Match your Japan priorities with short day trips outside the Tokyo metro area
Whether visiting Tokyo for your first time or your latest time, blocking in Tokyo day trips outside the metro area expands your perspective and experience on Japan’s range of geography and culture. After all, there are so many things to do in Tokyo, but incredible destinations are nearby too.
Our family of four has visited Tokyo and other Japan destinations multiple times since 2013. We’ve been thinking about day trips we’ve taken, plus destinations we want to visit. We think the suggestions below will light you up as much as they do our family.
Whether or not you’re traveling with kids, here are 6 day trips from Tokyo that you can take in about two hours or less from Tokyo Station.
“We prefer a worthwhile day trip to have more time in the destination than it took to go there and back again.”
Did you know you can buy Shinkansen tickets online?
- You don’t have to buy tickets in cash at the train station, or wait in line to pay with a credit card!
- Tickets for many Japanese high-speed bullet trains or Shinkansen, can be booked online via Klook.
- Especially when paying with a non-Japanese credit card, it can be easier to buy Shinkansen tickets online
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Plan your trip to Tokyo
Why is 2 hours from Tokyo Station a good guideline?
No matter how many times you visit Japan, you’ll never get to experience all this incredible country has to offer. But you can be really focused on matching up where you go and what you do with the priorities that matter most to you.
After all, this is your trip to Japan.
At the same time, and especially on a first visit to Tokyo, you’ll have limited time. You want to build in enough time to process and appreciate the different things you experience in and beyond Tokyo.
For Tokyo day trips, we suggest using 2 hours from Tokyo Station as a rule of thumb. Two hours takes into account the sheer physical size and sprawl of Tokyo: Leaving the city simply takes time.
Plus, two hours on the train doesn’t mean two hours to get to your day trip destination. While in Tokyo, you’ll need to get to your departure station (which may vary; Tokyo Station is just an example we’re using). When you arrive at your Tokyo day trip destination, you’ll need to get from the station to your first attraction or activity as well.
All that time can easily add up to 3 or 4 hours total, just to arrive at your destination. For a day trip, you’ll still need to get back to Tokyo and to your accommodation… so that 3 or 4 hours becomes 6 or 8 hours total.
Note: We also generally don’t recommend specific spots, such as restaurants. These can change so much, and you’ll be better off evaluating what’s available at the time of your own trip.
If you want to do more in a destination? Instead of a day trip, see how you can spend at least a couple of nights there. We’ll talk more about that later in this guide.
6 Tokyo day trips under 2 hours by train: Where to go outside Tokyo for a day?
When to leave Tokyo
When leaving Tokyo, most recommendations suggest you avoid traveling around the city between 7:30-9:30am, as that’s when morning commutes are at their busiest. You might consider:
- Early start, which will also give you more time overall to enjoy your day trip
- Gritting and bearing, which will mean braving rush hour, but at least you didn’t have to get up quite as early
- Leaving after morning rush, which will mean your day trip starts later and will end later
There’s no right or wrong here. When you leave depends on what works for you and the nature of your trip. It’s good to be aware that the morning rush can mean packed stations and trains.
That said, millions of Tokyoites manage it each day, so odds are you can too. If you prefer to travel when things have quieted down, you can do that too.
For example, we are not generally early risers, and we enjoy being out and about in the evening. For a farther afield day trip, we might get up early and beat the rush period. Odds are we’ll consider enjoying a little more time in the morning, especially to linger over breakfast, then leave toward the end of the morning rush.
A note about train times
We searched for trains leaving from Tokyo Station at 8:30 a.m. on a Friday morning, so the range below encompasses listed travel times.
Of course, departure times, travel times, fares, and schedule options vary and are subject to change.
When you’re in Japan, mapping apps such as Google Maps integrate well with Japan’s rail schedules. When you’re on the ground in Tokyo, you can search for the times, fares, and schedules that are right for you. If you’re traveling with a rail pass, you may also have different travel considerations.
Tokyo day trips itineraries: Where are good places to go on a day trip from Tokyo?
