Visit Mount Takao or explore more of the city?
For observation decks, a garden, a shrine, and mid-slope Mount Takao, stay four nights in Shinjuku and give the city and mountain separate days. For the zoo and two gardens at a slower pace on different days, stay four nights in Ueno. Neither plan changes hotels.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights
Shinjuku, Asakusa, and a Mount Takao day trip
Stay in Shinjuku, give a day each to western gardens and streets and eastern temples and views, then add a Mount Takao day trip. Choose the arrival-day government building and final-day park only if your flight times leave enough room.
Shinjuku, Asakusa, and a Mount Takao day trip →5 days, 4 nights BUeno Zoo and two gardens
Stay in Ueno, giving the zoo, two gardens, and Senso-ji with Skytree separate days. Instead of Mount Takao, visit a mansion garden on arrival day and make a short Yushima Tenmangu stop on the last day.
Ueno Zoo and two gardens →Shinjuku, Asakusa, and a Mount Takao day trip
Stay in Shinjuku, give a day each to western gardens and streets and eastern temples and views, then add a Mount Takao day trip. Choose the arrival-day government building and final-day park only if your flight times leave enough room.
Day 1: city views from the Shinjuku government building
From Narita Airport, check a Narita Express (N’EX) service stopping at Shinjuku and reserve your seat. Get off at JR Shinjuku Station and use the exit recommended by your hotel.
- Airport arrival station → Around Shinjuku Station
From Haneda, compare Keikyu to Shinagawa followed by the JR Yamanote Line toward Shibuya and Shinjuku. At Shinjuku, use the exit recommended by your hotel.
N’EX stopsJR Tokyo-area route mapKeikyu airport access guide
- Shinjuku Station west exit → Government building South Observatory and the same hotel
Walk about 10 minutes from JR Shinjuku's west exit to the government building, then use the dedicated observatory elevator on the first floor of Building No. 1. See the city from the free South Observatory, then return toward the same exit for dinner and your hotel. Entry waits are extra to the walk, so shorten the visit when crowded. South Observatory hours are 9:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m., with last admission at 9:30 p.m.; check closures such as the first and third Tuesdays. Reservations are not accepted. For a late arrival or closure, plan only your hotel and dinner.
Official operating informationAdditional official information
If the observatory is closed, eat and rest in Shinjuku.
Day 2: Shinjuku Gyoen, Meiji Jingu, and Shibuya
Walk through Shinjuku Gyoen's garden and Meiji Jingu's forest, then have dinner in Shibuya. Walk about 10 minutes from Shinjuku Station's south exit area to the garden's Shinjuku Gate.
- Shinjuku Gyoen → Same gate → lunch in Shinjuku
After a morning visit, leave through the same gate and have lunch in Shinjuku.
Ministry of the Environment informationGarden access by gate
- JR Shinjuku Station → Harajuku Station → shrine south entrance and main shrine
Take the JR Yamanote Line toward Shibuya and Shinagawa to Harajuku, then head to the shrine's south entrance. The entrance approach takes about one minute, followed by at least another 10 minutes to the main shrine.
- Meiji Jingu and Harajuku Station → Finish worship → Shibuya Station
In October, finish worship before the 4:40 p.m. closing, then continue from Harajuku in the same train direction to Shibuya.
- Shibuya Station → Dinner → Shinjuku hotel
After dinner, take JR toward Shinjuku and Ikebukuro back to your hotel. If Gyoen is closed, choose a Central Park walk or a meal near your hotel. Check weather and on-site restrictions for park walks. During busy seasons, check whether your date requires a reservation and complete it before visiting.
JR Tokyo-area route mapMinistry of the Environment informationOfficial operating informationOfficial access
Day 3: Senso-ji, then Skytree's observation deck
From JR Shinjuku, travel toward Ikebukuro and Ueno, then transfer at Ueno to the Ginza Line toward Asakusa (G19).
- Asakusa Station → Senso-ji worship → lunch
Walk about five minutes to the temple, worship, then have lunch in Asakusa.
- Tobu Asakusa Station → Tokyo Skytree Station → entrance and observation deck
Take a regular Tobu train from Asakusa stopping at Tokyo Skytree, about three minutes away. Walk about six minutes from the west exit to the fourth-floor main entrance. Visit only the areas you reserved: the Tembo Deck, or Deck and Galleria.
Official Skytree rail accessRoute to the fourth-floor entranceTickets
- Tokyo Skytree Station → Transfers at Asakusa and Ueno → Shinjuku hotel
Return by Tobu toward Asakusa → Ginza Line toward Shibuya to Ueno → JR toward Ikebukuro and Shinjuku → your hotel. Allow time for meals and Tobu waits so you reach the entrance by your reserved deck time. If you cannot get tickets, or official service suspensions or admission stops apply, visit the temple and have a meal, then return via Asakusa. Shorten street walks during heavy rain or outdoor crowds.
