*POST UPDATED OCTOBER 2026.
Hello friends! Happy Sunday! How are you? I know it’s literally only been three days since I last dropped in to post something, but I was really feeling the momentum and I am so psyched to share again with you today!! I am thrilled to present *cough* drumroll, please! *cough*: 36 Hours in Shibuya, Tokyo! My third and final city guide for the world’s most populous metropolis! I know what you’re thinking: two guides in one week; who even is she!? Well friends, the urge to blog was strong and you gotta strike while the iron’s hot and all that – so I’m riding this wave while it lasts! Shall we delve into all things Shibuya together? But first! In case you missed my other two Tokyo city guides: Four Days in Shinjuku, Tokyo / A Morning in Asakusa, Tokyo. Now, let’s delve!
As I mentioned in my Japanese Itinerary post, Shibuya is at the very centre of tourist Tokyo. And for good reason — experiencing the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, below, first hand is indescribably joyous and I truly believe it rightfully deserves to be at the top of every Tokyo bucket list. However! Once you’ve tired of the Scramble, which takes one or two more crossings than you might think(!), the district can become overwhelming – or at least, that’s what we thought. It’s super busy, extra touristy, more expensive than other districts, and did I mention SO BUSY. After we ticked off the Scramble, we hightailed it out of Shibuya’s epicentre and spent our remaining time finding the quieter nooks. I’m pleased to report, the back streets and side alleys of Harajuku and Omotesandō — two sub-districts within Shibuya — offered us exactly the solace we were seeking.
My guide to Shibuya is below, filled with everything we got up to during our 36 hours in the city. For ease, I’ve divided it up into easy-to-read sections: getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee + pastries / where we ate lunch & dinner / where we drank / and where we tourist-ed.
getting there
we made our way to Shibuya hot off the Shinkansen from Osaka. Full and exact details about that part of our journey can be found here.
after our Shinkansen journey, which delivered us to Tokyo Station, we walked 7-minutes to the nearby Kyobashi subway Station.
from Kyobashi Station, we took the ‘Ginza Line Local’ to Shibuya Station. The journey took 17-minutes and cost us ¥210 each.
from Shibuya Station, our hotel was a convenient 5-minute walk away. I believe it could have been 2-minutes if we’d come out at the right exit, but oh well. Sigh.
if you’re heading to/from Haneda airport, there’s a ‘Limousine Bus’ stop at Shibuya Station. Full and exact details about that part of our journey can be found here.