Here’s a quick list of our 7 destinations for Tokyo day trips we’ve either taken or plan to take on future visits to Tokyo. These were the shortest travel times from Tokyo Station listed at the time of our example departure:
Tokyo day trips by train
- Tokyo Disney: 16 minutes to Maihama Station
- Yokohama: 28 minutes to Yokohama Station
- Kamakura: 55 minutes to Kamakura Station
- Atami: 45 minutes to Atami Station
- Enoshima: 1 hour to Katase-Enoshima Station
- Odawara: 1 hour 1 minute to Odawara Station
Tokyo Disney Resort: Tokyo DisneySea
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 16 minutes to Maihama Station
What to do on a day trip to Tokyo Disney?
Not only is Japan home to Tokyo Disney Resort. Tokyo Disney Resort is home to Tokyo DisneySea, considered by many (including me personally) to be the coolest, most distinctive, best value Disney park in the entire world.
Even better? From Tokyo Station, you can be at Maihama Station, gateway to Tokyo’s Disney parks, in less than 20 minutes.
While the area is also home to Tokyo Disneyland, if you had to choose only one park, we suggest DisneySea. From the 2024 FantasySprings port (featuring Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan), to a fire-breathing volcano, DisneySea is built around a concept not of lands, but of ports. It offers attractions and areas you won’t find in any other Disney park.
We are big fans of the volcano area, home to steampunk-looking, Jules Verne inspired Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea rides.
Speaking of under the sea, you can go from Little Mermaid-themed areas (including some stellar play spaces for small children) to the desert of Agrabah and its Aladdin-themed attractions.
Also check out the Sinbad ride, one of our family favorites, complete with its catchy tune.
Can you do a day trip to both Tokyo Disney parks?
Disney is tricky though. And we totally get that if you are going to go to one Disney park in Japan, you might as well make it two.
Technically, if you really and truly had only one day, you could visit both parks in one very intense day. You could consider 3-4 hours at DisneySea, followed by 3-4 hours at Tokyo Disney. Odds are you’d only be able to do one or two rides (if you’re lucky, depending on the day).
This would mostly be a have-a-wander-and-get-some-popcorn sort of trip. At this time Tokyo Disney resort does not offer a park hopper ticket, so it means purchasing 2 tickets for one day.
The Tokyo Disney parks aren’t on either side of a common esplanade though, as you might be accustomed to from some of the American Disney parks. Instead, it takes a few minutes’ ride on the monorail to go from one park to the other.
Honestly though, devote your day to DisneySea.
If you want to visit Tokyo Disneyland as well, consider building in a couple of Disney days instead of a Tokyo Disney day trip. You could spend one day at DisneySea, followed by a day devoted to Tokyo Disney.
That moves us out of day trip territory though, and into dedicated Disney trips. Personally, that’s how we prefer to do it too. If we were going to do a DisneySea day trip, we could stay in Tokyo, travel to the park, then come back into town.
For more than one day, we’d rather shift accommodation to the Maihama area. Maihama is full of Disney and Disney partner hotels. Your proximity to the parks makes it easier to get the most out of your Disney days.
Get Tokyo Disney passes
When purchasing with a non-Japanese credit card, we find that Klook is the easiest way to get tickets and passes to Tokyo Disney:
Looking for Tokyo Disney accommodation?
Check out our guide to Tokyo Disney hotels with free shuttles
Fave Tokyo DisneySea attractions
While DisneySea is home to attractions you might know from other Disney parks, we suggest prioritizing attractions unique to DisneySea. Here are 5 of our family favorites:
- Ride the Venetian gondolas at Mediterranean Harbor
- Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage at Arabian Coast
- Ariel’s Playground at Mermaid Lagoon
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth at Mysterious Island
- Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey in Fantasy Springs
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Yokohama
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 28 minutes to Yokohama Station
What to do on a day trip to Yokohama?
If any city in Japan has parallels to US cities, our two visits to Yokohama have reinforced our belief that Yokohama is Japan’s Portland or Seattle. The waterfront city is just far enough from Tokyo to have its own distinct, independent spirit, but close enough to make for a fun day out from the capital.
Top Yokohama sights we’d consider
- Ramen Museum: We’ve visited this indoor attraction twice, and enjoy it so much. With the feel of 1958 Tokyo, multiple ramen restaurants have regionally distinctive styles of ramen from throughout Japan. Our only quibble? Each person of at least junior high school student age is expected to order a large bowl of ramen. We get it, but the requirement does make it harder to try styles from multiple restaurants.
