Tokyo attractions you should book in advance with kids
Written October 2026
Most of Tokyo you can wing. These are the ones you can't, and the order to book them in.
Most of Tokyo you can decide on the morning of. These are the ones you can't. They run on a set date and time, and the good ones sell out long before you land.
The short list, in the order we'd book it: the first group the moment your dates are set, the second once you know which day goes where. Zoos, parks, the science museum and most of the aquariums can wait.
Book as soon as your dates are set
These sell out, and they're the ones a kid will remember. If any of them is the reason for the trip, plan the other days around it.
Ghibli Museum
Mitaka, on the west side of Tokyo
Hayao Miyazaki's museum, and the hardest ticket on this list. It's small on purpose, and every visit is for a set date and time, so there's no walking up on the day. Inside are spiral staircases, tiny doors, a giant plush Catbus that little kids can climb, and a short film you can only see here.
If your kids have seen a Ghibli film, book this before anything else on the trip, flights included if you can. If they haven't, it's still a lovely hour, just not one to rearrange the trip for.
Tokyo Disney Resort
Maihama, 20 minutes from central Tokyo by train
Two parks next to each other, Disneyland for the castle and the classics, DisneySea for the one people fly here for. A ticket is for a single day at a single park, and busy days sell out, so pick your dates before you pick your hotel.
Give each park its own day. The full plan is in 2 days at Tokyo Disney Resort, including whether you need to stay near the parks (short answer: no, but it helps with little kids).
Pokémon Cafe
Nihonbashi, in central Tokyo
A restaurant where the plates, the drinks and the desserts are all Pokémon, and Pikachu stops by the tables. It runs on reservations, and a table is harder to get than almost anything else in this guide. Kids who love Pokémon will talk about it for months.
Don't plan a day around it until you have a table. Pick the dates first, then book the cafe when you can, and put it in whichever day has room. How to book is on the listing.
Sanrio Characters Garden Cafe
Ueno, across from Ueno Park
A Sanrio cafe on the ground floor of a building by Ueno Park, with the characters on the plates and the drinks. It has a kids' menu, strollers are welcome, and there are plushes to borrow for photos. Like the Pokémon Cafe, it runs on reservations, made online, so a table is something you arrange before you go.
It sits a few minutes' walk from Ueno Station, so it slots into the Ueno day in 4 days in Tokyo. If your kids are Hello Kitty fans, it pairs well with Sanrio Puroland later in this guide.
teamLab Planets
Toyosu, on the bay
An art museum you walk through barefoot, sometimes wading up to your knees, with light and color moving all around you. Kids get it right away: it's way more play than gallery. Entry is timed, and the early slots go first.
Book the first slot of the day, before the crowds build, and dress everyone in shorts or pants that roll up. Bring a small towel.
teamLab Borderless
Azabudai Hills, in central Tokyo
The other teamLab, and the one where the art leaves the room: shapes drift from one gallery into the next and kids follow them. It stays dry and keeps your shoes on, which makes it the easier of the two with a toddler.
You don't need both. If you're picking one, take Planets for kids who want to splash and Borderless for kids who want to wander. A timed ticket is the only way in, so book it with the rest.
KidZania Tokyo
Toyosu, on the bay
A city built at kid size, where kids work jobs (firefighter, pilot, chef) and earn pretend money to spend inside. It's the stop school-age kids love most, and it's a lot for a toddler, who's better off at the aquarium.
If you want the English program, book well ahead. It runs on its own sessions and fills first, so decide the day before you decide anything else around it.
Book once you know which day it goes on
These don't vanish months out, but they do fill on weekends and holidays, and a ticket in hand means you walk straight past the line.
Sanrio Puroland
Tama Center, about 40 minutes west of Shinjuku
An indoor Hello Kitty theme park, with parades and shows, boat rides and every Sanrio character you can name. It's all under a roof, which makes it your best rainy-day bet on this list. Kids who love Hello Kitty, My Melody or Cinnamoroll will lose their minds. Everyone else can skip it.
Tokyo Skytree
Oshiage, on the east side
The tallest tower in Japan, and the view is the whole city, flat to the horizon. The slot around sunset is the one everyone wants, daylight first and then the lights coming on, so that's the one to book. On a clear day, look west for Mount Fuji, and let your kids stand on the glass floor longer than you will.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tokyo
Odaiba, inside the DECKS mall on the waterfront
An indoor LEGO play center with building tables, a small ride and Tokyo built out of bricks. It's made for little builders, and weekends and school holidays are when it gets crowded, so book a weekday slot if you have one. Big kids are better off with another hour at Miraikan.
Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama
Yokohama, 30 minutes south of central Tokyo by train
The place where kids decorate their own cup of noodles, pick the flavors and take it home, which is the whole reason to come. The factory part runs on its own timed slots, and it's the part that fills first. It pairs well with a day in Yokohama, which is covered in a weekend in Yokohama.
Moominvalley Park
Hanno, Saitama, a train ride out from Tokyo
A Moomin park in the woods by a lake, with the houses from the books and a lot of room for kids to run around. It's far enough from the city that it's a whole day, not an add-on, so decide before you go and book the day you pick.
What you can leave until you land
Tokyo Tower, Ueno Zoo, the aquariums, Miraikan and the big parks are easy to decide on the day. The queues move and the weather picks for you. If you want a ticket in your pocket anyway, a lot of these are on Klook too, but you won't lose anything by waiting.
Booking around a jet-lagged kid
Book the first slot of the day wherever there's a choice. Kids on Tokyo time wake up early the first few days, the crowds are thinnest at opening, and a morning ticket leaves the afternoon free for a nap. And don't stack two timed tickets on the same day your flight lands.
Once you're in
Got your tickets? Here's where they fit. 4 days in Tokyo takes the city one side at a time, with the Ghibli Museum, teamLab and the Skytree already in it. Getting from the airport into Tokyo covers the ride from the plane.
Questions
What's the hardest ticket to get in Tokyo with kids?
The Ghibli Museum, and then a table at the Pokémon Cafe. Book both as soon as your dates are set, and build the rest of the trip around whichever one you get.
Do we need to book Tokyo Disney in advance?
Yes. Tickets are for a single day at a single park, and busy days sell out. Give each park its own day.
Can we get tickets at the door?
For the places on this list, don't count on it. The Ghibli Museum, teamLab and both cafes run on set times or tables, and the others get crowded on weekends and holidays.
Do we have to book through Klook?
No. Every place here sells its own tickets too, and the name above links to its page on Play Day with how to book it. The Book button is there for the ones Klook sells, and the Pokémon Cafe isn't one of them.
Which of these is best with a toddler?
teamLab Planets if they can wade, and the Skytree. KidZania and Sanrio Puroland are better from preschool age up.
Which is best on a rainy day?
Sanrio Puroland, KidZania and the LEGOLAND Discovery Center are all indoors, and so is teamLab Borderless.
Resorts built for children
Getting into Tokyo from the airport, with children
A newborn trip: six cities that make it easy