--- title: "5 days in Tokyo with kids: the family itinerary we actually use" slug: "5-day-tokyo-itinerary-family" description: "The exact 5-day Tokyo itinerary we run with our three girls. Asakusa, teamLab Planets, Shibuya, Odaiba, Disney. Real prices, real timings, Klook and Holafly setup included." author: "Adam Clarkson" lang: "en" date: "2026-07-10" published_at: "2026-07-10T00:06:44.000-04:00" updated_at: "2026-07-10T00:06:44.000-04:00" feature_image: "https://adamandlinds.com/content/images/2026/07/5a6f40a0-2be9-49e5-9f0a-35724edccbf4.jpg" tags: ["itinerary", "klook", "tokyo", "japan", "east-asia", "asia", "family", "esim", "#evergreen"] canonical_url: "https://adamandlinds.com/5-day-tokyo-itinerary-family/" --- Five days is our number for Tokyo with kids. Three is too short once you factor in jet lag, and a week means every neighborhood starts blurring into the last. Five gives you a proper morning in Asakusa, a full afternoon at teamLab, a day for Odaiba or Disney without forcing it, and enough breathing room to eat well and let the girls pick a random animal cafe. This is the version we run when we come back to Tokyo, which we have done thirteen times now. We keep this itinerary anchored in Taito because that side of the city is quieter at night, cheaper for family rooms, and puts Senso-ji, Kappabashi, and the Skytree inside a fifteen minute walk. From Ueno station the whole Yamanote and Ginza network opens up. If you want the full case for staying on this side, we broke it down in our [Kappabashi apartment write-up](https://adamandlinds.com/deluxe-apartment-minn-asakusa-kappabashi-tokyo-skytree-views/). ![Senso-ji at night with the Skytree behind it. September 2025, no filter, no crowd.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/25284bbe-31a5-4542-8104-a50f6472ec1d.jpg) ## The five-day plan at a glance The order matters. Day one is a low-effort neighborhood day to shake off the flight. Day two is the big art install. Day three covers the tourist grid you have to see. Day four is our overflow, either Odaiba or a hotel-pool half day if the kids are toast. Day five is Disney or Warner Bros, whichever fandom is louder in your house. Our Itinerary ## 5 Days in Tokyo The order we use when we come back with kids, and the one we send friends who are on their first trip. Day 1 ### Asakusa and the Skytree Senso-ji temple, Nakamise for snacks, Kappabashi for the fake-food shops, dinner at a yakitori place near the apartment, Skytree at night from a side street. Day 2 ### Ueno and teamLab Planets Ueno Zoo in the morning, swan boats on Shinobazu Pond, lunch in Ameyoko, then the Yurakucho line to Toyosu for a late-afternoon teamLab slot. Day 3 ### Shibuya and Harajuku Meiji Shrine at opening, Takeshita Street for the girls, otter cafe in Shibuya, Shibuya Sky at sunset, then the crossing at night. Day 4 ### Odaiba by boat Tokyo Bay cruise from Asakusa pier, life-sized Gundam at DiverCity, Water Science Museum, Rainbow Bridge for photos, Round1 arcade to burn off the last of it. Day 5 ### Disneyland or Harry Potter Either Tokyo Disneyland via the JR Keiyo line, or Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo for The Making of Harry Potter out in Toshimaen. Pick one, do it hard, come back late. ## Where each day happens on the map Tokyo is huge on paper and small in practice once you accept that everything you actually want to do sits along three train lines. The Yamanote loop covers Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, and Ueno. The Ginza line runs east to Asakusa. The Yurakucho line drops you at Toyosu for teamLab. If you pin those five nodes you have the whole trip. ## The five neighborhoods you actually need Where Days 1 through 5 happen, and how far apart they really are. { "places": \[ { "name": "Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa)", "lat": 35.7148, "lng": 139.7967, "desc": "Day 1 anchor. The five-story pagoda is best after 5pm when the day-trippers have gone home." }, { "name": "Ueno Park", "lat": 35.7156, "lng": 139.7730, "desc": "Day 2 morning. The zoo, the pond, and a straight shot to Ameyoko for lunch." }, { "name": "teamLab Planets Tokyo", "lat": 35.6470, "lng": 139.7902, "desc": "Day 2 afternoon. Toyosu, not Odaiba. Book a slot before 4pm because you will get wet." }, { "name": "Meiji Shrine (Harajuku)", "lat": 35.6764, "lng": 139.6993, "desc": "Day 3 opening move. Show up at 8am and you will basically have it to yourself." }, { "name": "Shibuya Sky", "lat": 35.6586, "lng": 139.7016, "desc": "Day 3 sunset. Book