Tokyo: Best Time to Visit, Mar–May & Oct–Nov

When to visit.

Choose your travel month

Underlined months are the best time to go.

March · April · MayChoose spring for walks around Asakusa and Ueno, with a layer for chilly mornings. If blossoms drive the trip, check current flowering reports before fixing dates.

June · July · August · SeptemberAllow for heat, humidity and rain. Keep the Tokyo National Museum as an indoor option on your Ueno day, or swap a long Harajuku walk for underground shopping at Shibuya Station.

October · NovemberUse cooler autumn days for Harajuku and Shibuya on foot. Keep an indoor alternative for rain; check current leaf reports before planning around colour.

December · January · FebruaryBalance winter walks through Asakusa with indoor galleries at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. Check its opening calendar before making it the centrepiece of your day.

Compare monthly weather

Historical monthly weather

Select a month to plan your visit.

WarmestAug · 90°F (32°C)

WettestJul

Best windowMar–May & Oct–Nov

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Bar height: daytime high.Green underline: best window. Square outline: selected month.

Select a month for temperature, rainfall and modelled sunshine.

Weather data & source

2018–2023 averages, not a forecast. Wet days estimate days with at least 1 mm of rain or snow using a calibrated ERA5 threshold. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (AWS Open Data, CC BY 4.0). Sunshine measures daylight only. Open-Meteo

A first trip5 nights

Three nights give a first circuit of Tokyo’s contrasting neighbourhoods; five leave more time for museums and revisiting an area without rushing across the city.

Your baseUeno

Stay near the park, museums and railway connections, with Ameyoko and the surrounding streets close by.

Stay length, neighbourhoods & sources

Three nights give a first circuit of Tokyo’s contrasting neighbourhoods; five leave more time for museums and revisiting an area without rushing across the city.

Stay near the park, museums and railway connections, with Ameyoko and the surrounding streets close by.

Explore sample itineraries →

What to see

Start with the sights.

Pair Sensoji and the streets of Asakusa with Ueno. Save Harajuku and Shibuya for another day, rather than crossing Tokyo between every stop.

01What to seeSuginamiExplore →

Suginami is one of the 23 special wards in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan.

02What to seeSetagayaExplore →

Setagaya is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan.

Meiji Shrine

A serene Shinto shrine set in a forest of 100,000 donated trees beside Harajuku.

Explore →

04What to seeShibuyaExplore →

Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan.

05What to seeMode Gakuen Cocoon TowerExplore →

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is a 204-metre-tall (669-foot), 50-story educational facility located in the Nishi-Shinjuku district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Where to eat

Where to eat in Tokyo

Asakusa Imahan, Kokusai Street →

Wagyu sukiyaki and shabu-shabu in Asakusa.

Make this the beef meal on your Asakusa day.

Visit details & sources

Find it: 3-1-12 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku
Menu: Wagyu sukiyaki and shabu-shabu

Restaurant and menu →

AFURI Harajuku →

Yuzu ramen for a Harajuku stop.

Keep this ramen stop with your Harajuku visit.

Visit details & sources

Find it: 1F Grandeforesta, 3-63-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku
Try: Yuzu Shio Ramen

Find the Harajuku branch →

Night life in Tokyo, Japan

Exterior of Miyakodori, a traditional ryōtei in Asakusa, Tokyo

Make a trip of it

Tokyo, at the right moment.

A flowering weeping cherry fills a courtyard beside a tiled temple roof in Kyoto

01JourneyTokyo and Kyoto in Cherry Blossom SeasonEvery year, usually late March–early April7 nights minimum · 10–12 idealOpen Journey →

An illuminated Nebuta float moves through a crowd on Shinmachi Street in Aomori

02JourneyAomori Nebuta and Tohoku SummerEvery year, early August12 nights minimum · 12–14 idealOpen Journey →

Make a plan

Before you go.

Transport, fares & local advice

Getting there

HND (main international gateway): Airport Limousine bus to Tokyo Station, about 55 minutes. Published bus estimate to Tokyo Station; onward travel to Ueno is additional.

NRT (main international gateway): Narita Express train to Tokyo Station, about 60 minutes. The estimate is to Tokyo Station; Shinjuku and other destinations take longer.

Airport routes & connections →Airport routes & connections →

Getting around

Use rail and subway connections between neighbourhoods, then explore each area on foot. A rechargeable Suica or Pasmo card simplifies station entry and exit.

Tokyo National Museum: plan your Ueno stop

Japanese art and archaeology indoors in Ueno Park.

Requirements & visit details

Usually closed: Mondays, with holiday exceptions and additional calendar changes
Exhibitions: Most special exhibitions need a separately priced package ticket
Choose a gallery: Honkan houses Japanese art; Heiseikan includes Japanese archaeology
Before you go: Check the opening calendar and exhibition ticket before visiting

Check the museum visit details →

Know before you go

There is no tipping culture; leaving money can cause confusion.
Get a Suica or Pasmo IC card (add it to an iPhone Wallet) and tap through transit.
Trains stop around midnight; miss the last one and you are out until dawn.