Shibuya travel blog — The fullest Shibuya travel guide & what to do in Shibuya for first-timers

As the convergence of the most exciting entertainment experiences in Tokyo, Shibuya is a popular entertainment destination for many young people and tourists alike in Japan. If the whole of Tokyo exudes the beauty of a developed metropolis, Shibuya is the most energetic place of the capital of the land of the rising sun. In the following article, we will share with you some details about this place!

So, is Shibuya worth visiting, what to do in Shibuya and how to plan a budget trip to Shibuya for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Shibuya travel blog (Shibuya blog) with the fullest Shibuya travel guide (Shibuya guide, guide to Shibuya) from how to go to Shibuya, best places to visit, best time to come, what to eat as well as things to do in Shibuya to help you maximize your trip as follows! So please scroll down to read more!

Shibuya – The place where the lights never turn off in Tokyo (#shibuya travel blog)

Shibuya is the busiest area in Tokyo with a total population of up to 200,000 people and an area of up to 15.11 square kilometers. Referring to Shibuya, people will immediately think of crowded street corners and crowded shops.

Not only a shopping center, it is also an entertainment center frequented by many Japanese teenagers. Coming here, you will quickly feel the lively atmosphere in one of the world’s largest Shibuya Avenue and its famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing that can accommodate 2500 people crossing at the same time, vibrant music playing all day long, the culture Otaku flourished.

Hearing this, you’ve already known that Shibuya has a lot of interesting activities and experiences, right! Let’s explore with us some Shibuya’s top things to do that you can’t miss for the journey to Tokyo’s most crowded place!

When is the best time to visit Shibuya? (#shibuya blog)

You can travel to Shibuya when Japan enters spring or autumn, ie March-May or October-November. These are the two times when the weather in Japan, especially in Tokyo, is relatively cool, with little rain, so it is very suitable for sightseeing, shopping and experiencing activities in Shibuya.

How to get to Shibuya?

If you depart from Vietnam, you need to travel by plane to Tokyo. Traveling time from 9-13 hours. You will land at Haneda International Airport.

From Haneda Airport, you can getting to Shibuya by using one of the following modes of transportation:

Airport transfers: You can book airport transfer service on Klook at least 1 day in advance. With just a few simple steps on the app, there will be a good driver waiting for you in front of the airport gate as soon as the plane lands.

Bus: The ride time is about 70-90 minutes depending on the station. Departures at Haneda Airport usually leave between 23:30 and 2:20 a.m., so you need to watch the time closely to catch the appropriate trip.

Taxi: This is the means of transport often chosen by tourists when coming to Shibuya because it is both convenient and fast. The average cost is usually around ¥8,000 – ¥10,000 and takes 15 min, quite high compared to other public transport.

Subway: This is a popular means of transport that you can take to get to Shibuya when visiting Tokyo. You can take the Keikyu Kuko or JR Yamanote line to start the trip, then transfer at Shinagawa Station to continue to JR Shibuya Station. Travel time is about 25 minutes and the price is about 580 yen. Alternatively, you can also catch the Tokyo Monorail or JR Yamanote Sotomawari then change trains when getting off at Hamamatsucho station and moving to JR Shibuya station, travel time is about 35 minutes and costs about 690 yen.

Where to go & what to do in Shibuya? (#shibuya travel guide)

As one of the most bustling areas in Tokyo, Shibuya has quite a few interesting activities and places to visit for visitors. Let’s find out with us!

Visit the statue of the dog Hachiko – The status with a touching story (#shibuya travel blog)

Address: 2 Chome-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan
Hours: Open 24 hours

The statue of Hachiko is located at the exit of Shibuya station. This is a dog born in 1923. The dog has a habit of waiting for its owner to come home from work at Shibuya station. But after the owner died, he still regularly went to the station and stood there waiting for 9 years. This story has since been turned into a movie and this statue was created to commemorate the loyalty of this dog.