the 30 minute window that ends at civil twilight." }, { "name": "DiverCity Tokyo (Odaiba)", "lat": 35.6252, "lng": 139.7757, "desc": "Day 4. The life-size Gundam is out front. The arcade at Round1 keeps everyone happy for two hours." }, { "name": "Tokyo Disneyland", "lat": 35.6329, "lng": 139.8804, "desc": "Day 5, Option A. JR Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station, 15 minutes." }, { "name": "Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo", "lat": 35.7286, "lng": 139.6469, "desc": "Day 5, Option B. Toshimaen. Book the earliest slot and give it a full four hours." } \], "segments": \[\] } ## Before you fly: eSIM, transit card, luggage Get an eSIM before the plane door closes. Every family we know that landed in Tokyo without one lost forty five minutes at Narita queuing at a rental counter, then paid triple. We use Holafly. One eSIM covers all five of us because it doubles as a hotspot for the girls' iPads, and the Holafly Plans subscription rolls over so we still have a data trickle when we leave Japan for the next country. Full breakdown on the [Holafly hub](https://adamandlinds.com/holafly/) and specifically the [best eSIM for Japan](https://adamandlinds.com/best-esim-for-japan/) guide. ### Holafly eSIM One eSIM, one monthly fee, coverage across 160 plus destinations including Japan. Use code **ADAMANDLINDS** for 5% off destination eSIMs and 10% off Plans. [Get your Japan eSIM](https://holafly.sjv.io/c/6317027/2233885/24764?subId1=5-day-tokyo-itinerary-family&subId2=coupon-box&subId3=destination-japan&sharedid=japan-family-content&ref=adamandlinds.com) Load a Suica or Pasmo card into Apple Wallet the moment you sit down at the gate. You will use it for every train, every convenience store snack, every vending machine. If you want the physical card for the kids to hold, buy a Welcome Suica at the airport. If you want to skip the top-up dance entirely, the [72-hour Tokyo Subway ticket on Klook](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F1552-subway-ticket-tokyo&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) at 6 dollars is the best deal in the city if you are staying in Asakusa or Ueno. Ship your bags from Narita or Haneda to the apartment for around 2000 yen a bag through Yamato. It arrives the same day if you drop before 11am. We wrote this up in our [JAL luggage delivery post](https://adamandlinds.com/japan-airlines-same-day-luggage-delivery/). ## Day 1: Asakusa, Senso-ji, Kappabashi The move on day one is to do nothing hard. Land, drop bags, walk. Asakusa is the perfect first neighborhood because everything is close, the temple is dramatic without being a puzzle, and the food is cheap and constant. ![The view we walk under every day when we stay on this side. Iriya, not Sumida.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/cb18b4a4-2588-494d-a873-fb7c9dda32fd.jpg) Start at Kaminarimon, the giant red gate. Walk Nakamise Street slowly and buy the ningyo-yaki and a melon pan. The Senso-ji main hall is at the top. The five-story pagoda is on the left and it is the shot you want at night, not during the day. Come back for it after dinner. From the temple, walk fifteen minutes west to Kappabashi, the restaurant supply street. This is where every sushi place in Tokyo buys its plastic food samples. The girls always leave with a fake sushi keychain and Lindsay leaves with a pair of Japanese kitchen shears that she still uses four years later. Dinner is where day one earns its keep. Torikizoku is a chain yakitori place where nothing costs more than 350 yen and the kids' lemon sours are just lemonade. Every skewer arrives in under three minutes. We have taken every visiting relative to one and no one has complained. ![Torikizoku, Asakusa. Edamame already gone before the skewers arrived.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/43c37b3b-bd5c-444c-83d0-eabc3346c02b.jpg) After dinner, walk back toward Senso-ji. Between 7pm and 9pm the pagoda is lit and the daytime crowd is gone. If you want the postcard, the shot with Skytree behind the pagoda is from the northeast corner of the temple grounds. If you want a proper cultural experience the girls will actually talk about later, the [Asakusa Sumo Club show with chankonabe dinner](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F109994-asakusa-sumo-club-sumo-show-admission-chankonabe-tokyo&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) is 98 dollars a head, includes the meal, and takes about ninety minutes. Adam's walking route below is the one we run