Tokyo Skytree is the tallest and best-known spot to see the Tokyo skyline. So why go there first? Well, because it’s the tallest landmark in Japan and offers the best views in Tokyo. The lines here are going to get long throughout the day, and you want to avoid that if you’re going to complete your one-day tour.

How to get to Tokyo Skytree
Start at 7:15 a.m. at Shibuya Station. You’re going get on the Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line, platform 2 and get off at Oshiage Station (32 minutes).
From Oshiage Station, it is a five-minute walk to the Skytree from exit B3. You will arrive just as the observation decks open at 8:00 a.m.

This building serves as the headquarters of the Tokyo city government. To get to the Observation Decks, use the Observatory Elevator on the 1st Floor of Main Building No. 1. From here you'll see some of the best views in Tokyo from the 45th floor (202 meters up). And the best part is that it's all free!

Views
Mt. Fuji in the southwest, no high-rise buildings to the west. Skyscrapers in the east and a great view of Shinjuku.

Access from Tokyo Skytree
Once you’re finished at the Skytree, make the five-minute walk back to Oshiage Station and take the Toei Asakusa Line to Daimon Station (15 minutes). There, you will change trains to the Toei Ōedo Line bound for Tochomae and get off at Tochomae Station (18 minutes). From here, it is a three-minute walk to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

The Mori Tower Sky Deck is one of the few observation decks open to the sky from a height of 238 meters. Besides the observatory, Mori Tower houses an art museum, stores, restaurants and more.

Views
Aoyama Cemetery to the northwest, Aoyama Park to the west, and Tokyo Tower to the east.

Access from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory
Head back to Tochomae Station and take the Toei Ōedo Line for Daimon/Roppongi from platform 2 to Roppongi Station. Roppongi Hills and Mori Tower are a four-minute walk from Exit 3.

Tokyo Tower was built for television and radio broadcast services in 1957, and opened to the public in 1958. It is currently the second tallest structure in Japan after the Skytree, and has two observatories: the Main Observatory at 150m, and the Top Deck at 250m.

Views
Rainbow Bridge and Shiba Park to the southeast, and Zojo-ji Temple to the east.

Access from Mori Tower Sky Deck
From Mori Tower, go back to Roppongi Station and take the Toei Ōedo Line back towards Tochomae to Akabanebashi Station (3 minutes). Tokyo Tower is a 5-minute walk from the station’s Akabanebashi Gate.

Odaiba Seaside Park offers a view of the (video-game famous) Rainbow Bridge and a replica of the Statue of Liberty. You can walk along the beach and take in the best views in Tokyo across the water. Best of all, these views are free and open 24 hours a day.

Views
Tokyo skyline with the Rainbow Bridge to the northwest, and the Fuji TV Building and Joypolis to the southeast.

Access from Tokyo Tower
From Tokyo Tower, go back to Akabanebashi Station’s platform 1 and take the Toei Ōedo Line back towards Tochomae to Shiodome Station (4 minutes). Change to the Yurikamome headed for Toyosu, and get off at Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station (12 minutes). Odaiba Seaside Park is a 3-minute walk away.

The World Trade Center is the grand finale of our one-day Tokyo skyline tour. From here, a photographer can get the best views in Tokyo of Tokyo Bay and much of the city as well. The best time to visit is after sunset when the city lights turn on.
Be forewarned—the observation deck (40th floor) gets crowded during sunsets, so be sure to get there early and get a spot!
The World Trade Center also has many restaurants and shops, which makes for a good way to cap off a day spent exploring the skyline.

Access from Odaiba
From Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station, take the Yurikamome to Shimbashi Station (14 minutes), then switch to the JR Yamanote Line at platform 4 going towards Shinagawa. Get off at Hamamatsucho Station (2 minutes) for the World Trade Center.

And there you have it! There are many places from where you can see the Tokyo skyline, but this route will help you find all the major ones in a single day. Have fun, shop, see the sights, and don’t forget to charge your camera!