Tokyo on foot
Our biggest recommendation. Don't try to see Tokyo entirely through a list. Pick a direction and walk. Some of the best parts of the city are what you find between the things you planned to see.
THE JOURNEY
Tokyo is best discovered on foot.
We loved Tokyo. More than anything, we loved walking it. We covered a serious number of miles, moving between neighbourhoods, parks and temples and constantly finding something that made us want to stop and look.
The city gave us something different around almost every corner — incredible food, tiny izakayas, shopping, shrines, parks and streets that were just fun to wander.
TOKYO
Walk until you get lost.
THE CITY
Tokyo rewards curiosity.
We spent days simply walking. Parks opened into quiet shrines, temples appeared between busy streets, and every neighbourhood seemed to have its own character.
PARKS & TEMPLES
The best discoveries were often unplanned.
Some of our favourite days were simply spent walking through Tokyo's parks and finding shrines and temples along the way. Senso-ji was an obvious highlight, but we loved the smaller discoveries just as much.
THE FOOD
Almost every street seemed to have something incredible.
Every izakaya seemed to be producing extraordinary food. Some of our best meals came from places we would never have found by planning them in advance.
AFTER DARK
Roppongi, one bar at a time.
Walking the streets of Roppongi at night and dipping in and out of bars became one of those completely unplanned parts of the trip that ended up being some of the most fun.
FAMILY ADVENTURES
We made room for the fun stuff too.
We did a ninja experience for the day, which was exactly the sort of slightly ridiculous family adventure that makes a trip memorable. Japan wasn't all temples and walking — there was plenty of fun along the way.
BEST TIME
Spring & autumn
Comfortable temperatures make it much easier to spend long days walking through Tokyo and exploring the city on foot.
GETTING AROUND
Walk & train
We walked huge distances around Tokyo and used the train network when we needed to cover more ground. The combination worked brilliantly.
BEYOND TOKYO
Lake Yamanaka
Heading out towards Lake Yamanaka brought a completely different pace, with woodland, Mount Fuji and an outdoor onsen.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Places & experiences we loved.
Senso-ji
An obvious Tokyo landmark but one that deserves the attention. The temple and surrounding streets are particularly enjoyable when explored on foot.
Cat Street
Great for clothes shopping, wandering and people watching. One of the areas we particularly enjoyed spending time in.
Tsukiji Fish Market
Go hungry. One of our favourite memories was breakfast at the fish market — made even better by having a pint with it.
Roppongi at night
Walk the streets, dip in and out of bars and see where the evening takes you. It was one of the most relaxed and spontaneous parts of our Tokyo experience.
The Oak Door
A good restaurant at the Hyatt and one of the places we'd happily return to.
The ninja experience
A brilliant family day and a good reminder that Japan doesn't have to be experienced entirely through temples, food and sightseeing.
Lake Yamanaka
The perfect contrast to Tokyo, particularly when the clouds clear and Mount Fuji suddenly appears in full.
OUR EDIT
Find the slower side of Japan.
After the energy of Tokyo, Lake Yamanaka felt like another country. We stayed at the Marriott near the lake, surrounded by woodland, and the change of pace was exactly what we needed.
One of the most memorable experiences was sitting in the outdoor onsen in the woods with our son. After days of walking around Tokyo, being surrounded by trees and sitting in the hot water together was one of those simple travel moments that stays with you.
We were also incredibly lucky with Mount Fuji. The clouds parted for the time we were there and suddenly the mountain was completely visible. We celebrated with pancakes for breakfast at Park Cafe — a very simple moment, but one we still remember.
MORE FROM OUR CAMERA
More from Japan.
OUR MAP
Japan.
Tokyo and Lake Yamanaka — two very different sides of Japan that worked brilliantly together.
THE JOURNEY
Tokyo is best discovered on foot.
We loved Tokyo. More than anything, we loved walking it. We covered a serious number of miles, moving between neighbourhoods, parks and temples and constantly finding something that made us want to stop and look.
Some of our favourite moments were the simplest ones — finding incredible food in tiny izakayas, walking through parks and finding shrines, shopping on Cat Street and wandering Roppongi at night.
Then we headed towards Mount Fuji and stayed near Lake Yamanaka. The change of pace was fantastic: woodland, the mountain right in front of us and an outdoor onsen in the woods.
FROM OUR CAMERA
Japan, as we saw it.
BEST TIME
Spring & autumn
Comfortable temperatures make it much easier to spend long days walking through Tokyo and exploring the city on foot.
GETTING AROUND
Walk & train
We walked huge distances around Tokyo and used the train network when we needed to cover more ground.
BEYOND TOKYO
Lake Yamanaka
Woodland, Mount Fuji and outdoor onsens make Lake Yamanaka a wonderful contrast to Tokyo.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Places & experiences we loved.
01
Tokyo on foot
Pick a direction and walk. Some of the best parts of Tokyo are what you find between the things you planned to see.
02
Senso-ji
An obvious Tokyo landmark but one that deserves the attention. The temple and surrounding streets are particularly enjoyable on foot.
03
Cat Street
Great for clothes shopping, wandering and people watching.
04
Tsukiji Fish Market
Breakfast at the fish market — with a pint — became one of our favourite Tokyo memories.
05
Roppongi at night
Walk the streets, dip in and out of bars and see where the evening takes you.
06
The Oak Door
A good restaurant at the Hyatt and one of the places we'd happily return to.
07
The ninja experience
A brilliant family day and a memorable change of pace from the usual sightseeing.
08
Lake Yamanaka
The perfect contrast to Tokyo, particularly when Mount Fuji appears through the clouds.
OUR EDIT
Find the slower side of Japan.
After the energy of Tokyo, Lake Yamanaka felt like another country. We stayed at the Marriott near the lake, surrounded by woodland, and the change of pace was exactly what we needed.
One of the most memorable experiences was sitting in the outdoor onsen in the woods with our son. After days of walking around Tokyo, being surrounded by trees and sitting in the hot water together was one of those simple travel moments that stays with you.
We were incredibly lucky with Mount Fuji too. The clouds parted for the time we were there and suddenly the mountain was completely visible. We celebrated with pancakes for breakfast at Park Cafe — a simple moment, but one we still remember.
MORE FROM OUR CAMERA
More from Japan.
OUR MAP
Japan.
Tokyo and Lake Yamanaka — two very different sides of Japan that worked brilliantly together.