when we have first-timers with us. It hits Kaminarimon, Nakamise, the temple, the pagoda, Kappabashi, then loops back through Iriya to the apartment. ## Day 1 walking route in Asakusa Kaminarimon to Kappabashi and back, about 4km with stops. { "places": \[ { "name": "Kaminarimon Gate", "lat": 35.7108, "lng": 139.7962, "desc": "Start here. The giant red lantern is the standard first photo. Snacks begin immediately after." }, { "name": "Nakamise Shopping Street", "lat": 35.7118, "lng": 139.7963, "desc": "About 250 meters of ningyo-yaki, senbei, and souvenir stalls. Slow down." }, { "name": "Senso-ji Main Hall", "lat": 35.7148, "lng": 139.7967, "desc": "Draw a fortune here. If it says bad luck, tie it to the rack and leave it behind." }, { "name": "Kappabashi Kitchen Street", "lat": 35.7136, "lng": 139.7897, "desc": "Fifteen minute walk west. Plastic food samples, knives, ceramics. Iuchi is the fake-food shop we always go to." }, { "name": "Torikizoku Asakusa", "lat": 35.7128, "lng": 139.7960, "desc": "Cheap and reliable yakitori. Everything under 350 yen. Order the tsukune first." }, { "name": "Senso-ji Pagoda After Dark", "lat": 35.7147, "lng": 139.7961, "desc": "Come back at 8pm. Northeast corner of the grounds for the Skytree in the frame." } \], "segments": \[ { "from": "Kaminarimon Gate", "to": "Nakamise Shopping Street", "mode": "walk" }, { "from": "Nakamise Shopping Street", "to": "Senso-ji Main Hall", "mode": "walk" }, { "from": "Senso-ji Main Hall", "to": "Kappabashi Kitchen Street", "mode": "walk" }, { "from": "Kappabashi Kitchen Street", "to": "Torikizoku Asakusa", "mode": "walk" }, { "from": "Torikizoku Asakusa", "to": "Senso-ji Pagoda After Dark", "mode": "walk" } \] } ## Day 2: Ueno Zoo, Ameyoko, teamLab Planets Ueno Park opens early and the zoo opens at 9:30. Buy your zoo tickets at the gate for 600 yen an adult, kids under 12 are free. The pandas are the marquee attraction and the queue for the panda enclosure gets long by 11am, so head there first if that is your thing. If you want a slower morning, the swan boats on Shinobazu Pond are 800 yen for thirty minutes and Harper still asks about them by name. Lunch happens in Ameyoko, the market strip under the JR tracks running south from Ueno station. Everything is cheap. Fresh seafood, fresh fruit, ramen. There is a takoyaki stand that takes cards, which is unusual and worth knowing. ![The girls inside the mirror-orb room at teamLab. This is what all three of them being quiet at the same time looks like.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/a5e31871-0230-4efa-b84d-816561cf13a4.jpg) The afternoon is teamLab Planets. Book your slot for around 3pm because the earlier slots sell out and you want daylight for the transit but not the exit walk. From Ueno take the Ginza line to Ueno-Hirokoji, transfer to the Toei Oedo line, and get off at Tsukishima or Kachidoki. Or just take a taxi. It is fifteen minutes and the price splits five ways. ### Book teamLab Planets before the day sells out Tickets are 22 dollars on Klook, code ADAMANDLINDSKLOOK stacks on top. Slots go fast on weekends. [Book teamLab Planets](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F25300-teamlab-planets-toyosu-tokyo-ticket&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) [Read our full teamLab guide](https://adamandlinds.com/teamlab-planets-tokyo-tickets-guide/) You will get wet at teamLab Planets. Two of the installations are barefoot and knee-deep. Skirts and long dresses are not allowed and they lend out shorts if needed. Wear something that dries fast. ## Day 3: Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya Day three is the tourist grid. It is unavoidable, and it is actually good, provided you do it in the right order. Start at Meiji Shrine before 9am. The entrance is a two minute walk from Harajuku station and the shrine itself is a fifteen minute forest walk from the gate. At 8:30am there is nobody there. At 10am it is full of tour groups. This is the single biggest timing win in Tokyo. From the shrine, walk south to Takeshita Street. Rainbow cotton candy, purikura booths, a Line Friends store the girls will not leave. Lunch is a Marion crepe or a bowl at Afuri ramen, both of which are on the same block. ![Otter cafe in Shibuya. Pink smocks, green boots, and otters that fully own the space.