before Ueno, not after it. Our Asakusa kimono rental guide sets out the return deadlines shop by shop. 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. The Tokyo National Museum takes no reservation at all, but it closes on Mondays; if your Day 2 falls on one, swap it with Day 3.
Day 3 — The Bay: Tsukiji, Toyosu, Odaiba and Tokyo Tower
A day that runs along the water from the fish market to the Rainbow Bridge, and the only one with two fixed departure times in it. 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 on the bay does not cost you the view.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | Tsukiji Outer Market, on a guided food walk | 2–3 hours | Hibiya Line to Tsukiji or Oedo Line to Tsukijishijo | Yes — small groups on fixed departure times |
| Late morning | Hama-rikyu Gardens, on the water between the market and the bay | 1–1.5 hours | About 15 minutes on foot from the outer market | No — pay at the gate; it opens 9:00 and last entry is 16:30 |
| Early 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 |
| Mid-afternoon | Odaiba: the seaside park, DECKS and the Rainbow Bridge view | 2 hours | Yurikamome from Toyosu to Odaiba-Kaihinkoen | No, unless you want the Joypolis passport inside DECKS |
| Sunset | Tokyo Bay boat cruise | 1 hour | The small-boat listing we link boards at Shibaura, near Tamachi | Yes — a fixed sailing time, and sunset sailings go first |
| Evening | Tokyo Tower Main Deck | 1 hour | Oedo Line to Akabanebashi, or Hibiya Line to Kamiyacho | Not needed — last admission is 22:30 |
What to book for Day 3. 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. Then the two fixed departures: the Tsukiji food walk, which runs in small groups while the outer market is still trading, and the sunset boat, which is an hour rather than a dinner cruise. Our Tsukiji market food tour guide explains why the morning slot is the one that matters, and our Tokyo Bay cruise guide sets the small boat against the yakatabune and the Symphony.
Day 4 — Day Trip: Kawaguchiko and the Mt. Fuji North Shore
The reason to spend five days rather than three. The Fujikyu highway bus from Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station is listed at approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, at ¥2,200 for an adult or ¥2,000 booked online, with child fares of ¥1,100 and ¥1,000 — read off the Fujikyu bus site on 23 October 2026. Three and a half hours of that day are travel, so plan two or three stops around the lake, not five.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | Highway bus, Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station | Listed at approximately 1 hr 45 min | Busta Shinjuku; the same route also runs from Tokyo Station, Shibuya and Ikebukuro | Yes — a reserved seat, and ¥200 cheaper booked online |
| Late morning | Oishi Park on the north shore, for the across-the-lake view of Fuji | 1–1.5 hours | Kawaguchiko sightseeing bus, Red Line, from the station | No |
| Early afternoon | Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway above the lake | 1 hour | Red Line back towards the station | No — but check the operator's notice, it closes for annual inspection |
| Mid-afternoon | The Lake Kawaguchi boat, or the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum | 1 hour | Red Line; the boat pier is beside the ropeway | No |
| Late afternoon | Highway bus back to Shinjuku | Listed at approximately 1 hr 45 min | Kawaguchiko Station bus terminal | Yes — fix the return seat before you leave Tokyo |
| Evening | Shinjuku, which is where the bus puts you down | 2 hours | On foot from Busta Shinjuku | No |
What to book for Day 4. The bus seat in both directions, or a coach day that replaces both. The independent version is cheaper and more flexible, and our Kawaguchiko day trip guide has the local fares; our Mt. Fuji day trip guide covers the train route via Otsuki if you want the Chureito Pagoda instead of the lake. A join-in coach is the version to pick if you would rather not watch a return timetable all afternoon, and our Mt. Fuji day tour comparison sets out what each one actually stops at. Once you are at the lake, a day of three or more bus hops pays for the ¥1,500 one-day pass; two does not. Local pass price read off the Fujikyu bus site on 21 October 2026.