TicketsHoursOfficial Skytree rail accessAsakusa Station timetableJR Tokyo-area route map
Day 4: Mount Takao cable car and mid-slope walk
Take the cable car for a mid-slope Mount Takao walk, then return to the same Shinjuku hotel.
- Keio Shinjuku Station → Takaosanguchi Station
Take a regular Keio train toward Takaosanguchi. If it is not direct, transfer to the Takao Line at Kitano. Check train and cable-car service for your date before leaving; omit the mountain visit if service is suspended.
Cable-car fares and hoursKeio fare tableOfficial mountain railway access
- Takaosanguchi Station → Kiyotaki Station → cable car
Walk about five minutes to Kiyotaki after getting off, then ride the cable car for about six minutes.
- Cable-car Takaosan Station → Viewpoint near the station
Follow signs on foot to the viewpoint near the station and look out over the surrounding scenery. This is different from the summit viewpoint. Clouds or rain may obscure distant views.
- Viewpoint near the station → The same cable-car Takaosan Station
Retrace your route to the cable-car station after enjoying the view. This short walk does not continue along mountain paths to Yakuoin or the summit. If the viewpoint path is restricted or rain or strong winds make walking difficult, ride the cable car down. Before eating at mid-slope, check downhill service and waiting times.
Takao mountain railway guide to the station-area viewpointCable-car fares and hours
- Optional meal around mid-slope Takaosan Station → Return to the cable-car station after eating
For a mid-slope restaurant, check its location, hours, and waiting time. If you will not have enough time afterward to reach the cable-car station and board a downhill ride, descend first and eat at the foot of the mountain.
Confirm the chosen restaurant's location, hours, waits, and your downhill cable-car service
- Cable-car Takaosan Station → Descend to Kiyotaki Station
Check downhill service for your date, then board the cable car. The official one-way ride takes about six minutes, excluding lines and waits. Finish your meal and walk in time to descend before the last ride.
- Kiyotaki Station → Keio Takaosanguchi Station
Retrace the approximately five-minute walk to Takaosanguchi Station. Allow extra time for meals, cable-car waits, and reaching the Keio platform.
- Keio Takaosanguchi Station → Keio Shinjuku Station
Take a regular train toward Shinjuku. If it is not direct, transfer toward Shinjuku at the station shown in your date-specific search, such as Kitano. Train waits and transfers take extra time; reserved-seat train charges are excluded from the existing subtotal.
- Keio Shinjuku Station → Return to the same Shinjuku hotel
Follow your booked hotel's ticket-gate, exit, and walking guidance. Confirm the route and time from Keio Shinjuku to the hotel using your individual booking information.
Walking route and time from Keio Shinjuku to the booked hotel's entrance
Day 5: an easy walk in Shinjuku Central Park
Visit Shinjuku Central Park, then return to the same hotel.
- Shinjuku Station west exit → Shinjuku Central Park
Walk about 10 minutes from JR Shinjuku's west exit to free Central Park and enjoy waterside and shaded paths in the morning. This is different from day two's Gyoen; you do not reenter the garden. Skip the walk for rain, construction, or on-site restrictions.
Official operating informationOfficial accessTourism Association admission information
- Shinjuku Central Park → The same Shinjuku hotel
Walk about 10 minutes back toward the west exit, then collect stored bags at your hotel. Have lunch only if there is enough time before airport travel, and go to the departure station or boarding point for your booking.
- Shinjuku hotel → Booked airport train station and flight terminal
For Narita, take your reserved airport-bound Narita Express from JR Shinjuku. Get off at Narita Airport Station for Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 2 Station for Terminals 2 and 3. For Haneda, take the JR Yamanote Line toward Shibuya and Shinagawa, then transfer at Shinagawa to an airport-bound Keikyu service. Confirm it stops at your terminal. Add travel from the hotel to each platform and access to Terminal 3; sightsee only if you can meet your airline's advised airport-arrival time.
N’EX stopsNarita Airport rail guideJR Tokyo-area route mapKeikyu airport access guideJR construction and service-suspension notices
This is an optional easy morning walk when there is enough time before airport travel.
Included: Garden and Tembo Deck admission starting at JPY 2,300, plus a Ginza Line round trip and JPY 1,840 in Mount Takao round-trip transportation: JPY 860 for regular trains and JPY 980 for the cable car.