- Yokohama Chinatown: I love when a place has so much going on and so much good food to try, that the best advice we can give is show up and go for it. From sit-down restaurants to street stalls, along with stellar decorations and people-watching, Japan’s largest Chinatown is a delight to wander, snack, repeat.
- Cup Noodles Museum: The reason the Ramen Museum above chose to evoke 1958? That’s the year iconic instant noodles were invented. And in Yokohama, you can visit the Cup Noodles Museum too, and see the evolution of one of the world’s most widely available convenience foods. You can also customize your own take-home Cup Noodle, or take a class where you make noodles from scratch.
- Sankeien Garden or Yamashita Park: These two iconic parks offer distinctly different experiences. Sankeien is a more traditional Japanese garden, with teahouses, serene paths, and immaculate landscaping. Especially if your day is more focused on downtown areas, Yamashita’s waterfront location provides convenient green space and a mix of Japanese and English garden styles.
- Minato Mirai 21: Yokohama’s reinvented waterfront downtown combines museums, shopping centers such as World Porters (excellent food court), the Sky Garden Observatory, and the Cosmo World amusement park. We suggest a ride on the Yokohama Air Cabin, riding the ferris wheel at Cosmo World, and a visit to the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum.
Find things to do in Yokohama
Kamakura
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 55 minutes to Kamakura Station
What to do on a day trip to Kamakura?
One of Japan’s many former capitals, Kamakura preserves snapshots of older Japanese culture while making an easy day trip to an area distinct from Tokyo. Another perk? The Kamakura area gives you access to forest hikes and calm beaches.
Top Kamakura sights we’d consider
- Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple: This impressive statue representing the seated, meditating Buddha is 11 meters tall—and that’s not including the statue’s pedestal. Even cooler? It was cast in 1252, sits outside, and has endured typhoons and more, yet offers a serene space amid Japanese living history.
- Yuigahama Beach: Even though Japan is an island nation, it can be easy to forget how much of it is coastal. However, Japan’s coastlines include striking beaches, with lovely views and revitalizing salty air. Bonus? This urban beach is less than a 20-minute ride from Kamakura Station.
- Take a Japanese sweets class: Cooking classes are our travel love language. Classes like this are a way to truly get a taste of the area.
- Noh Theatre performance at Kamakura Noh Stage Public Interest Foundation: Noh and Kyogen are integral Japanese performing arts. The small theater here brings these art forms alive to the public, with regular (and budget-friendly) performances. We attended our first kabuki show in Osaka’s Nishinari area, and the fun and intrigue of the show definitely has us hungry for more.
- Kamakurabori Museum: Kamakura is known for a type of design, carving, and lacquerware style called Kamakura-bori. This museum showcases how pieces are made, along with showcasing classic and modern examples.
Find things to do in Kamakura
Atami
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 45 minutes to Atami Station
What to do on a day trip to Atami?
Personally, Atami is a priority for our family’s next day trips from Tokyo.
- Atami combines some of the best of Japan:
- Fun small city less than an hour from Tokyo
- Seaside resort area with a gorgeous beach
- In the right conditions, views of Mt. Fuji to the northwest
That said, we’ve heard mixed things. Some say Atami is a little worn from its heyday. Others rave about the onsen ryokans and beaches. However, the proximity, sea views, promenade, and Fuji-san viewing potential make us want to check the place out for ourselves.
Top Atami sights we’d consider
- Kinomiya Shrine and its 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Tree: For starters, “Kinomiya Shrine” essentially translates to “Tree Palace.” Given our family’s love of the California Redwoods and the vast forests of Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest, we can’t wait to check out this shrine. Plus, the ancient camphor tree on site has a 6.4-meter diameter, which makes it wider than many Japanese streets.
- Sawada Seiko Memorial Museum: Distinctive art museums in small cities are often a big win. The museum focuses on the creations of Sawada Seiko, and includes sculptures, hanging scrolls, paintings, and even stained glass. Buddhist motifs and mythical creatures abound, and the museum sounds like something you’re not going to find in Tokyo.
- Museum of Art in Atami City: Craving more art but without the Tokyo crowds? While we’d prioritize the Seiko museum above, if we needed more art in our day we would also visit Atami’s main Museum of Art and its trove of 3,500 artworks, including 3 national treasures.
