Why Tokyo for a long weekend?
Tokyo is like nowhere else on earth. A city of 14 million people that somehow feels calm, orderly, and extraordinarily safe — where you can eat the best meal of your life in a 8-seat basement restaurant, then walk two streets and find a 12th-century shrine surrounded by skyscrapers.
Four or five days is the sweet spot. You'll land slightly jet-lagged, recover fast (Tokyo nights have a way of keeping you going), and spend the rest of your time completely disoriented by how much you love it. The metro is the best in the world. The food is staggering at every price point. English signage everywhere that matters.
Long weekend plan: Day 1: Shinjuku arrival, ramen, wander. Day 2: Senso-ji in Asakusa, Harajuku, Shibuya crossing at night. Day 3: Tsukiji outer market breakfast, teamLab Borderless, Ginza. Day 4: Meiji Shrine, Omotesando, Akihabara evening. Day 5: morning in Yanaka, fly home stunned.
Best neighbourhoods in Tokyo
Tokyo is a city of distinct villages stitched together:
Where to eat and drink
Breakfast: Tsukiji Outer Market for fresh sushi and tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) — arrive by 8am. Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson) are genuinely excellent — onigiri and coffee for €2. Japanese breakfast sets at any neighbourhood café: rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles (€6–10).
Lunch: Ramen at Ichiran (solo booths, incredible) or Fuunji (tsukemen, dipping ramen). Sushi at a kaiten (conveyor belt) restaurant — Sushi Zanmai near Tsukiji. Teishoku (set lunch) at any local restaurant: full meal for €8–12. Depachika food halls in basement of department stores are overwhelming and wonderful.
Dinner: Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any other city — but the best meals are often at unmarked 8-seat restaurants. Yakitori in Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho) in Shinjuku. Izakaya (Japanese pub) anywhere: order everything, drink cold Sapporo. Budget: €15–25 for a filling, extraordinary dinner.
Drinks: Golden Gai in Shinjuku — hundreds of tiny bars, each seating 6 people, each with a theme. Whisky highball at any izakaya. Asahi or Kirin on draft. Japanese whisky (Suntory, Nikka) at a bar in Ginza. Convenience store beer in the park if budget is tight — perfectly acceptable in Tokyo.
Weekend budget
Tokyo is surprisingly affordable once you're there. Budget: €120–200 per person per day (excluding flights). Accommodation: €60–120/night for a decent hotel; capsule hotels from €30. Food: €25–50/day eating brilliantly. Transport: IC card (Suica/Pasmo) loaded with €30 covers you for most of the trip. Entry fees: teamLab €28, Meiji Shrine free, Senso-ji free. Flights from Europe: €500–900 return depending on season and airline.
Getting around
Get a Suica card at the airport — it works on every metro, train, and bus in the city, and you can pay with it at convenience stores. The metro map looks terrifying but the colour-coded lines are intuitive within a day. Google Maps works perfectly for Tokyo navigation. Taxis are expensive and unnecessary. Walking between nearby stations is often faster and always more interesting.
When to visit Tokyo
Mar–Apr: Cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April). The most beautiful two weeks in Japan — parks turn pink, everyone has a picnic (hanami). Book flights and accommodation months ahead. Worth every ounce of planning.
May–Jun: Warm, pre-rainy season. June brings tsuyu (rainy season) — pack an umbrella. Fewer tourists than spring peak, great value.
Sep–Nov: Autumn colours are stunning (koyo). October is arguably the best month — warm, dry, autumn leaves starting. Halloween in Shibuya is spectacular chaos.
Dec–Feb: Cold but dry. Tokyo at Christmas is beautifully lit. New Year (Hatsumode — first temple visit) is extraordinary if you can handle the crowds. Cheapest flights of the year outside this period.
Fly to Tokyo from these airports
Click your nearest airport to search flights to Tokyo (Narita NRT or Haneda HND).
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Japan?
Most European and North American passport holders get 90 days visa-free. Japan introduced a tourist tax on arrivals in 2024 (¥1,000 per person) collected at the border. Check your country's specific requirements — Japan's visa-free list is broad but not universal.
Is Tokyo safe?
Tokyo is one of the safest large cities in the world. Crime is extraordinarily rare. You can walk anywhere at any time of night without concern. The main hazard is getting lost in the metro — which is more fun than stressful once you have a Suica card and Google Maps.
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. Menus increasingly have photos or English translations, the metro has English signs everywhere, and Google Translate's camera mode handles anything you can't read. Most hotel and tourist-area staff speak some English. Learning "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you) and "sumimasen" (excuse me) gets you a long way socially.
Is a long weekend enough for Tokyo?
Four to five days gives you a proper taste — enough to cover 3–4 distinct neighbourhoods, hit the major sights, and eat very well. You won't see everything (Tokyo is inexhaustible) but you'll leave with a full picture and already planning to come back. Don't try to cram in day trips to Kyoto — save that for a longer trip.