How long should I spend in Tokyo?

Five nights minimum to do justice to three neighbourhoods. Three nights is fine if you're combining with Kyoto or Osaka. A week is luxurious without being indulgent.

Do I need to learn Japanese?

No, but learn the polite basics — sumimasen, arigatou gozaimasu — and use Google Translate liberally for the smaller restaurants. English is widely understood at hotels and Michelin restaurants but rarely at neighbourhood counters.

How far ahead do I need to book restaurants?

Famous counters (Jiro, Saito, Sushi Sho): 2–3 months through a hotel concierge. Michelin tasting menus: 30–60 days. Neighbourhood izakayas and ramen counters: walk-in is fine but expect a queue at the famous ones.

Narita or Haneda — which airport?

Haneda every time, when there's a choice. It's 25 minutes by Keikyu Line or Tokyo Monorail to the central wards versus 60–90 minutes from Narita; the late-night taxi from Haneda to a downtown hotel is ¥7,000–10,000, from Narita ¥22,000–28,000. Most US, European and Asian premium routes now serve Haneda; Narita still anchors the budget carriers and some North American long-haul. The Narita Express to Tokyo Station is ¥3,070 and 53 minutes — the right choice if your hotel is in Marunouchi, Otemachi or Ginza.

When is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Mar, Nov. The Japan year has its own rhythm — march–may, october–november.

Which neighbourhood should I stay in in Tokyo?

Marunouchi / Otemachi — imperial palace adjacent; aman, bulgari, four seasons, shangri-la.. It puts you within walking distance of most of the editorial picks.

Which hotels do you recommend in Tokyo?

Aman Tokyo, Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, Janu Tokyo, among others. Each is on the page above with a current rate band and the room category that makes the upgrade worth it.

Where should I eat in Tokyo?

Editorial-grade picks include Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi, Den, Narisawa. Book the higher-end rooms three to four weeks ahead, especially in shoulder season.

Tokyo

Skyline suites and izakaya nights.

Best time: Mar, NovMonth-by-month guide →3-day itinerary →

The Lucalvry view

Tokyo is the most over-booked Asian capital in luxury travel and still the one that consistently surprises. The hotel scene is genuinely extraordinary — Aman, Bulgari, Janu, Four Seasons, Mandarin, Park Hyatt, Peninsula — and the dining scene is the largest concentration of Michelin stars on earth, with the bias firmly toward small counter rooms.

The city's scale defeats one-week visitors who try to see everything. Pick three neighbourhoods, eat at the counter, and treat the rest as future trips.

The arithmetic of distance is the hardest thing to grasp before you arrive. Tokyo proper is 23 wards across roughly 620 square kilometres, and the named neighbourhoods you've heard of (Ginza, Shibuya, Harajuku, Asakusa, Roppongi) are not next to each other in the way Manhattan blocks are. A casual lunch in Asakusa and a dinner in Ebisu is two long train rides apart, not a stroll. Plan each day around one ward; treat anything across town as a separate evening.

Reservations are the second non-obvious challenge. The serious counter-seat sushi rooms (Saito, Sushisho Masa, Sukibayashi Jiro Honten) take only Japan-resident introductions or hotel-concierge requests two months out, and even then are not guaranteed. The Michelin one-and-two-star tasting rooms typically open booking 30–60 days in advance at midnight Japan time on TableCheck or Pocket Concierge — set an alarm and book the second the slot opens. Ramen, izakaya, yakitori counters: walk-in is fine, but the famous ones (Ichiran, Afuri, Birdland) queue an hour at peak.

Money is gentler than people expect at the bottom and the middle, sharper at the top. A serious lunch at a counter sushi room runs ¥6,000–12,000; the same room at dinner is ¥35,000–60,000. A Park Hyatt or Aman suite is ¥150,000–400,000 per night. The Suica IC card handles all transit at ¥200–400 per ride, and a sit-down ramen with a beer is rarely above ¥2,500. The 2024–25 yen weakness has made Tokyo cheaper for dollar and pound earners than at any point in the last decade — many travellers find the city's headline luxury costs less than the equivalent in New York or London.