Day 5 — Day Trip: Kamakura, and a Last Tokyo Evening
The easy one, and the right day trip to put last because it comes back early. The JR Yokosuka Line runs direct from Tokyo Station with no change — on the weekday timetable we read, the 07:02 out of Kamakura reaches Tokyo at 08:01, which is 59 minutes. Checked on JR East's own timetable site, 23 October 2026. That means a full morning and afternoon in Kamakura and still an evening in the city.
| Time of day | Where | Time to allow | Getting there | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | JR Yokosuka Line, Tokyo Station to Kamakura | 59 minutes on the weekday service we read | Direct, no change — the same trains run through from Chiba and Narita | No — an IC card opens the gate, and a JR pass covers it |
| Morning | Kotoku-in and the open-air Great Buddha | 45 minutes | Enoden tram from Kamakura to Hase, then about 7 minutes on foot | No — pay at the gate |
| Late morning | Hase-dera, on the hillside above the sea | 1 hour | 5 to 7 minutes on foot from Kotoku-in | No — pay at the gate |
| Early afternoon | The Enoden along the coast towards Enoshima | 1–2 hours | Enoden, roughly every 12–15 minutes | No |
| Mid-afternoon | Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and the food stalls of Komachi-dori | 1.5 hours | On foot from Kamakura Station | No |
| Evening | Back in Tokyo — Marunouchi, Ginza, or wherever you are staying | 2–3 hours | Yokosuka Line back into Tokyo Station | No |
What to book for Day 5. Nothing, strictly — Kamakura is the one day in this itinerary you can decide on the morning of. Kotoku-in and Hase-dera both take cash at the gate, the Enoden runs every twelve to fifteen minutes, and no train on the route is reserved. The only reason to book is to hand the day to somebody else: the Klook day tour that pairs Kamakura with Enoshima is one booking instead of a morning of connections, which is worth it if Day 5 is also the day before you fly. Our Kamakura day trip guide has the official temple admissions and the route in detail.
The “time to allow” column in all five tables is our own planning allowance, not an operator figure. Prices, opening hours and journey times are in the two dated tables below, each against the operator's own site.
What Do 5 Days in Tokyo Cost in Tickets and Passes?
Less than most people expect, because most of these five days are free to walk into. 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. There are no hotel or food numbers here on purpose: those are guesses rather than prices, and a guess dated to the day is still a guess.
| Item | Official price | Hours / duration | 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 |
| 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. It opens hours before anything else in this itinerary, which is why Day 2 starts here. | senso-ji.jp, 21 October 2026 |
| TOKYO SKYTREE, Floor 350 (Day 2, optional) | 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 |
| Tokyo National Museum, Ueno (Day 2) | ¥1,000 adult, ¥500 university student | 9:30–17:00, and 9:30–20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays; closed Mondays | Not needed — General admission, walk-up. The Monday closure is the one that catches people out — if your Day 2 is a Monday, swap it with Day 3. | tnm.jp, 23 October 2026 |
| Hama-rikyu Gardens (Day 3) | ¥300 adult, ¥150 for 65 and over | 9:00–17:00 with entry until 16:30; closed 29 December to 1 January | Not needed — Pay at the gate. It is the one green stop on the bay day, between the market and Toyosu. | tokyo-park.or.jp, 23 October 2026 |
| teamLab Planets TOKYO (Day 3) | 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 |
| Shinjuku ⇄ Kawaguchiko highway bus (Day 4) | ¥2,200 adult one way, ¥2,000 booked online; child ¥1,100 / ¥1,000 | Listed at approximately 1 hour 45 minutes each way | Advised — A reserved seat, so the return is the booking that matters — the last useful departure decides how long you get at the lake. | bus.fujikyu.co.jp, 23 October 2026 |
| Kawaguchiko sightseeing bus, 1-day pass (Day 4) | ¥1,500 adult, ¥750 child | Red, Green and Blue Lines around the lakes | Not needed — Three or more hops pays for the pass; two does not, because single rides start at ¥180. | bus.fujikyu.co.jp, 21 October 2026 |
| Mt. Fuji Pass, 1 day (Day 4 alternative) | ¥7,500 adult, ¥3,750 child | n/a | Not needed — Unlimited buses and trains around the Fuji Five Lakes once you are there, with the ropeway and lake cruise included. It does not cover getting out of Tokyo. | bus.fujikyu.co.jp/mtpass/en, 19 October 2026 |
| Kotoku-in, Kamakura (Day 5) | ¥300 adult, ¥150 child | Published on the temple's own site; the statue's interior closes earlier than the grounds | Not needed — Pay at the gate. Stepping inside the bronze statue itself is another ¥50. | kotoku-in.jp, 19 October 2026 |
| Hase-dera, Kamakura (Day 5) | ¥400 adult, ¥200 child | Opens 08:00, closing 17:00 and later April to June, last entry 30 minutes before close | Not needed — Pay at the gate. Open 08:00–17:00, later April to June, with last entry 30 minutes before close. | hasedera.jp, 19 October 2026 |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket (the three city 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 |
| Hakone Freepass (if you swap a day trip) | ¥7,100 adult / ¥1,600 child for 2 days; ¥7,500 / ¥1,850 for 3 days, from Shinjuku | n/a | Not needed — It does not include the Romancecar limited express ticket, which is a further ¥1,200 adult and ¥600 child to Hakone-Yumoto — and there is no 1-day version of the pass. | odakyu-global.com, 23 October 2026 |
Subject to change — confirm at booking. The Senso-ji row carries the date of our own read on senso-ji.jp (21 October 2026); the museum, garden, bus and Hakone rows were read on 23 October 2026; every other row carries the date from our own guide for that ticket. The ticketed attractions also appear, with the same figures and dates, in the Japan attraction ticket prices table.
