Senior travel: Tokyo
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 3 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 53 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Nakamise-dōriStep-free: yes · about 30 minNone; level paved street about 250 m long.
- Takeshita-dōriStep-free: yes · about 30 minLevel but slopes down from the station end; about 350 m long.
- Shibuya CrossingStep-free: yes · about 45 minLevel at street level; underground routes from the station have lifts but long walks.
- Shinjuku GyoenStep-free: yes · about 75 minPaved main paths with gentle slopes; lawns and the Japanese garden paths are gravel.
- Meiji JingūStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minNo steps on the main route; long gravel approach, about 10 min from the Harajuku gate to the hall.
- Sensō-jiStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minA short flight of steps up to the main hall; the precinct itself is level paving.
- Imperial Palace East GardensStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 70 minGravel paths and a steady slope up from Ōte-mon to the former keep base.
Getting around in Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the easier big cities on wheels: almost all stations have a step-free route, trains have wheelchair spaces and staff bring a ramp. The hard parts are the size of the big stations, rush-hour crowds, gravel shrine paths and small restaurants up a flight of stairs.
- Stations:
- Over 90% of stations have a lift route from street to platform, but in big hubs the lift can be at a different exit: check the station map and allow 10–15 extra minutes.
- Boarding:
- Tell the staff at the gate where you are going: they bring a ramp and phone ahead so someone meets you at the other end.
- Taxis:
- Most new taxis are the high-roof JPN Taxi model with a fold-out ramp; drivers vary in practice, so book one through the app or the hotel.
- Toilets:
- Multi-purpose toilets in every major station, department store and many convenience stores.
- Restaurants:
- Small places are often up or down stairs: department-store restaurant floors and hotel restaurants are the reliable step-free options.
- Pavements:
- Wide, level and with tactile paving in the centre; old lanes in Yanaka and backstreets have no pavement.
Medicines and health on the ground
- Medicine import certificate · 2+ weeks before flying: Yunyu Kakunin-sho for more than a month's supply or restricted drugs; carry prescriptions in English.
- Water:
- Tap water is safe to drink; public drinking fountains in parks and stations.
- Heat:
- Heat-stroke alerts from July to September: drink with salt (sports drinks at every vending machine), rest in air-conditioning, and watch older travellers and children.
- Pollen:
- Bring antihistamines if cedar pollen affects you; Japanese versions are sold over the counter.
- Pharmacies:
- Drugstore chains (Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Welcia, Sundrug) near every station; prescription counters are separate and need a Japanese prescription.
- Doctors:
- Clinics expect you to pay the full bill on the day (often ¥5,000–20,000 for a visit, 2026 estimate); keep receipts for your insurer.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.