Neighborhoods

Where to base yourself

Marunouchi / Otemachi
Stay here
Imperial Palace adjacent; Aman, Bulgari, Four Seasons, Shangri-La.
Ginza
Department-store grid, sushi counters, the most refined evening walk.
Shibuya
Energy, the new towers, the neon you came for.
Roppongi / Azabudai
Stay here
Nightlife and the new Mori-Hills mega-development with the Janu and the Ritz.

Hotels

Where to stay

Aman Tokyo
33rd-floor lobby, traditional bath, the most considered urban Aman in the network.
$$$$
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo
The 2023 opening above Tokyo Station — the city's new modernist benchmark.
$$$$
Janu Tokyo
Aman's wellness-focused sister in Azabudai Hills; the spa is the headline.
$$$$
Hoshinoya Tokyo
Ryokan-format hotel in Otemachi — futons, onsen, the only one of its kind in town.
$$$$

Dining

Where to eat

Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi
Takashi Ono's Roppongi room — book through your hotel concierge two months out.
$$$$
Den
Zaiyu Hasegawa's playful, Michelin-starred Japanese tasting menu in Jingumae.
$$$$
Narisawa
Two-star modern Japanese — the 'satoyama' philosophy expressed in 12 courses.
$$$$
Toritama Shirokanedai
Yakitori tasting at the bar — the most accessible introduction to Japanese counter dining.
$$$

An ideal day

What to do

Morning
Tsukiji outer market (the inner market moved, but the outer is still the best breakfast in town).
Late morning
Imperial Palace gardens, then Marunouchi galleries on the way to Ginza.
Afternoon
TeamLab Borderless or Mori Art Museum (whichever is open) for the contemporary anchor.
Late afternoon
Shibuya scramble at golden hour; cocktails at Bar High Five or Star Bar Ginza.
Evening
Counter-seat dinner — sushi, kaiseki, or yakitori — booked three weeks out.

Logistics

Getting around

Tokyo's metro and JR rail network is the world reference — punctual, clean, signed in English. Get a Suica IC card (or the Suica app via Apple Wallet) at the airport; tap and go everywhere. Skip taxis except for late-night cross-town hops; trains stop just after midnight. The Narita Express and Haneda Limousine Bus are the right airport options.

Cost snapshot

What things cost in Tokyo

Espresso: $3.50
Dinner for two: $50
Taxi (5 km): $12
4★ hotel/night: $270

Numbeo medians, mid-week shoulder season. Verified 2026-05-13.

Best time to visit

Twelve months in Tokyo

Month	Avg high	Rain days	Crowds	Prices
Jan	10°C	6	●●●●●	●●●●●
Feb	11°C	7	●●●●●	●●●●●
Mar	14°C	10	●●●●●	●●●●●
Apr	19°C	11	●●●●●	●●●●●
May	23°C	11	●●●●●	●●●●●
Jun	26°C	12	●●●●●	●●●●●
Jul	30°C	11	●●●●●	●●●●●
Aug	32°C	9	●●●●●	●●●●●
Sep	28°C	12	●●●●●	●●●●●
Oct	22°C	10	●●●●●	●●●●●
Nov	17°C	7	●●●●●	●●●●●
Dec	12°C	5	●●●●●	●●●●●