- Atami Sun Beach: Naturally, this is weather or season dependent. Even if it’s not a sunny day, there’s nothing like a stroll on a 400-meter-long sandy beach.
Find things to do in Atami
Enoshima
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 1 hour to Katase-Enoshima Station
What to do on a day trip to Enoshima?
On the one hand, it’s common for people to combine a day trip to Kamakura with a trip to this small island destination to the west.
That said, traveling from Kamakura to Enoshima takes about an hour on public transportation.
However, coming to Enoshima means you can pack quite a bit of sightseeing into a compact space. From its farthest points east to west, Enoshima is only about 1.25km across, or just a little over three-quarters of a mile. From where the mainland-connecting Enoshima-ohashi Bridge meets the island’s northernmost point, it’s only about 650 meters, less than half a mile, to cross to the southern edge.
Yet you’ll find intriguing places to check out, not to mention high vantages we’d love to snap some panoramas and family selfies from.
Top Enoshima sights we’d consider
- Summer Enoshima Lantern Festival: Usually held during July and August, summer evenings after 6 pm become aglow with lantern light. Shrines, gardens, and attractions throughout the island light lanterns, such as Ejima Shrine, Enoshima Sea Candle, and the Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden.
- Enoshima Sea Candle and Samuel Cocking Garden: These attractions are available with a set ticket, so you can visit two attractions for one fare. The tower’s distinctive style also gives a tall vantage to gaze out at the island, mainland, and the waters of Sagami Bay. Surrounding it are the grounds of the Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden, a botanical garden established in 1862 and combining Japanese and European designs and plantings.
- Enoshima Shrine: While we don’t visit many shrines, we’re always down to have a quick peek at something convenient and/or distinctive (we’re looking at you, adorable onigiri shrine in Tokyo). Bringing together the eclectic combo that some shrines become known for, Enoshima Shrine is said to honor spirits for water transport, fishing, wealth, and music. And the shrine’s resident deity being nicknamed the “Naked Goddess” probably doesn’t hurt the ole inclination to visit.
- Dragon Love Bell: Another good reason to visit Enoshima? This tiny island really knows how to pack in cool names. If you can take in the name ”Dragon Love Bell” and not want to go there, then we simply have nothing more to say to one another. Built in 1996, the hilltop bell is here for all who want to enjoy eternal love, by ringing the bell and adding a padlock with their names to a fence.
- Iwaya Caves: Carved by tidal forces, these deep, long caves have long been considered a place of religious significance. Today, they’ve been modified to better accommodate visitors. Displays showcase the region’s culture and history.
Find things to do in Enoshima
Odawara
Typical train travel time from Tokyo Station: 1 hour 1 minute to Odawara Station
What to do on a day trip to Odawara?
Near the Atami and Hakone areas, Odawara puts you in between the coast, the forested hills, and the Izu Peninsula. Yet with a plum grove arboretum, a reconstructed 15-century castle, and an annual martial parade, Odawara brings together a variety of historical, culture, and natural attractions in a compact area that makes a convenient day trip from Tokyo.
Top Odawara sights we’d consider
- Odawara Castle: Not only does the castle space take you back to the 1400s during the Hojo clan’s 100-year rule of this area, the surrounding grounds offer lots of family friendly activity options. Along with a stroll through the scenic garden’s cherry and plum groves, the zoo and mini train make it easy for families to do a lot of sightseeing without having to spend a lot of time going from place to place.
- Odawara Hojo Godai Festival: Each May, this festival brings alive the samurai and ninja of Odawara’s past. Processions include cavalry, foot soldiers with muskets, and above all, ninja. Along with dancing and music, there’s lots of street food to enjoy, from takoyaki to noodle dishes.
- Forest Adventure Odawara: Ziplining among cedar trees that are centuries old? Yes please. This space has courses for kids and adults, so the entire family can get their hearts racing with some elevated adventure. We love the serenity offered by many of Japan’s natural spaces, but sometimes it’s nice to seek out more thrilling activities in the woods too.