Cerulean Tower Noh Theatre

Address: Japan, 〒150-0031 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Sakuragaokacho, 26−1 地下2階

This is a theater that preserves and reproduces the famous traditional Noh-art form in Japan. The theater’s performance schedule is usually 2:30pm – 5:30pm, you can enter to enjoy the long-standing cultural and artistic repertoire and visit the space here.

Shibuya Sky (#shibuya travel guide)

Address: Japan, 〒150-6145 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 2 Chome−24−12, Shibuya Scramble Sqauare, 14階・45階・46階・屋上
Hours: 10AM–10:30PM

Shibuya sky is a large observation deck on a high floor with a breathtaking view, which is considered a virtual living and sightseeing spot that is loved by young Japanese people. Here you will enter the Sky Stage – the outdoor observation point, the Sky Gate – the escalator that takes you from the 14th floor to the 45th floor, the Sky Gallery – the viewing point located on the 46th floor.

Karaoke Pasela Grande

Location: Tokyo Shibuya-ku Udagawacho 20-15

This is a Karaoke bar with a relatively good price in Shibuya, the rooms here are spacious with a diverse list of songs such as Japanese music, Western music, K-Pop music,… especially this karaoke bar has honey toast attracts customers. The Pasela Grande is located next to the Disney store and allows customers to bring in food from stores in the bar.

Gal Cafe 10sion

Address: 13-9 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan
Hours: 8PM–5AM

If in Akihabara is famous for the Maid Coffee model, in Shibuya it attracts tourists with Gyaru Cafe such as Gal Cafe 10sion. This is a model of a cafe where the service staff are cute, well-made and featured girls with beautiful curly hair that look very impressive. In addition to this highlight, the cafe also has a multi-tiered cake that is meticulously decorated and has a super delicious taste.

What to eat when in Shibuya? (#shibuya guide)

Food is an experience not to be missed during a trip to Shibuya. Here are some notable restaurants that you can refer to:

Jiromaru Shibuya

Address: Japan, 〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Dogenzaka, 2 Chome−6−7 RISM渋谷 1F
Hours: 11:30AM–3PM, 5–11:50PM

This eatery is located just a 3-minute walk from the Hachiko ticket gate of JR Shibuya Station. It specializes in serving savory and delicious grilled beef dishes. Jiromaru Shibuya is designed like a sushi bar, here you will eat while watching the chef prepare the dish and the glass cabinet is full of fresh beef, you can freely choose each type of beef if you want to enjoy.

Tsuru Ton Tan (#shibuya guide)

Address: Japan, 〒150-6113 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 2 Chome−24−12 スクランブルスクエア 13階
Hours: 11AM–11PM

Tsuru Ton Tan is a famous Japanese Udon noodle shop. The noodle shop has a close and spacious space, often a place to eat and drink for many artists, a dating venue of young people or a place for company events. In addition to the main udon noodle, Tsuru Ton Tan also serves 8 special types of vegetable sushi, Kobe Tajima beef minced delicious deep-fried balls,…

Zenkashoin

Address: 2 Chome-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-8509, Japan
Hours: 10AM–8PM

Zen Kashoin is a pastry shop specializing in Japanese afternoon tea with delicious Japanese pastries and Western cakes. It’s a pity to miss afternoon tea when it comes to tea. Currently, this bakery is serving 5 premium teas: Sencha, Genmaicha, Kyobancha, Kombucha and Matcha. The space of the restaurant is decorated with a traditional architectural style that is both luxurious and cozy, very suitable for intimate conversations with friends and relatives.

Hanada Rosso

Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 6 Chome−28−5 宮崎ビル

This is a restaurant serving vegetarian hamburgers, organic juices, organic smoothies,… The shop has the same space as many other coffee shops, with eye-catching red and white tones and especially purity.

Hayashi Ramen (#guide to shibuya)

Address: Japan, 〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Dogenzaka, 1 Chome−14−9 ソシアル道玄坂
Hours: 11:30AM–3:30PM/Wednesday, Sunday: Closed

This is a ramen shop that is loved by many tourists. The shop has 3 main types of ramen noodles: ramen, ajitama ramen, and yakibuta ramen. The noodles are served with delicious soups made from seafood, chicken, pork and served with a variety of toppings such as soft-boiled eggs, char siu,… The price of noodles here ranging from 1000 – 1,100 yen / portion.

