My favourite Tokyo autumn walk starts beneath the golden ginkgo trees of Meiji Jingu Gaien, then winds through Sendagaya and Harajuku before finishing at Yoyogi Park. The route is roughly five kilometres, depending on how many side streets tempt you away.
It’s largely spend-free, too (not counting the snacks, and cups of coffee you’ll inevitably pick up along the way). Meiji Jingu Gaien’s ginkgo avenue is a public street, and you can continue through the surrounding neighbourhoods, Meiji Park and Yoyogi Park without paying an entrance fee. Shinjuku Gyoen is an optional detour that charges for entry, but you can happily skip it and still have a full outing.
The ginkgo avenue is the obvious draw, and yes, it really is that yellow when the timing is right. The trouble is that everyone else knows it, too. People arrive, take the same photo from the same spot, then shuffle along behind the next person doing exactly the same thing. This walking route takes you beyond the avenue, through some of Tokyo’s quieter neighbourhoods and fashion districts, and into Yoyogi Park..
Start at Meiji Jingu Gaien’s Ginkgo Avenue
Leave Gaienmae Station through Exit 4a and walk along Aoyama-dori for a few minutes until the ginkgo avenue opens up on your right. Aoyama-itchome Station is another option if you’re coming from a different part of Tokyo, though the walk is a little longer.
If you’re visiting on a weekend, you could start with coffee or breakfast at Royal Garden Cafe Aoyama, right beside the avenue. It has terrace seating overlooking the trees, which is a lovely way to ease into the morning before joining the crowds. Breakfast starts at 9 am on weekends and public holidays, but the café doesn’t open until 11 am on weekdays. If you’re visiting on a weekday and want to catch the avenue before it fills up, I’d get the trees first and find coffee afterwards.
The avenue runs towards the domed Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, which makes a handy landmark. Four rows of ginkgo trees line the road, creating that long, symmetrical golden view you’ve probably seen in photographs.
At peak colour, the branches meet overhead and the pavement turns yellow. It really is as pretty as the pictures suggest. I’m happy to give a popular spot its due when it earns it.
Give yourself around half an hour here if you want photos without feeling rushed. You may find yourself waiting for a gap in the crowd to take the same shot as everyone else. I wanted the photo too, so I’m hardly going to judge. Just be patient, keep the pavement clear and remember that this is a public road, not a private photo studio.
Watch your step when the leaves are wet. Ginkgo leaves can get slippery, and the fruit from female trees has a smell that’s close to rancid butter.
If you time your visit right, you might even be able to catch the Gaien Ginkgo Festival, which has run here since 1997, though it has been cancelled in some years. In 2026, it is scheduled for November 15 to December 8.
November is also the season for Shichi-Go-San, a traditional celebration marking the growth of children aged three, five and seven. If you visit nearby Meiji Jingu during this period, you may see families arriving with their children dressed in colourful kimono for shrine visits and family photographs. Some little ones look delighted with all the attention, while others seem thoroughly fed up with the whole affair. Understandable, really.
Seeing all that kimono at Meiji Jingu during Shichi-Go-San might have you wanting your own moment in one. We run a kimono experience if you’d like a few photos of your own before heading to the ginkgo avenue.
Walk Around the National Stadium
From the ginkgo avenue, look towards the domed building at the far end. That’s the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. The National Stadium is nearby, but it’s a much larger oval structure with a broad roof and rows of timber slats around the outside. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s hard to miss.
Walk towards the gallery end of the avenue, then use your map to head for the stadium. Once you reach the stadium, walk along the public pavement around its exterior and look up at the timber eaves.
The stadium opened in 2019 and served as the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The wood was actually sourced from across Japan, with timber from all 47 prefectures incorporated into the design. I like to think I’m visiting a corner of every prefecture when I’m here.
Games and events within the stadium can bring crowds to the surrounding streets, so if it’s packed, just enjoy the architecture for a bit and keep moving towards Meiji Park.
Take a Break at Meiji Park
From the National Stadium, head towards the broad steps and open plaza beside the stadium’s outer edge. You’re looking for Meiji Park, the public space spread around the stadium.
Inside is an open lawn known as Kibo no Hiroba. It’s a useful place to sit for a while, especially after the crowds around the ginkgo avenue. The park opened in 2023, so there won’t be any centuries-old grove or a carpet of autumn leaves.