- Enoura Observatory: Atop its scenic, panoramic overlook of Sagami Bay, this cultural space was established in 2017. Artist Hiroshi Sugimoto’s vision for the observatory, part of the Odawara Art Foundation, was to showcase Japanese culture for visitors. In addition to the overlook, guests can enjoy a tea ceremony room, gallery, strolling garden, and more.
- Odawara Wanpaku Land: Especially for younger kids, this play area brings together a wee train, playground, and grassy areas. It’s a good spot to bring a picnic and let the kids romp.
These are just a few options for Odawara. When arriving at Odawara Station, you’re not only in town and near the castle. Coastal attractions such as Miyuki Beach and the Odawara Museum of Literature are nearby, along with a range of dining and shopping.
Find things to do in Odawara
Is Tokyo a good base for day trips?
As Japan’s capital, largest city, and place where most tourists spend the most time, Tokyo is an excellent base for day trips. Train stations such as Tokyo Station and Shinjuku Station are primary departure points on regular trains and Shinkansen. Plus, an array of excellent destinations are yours to enjoy within less than a 2-hour train ride from Tokyo.
Places that are great to visit in Japan, but are not good day trips from Tokyo
As we worked on this day trips from Tokyo guide, we got to thinking about destinations that would NOT be good Tokyo day trips.
That doesn’t mean you should skip them. They are awesome places to visit. Between the distance from Tokyo, time it takes to get there, amount of attractions, and how long it might take to get to and from major sightseeing areas, a visit is simply beyond the scope of a day trip.
The problem is perception. For starters, it’s not uncommon for guides to give the impression that all of Japan is day-trippable from Tokyo. It’s not.
Especially when you’re visiting Japan for the first time, it can be easy to miscalculate how much time it can take to go somewhere and how much distance you have to cover. Japan is about the size of California or the UK. Just as you wouldn’t day trip to the Redwoods from San Diego or to Cornwall from Edinburgh, you wouldn’t consider day tripping from Tokyo to Fukuoka or Hokkaido.
Here are some destinations that merit at least a one-night stay, or you make them a larger part of your Japan journey, depending on the season and your priorities for your trip:
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but destinations like these easily get mistaken as close enough to Tokyo for a day trip. They’re not.
Are destinations farther from Tokyo worth day-tripping to?
Short answer: Day trip, no. At least one night or a bigger part of your Japan trip, yes
Why aren’t these places above good day trip destinations? The reasons vary.
For example, Nagano is a great destination for skiing and nature, but most main attractions (such as the monkeys soaking in hot springs) are at least an hour outside of Nagano City itself.
Other destinations are simply too far away, even if flying, to be worth spending a day at, then coming back to Tokyo. You’ll spend more time on the train or dealing with airports than you will actually doing any activities or sightseeing.
- Even when you want to get as much out of your Japan trip as possible, we suggest you’d be better off focusing on places with a 2-hour train ride or less from Tokyo for day trips.
- Prioritize these or other destinations based on how many nights you’d like to spend there.
- Plan based on what you want to do and visit, not how much time you have to spend just getting from one place to another.
When possible, consider a longer overall Japan trip, or start making a list for your next trip to Japan (if you’re like us, we’re on our fourth Japan trip as of this writing, and we know we’ll never get to do it all!).
We prefer a worthwhile day trip to have more time in the destination than it took to go there and back again.
If we considered a place that much of a priority, we’d rather just build in a couple of nights there and get more out of the visit.
Where to stay in Tokyo
Speaking of Tokyo, figuring out where to stay in this massive amazing metro area comes down to aligning your accommodation with what you want out of your trip.
Check out our guide on where to stay in Tokyo, especially as a family
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Book a tour or experience
Given the popularity of Tokyo, many attractions, activities, classes, etc., need advance reservations. We often rely on Viator and Klook for booking activities or snagging tickets in advance.
Plus, we especially like using Viator for booking classes, tours, or other activities. We find Viator easy to use and to match the activity to our family.
Find your Tokyo day trips, tours, and more
Short Tokyo day trips make your time in Japan even better, without spending all day in transit
Tokyo day trips enhance your time in Japan. At the same time, odds are you don’t want to spend all day just getting from one place to another. That’s certainly a priority for us.
When we want a day trip, we want to balance travel time with getting a decent taste of where we’re visiting. We hope the destinations and ideas above help you get the most out of your Tokyo day trips and your time in Japan.
