10 Must-Visit Tokyo Attractions
All Top Picks in One Place

Tokyo's oldest temple, founded in 645 AD, is the city's single most-visited attraction. Walk the Nakamise shopping street lined with traditional snack stalls and souvenir shops, then pass through the iconic Kaminarimon gate with its enormous red lantern. The five-story pagoda beside the main hall is the classic photo composition that appears on every Tokyo postcard.

Standing at 634 metres, Tokyo Skytree is Japan's tallest structure and the second tallest in the world. The Tembo Deck at 350 m offers a full panorama, and the Tembo Galleria at 450 m adds a glass-floored walkway for the brave. On clear days you can see Mount Fuji on the horizon. The giant Solamachi shopping complex at the base is worth exploring too.

The world's busiest pedestrian crossing — when the lights turn red, traffic stops in all directions and hundreds of people flood the intersection simultaneously. Watch from a second-floor window seat at a café around the crossing, then head down to experience it on foot. The bronze statue of loyal dog Hachiko at the Hachiko exit is Tokyo's most famous meeting point.

A Shinto shrine hidden within a forest of 70,000 trees, dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who opened Japan to the world in the late 19th century. Built in 1920, it feels completely removed from the city bustle despite being in the heart of Tokyo. The approach through towering torii gates is one of the most serene walks in Japan. On lucky days you may witness a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony.

The red Eiffel-style tower that defined Tokyo's postwar rebirth — built in 1958, standing 333 metres tall. The Main Deck at 150 m still delivers great city views, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears on the horizon. While Skytree has surpassed it in height, Tokyo Tower's warm orange glow illuminating the night sky remains one of the most beloved images of the city.

Even after the inner wholesale market moved to Toyosu, the Tsukiji Outer Market remains Tokyo's most atmospheric morning food street. Stalls open before dawn selling fresh sushi, sea urchin, grilled scallops, fluffy tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), and Japanese street food at their freshest. Arriving by 8 am puts you among local chefs and market vendors — an experience unique to Tokyo.

Tokyo's most beloved national garden — 58 hectares blending Japanese, French, and English garden styles. During cherry blossom season (late March to early April) the park is Japan's finest place to hanami (flower-viewing), with over 1,000 trees in bloom. The traditional Japanese tea house inside serves matcha with wagashi sweets. A perfect refuge from the non-stop energy of nearby Shinjuku.

The publicly accessible eastern section of the Imperial Palace grounds — built on the ruins of Edo Castle, once the largest castle complex in the world. The massive stone foundations, outer moat, and remaining watchtower give a tangible sense of Japan's shogunate era. Traditional Japanese gardens dotted throughout make it one of Tokyo's most peaceful green spaces. Free entry and a short walk from Tokyo Station.

The world's most celebrated immersive digital art museum. Visitors walk barefoot through shallow water as projected flowers bloom beneath their feet, rooms fill with infinite mirror light, and massive floral installations cascade around them. Every one of the five rooms is a completely different sensory experience. Allow 90–120 minutes. Advance booking is mandatory — tickets frequently sell out weeks ahead.

Japan's youth fashion capital — a single pedestrian lane just 350 metres long, but packed with kawaii boutiques, cosplay shops, rainbow crêpe stands, fluffy cotton candy stalls, and teenagers in eye-catching outfits. The street is a microcosm of Japanese pop culture unlike anything else in the world. Walk Meiji Shrine in the morning for peaceful forest calm, then step into this riot of colour and street food right after.