Five days in Tokyo is the sweet spot — enough to do the obvious sights without rushing, plus a real day trip and time to wander a non-tourist neighbourhood. This itinerary assumes one full day outside Tokyo (Hakone or Nikko) and four days exploring the city by neighbourhood rather than by must-see list.
Same arc as the 3-day Day 1 but at relaxed pace. Add Yanaka Ginza in the late afternoon — old shitamachi neighbourhood that feels like 1970s Tokyo, with cats. Dinner near Tokyo Station at one of the ramen-street basements.
Morning Meiji Jingu, Harajuku-Omotesando-Aoyama walk south. Lunch in Aoyama. Afternoon at Nezu Museum (small, exquisite garden — the Tokyo museum locals recommend). Evening in Roppongi — Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View at Roppongi Hills until late.
Hakone (90 min by Romance Car from Shinjuku) — Hakone Open-Air Museum, Lake Ashi pirate ship, Owakudani sulfur valley, onsen at the ryokan if you stay. Or Nikko (2hr by Limited Express) — Toshogu Shrine, Shinkyo bridge, Lake Chuzenji. Pick Hakone for views and onsen, Nikko for shrines and forests.
Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast, Hama-rikyu, Ginza window-shopping. Lunch in Ginza, afternoon at Imperial Palace East Gardens. Dinner in Akasaka — a business district with phenomenal under-the-radar restaurants.
Breakfast in Shimokitazawa (bohemian neighbourhood, vintage shops, indie cafes — Tokyo's Williamsburg). Walk Shimokita's narrow streets. Late lunch in Daikanyama — T-Site bookstore complex and quiet upscale shopping. Pickup luggage and depart.
This is a generic plan that works for most travellers. Use Panor's AI Japan trip planner to customise it — adjust pace, add or remove neighbourhoods, swap day trips, account for dietary restrictions, or factor in cherry-blossom or autumn-foliage timing. The planner uses interactive maps and can export the itinerary to your phone.