Only four days in Tokyo? Here’s how to spend it

Michael Gebicki is Traveller’s expert Tripologist. Each week he tackles the thorny issues in travel as well as answering your questions. Got a question for the Tripologist? Email tripologist@traveller.com.auSeptember 4, 2026 — 5:00amMy friends and I have four days in Tokyo in late October. We’re interested in food, arts and crafts. Can you suggest a good location to stay and an itinerary?F. Munro, Brunswick VICTeamlab Planets in Tokyo.Asakusa is a great fit for you. It’s atmospheric, relatively easy to navigate and you’ve got traditional Tokyo on your doorstep rather than the neon-and-shopping version. You’re close to Senso-ji and the old streets that surround it, there are plenty of small restaurants and izakayas, nearby you’ve got traditional craft shops and the Kappabashi Kitchenware Town plus easy access to Ueno and Yanaka and good subway connections.On day one, take a walking tour of Asakusa starting with Senso-ji, and focus on the small neighbourhood restaurants and shops. Have tempura or soba for lunch and plan a full afternoon in Kappabashi, it’s full of fascination for food lovers. For your evening meal, ask your hotel to recommend a couple of tiny local izakayas rather than booking somewhere famous on Instagram. Start day two with a short trip to Yanaka, one of the best places to experience an older, more intimate Tokyo, visiting some of the small temples and admiring the traditional house architecture and the independent craft shops. Lunch at one of the small shops around Yanaka Ginza and in the afternoon visit the Tokyo National Museum.For the remaining two days visit Toyosu Market, the new home of the city’s legendary fish market, enjoy some sushi there then move on to teamLab Planets, described as “viral, mind-bending, immersive art installations” (read Traveller’s take on it here). Spend that afternoon in Ginza exploring the design and amazing depachika food floors located in the major department stores. On the last day, visit Nihonbashi, which has a strong connection with traditional Japanese craftsmanship, the place to go for washi paper, knives, lacquerware and traditional sweets. Spend some time in Roppongi visiting 21_21 Design Sight, the co-creation of architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake.Sign up for the Traveller newsletterThe latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.Read Traveller’s full destination guide to Tokyo here.We are joining a South America tour this October with two extra days at the beginning and four days at the end of the tour in Santiago. Any suggestions for spending a few days out of the city? Maybe in wine areas? D. Stone, Hampton, VicThe Colchagua Valley near Santiago.iStockDevote the two days before your tour begins to Santiago. You’ll want to recover from the long trans-Pacific trip and there’s plenty to take in. The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is the city’s must-see museum; Plaza de Armas is the historic heart of the city; Bellavista is Santiago’s bohemian neighbourhood, where a local highlight is La Chascona, the Santiago home of Chile’s Nobel laureate, Pablo Neruda. Mercado Central is Santiago’s historic market, worth it for the atmosphere and architecture. The funicular up Cerro San Cristobal gives you a fabulous view over the city and the peaks of the Andes. The Lastarria district is known for its restaurants and wine bars as well as its boutique hotels, perfect for dinner. At the end of your tour, head for the Casablanca wine region, about an hour’s drive from the city, and well regarded for its cool-climate whites and Pinot Noir.Stay overnight and the next day make the 40-minute trip to Valparaiso and spend half a day exploring the city’s eccentric architecture and street art before returning to Santiago. However, if wine is a major interest you might skip Valparaiso and visit Santa Cruz, gateway to the Colchagua Valley wine region. This is one of Chile’s most prestigious wine regions, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and other reds.In that case you’d need to spend at least one night then head for the Maipo Valley, the closest wine region to Santiago and home to some of Chile’s most famous producers, before returning to Santiago.Santiago has experienced a rise in opportunistic theft, particularly around busy tourist areas. Use a guide in the historic centre, keep your phone tucked away and take only one debit or credit card each and a small amount of cash.My wife and I will be in Sicily for two weeks from late October. We are not keen on hiring a car but will be staying in Noto, Ortigia, Cefalu and Palermo and will need day trips and transfers. Any suggestions regarding a single operator or best to go with what is available at the time?G. Close, Hurlstone Park NSWRather than a single operator, you might rely on local guides for day trips in the various cities you’ll be visiting. Local guides cater well to special interests such as food or archaeology, they’re cost-effective and there are several websites that make finding the right guide easy. They can also provide transport when required. You can usually book at short notice and this gives you greater flexibility, for example coping with attractions that might close unpredictably, one of the hazards for travellers throughout Italy. You can also check reviews posted by travellers who have used their services. Tours by Locals and Withlocals are the two major websites. Bus is going to be your best choice for getting around Sicily and Interbus, Italbus and AST are the main operators.We are planning a trip for two-three weeks to Vietnam in January 2028 with nine people including grandparents, parents and grandchildren. We plan to visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City finishing in Hoi An. None of us have been to Vietnam before. Can you recommend any activities in and around the two main cities that will be informative and/or entertaining for the wide age range? A. Forgan, Docklands VICSerene: Ninh Binh, Vietnam.iStockIn Hanoi, a food tour in the Old Quarter would be my No.1 choice, and do this early in your stay, preferably as a private family tour. As well as an introduction to Vietnamese cuisine, this gives you some insights into the country’s culture. The water-puppet theatre is unique, and it should work well for all three generations. Book seats close to the puppets and go early enough for dinner afterwards.One worthwhile excursion is a day trip to Ninh Binh where you can take a boat ride through a serene landscape of sheer limestone mountains that rise from the paddy fields. You might also take another shorter excursion to Bat Trang ceramics village, about 30 minutes from central Hanoi. This is a hands-on experience and it’s heaps of fun, everyone gets to try their skills on the potters’ wheel, and your masterworks will be fired and shipped to your home address.Hanoi has a number of cooking classes and this is a great way to appreciate the fragrances and subtleties of Vietnamese cuisine. Choose a family cooking class in a garden or village outside central Hanoi. In Ho Chi Minh City, take a street food tour for your group. While the War Remnants Museum charts a vital and traumatic chapter of modern Vietnamese history, the exhibits, including photographs, can be disturbing, exercise judgement with your six-year-old.Not far from the city, the Cu Chi Tunnels are fascinating but they’re narrow. Crawling through them is excruciating for any adult without the body size and willow-like flexibility of a Vietnamese. A boat trip through the Mekong Delta is an outstanding day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. Start from Ben Tre and avoid the big bus-group version in favour of a private boat and guide.Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstancesMore:TripologistOpinionFor subscribersTravel tipsTokyoMichael Gebicki is a Sydney-based travel writer, best known for his Tripologist column published for more than 15 years in Traveller. With four decades of experience, his specialty is practical advice, destination insights and problem-solving for travellers. He also designs and leads slow, immersive tours to some of his favourite places. Connect via Instagram @michael_gebickiConnect via email.From our partners