Planning your trip to Tokyo? You might as well check out the neighboring areas! There are a lot of places that could be visited as a day trip destination during your holiday in Tokyo. However, you might not know what you can do in there, and which destinations are best for your tastes.
Don’t worry!
Here in this article, I will talk about the best day trip destinations to visit during your trip to Tokyo. Hop on!
Best Day Trip Location from Tokyo Based on Your Preferences
In here I would give out several recommendations on places that you might want to visit during your trip to Tokyo. Read on!
For those seeking Japan’s Old History
There are a few destinations around Tokyo that have what I usually call “Little Kyoto”. In these places, you could find shrines and old traditional buildings that would be rarely seen in Tokyo Metropolitan Area.
If you are one of these people, then I would recommend you to visit Nikko, Kamakura, and Saitama area. All of those places are the perfect locations for day trips from Tokyo and would be reachable in about 1 hour from Tokyo area, with the exception of Nikko.
For Nature Seekers
Even in the middle of the busy metropolitan Tokyo, you can still find vast green spaces where you can take some time for yourself throughout the city. Places such as Yoyogi Koen and Meiji-Jingu Shrine would make you feel as if you’re not in Tokyo anymore!
However, for those of you who want to be one with nature all of these parks might not be enough. Fear not! You can make a simple day trip from Tokyo to places such as Hakone and Chichibu in Saitama. These places boast vast, green landscapes that would help you escape Tokyo’s busy life!
For Fun Destinations
Tokyo is quite famous for these two theme parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
Well, here’s the thing;
They are not located in Tokyo area.
Surprised? Well, you’re not the only one. There is simply not enough space in Tokyo to build not only one, but two massive theme parks. Both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea is located in Chiba prefecture, which would only take about an hour from Tokyo area.
Other than theme parks, you can also have fun in Yokohama, which is a port city located a few steps away from Tokyo! There’s the famous Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama, and various attractions located near the harbor area.
For those of you who have an interest in Japanese’ animation, the word Doraemon might not be foreign to you. You can visit Kawasaki area to see the fantastic world of Doraemon in Doraemon Museum.
Best Day Tours from Tokyo
In order to let you know more about the areas I mentioned above, I would discuss the activities you can do in the best day trip spots from Tokyo. Hold on!
Chiba
As I mentioned above, Chiba is home to the famous theme parks available in Japan, which is Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. However, you might not know that you can also find Japan’s traditional buildings in this prefecture.
You can go to Narita-san Shinso-Ji Temple to see the massive Shingon Buddhist temple that gathered millions of visitors each year. Or you can also take a stroll down Naritasan Omotesando street and see traditional wooden buildings along the road.
For more information regarding how to reach Chiba and what you can do in the area, you can click here. You might also want to check out this day tour of Narita’s old town and temple, or this walking tour of Samurai Town in Chiba.
Hakone
Hakone is a hidden treasure located just a stone-throw away from Tokyo. If the weather is clear, you can also enjoy a beautiful view of Mount Fuji from Hakone!
In Hakone, you can take a cruise ride on Lake Ashi, where you can enjoy a great panoramic view of both Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji. You can also visit Hakone Shrine which is famous for their red torii gate that seems to float on the lake.
Read more about Hakone’s favorite attraction and how to reach it from Tokyo in this link here. You might want to join this One Day Trip to Hakone, where you can get to all of Hakone’s best attractions. Alternatively, you can also join this Pirate Ship Hakone Tour, where you can also take a unique cruise ship in Lake Ashi.
Kawasaki
Kawasaki is nestled right between Yokohama and Tokyo. You can make a half-day trip to Kawasaki, before going straight to Yokohama. Like I mentioned before, the famous Fujiko F. Fujio Museum (the creator of Doraemon) is located in Kawasaki. Sadly, tickets must be reserved beforehand, and would not be able to be bought on the spot.
Other than the museum, you can also take a stroll to Nihon Minkaen, which is an open-air museum that depicts life from the Edo Period. You can still see 25 well-preserved buildings from Edo-era. You can also join several indigo-dye workshops for a small fee at this museum!
Fujiko F. Fujio Museum
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Location |
Fujiko F. Fujio Museum (map) |
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Schedule |
Tuesday (the following day if Tuesday is a National Holiday) December 29 - January 3 |
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Entry |
Adults 1000 yen 12-18 y/o 700 yen 4-11 y/o 500 yen Below 4 y/o Free |
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Website |
Nihon Minkaen
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Location |
Nihon Minkaen (map) |
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Schedule |
9.30 - 17.00 Closed on Monday (the following day if Monday is a National Holiday) December 28 - January 3 |
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Entry |
500 yen |
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Website |
Kamakura
This is the best place for you to find a beach near Tokyo Area. Moreover, this destination also boasts the famous Daibutsu, The Great Buddha, which is located in Kotoku-in Temple.
Kamakura is also beautiful in Spring and Summer, where a lot of flowers (like Hydrangeas) blooms. You can also visit Enoshima, an island with a shopping center and a temple that is reachable by walking from Kamakura.
For more information regarding Kamakura, you can click this link here. On the other hand, you can also have an easier trip to Kamakura if you join these Kamakura sightseeing Excursions.
Nikko
Nikko is famous for the grand mausoleum of the late shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tokugawa Ieyasu is regarded as a god in Nikko, and there are several other shrines and mausoleums dedicated to the Tokugawa family. The most famous one would be the Toshogu Shrine with a massive, lavishly decorated gate.
You could also take a tour in old-town Edo period in Edo Wonderland, a theme park where one can dress up as if they’re transported back to Edo-era. Click here for more info about Nikko, and how to reach there from Tokyo. Alternatively, you might want to consider joining a day-trip tour to Nikko to enjoy all the best attractions there.
Yokohama
This is another fun destination that is reachable within an hour from Tokyo!
You can enjoy a stroll in the modern Minato Mirai area or binge on some Chinese food in Japan’s largest Chinatown. Alternatively, you might also want to visit the Cup Ramen Museum, where you can make your own unique Cup Ramen!
Read more information about Yokohama in this link here. You could also join a guided one-day private tour of Yokohama along with a local!
Saitama
You can find both Japan’s traditional wooden buildings and a vast greenery view in Saitama Prefecture!
In Kawagoe, Saitama, you can take a stroll in what the locals lovingly call “Koedo” or “Little Edo”. Kawagoe has buildings from a shopping district that dates back from the Edo-period. If your timing is right, you can also join the annual Kawagoe festival that will be held in early October, every year!
For nature-seekers, you could visit Chichibu area which is famous in Spring for their Shibazakura flowers. Furthermore, you could also stop by Mitsumine Shrine which is located in the middle of a forested mountain.
To find more information about Saitama area, you can click this link here. You might want to consider joining a Kawagoe guided tour to get more from your day trip.
More Tips
Here’s the thing:
Even with all these information, getting to the destinations that you want could be quite challenging!
Look, it’s not a secret anymore. Japan’s public transport system is quite complicated, and could easily overwhelm first-time visitors. You could easily get lost in the middle of navigating your way to your favorite attraction spots.
Don’t worry!
I have an easy way out for you; hire a private guide! If you hire a private guide, they could easily take you to your destinations in no time at all. Moreover, they could also be your private translator and help you overcome language barrier problems easily!
If you are thinking of hiring a private guide, then I recommend you to get one from GoWithGuide! They have the best-recommended list of a guide who would cater to your every travel needs. Their excellent customer service would also make sure that you get the best guide that would understand your preferences best.
In this article, I have reviewed the best day trip destinations from Tokyo, and what you can do in those places. Here’s to a good trip in Tokyo!