Extra costs and conditions: JR, Tobu, airport travel, transportation from the station to your hotel, meals, and accommodation are excluded.
Ministry of the Environment informationTicketsCable-car fares and hoursKeio fare tableGinza Line fare table
Ueno Zoo and two gardens
Stay in Ueno, giving the zoo, two gardens, and Senso-ji with Skytree separate days. Instead of Mount Takao, visit a mansion garden on arrival day and make a short Yushima Tenmangu stop on the last day.
Day 1: Kyu-Iwasaki-tei mansion and garden
Explore the former Iwasaki residence and garden on day one. From Narita Airport, reserve a Skyliner to Keisei Ueno from your terminal's railway station and get off at the last stop.
- Airport arrival station → Around Ueno Station
Keisei Ueno and JR Ueno are different stations, so follow your hotel's guidance for the correct station and exit. From Haneda, compare a Keikyu ride to Shinagawa followed by a JR train stopping at Ueno. At Haneda Terminal 3, follow the arrivals area's “Keikyu Railways” signs to the ticket gates and platform. At other terminals, follow that terminal's rail guidance.
Skyliner stopsJR Tokyo-area route mapKeikyu airport access guideHaneda Terminal 3 arrivals-to-station guide
- Ueno Station → Okachimachi Station and garden entrance
Take the JR Yamanote Line toward Tokyo from Ueno to Okachimachi, then walk about 15 minutes to the garden entrance.
- Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Gardens → Mansion and garden visit
Enter before last admission and visit the Western-style mansion and garden; general admission is JPY 400. Wear socks inside the building to protect the cultural property. Hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m.; closed December 29–January 1. Skip this day's visit if you cannot arrive by 4:30 p.m. with enough time to explore. Separate guided access to the underground passage and billiards building is excluded.
Official operating informationAdditional official information
- Garden entrance → Okachimachi and Ueno stations
After the visit, walk about 15 minutes back to the same station and take JR toward Ueno.
If you cannot visit the mansion garden before closing, omit it on day one and eat in Ueno.
Day 2: animals and breaks at Ueno Zoo
Spend the day seeing animals that interest you, such as elephants and giraffes. From your Ueno hotel, head toward the above-ground JR Park Exit area and walk about five minutes to the main gate.
- Ueno Zoo → Animal exhibits
Visit after 9:30 a.m. For a zoo closure day, compare opening calendars to see whether you can swap with another sightseeing day. If another day also does not work, choose a shorter Ueno Park walk and meal when weather and on-site restrictions allow. Account for entry waits, see your preferred animals first, and take breaks.
Official visitor informationZoo main-gate accessOfficial visitor information
- Zoo main gate → A meal and break in the park
Leave through the main gate after the visit and take a meal and rest break in the park.
Official visitor informationZoo main-gate accessOfficial visitor information
- Ueno Park → The same Ueno hotel
Walk back to your Ueno hotel after the visit and meal to rest.
Day 3: Senso-ji and Skytree
Take the Ginza Line from Ueno (G16) toward Asakusa (G19), walk about five minutes to the temple, then worship and have lunch.
- Tobu Asakusa Station → Tokyo Skytree Station
From Tobu Asakusa, take a regular train stopping at Tokyo Skytree, about three minutes away.
- Tokyo Skytree Station west exit → Fourth-floor main entrance and observation deck
Walk about six minutes from the west exit to the fourth-floor main entrance, then enter the observation deck you reserved.
- Tokyo Skytree Station → Transfer at Asakusa → Ueno hotel
Return from the same station toward Asakusa, transfer to the Ginza Line toward Shibuya to Ueno, and walk to your hotel. Allow time for meals and Tobu waits so you reach the entrance by your reserved deck time. If you cannot get tickets, or official service suspensions or admission stops apply, visit the temple and have a meal, then return via Asakusa. Shorten street walks during heavy rain or outdoor crowds.
TicketsHoursOfficial Skytree rail accessAsakusa Station timetable
Day 4: Shinjuku Gyoen, then back to Ueno
From JR Ueno, take the Yamanote Line toward Ikebukuro and Shinjuku to Shinjuku.
- JR Shinjuku Station south exit → Gyoen Shinjuku Gate
Walk about 10 minutes from the south exit to Shinjuku Gate. If Gyoen is closed, choose a Central Park walk or a meal near your hotel. Check weather and on-site restrictions before choosing a park walk. During busy seasons, check whether your date requires a reservation and complete it before visiting.
Ministry of the Environment informationGarden access by gateJR Tokyo-area route mapOfficial operating informationOfficial access
- Gyoen Shinjuku Gate → Garden visit and the same gate
Explore the garden and return to the same Shinjuku Gate.