Where to stay in Shibuya? (#guide to shibuya)

Hotel in Shibuya is probably the second thing you need to finding for after your flight ticket to Tokyo during this Shibuya tour. Do not let you have to search long, we suggest to you 4 high-quality, good-priced hotels that you can pay attention to are:

Shibuya Hotel En

Address: 1-1 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Shibuya, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $123/night

Shibuya Hotel En is a 3-star hotel located about 1.4 km from Meijijingu-mae Station. The hotel has a luxurious, modern appearance with a minimalist room space adorned with elegant white tones. The hotel serves delicious sweet dishes and many rooms have modern massage chairs to help guests have a comfortable rest time.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Sakura Hotel Hatagaya

Address: 1-32-3 Hatagaya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Shibuya, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $59/night

Sakura Hotel Hatagaya is an affordable 2-star hotel with a variety of room types to help meet the accommodation needs of both individuals and families. The hotel is located about 2.5km from Harajuku Station, so it is quite convenient for exploring Shibuya and many other places in Tokyo. The rooms at Sakura Hotel Hatagaya are fully equipped with modern equipment with a relatively open space.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Do-c Ebisu

Address: 1-8-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Ebisu, Tokyo, Shibuya, Japan
Room rate: from $50/night

Docy Ebisu is a hotel with a minimalist capsule room system. The room has minimalist architecture with cozy brown wood color and traditional Japanese bathroom. The hotel is located about 2km from Omotesando Station, so it will be very convenient for exploring Tokyo and Shibuya.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Himalaya Cloud Hotel

Address: 2-30-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $97/night

Himalaya Cloud Hotel is a 3-star hotel near Harajuku Station. This is a hotel with a variety of rooms, here you can choose to stay in rooms with a modern design adorned with elegant tones or rooms with traditional Japanese architecture: rustic, casual and cozy.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

In addition to these 4 hotels, you can also refer to some other hotels such as commun SHIBUYA (Male Only) (Agoda.com or Booking.com), almond hostel & cafe Shibuya (Agoda.com or Booking.com), The Millennials Shibuya (Agoda.com or Booking.com), Stylewood Nishi-Shinjuku (Agoda.com or Booking.com), Shibuya Creston Hotel (Agoda.com or Booking.com),…

Notes when traveling in Shibuya (#guide to shibuya)

• Shibuya is the busiest area in Tokyo, so you need to plan a carefully itinerary to visit this place so you don’t have to worry about where to go when you arrive.
• Prepare cards, cash and train tickets to facilitate the payment and travel process.
• Prepare some basic Japanese sentences, words to communicate with the people here because they are very friendly.
• Don’t forget to take the time to visit the fashion shops in Shibuya as there are many modern outfits waiting for you to pick them up.

Conclusion

After learning a little about Shibuya, do you find this place interesting? The above are just some of the interesting points in Shibuya, there are many experiences and attractions that are extremely worth checking out, so you should quickly book your flight tickets to Japan as well as book a Shibuya hotel to enjoy your trip!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Tokyo you can refer to

• Private Narita International Airport Transfers (NRT) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Private Haneda International Airport Transfers (HND) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Airport Limousine Bus Transfers from/to Narita and Haneda International Airport (Free Wifi Onboard)
• Tokyo Amazing Sightseeing Bus Day Tour
• Tokyo Highlights Private Day Tour
• Nikko Day Tour from Tokyo
• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Nikko Cultural Day Tour from Tokyo
• Tokyo Subway Ticket (24, 48, or 72 Hours)
• Tokyo Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Shuttle Bus Transfers (One Way/Round Trip) from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
• Sky Hop-on and Hop-off Bus Pass
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (Japan Pick Up) for Japan
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Looking for best autumn spots in Japan? Read here. And Kyoto here. And top things to do in Tokyo: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Tokyo travel blog — The fullest Tokyo city guide for a budget trip for the first time visiting Tokyo, Japan.