Read the full month-by-month edit →

FAQ

Common questions about Tokyo

How long should I spend in Tokyo?: Five nights minimum to do justice to three neighbourhoods. Three nights is fine if you're combining with Kyoto or Osaka. A week is luxurious without being indulgent.
Do I need to learn Japanese?: No, but learn the polite basics — sumimasen, arigatou gozaimasu — and use Google Translate liberally for the smaller restaurants. English is widely understood at hotels and Michelin restaurants but rarely at neighbourhood counters.
How far ahead do I need to book restaurants?: Famous counters (Jiro, Saito, Sushi Sho): 2–3 months through a hotel concierge. Michelin tasting menus: 30–60 days. Neighbourhood izakayas and ramen counters: walk-in is fine but expect a queue at the famous ones.
Narita or Haneda — which airport?: Haneda every time, when there's a choice. It's 25 minutes by Keikyu Line or Tokyo Monorail to the central wards versus 60–90 minutes from Narita; the late-night taxi from Haneda to a downtown hotel is ¥7,000–10,000, from Narita ¥22,000–28,000. Most US, European and Asian premium routes now serve Haneda; Narita still anchors the budget carriers and some North American long-haul. The Narita Express to Tokyo Station is ¥3,070 and 53 minutes — the right choice if your hotel is in Marunouchi, Otemachi or Ginza.
When is the best time to visit Tokyo?: Mar, Nov. The Japan year has its own rhythm — march–may, october–november.
Which neighbourhood should I stay in in Tokyo?: Marunouchi / Otemachi — imperial palace adjacent; aman, bulgari, four seasons, shangri-la.. It puts you within walking distance of most of the editorial picks.
Which hotels do you recommend in Tokyo?: Aman Tokyo, Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, Janu Tokyo, among others. Each is on the page above with a current rate band and the room category that makes the upgrade worth it.
Where should I eat in Tokyo?: Editorial-grade picks include Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi, Den, Narisawa. Book the higher-end rooms three to four weeks ahead, especially in shoulder season.

From the edit

Guides & stays in Tokyo

Hotels

The 6 Best Luxury Hotels in Tokyo Right Now (2026)

Six Tokyo addresses that genuinely earn the rate card — the Otemachi sky-lobby trio, the Bulgari opening that has redefined Marunouchi luxury, and the Aman that remains the most considered hotel in Asia.

May 13, 2026 · 14 min read

Destinations

Where to Stay in Tokyo: A Neighbourhood-by-Neighbourhood Guide (2026)

The five Tokyo neighbourhoods worth basing yourself in — Marunouchi, Ginza, Roppongi/Azabudai, Shinjuku and Shibuya — with the hotels, restaurants and trade-offs that decide your week.

May 13, 2026 · 12 min read

Destinations

Tokyo in 3 Days: The Lucalvry Itinerary

An hour-by-hour Tokyo route designed to skip the Shibuya crush at peak, get the Tsukiji Outer Market at opening, and end every evening with a Ginza or Roppongi omakase. Named hotels, named restaurants, walkable distances throughout.

May 13, 2026 · 13 min read

Also in Japan

Destinations

The Quiet Kyoto Itinerary — Five Days, No Crowds (2026)

A five-day Kyoto plan structured entirely around avoiding the crowds — Fushimi Inari before 6am, the ryokan-versus-hotel question answered properly, and the kaiseki tradition explained for first-timers.

Jan 13, 2026 · 14 min read

Hotels

The 6 Best Luxury Hotels in Kyoto Right Now (2026)

Six Kyoto addresses worth the rate card — the temple-side ryokans, the Kamogawa-front palaces, and the Aman that quietly rewrote the city's luxury benchmark.

May 13, 2026 · 12 min read

Destinations

Where to Stay in Kyoto: A Neighbourhood-by-Neighbourhood Guide (2026)

The five Kyoto neighbourhoods worth basing yourself in — Higashiyama, Gion, Kawaramachi, Karasuma-Oike and Arashiyama — with the hotels, restaurants and trade-offs that decide your week.

May 13, 2026 · 11 min read

Sources

Numbeo cost-of-living — Tokyo — verified 2026-05-13
climate-data.org — Tokyo — verified 2026-05-13

Last updated 2026-05-13 by The Lucalvry Edit.

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