Private Tokyo on foot: half day or full day, your route

Tokyo is a city of neighbourhoods, and the trains that link them hide how close some of the best ones sit. Senso-ji in Asakusa is the city's oldest temple, reached through the red Kaminarimon gate and the snack and souvenir stalls of Nakamise-dori. A short ride away, the stone walls of the old Edo Castle still ring the Imperial Palace, and the Nihonbashi bridge still marks the point from which Japan's national road distances are measured.

Before the day, the route is drawn up with you, so the walk follows your interests rather than a fixed script. The 4-hour half day stays around Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori, with time for the side lanes most visitors skip. The 8-hour full day carries on to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, built on the grounds of the castle's inner citadel, and ends among the long-established shops and department stores of Nihonbashi.

Expect plenty of walking on flat pavement, with short train rides between districts when the plan calls for them. Mornings at Senso-ji are calmer than afternoons, and the East Gardens are at their best in spring blossom and autumn colour. Repeat visitors can swap the classics for the Yanaka back streets, an early market or an evening food area instead. What stays with you is a feel for how old Edo still shapes the modern city.