Yokohama 3-day itinerary

Yokohama's gleaming redeveloped harbour — the Landmark Tower's sky-high deck, the Cosmo Clock ferris wheel and Cosmoworld rides, the make-your-own Cup Noodles Museum, the restored Red Brick Warehouse and breezy waterfront parks. Flat, modern and made for families.

1. 08:30
   Rinko ParkPark, 30m

   A broad grassy waterfront park behind the convention centre, with lawns, a tidal inlet and wide bay views — a flat, free spot to picnic or let kids run. Pram-friendly and open any time; a calm green edge to the busy harbour.

2. 10:00
   Yokohama Red Brick WarehouseShopping, 1h 15m

   A pair of restored Meiji-era brick customs warehouses on the waterfront, now full of boutiques, cafés and restaurants, with seasonal events and a winter ice rink on the plaza outside. A scenic, flat shop-and-eat stop; per-shop hours vary.

3. 12:00
   Lunch Yokohama Hammerhead (pier food hall)1h

   A waterfront pier complex of food artisans — a chocolate factory, ramen, bakeries and bay-view restaurants — beside a cruise terminal. A relaxed, scenic place to eat on the harbour; individual venue hours vary.

4. 13:00
   Cup Noodles MuseumMuseum, 1h 30m

   A bright, playful museum on the story of instant noodles where the star is designing your own Cup Noodle — choosing the soup and toppings and decorating the cup. A huge hit with kids and fully stroller-accessible; the make-your-own is timed, so book or go early. Usually closed Tuesdays.

5. 14:45
   MARK IS MinatomiraiShopping, 1h 15m

   A big, family-friendly shopping mall by Minatomirai station — fashion, a large food floor, kids' play zones and a rooftop garden, all weatherproof. Handy for a meal or a rainy hour; connected directly to the station.

6. 16:15
   Cosmoworld & Cosmo Clock 21Entertainment, 1h

   A compact harbour amusement park whose giant Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel — a clock-faced Yokohama icon — gives a gentle ride over the bay, alongside a water coaster and kids' rides. Pay per ride; the wheel is lovely lit at night, and the park often closes Thursdays.

7. 17:30
   Landmark Tower Sky GardenViewpoint, 45m

   One of Japan's tallest buildings, its 69th-floor Sky Garden reached by an ear-popping express lift for a 360° view over the bay, the city and Mt Fuji on clear days. Great at sunset and after dark; fully accessible.

Japan's largest Chinatown — hundreds of restaurants, steaming pork-bun stalls and a vivid Chinese temple — opening onto the bayside Yamashita Park with its moored ocean liner and, up the hill, the smart Motomachi shopping street. The city's tastiest, most atmospheric quarter.

1. 08:30
   Yamashita ParkPark, 30m

   Yokohama's classic bayside park, a flat seafront promenade of lawns, roses and statues looking out over the harbour to the Bay Bridge. Free, open and fully pram-friendly; lovely for a stroll between Chinatown and the piers.

2. 09:15
   Kanteibyō TempleTemple, 20m

   A dazzlingly ornate Chinese temple in the heart of Chinatown, dedicated to Guan Yu, the deified general of war and, fittingly for the merchant quarter, of business and fortune. A small offering fee to enter the inner hall; a quick, colourful stop.

3. 09:50
   Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural HistoryMuseum, 1h 30m

   Kanagawa's history from the stone age to the present, inside the domed 1904 former Yokohama Specie Bank on Bashamichi — the building is as much the draw as the collection. Open 9:30am to 5pm with last entry at 4:30pm, closed Mondays unless the Monday is a public holiday. Permanent-exhibition admission is 300 yen for over-20s, 200 for students and under-20s, 100 for high-schoolers and over-65s, free for middle-schoolers and younger. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the information desk and there are lifts to every floor. The nearest exit is Bashamichi station exit 5, which has both escalators and a lift. Photography is allowed in the permanent galleries but not in the special exhibitions, and no flash or tripods.

4. 12:00
   Lunch Yokohama Chinatown1h

   Japan's largest Chinatown, a lantern-strung grid of some 600 restaurants and shops — dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, steamed buns and panda-shaped sweets to eat on the move. The city's great food destination; per-shop hours vary, liveliest at lunch and dinner.

5. 13:00
   Collette MareShopping, 1h

   A convenient shopping mall right at Sakuragichō station — fashion, a cinema, restaurants and a kids' floor, linking straight to the Minato Mirai walkways. A practical, weatherproof stop; per-shop hours vary.