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/1ba379fa-320e-4084-8438-550820a99b75.jpg) Afternoon is Shibuya. The otter cafe on Meiji-dori is the one the girls remember most from any of our Tokyo trips. Book online, thirty minute slots, they hand you a smock and rubber boots and the otters climb up on you. It is unhinged and completely fine. There are hedgehog and owl cafes on the same block if otters are not your thing. Sunset move: Shibuya Sky. Book the slot that ends at civil twilight, which in Tokyo is usually 6:15pm in autumn and 7:30pm in summer. You want the top open deck at the moment the city switches from blue to gold to on. It is the single best skyline photo in the city and no, Tokyo Tower does not compete. Tokyo Skytree ### $12/adult Higher observation deck, easier to book last minute Best on a clear winter day. Not as good for sunset. [Book Skytree](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F41352-tokyo-skytree&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) Shibuya Sky ### $17/adult Open-air rooftop, Shibuya crossing directly below The one to book if you can only pick one. Sunset slots sell out three days ahead. [Book Shibuya Sky](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F70672-shibuya-sky-tokyo&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) Come down at 7pm, cross Shibuya scramble twice for the video, then eat at Uobei Genki sushi where every plate is 137 yen and comes to your seat on a little bullet train. The girls have never turned down a Uobei night. ## Day 4: Odaiba by boat Day four is the day people mess up. They cram it with a second temple day and a museum, and everyone is done by 2pm. Odaiba fixes that by putting the whole day in one place, with a boat ride on either end. The Himiko cruise leaves from Asakusa pier at 10:00am and drops you at Odaiba Seaside Park about fifty minutes later. It costs 1720 yen a head, kids half price, and it is worth it for the view of Rainbow Bridge alone. If you booked the [Klook Pass Greater Tokyo](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F74574-klook-pass-greater-tokyo&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com), it covers a version of this cruise plus five other attractions for 40 dollars. At DiverCity, the life-size Unicorn Gundam is out front. It does a light show every two hours starting at noon. Inside, the food court on the second floor is huge and cheap, and the Water Science Museum next door is free. End the day at Round1 Stadium, a six-story arcade with bowling, batting cages, and karaoke on the top floor. This is where the girls burn off the last of the day. Take the Yurikamome monorail back over Rainbow Bridge just after sunset because the view is better in that direction. ## Day 5: Disneyland or Harry Potter Day five is a whole-day commitment. Pick one. Tokyo Disneyland is fifteen minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Keiyo line. It is the cleanest, most polite theme park on the planet and the food is genuinely good. Get there at rope drop and use the standby pass system for the top three rides. Book tickets on Klook because it is 6 to 8 dollars cheaper per person and the QR code works at the gate. ![Tokyo DisneySea entrance bridge. The park itself is unmatched by any Disney anywhere.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/7188ba18-1cb9-4f7b-bbdc-7cfde7fc2670.jpg) If Disney is not your family's thing, Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo, The Making of Harry Potter, opened in 2023 on the old Toshimaen site. Book the earliest slot at 8:30am and give it four full hours. It is genuinely well done and it takes as long as it says it will. Tokyo Disneyland ### $49/1-day Cinderella Castle, Big Thunder, food is actually excellent Peak crowds are Saturdays and any Golden Week day. Weekdays in September are ideal. [Book Disneyland](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F695-tokyo-disney-resort-1-day-pass-tokyo&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) Warner Bros Harry Potter ### $38/adult Toshimaen, 30 minutes from Ikebukuro on the Seibu line Book the 8:30am slot. Do the Great Hall and the Diagon Alley set first because they get crowded. [Book Warner Bros Tokyo](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&_currency=USD&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Factivity%2F84374-warner-bros-studio-tour-tokyo-making-harry-potter&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) ## What to book and what to skip The Klook Pass Greater Tokyo is 40 dollars and covers six attractions from a menu of about fifteen, including Skytree, teamLab Planets, and a Sumida River cruise. If you are hitting three of those, it pays for itself. The full breakdown is in