The last three days of our trip we ended up re-visiting some spots and just soaking up the Tokyo vibes. Japan has become one of my favourite places — but I know I’ll have to go back one day.

The first adventure was literally just getting to Shinjuku. We made the mistake of taking the metro to Shinjuku Station directly. It’s known as being the world’s most notoriously confusing metro station, and it definitely was stressful to navigate.

That’s the thing about travelling – whether you’re doing it alone or with friends or family – you need to protect your energy. If you’re going to be planning a busy itinerary and packing as much as you can into your limited time in a new country, that is expected. But you also have to plan for some downtime. 

If you’re hoping to eat the iconic fluffy pancakes at Happy Pancake, you’re going to have to go a couple of hours early, scan the QR code and get on the virtual, waiting list. You’ll get contacted when your reservation is ready!

When I think about Tokyo, I think about the city’s rich history and culture. So the day we had planned to go to Asakusa and see Senso-ji Temple, I was so eager to get up and go.

Then it was time to head to Shibuya Sky for our ticketed slot. Most people try to book this lookout ticket for sunset, but we wanted to go early in our day. So if you’re trying to book for sunset hour, it’s going to be hard to book.

Tokyo seemed like a pipe dream of a location for so long. Somewhere I’d always wanted to go, but would never be able to make it happen. And suddenly this destination went from being a fantasy to reality.