How Long Does Each Day Trip Take From Tokyo?
Between one and two hours each way, and the operator publishes every one of these figures. This is the part of a five-day plan worth checking before you commit to a day, because the travel time sets how many stops the day can hold.
| Leg | How | Published journey time | Fare / surcharge | Source & date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku → Kawaguchiko (Day 4) | Fujikyu highway bus, direct from Busta Shinjuku | Approximately 1 hr 45 min | ¥2,200 adult one way, ¥2,000 online; child ¥1,100 / ¥1,000 | bus.fujikyu.co.jp, 23 October 2026 |
| Tokyo → Kamakura (Day 5) | JR Yokosuka Line, direct, no change | 59 minutes — the 07:02 from Kamakura reaches Tokyo at 08:01 on the weekday timetable | Ordinary JR fare; a JR pass covers it and there is no limited-express surcharge | timetables.jreast.co.jp, 23 October 2026 |
| Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto (day-trip swap) | Odakyu Romancecar, direct | Approx. 80 min | Limited express surcharge ¥1,200 adult, ¥600 child, on top of the fare — not in the Freepass | odakyu-global.com, 23 October 2026 |
| Tokyo → Kyoto (if the five days are the first leg) | Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station | About 130 minutes | Fare and seat class vary by train type and season | global.jr-central.co.jp, 23 October 2026 |
Do you need a JR Pass for five days in Tokyo? No, and this itinerary is a clean illustration of why. The only JR legs in it are the Yamanote hops and the hour to Kamakura. The subway is Tokyo Metro and Toei, the Fuji day is a highway bus, the Enoden is a private tram, and the Hakone alternative is Odakyu — a nationwide pass would be covering one train. Our JR Pass guide works the break-even properly, and our Getting Around Tokyo guide explains how IC cards and the subway lines fit together for the three city days.
And if you want to add Kyoto or Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Kyoto from Tokyo Station in about 130 minutes, which sounds like an easy add-on and is not: at five days, it costs you both day trips and a city day. If the nights are there, our Tokyo to Kyoto guide compares the train types and fares, and our Japan 14-day itinerary shows what the unhurried version of Tokyo-plus-Kansai actually looks like.
Where Should You Stay for 5 Days in Tokyo?
On the Yamanote loop, at a station that is also a subway interchange. Over five days the thing that costs you most is a base that needs two changes to reach anything, and these four need none — Shinjuku for the west side and the Kawaguchiko bus, Tokyo Station for the shinkansen and the Kamakura line, Ueno and Asakusa for the whole of Day 2, and Shibuya for the sunset deck and the evenings around it.
- ▸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 →
- ▸Shibuya — On the Yamanote loop one stop from Harajuku and two from Shinjuku, so the sunset deck slot and the early highway bus to Kawaguchiko both start within a few minutes of the door. 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.
What Needs Booking in Advance, and How Far Ahead?
Five things out of roughly thirty stops, which is the single most useful fact to hold 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. The Kawaguchiko highway bus in both directions, because the seat is reserved and a day at the lake is decided by the return. And the airport bus or train for your arrival.
Book a few days out
The Tsukiji food walk and the bay cruise, which are small-group departures rather than open tickets; the Asakusa kimono appointment, which has a fixed dressing time and a fixed return time; and Tokyo Skytree, where booking ahead is simply cheaper than the same-day counter.