our [Klook Tokyo city pass guide](https://adamandlinds.com/klook-tokyo-things-to-do-city-pass/). We keep our full library of Klook activity picks on the [Klook hub](https://adamandlinds.com/klook/). Booking Price Worth it? Klook Pass Greater Tokyo From $40 Yes if you hit 3 of 6 covered attractions Tokyo Subway 72-hour ticket From $6 Yes for Ueno or Asakusa base JR Tokyo Wide Pass From $102 Only if adding a Hakone or Nikko day Narita Limousine Bus From $18 Yes with kids and luggage Holafly Japan eSIM From $19 Always, with code ADAMANDLINDS ## Where to stay for this itinerary Asakusa is our default. It is cheaper than Shinjuku, closer to Senso-ji obviously, and the Ginza and Asakusa lines get you anywhere in twenty minutes. The Kappabashi apartment we keep going back to is a serviced Minn with two bedrooms and a washer, which matters on a five-day trip with kids. If you are traveling with grandparents and need a second room, or if the girls are old enough to want their own space, we wrote up how we handled a [multi-generational Tokyo reunion](https://adamandlinds.com/planning-the-perfect-multi-generational-tokyo-family-reunion/) across two apartments in the same building. ## The stuff we get asked every week FAQ ## Five days in Tokyo, answered The questions that come in from readers planning their first family trip. Is 5 days enough for Tokyo with kids? Five days is our recommended minimum for a first family trip. Three days is not enough to recover from jet lag and see the marquee neighborhoods. Seven days works but only if you plan two half-days as pool or park days for the kids. Which eSIM should we get for Tokyo? We use [Holafly](https://holafly.sjv.io/c/6317027/2233885/24764?subId1=5-day-tokyo-itinerary-family&subId2=faq&subId3=destination-japan&sharedid=japan-family-content&ref=adamandlinds.com). One eSIM covers unlimited data in Japan, works as a hotspot for the kids' devices, and installs before you fly. Code ADAMANDLINDS takes 5% off destination eSIMs and 10% off Plans. Should we get the JR Pass for a Tokyo-only trip? No. The JR Pass is only worth the price if you are also taking the shinkansen to Kyoto or Osaka. For a Tokyo-only trip a 72-hour subway ticket at 6 dollars per person is far better value. How much does 5 days in Tokyo cost for a family of five? We run this itinerary at around 300 dollars per day for our family of five, which is 1500 for the whole trip excluding flights. That number includes a two-bedroom apartment in Asakusa, three meals out per day, and paid activities on 3 of the 5 days. Is Shibuya Sky better than Tokyo Skytree? For sunset, yes. Shibuya Sky is an open-air rooftop with the Shibuya scramble directly below and a better view of the city bowl. Skytree is higher and better on a clear winter day, but the observation deck is enclosed so night photos suffer through the glass. Do we need to book teamLab Planets in advance? Yes, always. Time slots sell out days ahead on weekends and holidays. We book on Klook because it is a few dollars cheaper than the official site and code ADAMANDLINDSKLOOK stacks on top. ### Ready to book Tokyo? Get connected before you fly and get every ticket lined up before you land. [Get your Holafly eSIM](https://holafly.sjv.io/c/6317027/2233885/24764?subId1=5-day-tokyo-itinerary-family&subId2=footer-cta&subId3=destination-japan&sharedid=japan-family-content&ref=adamandlinds.com) [Browse all Tokyo activities on Klook](https://affiliate.klook.com/redirect?aid=42202&k_site=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.klook.com%2Fen-US%2Fdestination%2Fc28%2F&aff_label1=5daytokyo&ref=adamandlinds.com) ### Related reading [Best eSIM for Japan](https://adamandlinds.com/best-esim-for-japan/) [Klook Tokyo city pass guide](https://adamandlinds.com/klook-tokyo-things-to-do-city-pass/) [teamLab Planets Tokyo tickets](https://adamandlinds.com/teamlab-planets-tokyo-tickets-guide/) [Where we stay in Asakusa](https://adamandlinds.com/deluxe-apartment-minn-asakusa-kappabashi-tokyo-skytree-views/) [Multi-generational Tokyo reunion](https://adamandlinds.com/planning-the-perfect-multi-generational-tokyo-family-reunion/) [Street go-karting in Tokyo](https://adamandlinds.com/street-go-karting-japan-guide-2/) This post contains affiliate links to Holafly and Klook. If you book through our links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Code ADAMANDLINDS takes 5% off Holafly destination eSIMs and 10% off Plans. Code ADAMANDLINDSKLOOK takes an additional percentage off Klook bookings at checkout. All opinions are our own.