Tokyo 1 day itinerary (Imperial Palace, Ginza, Skytree)

Walk through the Outer Garden (Gaien) area which is open to tourists within the wide grounds of the palace. And then tour places such as Nijubashi Bridge which leads to the front plaza and the main gates to the palace. Get off at Nijubashi Bridge Station on the Tokyo Metro to head for the Outer Garden. ＊The residence of the Emperor cannot be seen.

Walk from the Outer Garden to the East Garden which was established as a garden belonging to the Imperial Palace on the site of the former Edo Palace. You can walk through this area which is open to the public. Also visit Ninomaru Garden which is beautiful for its design around a central pond and the remains of the Edo Castle tower.

The famous Chidorigafuchi is a moat that is enveloped with gorgeous cherry trees in early April. Have a nice walk while viewing the boats floating atop the surface of the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace. If you have time, you can also try riding on one of the boats yourself.

Walk over to Ginza, the most famous shopping district in historic Tokyo. Not restricted to foreign brand-name goods shops, there are also distinct and long-established stores and department stores. High-class stationery shops with a Japanese taste such as Kyukyodo are also popular. There is also a wide variety of restaurants for you to enjoy an elegant lunch.

Tokyo Sky Tree opened in 2012 as the nation’s tallest tower. The most advanced elevator will take you up to the observation decks so that you can enjoy that bird’s-eye view of Tokyo at 350m. The time transitioning between late afternoon into evening is recommended.

Head back down to the shopping mall Tokyo Solamachi underneath Tokyo Sky Tree. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants along with places for souvenir shopping.