6. 14:15
   Kamonyama ParkPark, 30m

   A hilltop park above Sakuragicho with about 200 cherry trees, a small Japanese garden with ponds, and a statue of Ii Naosuke facing the harbour his treaty opened. Free and open at any hour, which makes it the reliable stop on a Monday when the zoo and the museums nearby are closed. There are toilets including an accessible one, benches, and playground equipment; the Yokohama Noh Theatre sits in one corner. It is a genuine hill — about 15 minutes uphill on foot from Sakuragicho station, or six minutes from the Momijizaka bus stop.

7. 15:00
   Iseyama Kōtai JingūShrine, 25m

   Yokohama's principal shrine, a calm Ise-style sanctuary on the Noge hill overlooking the harbour, far quieter than the waterfront crowds. Free and peaceful; reached up a flight of steps.

8. 15:40
   Hikawa Maru (ocean liner)Museum, 1h

   A grand 1930 ocean liner that once sailed Yokohama to Seattle, moored off Yamashita Park and open to explore — Art Deco saloons, cabins, the bridge and engine room. Fun for families and history buffs; a small admission, with ladders and stairs aboard, usually closed Mondays.

9. 16:55
   Motomachi Shopping StreetShopping, 45m

   An elegant, European-flavoured shopping street that gave its name to two Japanese fashion classics, lined with refined boutiques, jewellers and old cafés just up from Chinatown. A smart browse; per-shop hours vary.

10. 17:55
    Dinner Noge Food & Drink Alleys1h 15m

    A dense warren of some 500 tiny bars and izakaya just behind Sakuragichō, frying yakitori, motsu stew and street snacks in a friendly, old-Yokohama mood. The city's best spot to bar-hop with locals; most places open from late afternoon.

11. 19:10
    Yokohama Nigiwaiza (rakugo hall)Entertainment, 1h 30m

    Yokohama's dedicated hall for rakugo and traditional variety acts, opened in 2002 in the middle of Noge — 391 seats over two levels, and one of the few places you can watch a full storytelling programme outside Tokyo. The building is open 10am to 10pm and the box office sells until 8pm, but there is no walk-in exhibit: you are coming for a specific programme, so check what is on that day and buy a ticket first. It closes two days a month on dates that move, so it is worth checking the hall's calendar for the day you want. Two wheelchair-accessible lifts serve the hall; visitors with a disability certificate are asked to call ahead so seating can be arranged. No Japanese is needed to enjoy the acrobatics and juggling on a variety bill, but rakugo itself is spoken-word storytelling.

Yokohama's gleaming redeveloped harbour — the Landmark Tower's sky-high deck, the Cosmo Clock ferris wheel and Cosmoworld rides, the make-your-own Cup Noodles Museum, the restored Red Brick Warehouse and breezy waterfront parks. Flat, modern and made for families.

1. 07:40
   Check out of your stay
2. 08:30
   Rinko ParkPark, 30m

   A broad grassy waterfront park behind the convention centre, with lawns, a tidal inlet and wide bay views — a flat, free spot to picnic or let kids run. Pram-friendly and open any time; a calm green edge to the busy harbour.

3. 10:00
   Yokohama Red Brick WarehouseShopping, 1h 15m

   A pair of restored Meiji-era brick customs warehouses on the waterfront, now full of boutiques, cafés and restaurants, with seasonal events and a winter ice rink on the plaza outside. A scenic, flat shop-and-eat stop; per-shop hours vary.

4. 12:00
   Lunch Yokohama Hammerhead (pier food hall)1h

   A waterfront pier complex of food artisans — a chocolate factory, ramen, bakeries and bay-view restaurants — beside a cruise terminal. A relaxed, scenic place to eat on the harbour; individual venue hours vary.

5. 13:00
   Cup Noodles MuseumMuseum, 1h 30m

   A bright, playful museum on the story of instant noodles where the star is designing your own Cup Noodle — choosing the soup and toppings and decorating the cup. A huge hit with kids and fully stroller-accessible; the make-your-own is timed, so book or go early. Usually closed Tuesdays.

6. 14:45
   MARK IS MinatomiraiShopping, 1h 15m

   A big, family-friendly shopping mall by Minatomirai station — fashion, a large food floor, kids' play zones and a rooftop garden, all weatherproof. Handy for a meal or a rainy hour; connected directly to the station.

7. 16:15
   Cosmoworld & Cosmo Clock 21Entertainment, 1h

   A compact harbour amusement park whose giant Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel — a clock-faced Yokohama icon — gives a gentle ride over the bay, alongside a water coaster and kids' rides. Pay per ride; the wheel is lovely lit at night, and the park often closes Thursdays.

8. 17:30
   Landmark Tower Sky GardenViewpoint, 45m

   One of Japan's tallest buildings, its 69th-floor Sky Garden reached by an ear-popping express lift for a 360° view over the bay, the city and Mt Fuji on clear days. Great at sunset and after dark; fully accessible.