- JR Shinjuku Station → Ueno Station and the same hotel
Take JR from Shinjuku toward Ikebukuro and Ueno, then walk back to your hotel.
You can have lunch and a break in Shinjuku after the garden, then return to Ueno. To return directly, head to JR Shinjuku Station.
Day 5: Yushima Tenmangu, then the airport
Walk from Okachimachi Station to Yushima Tenmangu for a short shrine visit.
- Ueno and Okachimachi north exit → Yushima Tenmangu
Take JR from Ueno toward Tokyo to Okachimachi, then walk about eight minutes from the north exit to the shrine. In the morning, see the bronze torii and the front of the shrine building, and worship on the free grounds. Gates open 6:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; the treasure museum, prayer services, and charms are excluded. The shrine is on a slope; to avoid stairs, use the sloping approach from Kasuga-dori shown on the official access map.
Yushima Tenmangu access by stationTokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau Bunkyo PDF guide
- Yushima Tenmangu → Okachimachi and Ueno hotel
Walk about eight minutes back to the same north exit, take JR toward Ueno, and collect stored bags at your hotel. JR Ueno and Keisei Ueno are different stations, so go to the departure station and boarding area for your reserved airport service. Have a meal only if time allows.
Yushima Tenmangu access by stationJR Tokyo-area route mapSkyliner stops
- Ueno hotel → Booked airport train station and flight terminal
For the Narita-bound Skyliner, go to Keisei Ueno and board your reserved service. Get off at Narita Airport Station for Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 2 Station for Terminals 2 and 3. For Terminal 3, allow additional time from the station to the terminal. For Haneda, compare JR from Ueno to Shinagawa followed by a Keikyu service stopping at your terminal. Work backward from your required airport-arrival time and sightsee only if you have enough time.
Skyliner stopsNarita Airport rail guideJR Tokyo-area route mapKeikyu airport access guide
Allow time for airport travel and departure procedures first.
Included: Ueno Zoo, Tembo Deck, Shinjuku Gyoen, and Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Gardens admission starting at JPY 3,300, plus a Ginza Line round trip. Omitting the arrival-day garden removes its JPY 400 admission.
Extra costs and conditions: JR, Tobu, airport travel, transportation from the station to your hotel, meals, and accommodation are excluded.
Official visitor informationTicketsMinistry of the Environment informationOfficial operating informationGinza Line fare table
Frequently asked questions
Does this itinerary stay overnight on Mount Takao?
No. It is a Keio and cable-car day trip to the mid-slope area, returning to the same Shinjuku hotel. Local accommodation and summit hiking are excluded. Check downhill cable-car service and Shinjuku-bound trains for your date first.
Cable-car fares and hoursOfficial mountain railway accessKeio fare table
Does the Tokyo Wide Pass cover every journey on a five-day trip?
It lasts only three consecutive days from your chosen start date. Tokyo Metro and Toei subways, Keio, the JR bus to Kusatsu, and local Karuizawa buses cost extra. Choose side-trip dates and covered rail sections, then compare individual fares. Listed itinerary amounts are subtotals for selected admission and transportation, not the full side-trip budget or total after buying a pass.
JR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price, and three consecutive days
Official sources and dates checked
- Asakusa Station timetable ·
- Official visitor information ·
- Ginza Line fare table ·
- Senso-ji rail and walking access ·
- Zoo main-gate access ·
- Ministry of the Environment information ·
- Garden access by gate ·
- Shrine access ·
- Official Skytree rail access ·
- Route to the fourth-floor entrance ·
- Official mountain railway access ·
- Temple visitor guide ·
- Tickets ·
- Hours ·
- Gate opening information ·
- Cable-car fares and hours ·
- Keio fare table ·
- Official visitor information ·
- Official operating information ·
- Additional official information ·
- Official operating information ·
- Official access ·
- Tourism Association admission information ·
- Official operating information ·
- Additional official information ·
- Yushima Tenmangu access by station ·
- Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau Bunkyo PDF guide ·
- Skyliner stops ·
- JR Tokyo-area route map ·
- Keikyu airport access guide ·
- Haneda Terminal 3 arrivals-to-station guide ·
- Narita Airport rail guide ·
- N’EX stops ·
- JR construction and service-suspension notices ·
- JR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price, and three consecutive days ·
- Karuizawa Tourism Association transportation and local buses ·
- Echigo-Yuzawa tourism guide to Shinkansen access ·
- Kusakaru Kotsu 2026 buses, crowds, delays, and service periods ·
- JR East Kusatsu Onsen access and Yubatake ·
- Takao mountain railway guide to the station-area viewpoint ·