Do not bother booking
Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu, the Scramble Crossing, Nakameguro, Yanaka, Ameyoko, Odaiba, the Tokyo Tower Main Deck, Kotoku-in, Hase-dera, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and the Enoden. None of them sells a timed ticket, and queuing for a slot you do not need is the fastest way to lose an afternoon of a five-day trip.
Cancellation is the other half of this, and it matters more at five days than at three, because two of your days depend on weather. A rooftop in rain and a Fuji viewpoint in cloud are both worth being able to move, which is the practical argument for buying the decks, the museum slot and the coach through a route that lets you re-date or cancel — and that also takes foreign cards the official sites sometimes reject. Our things to do in Tokyo guide lists the same book-ahead split across the whole city rather than just this itinerary.
What Do You Do on a Rainy Day in Tokyo?
Swap a day, not a plan — which is a luxury five days gives you and three does not. Day 4 is the one to move first: Kawaguchiko in cloud means no Mt. Fuji at all, and a reserved bus seat is usually easier to re-date than a timed museum entry. Move it to the back of the week and pull a city day forward.
If the rain lands on a city day instead, each of the three already contains its own indoor anchor. Day 2 has the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park, ¥1,000 for an adult and open 9:30–17:00 with later Friday and Saturday hours — closed Mondays — read off tnm.jp on 23 October 2026. Day 3 has teamLab Planets, which is indoors throughout, and Tokyo Joypolis inside the DECKS building a few minutes away in Odaiba. Day 1's rooftop is the one stop that rain genuinely ruins: an observation deck in low cloud shows you cloud, so move the SHIBUYA SKY slot rather than sitting it out — our deck comparison covers which of the four is worth the gamble on a marginal day. Covered shopping streets are the other default; Nakamise-dori in Asakusa and Ameyoko at Ueno are both roofed for most of their length.
Does This 5 Day Tokyo Itinerary Work With Kids?
Yes, with one structural change: turn one of the two day trips into a park day. Kawaguchiko is three and a half hours of coach for a view, which is a hard sell under about ten; Kamakura survives contact with children better, because the Enoden and the Great Buddha are short, concrete and outdoors.
The three obvious swaps are all a straight substitution for Day 4 or Day 5. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea sell date-specified tickets with no gate sales, so that one has to be decided before you fly. Sanrio Puroland at Tama Center is indoors and prices by date, which means choosing the day saves more than choosing the seller. Tokyo Joypolis in Odaiba is the half-day version and slots into Day 3 without moving anything, though several of its rides have a minimum height.
Within the five days as written, the other change worth making is fewer stops rather than fewer days — four a day instead of six, with the timed ticket in the morning while everyone is fresh. Every ticketed stop in the table above publishes a child rate, and the two Kamakura temples come to ¥150 and ¥200 for a child between them.
How Do You Get In From the Airport, and What Else Should You Book?
Five days in Tokyo has an airport day at each end, and both are worth settling before you fly — they are the two parts of the trip where a queue costs hours rather than minutes.
From Narita. The Narita Express runs to Tokyo Station, Shinjuku and Shibuya without a transfer, which covers three of the four bases above, and the Keisei Skyliner is the fast option for 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. Journey times and the full route-by-route comparison are in our Tokyo airport transfer guide, and the bus specifically in our Tokyo airport limousine bus 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 the same limousine operator runs from all three Haneda terminals.
One more arrival-day booking that is not transport: data. Every timed ticket on this itinerary is a QR code in an inbox, the Kawaguchiko return is a timetable you will check from a bus stop, and every “getting there” column 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.
Common Questions
1. Is 5 days in Tokyo enough?
2. How should you split a Tokyo 5-day itinerary?
3. What needs booking in advance on a 5 day Tokyo trip?
4. Do you need a JR Pass for 5 days in Tokyo?
5. Which day trips are worth it from Tokyo in 5 days?
6. What does a 5 day Tokyo itinerary cost in tickets?
7. Where should you stay for 5 days in Tokyo?
8. What do you do in Tokyo when it rains?
9. Is a 5 day Tokyo itinerary doable with kids?
10. Can you add Kyoto or Osaka to five days in Tokyo?
Settle the five bookings first
teamLab Planets, the Shibuya Sky sunset slot, the Kawaguchiko bus in both directions, the Tsukiji food walk and the Asakusa kimono appointment are the only things in these five days that can be sold out when you want them. Klook checks out in English, takes foreign cards the official sites sometimes reject, and keeps all five days on one account.