Tokyo stay plans

Hello guys,

I will be staying for 4 days in Tokyo to start my Japan experienice in mid April and came up with a plan for the stay. Wanted to share it with you'll to check for opinions, critics and suggestions whether there is something I can skip or replace - I am interested in seeing various sights and experience the variety of the city, so hopefully would have the time to do that and just want to make sure I do not miss something that is worth seeing. Here's the rough idea:

Day 1 - I will arrive late in Tokyo and would have to find our apartment where we would be staying, it is located close to Shibuya, so I would be looking to your recommendations where we could go to have something to eat for dinner, as we would probably be too tired for anything more after the long travel.

Day 2:

- Meiji Shrine
- Yoyogi park
- Takeshita Dori
- Omotesando
- NHK Studio,
- Tokyo Metropoliten Government Building
- Kabukicho
- Shinjuku Goyen

Day 3:

- Asakusa - Kaminari gate, Nakamise shoppinh street, Sensoji Temple, Asakusa culture tourist info center and Sumida park
- Tokyo Skytree
- Ueno park
- Rikugien Gerden
- Ikebukuro
- Koishikawa Korakuen
- Tokio Imperial Palace
- Ginza
- Tsukishima
- Akihabara

Day 4 - we are planning day trip to Nikko when we would be activating our JR Pass.

What are your throughts and idea, do you think it is acheivable and what would you recommend us to skip/replace to make sure we get to enjoy the city?

Thanks and regards,
Boris

Day 3 is far too full. Often Asakusa, SkyTree and Ueno take a full day just by themselves. Skytree may also have long lines.

For eating in Shibuya, just wander around and drop into any restaurant that catches your fancy! If you need an English menu, restaurants with this available will advertise outside.

Hi Boris,

I agree with sq, your day 3 might have to much to fit everything in one day, I think maybe try and mix day 2 and three around, I myself noticed that sometimes you cant get to everything in just one particular day.

Skytree has crazy lines, that's why I opted not to go when I was in Tokyo last year, do Shinjuku government building(free) Tokyo Tower only 900Y, which is not bad, there are many better and cheaper options.

Many people say Skytree is nice but the view can be disappointing depending on weather, and can be expensive.

But ultimately you must make the choice what you want to see.

Will you perhaps be using Subway or JR during ur Tokyo Stay?

Hi thank you for the replies, they are very helpful.

Indeed, we are planning to go to the Government building to see Tokyo from above, so probably anything else would not be obligatory, as the view would be the same/similar.

We are planning to use a subway pass for the time while we are in Tokyo and activate our 1 week JR pass at the final day when we would be going to Nikko. Could you, please, recommend from where can we buy a subway pass that would cover all Tokyo or at least most places of interest? I hope my question makes sense.

Thank you,
Boris

The subway doesn't cover all of Tokyo, and it's not always the most convenient mode of transport. Use an app or Google Maps to check what routes to take in your current itinerary, and then see if you'd use the subway enough to justify buying the subway pass. You should also consider getting an IC card for times when a different line (e.g. JR) might be a better choice.

Hi Boris,

You can get the 72hr Subway Pass, that covers Tokyo Metro & Toei Lines, you can buy this at the Airport, or if you want you can also purchases this in Akihabara Laox Store, you cant miss it, there are many other places that sell them, but cant remember, you can go on the Tokyo Metro Website, the ticket is displayed there with the stores available to purchase.

I used this ticket which was so awesome and actually bought another one in Akihabara, and you can get to most places in Tokyo, sq does mention some places might not be reachable via subway, but that prob means walking extra 5 or 10 minutes to get there, so from my opinion its worth the 1500Yen for the 72hr, that's 500 yen unlimited subway per day, very cheap.

I hope this helps, and I hope you have a great trip.

http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/index.html#anc02

Hi,

Thank you very much for the insight, I really appreciated the help provided and will most definitely consider your suggestions!

Regards,

Boris

One more question, if you do not mind. What would be the easiest way to go from Narita airport to Shibuya station, because the place where we are staying is very close to it? Thanks!

There's a page on this website about travel to/from Narita Airport, and it lets you search by district.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html

It doesn't mention Shibuya, but the N'EX and limousine buses do travel there directly. The N'EX is quite expensive, so the limo bus might suit you better. Or you can take the Skyliner and change trains at Ueno.

Hi Boris,

There are many options from Narita that you can take, but you will most probably have to make a change via JR or Subway to get to Shibuya.

You can take the Bus Option as that might drop you in Shibuya, but might get stuck in traffic depending of the time and the day.

I took the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Ueno, and changed to the subway to get to my destination area, its really not that difficult and its part of the experience that's why I wanted to take the Skyliner.

Hope you find the right option for you.

A 1 week JR pass to use it only one day to go to Nikko? That's wasteful. Get a Tokyo Wide Pass for 3 days or one of the Tobu tickets from Asakusa.