41 A travel expert’s one of a kind itinerary

5 nights in Tokyo

Travel expert Meaghan Wolf’s one of a kind Tokyo itinerary. One of the world’s most futuristic cities, but still immersed in ageless traditions, Tokyo is like nowhere else on Earth.

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Explore the Alleyways of Tokyo Photo by Jezael Melgoza

Encompassing 23 city wards, each boasting its own distinctive charm and atmosphere, Travel Associates’ travel experts can create personalised travel experiences that will take your Tokyo travel itinerary to the next level. Even with just five days, their extensive destination knowledge can see you flit from urban adventures and culinary quests to immersive traditional experiences, and still be left with time to uncover Tokyo’s colourful local secrets and hidden gems. With its rich heritage, a stay at the the meticulously refurbished The Tokyo Station hotel offers opulent and unique accommodation, along the historic Cupola domes of Tokyo Station. Its strategic positioning means there are literally hundreds of restaurants, stores, and easy to navigate transportation - right under your feet. Simply purchase a Suica card at any train station or online to use on intercity trains and buses.

Day ONE

Day TWO

Sensō-ji, Buddhist Temple Photo by Scott Milton

Keen to consume succulent sushi eaten fresh from the Fish Market, slurp a steaming bowl of noodles at Tokyo Ramen Street or dip into sublime sukiyaki and shabu-shabu at Ginza Yoshizawa? A private walking food tour is a great way to spend a day discovering the best culinary gems of one of the world’s great food cities. Your guide can also introduce you to one of a kind restaurants and experiences including outrageous themed restaurants and even movie destinations like Roppongi’s Gonpachi (famous for its starring in Kill Bill’s epic fight scene), as well as Michelinstarred marvels like three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin where tradition and contemporary technique meet. Start your Tokyo stay with a fullday private tour with a local guide. Invaluable when you first arrive, an English-speaking guide can help explain the city’s unique culture and etiquette, show first timers the best ways to navigate the sprawling city, as well as where and what to eat. You can choose a set itinerary of city highlights such as the ancient Buddhist temple of Sensō-ji or the ultra-modern Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest broadcast tower at 634 metres. Or customise a day to suit your personal interests, whether they lean towards technology, cuisine of history.

Ramen Shop, Shinjuku Photo by Michael Gluzman

Day THREE

Immerse yourself into ancient traditions for a day. Take the path less travelled to explore some of Tokyo’s lesserknown temples and shrines. A local favourite offering a taste of old Tokyo minus the crowds is Yushima Tenmangu, a picturesque Shinto shrine perched at the top of a slope in Tokyo’s leafy and lovely Ueno district, which is home to some of Tokyo’s finest cultural sites. Tucked away inside Ueno Park, you’ll also find Kiyomizu Kannon-do, the remnants of the once glorious Kan’eiji temple dating back to 1632. Take a stroll down Ueno’s Ameyoko Shopping Street for traditional stores then spend your afternoon immersing yourself into one of the many museums found in the park. The Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum are favourites.

Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Photo by Getty Images

Day FOUR

Take the Yamanote Circle Line from Tokyo Station to Shibuya, for a morning of shopping and sightseeing. Be sure to head up to Starbucks Shibuya in the eight-storey Tsutaya store for the best views of the famous scramble intersection just outside Shibuya Station where thousands of people scatter in all directions every few minutes. After lunch at one of the many cafes and restaurants in busy Shibuya, spend a tranquil afternoon in Shibuya’s Yoyogi Park. Located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Yoyogikamizonochō, the expansive park is carpeted with green fields and more than 15,000 trees. Hire a bicycle to cruise along the park’s cycling path to uncover its many pockets of prettiness. If you time it right, Yoyogi is also one of Tokyo’s best spots for people watching as dance crews, cosplayers, and fashionistas converge here on weekends.

Day FIVE

Finish your Tokyo experience with one foot in the present and one in the past at Shinjuku. A forest of futuristic towers, this buzzing urban playground is home to department stores packed full of designer wear, as well as high-tech gizmos and gadgets at electronics megastores west of Shinjuku Station. A gracious way to bid Tokyo goodbye is in a traditional tea ceremony, known as chanoyu, or sado. Maikoya, just a short walk from Shinjuku Station, is the only place in downtown Tokyo where you can don a kimono to participate in this only-in-Japan experience, where tea is elevated to art through intricate and mindful movements.

Get dressed in a traditional Kimono Photo by Getty Images