Tokyo Itinerary 8 Days – 2020 Complete Guide For First Timers!

This is my Tokyo Itinerary for 8 days! Japan’s ultramodern capital city is an amazing tourist destination, offering a seemingly unlimited variety of entertainment, shopping, culture and dining options for its visitors. Based on my own experience in this wonderful city, I have created the Tokyo itinerary below.

Tokyo Itinerary 8 Days

Day 1 – Shinjuku
Day 2 – Kawaguchiko Day Trip
Day 3 – Harajuku
Day 4 – DisneySea
Day 5 – Shibuya / Odaiba
Day 6 – Akihabara / Ueno Park / Asakusa
Day 7 – Tokyo Station / Tsukiji Market / Ginza
Day 8 – Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu

Day 1 – Shinjuku

Shinjuku is a large entertainment, shopping and business district. This area is a must-visit for any Tokyo itinerary!

This vibrant district is what most people imagine what they think of Tokyo: dazzling neon lights, bustling streets, overcrowded train stations, skyscrapers, and modern shopping complexes.

Shinjuku is divided into two areas: “East Shinjuku” (Higashi-Shinjuku) and “West Shinjuku” (Nishi-Shinjuku). On the “east” side, I experienced a vibrant entertainment hub with neon signboards, shopping malls, and various nightlife spots. On the “west” side, I saw a sprawl of tall commercial buildings.

I came across plenty of awesome eateries in Shinjuku! My favourite is probably Ichiran, a famous Japanese ramen chain known for its delicious tonkotsu ramen. I also really enjoyed indulging in sumptuous Japanese hotpot buffet at Nabezo; the restaurant even offers unlimited wagyu beef!

For the party-goers, Shinjuku offers plenty of nightlife options. Omoide Yokocho is a narrow alleyway lined with izakayas selling grilled food and alcohol, Shinjuku Golden Gai is famous for its many intimate bars, Kabuchiko is Japan’s largest red light district, and Shinjuku Nichome is an LGBTQ+ district home to various gay bars and clubs.

Interestingly, Shinjuku is also home to a beautiful public park: the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (新宿御苑). The park’s lush greenery, gorgeous landscaping, tranquil lakes and serene walking paths provide the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku.

The wife and I wandered around the garden and took plenty of beautiful pictures. After a while, we sat down on a bench to revel in the gorgeous scenery.

Day 2 – Kawaguchiko Day Trip

Kawaguchiko (also known as Lake Kawaguchi) is a large beautiful lake near Mount Fuji. It is a popular day trip destination for any Tokyo itinerary, because it offers plenty of fun things to see, do and eat.

My favourite attraction here was the Chureito Pagoda, a charming five-storey pagoda that is part of the Arakura Sengen Shrine. I went up to the observation deck beside the pagoda, where I got to revel in stunning views of Mount Fuji and the entire Fujiyoshida City.

Another highlight for me was the Fuji Oishi Hana Terrace, a garden-themed complex that is home to quaint cafes, artisanal shops, and artful outdoor spaces.

I visited HanaCafe Kikyou, a gorgeous flower-themed cafe in the complex that specialises in the rice cake snack “Shingen mochi”.

I ended my day in Kawaguchiko by taking the Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway up to the peak of Mt. Tenjo in three minutes.

The view from the top was amazing! I was treated to wonderful paranomic views of Mount Fuji and the surrounding town of Fujikawaguchiko.

Day 3 – Harajuku

Harajuku is the hub of Japan’s street fashion and teenage culture. It is also known for being the birthplace of the Lolita fashion subculture.

The most famous spot in Harajuku is Takeshita Street, a bustling thoroughfare lined with a tidy sprawl of youth fashion boutiques, mini malls, cosmetic shops, and wonderful eateries. It is a very popular hang out spot for Japanese teenagers.

However, Harajuku is not just for youngsters! It is also home to Omotesando Avenue, a tree-lined shopping street lined with international luxury boutiques like Chanel, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Longchamp, and many more.

No visit to Tokyo would be complete without checking out Meiji Shrine, a famous Japanese shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. I enjoyed exploring this serene place, and was even lucky enough to witness a Shinto wedding taking place!

Last but definitely not least, Harajuku is home to plenty of delicious food, such as adorable animal-shaped gelatos from Eiswelt Gelato, fluffy souffle pancakes from Flippers, and the famous lobster rolls from Luke’s Lobster.

One of my favourite restaurants here was Harajuku Gyozaro, which served the best gyozas I had ever eaten!

Harajuku is definitely a place that you must include in your  Tokyo itinerary.

Day 4 – DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea is a huge Disney theme park located just outside Tokyo. It is mainly targeted towards youths and adults, but there are also many rides and attractions suitable for young children.

I had an AMAZING day here! I loved the wonderful rides, beautiful attractions, impressive variety of restaurants, and delicious snacks.

My favourite ride was definitely Toy Story Mania – this ride may seem kiddish but it was super fun to shoot at the 3D objects while zipping around in the fast moving vehicles!

The super polite Japanese staff and locals made my DisneySea experience that much more enjoyable.

Pro-tip: remember to get FastPasses for the most popular rides to save hours in line!

Day 5 – Shibuya / Odaiba

Shibuya is a trendy district home to modern shopping malls, restaurants, and Japanese bars. It is a popular hangout spot for young Japanese adults.

The most famous attraction here is Shibuya Crossing, which is the world’s busiest street intersection! This is definitely a must-visit for any Tokyo itinerary.