I’d use this stop to rest, grab a drink and decide how much energy you have left for the walk through Sendagaya. Meiji Park isn’t the place I’d send you specifically for autumn foliage, but it gives you room to sit down without being in the middle of a photo queue.
Walk Through Sendagaya Towards Kitasando
From Meiji Park, head towards Sendagaya Station. It’s roughly a 10-minute walk from the park. Follow your map towards the station, then continue south towards Kitasando Station, which gives you a clear route towards Harajuku.
The scenery changes as you leave the stadium district. You’ll pass apartment buildings, small businesses and residential streets where bicycles lean against walls and laundry hangs from balconies. Peering over residents’ gardens, you may see persimmon trees with bright orange fruit hanging from branches. You may spot a maple turning red beside a house or a scatter of yellow leaves caught around a drain.
Keep your eyes open, but remember that people live along these streets. Don’t be that creepy foreigner pointing his camera into windows or private gardens.
Consider a Detour to Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku Gyoen’s Sendagaya Gate is near the station area, making it a convenient detour if you want more autumn foliage. But if you decide to go inside, it won’t be a quick stop on the way to Harajuku. The garden is large, and once you’re inside, you’ll probably want to spend a while exploring.
There’s also an entrance fee, which makes the case for treating this more as a specific destination rather than a quick stop. My advice is to choose the garden because you genuinely want to visit it. Do not squeeze it in just because it happens to be nearby. If you’d rather browse Harajuku and finish in Yoyogi Park, save Shinjuku Gyoen for another day.
Wander Through Ura-Harajuku
From Kitasando, continue towards Jingumae and explore the backstreets around Ura-Harajuku. This is where the streetwear scene of Harajuku really shows, with independent boutiques, Japanese labels, vintage shops and sneaker stores tucked along the smaller streets. Labels such as BAPE are closely associated with the area’s fashion scene.
Autumn is a particularly good time to browse the fashion shops. By October, stores are bringing out their autumn/winter collections. As you may already know, Tokyo street style tends to have more personality than simply throwing on a warm jumper, so browsing the shop windows can be very fun, even if you may not be planning to buy anything.
If you end up liking this kind of wandering, our private walking tour covers more of Tokyo’s backstreets the same way, just with a local who already knows where to turn. Once you’ve had a look around, make your way back towards Harajuku Station and look for the West Exit to reach Yoyogi Park.
Finish at Yoyogi Park
From Harajuku Station’s West Exit, cross into Yoyogi Park through the Harajuku Gate. It is one of Tokyo’s largest central parks, and a perfect change of pace after the shops and busy streets of Ura-Harajuku.
Make your way towards the spray pond. The area around the pond and ginkgo-lined paths is a very cosy spot for autumn foliage. You’ll find bright yellow ginkgo alongside Japanese maples turning red. The park also has zelkova trees, which have these broad branches, and leaves that turn shades of yellow, orange and reddish brown.
Plus, you’ll spot dodan-tsutsuji, which are more low-growing and have these leaves that turn a shocking red in autumn. Alongside the golden ginkgo and red Japanese maples, they give the park a much wider range of autumn colour than you might expect. In the park’s Flower Land area, keep an eye out for the autumn roses, too.
The park has plenty of space to stop for a while. Take a break on the central lawn, watch the dogs having their afternoon walk, find a bench beneath the trees, or enjoy the stalls at the lively festivals happening in the event areas every weekend.
Tokyo Autumn Walk FAQs
Is this Tokyo autumn walk free?
Yes. The main route, including Meiji Jingu Gaien’s ginkgo avenue, Meiji Park, the streets through Sendagaya and Harajuku, and Yoyogi Park, is free to walk. Shinjuku Gyoen charges an entrance fee, but it is an optional detour.
When is the best time to see Gaien’s ginkgo avenue?
Late November to early December is the usual peak, but the timing changes with the weather.
How long does the walk from Gaien to Yoyogi Park take?
The route is roughly five kilometres and takes around two and a half hours at a steady pace. Allow four to five hours if you want to stop for photos, rest in Meiji Park and explore Harajuku.
Is this walk suitable for children or older travellers?
The full route is a fairly long outing, with uneven patches and slippery leaves after rain. For a shorter version, finish at Meiji Park and take the train from a nearby station.
