Senso-ji to Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Senso-ji to Tokyo Skytree: 3 stops, about 1.9 km, about 25 minutes of walking plus about 18 minutes of listening. Start at Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, founded according to legend in 628 after two fishing brothers pulled a golden Kannon statue from the Sumida River; enter through the Kaminarimon and its 700-kilogram lantern. Next door stands Asakusa Shrine, built in 1649 for the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, which came through the 1945 air raids that destroyed the temple’s main hall. Then cross the Sumida River to Tokyo Skytree, at 634 metres the tallest tower in Japan, opened in May 2012.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 1.9 km
- Walking:
- about 25 min
- Listening:
- about 18 min
Two ways to do this walk
Tokyo with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsSenso-ji to Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo: how long does the walk take?
About 43 minutes in all: about 25 minutes on foot over about 1.9 km, plus about 18 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Senso-ji to Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Senso-ji, Asakusa Shrine, and Tokyo Skytree. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.7 km, about 23 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Tokyo’s oldest temple, dedicated to Kannon, entered through the Kaminarimon gate and the 250-metre Nakamise shopping street.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Asakusa Shrine · about 0.2 km, about 2 min on foot
Stop 2
Sanja-sama, the shrine of the three men who founded Senso-ji, in a 1649 building for the shogun Iemitsu that survived the 1945 air raids.
about 5 min of audio
Next stop: Tokyo Skytree · about 1.7 km, about 23 min on foot
Stop 3
The 634-metre broadcasting tower in Sumida, Japan’s tallest, built on a former Tobu freight yard and opened to the public on 22 May 2012.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Tokyo?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
More walking tours in Tokyo
Imperial Palace to Tsukiji Hongwanji, Tokyo
4 stops · about 4.6 km · about 60 min on foot · about 26 min of audioImperial Palace and Nijubashi → Hibiya Park → National Film Archive of Japan → Tsukiji HongwanjiFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeJinbocho to Nezu Shrine, Tokyo
5 stops · about 4.9 km · about 65 min on foot · about 32 min of audioKanda-Jinbōchō → Kanda Myojin → Yushima Tenmangu → Kyu-Iwasaki-Tei Garden → Nezu ShrineFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeKabukicho to Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo
5 stops · about 1.7 km · about 25 min on foot · about 29 min of audioKabukicho → Shinjuku Golden Gai → Hanazono Shrine → Shinjuku Ni-chome → Shinjuku GyoenFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeMarunouchi to Kitanomaru Park, Tokyo
5 stops · about 3.9 km · about 50 min on foot · about 30 min of audioMarunouchi → Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum → Imperial Palace East Garden → Kitanomaru Park → National Showa Memorial MuseumFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeMeiji Jingu to Shibuya, Tokyo
5 stops · about 4.7 km · about 60 min on foot · about 30 min of audioMeiji Jingu → Togo Shrine → Omotesando → Cat Street → ShibuyaFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeTokyo Tower to Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo
5 stops · about 4.8 km · about 65 min on foot · about 28 min of audioTokyo Tower → Mori Art Museum → The National Art Center, Tokyo → Nogi Shrine → Aoyama CemeteryFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeTokyo Tower to Shiodome, Tokyo
4 stops · about 2.9 km · about 40 min on foot · about 23 min of audioTokyo Tower → Zōjō-ji → Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden → Ni-Tele Really Big ClockFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeUeno Park to Ueno Zoo, Tokyo
4 stops · about 1.8 km · about 25 min on foot · about 26 min of audioUeno Park → National Museum of Western Art → National Museum of Nature and Science → Ueno ZooFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeYanaka to Ueno, Tokyo
5 stops · about 3.3 km · about 45 min on foot · about 28 min of audioYanaka Cemetery → Kan’ei-ji → Tokyo National Museum → Ueno Tosho-gu → AmeyokoFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the route
Plan more days in Tokyo
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Tokyo. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Senso-ji and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Tokyo Skytree and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Route checked by Mappu on October 31, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.