I went to the second floor of Starbucks (Shibuya Tsutaya branch) to enjoy great views of the crossing. After that, I even took some photos while standing in the middle of the intersection.

Another popular Shibuya attraction is the Hachiko Statue, which was built to honour Eizaburo Ueno’s famous loyal dog.

Niku Yokocho is a building home to dozens of Japanese restaurants selling grilled food and alcohol. I visited one of the restaurants and only paid around JPY1300 for eight skewers.

Odaiba is a modern entertainment and shopping hub home to various tourist attractions, big chain hotels and large shopping malls. There are also many kids-friendly attractions like Joypolis, Legoland and the Trick Art Museum.

Other attractions in Odaiba include the life-size Gundam statue outside Diver City, the Statue of Liberty replica at Odaiba Seaside Park, and the large Rainbow Bridge (covered with colourful lights at night).

Odaiba is a good place to visit if you are travelling with young children.

Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari is a famous onsen theme park that offers spacious hot springs, festival games, a serene Japanese garden, a spa centre, and more. It felt really good to soak in the hot springs and I felt super relaxed afterwards.

Day 6 – Akihabara / Ueno Park / Asakusa

Akihabara is a district known for its otaku (“geek”) culture, with many anime and manga shops dispersed throughout the area. One of the most famous stores here is Mandarake, which offers countless anime, manga, video games and cosplay products.

It is also called “Electronic Town” because it is home to plenty of electronic stores. The most famous building is Yodobashi, where you can find a countless variety of electronic products spread out over nine floors!

Gamers will be happy to know that there are many arcades here. Check out the famous Sega Akihabara Building No. 1, a multi-storey arcade building where you can spend an entire day playing claw machines and classic video games.

Lastly, if you are a single male (or just a curious person), you might want to check out the quirky “Maid Cafes”, where you will be served by waitresses dressed in maid costumes. They will act as servants and even address you as “master”!

Ueno Park is one of Japan’s most popular public park, drawing over 10 million visitors a year. It is also home to many major museums, temples, shrines, and even a zoo.

I visited the park in late November and was impressed by the gorgeous autumn foliage. It was nice to stroll around the tranquil park.

We passed by the famous Shinobazu Pond, which is often featured in prominent Japanese literary pieces and works of art. It is known for being covered with beautiful water lilies, but when we visited in late November the lilies looked like they were starting to wither. The pond is probably more picturesque during Summer.

While walking around the pond, we chanced upon Hanazono Inari Shrine, a small shrine that has a path of beautiful orange torii gates leading towards it.

Walking a little further into the park, we were surprised to see a Starbucks outlet. It seemed like the perfect place to order a coffee and sit down to enjoy the surrounding great views.

It was also really fun to explore Ameyoko Shopping Street, a vibrant street market just five-minutes walk away from Ueno Park. It offers a huge variety of local fresh fruits, cosmetics products, pharmaceutical drugs, restaurants, and delicious street food! Initially I thought this was just a boring tourist trap, but I was pleasantly surprised by its great atmosphere and bargain goods.

Asakusa is a historic district home to various traditional temples and shrines. I enjoyed walking around the quaint neighbourhood, which retains the atmosphere of an older Tokyo.

The most famous attraction here is Sensoji Temple, a famous Buddhist temple that is also Tokyo’s oldest temple. I visited at night and the temple was beautiful! All the temple structures were lighted up with neon lights, and it felt surreal to walk around the complex.

Day 7 – Tokyo Station / Tsukiji Market / Ginza

Tokyo Station is home to plenty of delicious Japanese snacks! I had to come really early because the super popular New York Perfect Cheese snacks usually sell out by noon.

We bought plenty of other snacks like Tokyo Banana, Press Butter Sand, Yoku Moku, and Calbee Plus.

If you are planning to bring the snacks back home, make sure you do not buy them at the start of your trip because they usually have a very short expiry period.

Tsukiji Outer Market (築地場外市場) is a vibrant market with many shops selling local produce, fresh seafood, dried goods, kitchen knives, and more. However, the main reason we visited was to check out the delicious street food here!

My favourite was the Tamago (Japanese sweet egg omelette) from Tsukiji Yamachō. The stall had a very long queue, but it was worth the wait! The tamago had a savoury-sweet taste and soft custard-like texture that seemed to melt in my mouth.

The Horumon-don (Stewed Entrails Rice) from Kitsuneya was pretty good too. The savoury miso-flavoured entrails were perfect for eating with the steaming hot Japanese rice.

Ginza is a world famous shopping district home to ultramodern shopping malls, luxury boutiques, and high-end department stores.

If you enjoy shopping, you MUST include Ginza in your Tokyo itinerary.

Most of the popular malls in Ginza are located along the vibrant Chuo-dori street. These include Wako, Ginza Six, UNIQLO Ginza, and Barneys New York Ginza.

Chuo-dori is even closed to road traffic every weekend between 12pm and 5pm, transforming into a fully pedestrianised shopping zone!

Day 8 – Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu

Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu is a large premium outlet mall that offers daily discounts of 30% to 60% (up to 80% during sales periods). It is easily accessible from Tokyo – you just need to take a 45-minute bus ride from Tokyo Station.

My favourite shop was the Nike Factory Store, which was huge and also carried many trendy Japan-exclusive apparel.

However, the mall has a very limited number of international luxury brands. It is more suitable for people who are interested in Japanese or unique brands. You can check out the Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu directory to see what brands are available.

This article is part of our super awesome Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide For First Timers. Everything you need to know about Tokyo is just a click away!