After landing, allow roughly 1.5–2.5 hours for immigration, baggage claim, and customs. Keep your passports and Visit Japan Web QR codes ready; the airport process is straightforward, but lines can build around international arrivals. Once landside, check that your eSIM is active and that your Apple Wallet Suica works before heading farther into the terminal.
At a Seven Bank ATM or airport convenience store, withdraw a modest amount of yen—around ¥10,000–¥20,000 per person is plenty to start—and keep some cash for smaller restaurants and lockers. Avoid exchanging all your money at the airport unless necessary. Give yourselves about 20 minutes here to buy water and snacks, check your train route, and regroup after the flight.
Find the Yamato Transport Airport Counter, marked by its familiar black-cat logo, and send your large luggage to the hotel. Staff will need the hotel’s full name, address, phone number, and your check-in date; delivery within Tokyo commonly costs around ¥2,000–¥3,500 per bag and may take until the next day, so keep passports, medication, electronics, and one change of clothes with you. Allow 20–30 minutes, especially if completing the form for the first time.
Then take the Narita Express (N’EX) from Narita International Airport toward Tokyo Station. The ride is about 60–90 minutes depending on the terminal and train, with reserved seating and luggage space; fares are generally around ¥3,000–¥3,500 to Tokyo Station. From there, use your Suica for the final local train or taxi to the hotel. Including finding the platform, transfers, and check-in, plan on roughly 1.5–2 hours rather than trying to make a tight connection.
Check in, leave the day intentionally open, and rest for at least an hour or two. Tokyo’s first-day combination of jet lag, airport walking, and train transfers can be more tiring than expected. If your room is not ready, most hotels will hold luggage; use the time for a shower, a short neighborhood walk, or a convenience-store drink rather than starting a major sightseeing excursion.
Stay near the hotel for dinner at a nearby izakaya or convenience store—there is no need to cross Tokyo on arrival night. An izakaya meal with several small dishes and drinks usually runs about ¥1,500–¥3,500 per person, while 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson offer surprisingly good rice balls, sandwiches, salads, fried chicken, and hot snacks for a much cheaper, low-effort option. Many neighborhood izakaya open around 5:00 PM and remain open late, but some are cash-only or have limited English menus, so showing a photo or using a translation app is perfectly normal. Keep the evening flexible and turn in early if you can; tomorrow’s Akihabara browsing will be much more enjoyable after a proper night’s sleep.
Start around 9:00 at Akihabara Electric Town, giving yourselves about three relaxed hours before lunch. Wander the main avenues and side streets around Chuo-dori, dipping into arcades, figure shops, game retailers, and electronics stores rather than trying to cover everything. Radio Kaikan is the easiest one-stop introduction to the area, while the smaller specialty shops tucked behind the main street are often more fun for browsing. Most stores open around 10:00 or 11:00, so use the first hour for photos, arcades, and coffee; budget roughly ¥1,000–¥3,000 for casual snacks and arcade play.
For the planned café stop, head to Maidreamin Akihabara Electric Town, where a standard meal or drink set and the performance-style experience usually run about ¥2,000–¥4,000 per person. Allow an hour, and expect a possible wait—this branch is popular, particularly on weekends. Afterward, continue browsing nearby shops, but keep an eye on the clock for Hunters Bar: arrive no more than 15 minutes before your reservation, and allow 1–1½ hours for the monster-hunter-themed drinks and games. Reservations are important, and the venue’s exact access instructions are worth checking the day before since it can be easy to miss among Akihabara’s upper-floor businesses.
From Akihabara, walk north toward Ueno Park in roughly 20–25 minutes, or take the JR Yamanote Line one stop from Akihabara to Ueno if your feet are tired. Begin with a gentle loop through the park’s ponds, shrines, and broad paths, then spend 1½–2 hours inside the National Museum of Nature and Science. The museum is generally open 9:00–17:00, with last admission about 30 minutes before closing; admission is around ¥630 for adults, and it is normally closed on Mondays, so verify the September 7 holiday schedule before committing. The Pokémon manhole cover is nearby and makes a quick photo stop, but don’t leave the museum until you have seen the large dinosaur and natural-history galleries.
Finish at Ameyoko Shopping Street, a short walk from the park toward Ueno Station. Its market stalls, izakaya, fruit vendors, and casual seafood counters make this a better place for grazing than a formal dinner; plan approximately ¥1,000–¥2,500 per person. Many shops begin closing around 19:00–20:00, while restaurants stay open later, so arrive before the main market bustle fades. From Ueno Station, use the JR Yamanote Line or Keihin-Tōhoku Line back toward Tokyo and your hotel, or simply take a taxi if you are carrying purchases.