First time in Tokyo, the short list I gave every guest
Ten years at the desk, thousands of first-timers, and the good trips all shared the same small habits. Here is the short list I gave everyone, and it never failed.
Get an IC card first. A Suica or Pasmo, ideally on your phone, taps you through every train and buys your konbini coffee. Set it up before you leave the airport.
Learn to read station exits. The trains are easy; the giant stations are the real skill. Coming up the wrong exit at Shinjuku wastes ten minutes, so every place in this guide names its exact exit.
Carry some cash. Cards work at chains, but the six-seat ramen counter and the shrine amulet office want yen. Pull it from a 7-Eleven ATM, which takes foreign cards.
Plan by neighbourhood, not by sight. Cluster each day into areas that touch, my 3-day plan and 1-day route show how, and you walk more and commute less.
Come at the right time. Spring and autumn are loveliest and busiest; see when to visit for the honest month-by-month.
Then relax. Tokyo is easy-going about almost everything a polite visitor does, and the fact you are reading this already puts you ahead. The rest of this guide fills in the where.
What should I know before my first trip to Tokyo?
Five things carry you: get an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) for all transit, use Google Maps and watch station exits, carry some cash for small places, plan each day by neighbourhood so you are not crossing the city, and do not over-pack the schedule. Tokyo rewards depth over checklists.
How many days do you need for a first trip to Tokyo?
Three full days covers the essentials without sprinting; four or five lets you add a day trip and slow down. The 1-day and 3-day itineraries here show how I cluster them.
Is Tokyo easy to travel for first-timers?
Surprisingly yes: clean, safe, punctual and signposted in English on the major routes. The two learning curves are the enormous train stations (exits matter) and knowing which places are cash-only. Both are easily managed.
What is the biggest first-timer mistake in Tokyo?
Planning by attraction instead of geography, so half the trip disappears into trains. Cluster each day into neighbourhoods that sit next to each other and you get hours of your holiday back.