Yokohama Day Trip Itinerary: 7 Fun Things to do in Yokohama, Japan
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Yokohama is one is my favorite cities in Japan, let’s just get that out of the way now. There are a lot of great day trips from Tokyo, but in my honest opinion Yokohama is the best. Not only is it just completely cool on its own, but taking a Yokohama day trip from Tokyo gives travelers a very accessible and affordable opportunity to see another side of Japan without needing to shell out the big bucks on transportation.
That said, if you can afford the time and costs, I do highly recommend taking a bullet train or flight to some of Japan’s other big-name cities.
But back to Yokohama! If you have at least one unplanned day (or in a pinch half-day) in your Tokyo itinerary, I recommend using it for a cute and tasty Yokohama day trip! I’ve been to Yokohama on three separate Japan trips and it hits EACH TIME. There’s a surprising amount of things to do in Yokohama, so don’t feel bad if you don’t get to all of it.
You can always come back on another Yokohama day trip! Now let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Logistics
| City | Yokohama |
| Prefecture/Region | Kanagawa/Kantō |
| Population | 3.7 million |
| Distance from Tokyo | ~1hr by local train |
For those unfamiliar with Japan’s geography, the terms “prefecture” and “region” might trip you up at first, but really it’s not that different than most other countries. Since I’m from the USA, I’ll use comparable terms here to explain. When we talk about “regions” of Japan, it’s a very informal way to map out what area you’re in.
For example in the USA, we have the east coast, west coast, southwest, New England, mid-west, the south, Pacific northwest, etc etc. There’s not a DICTIONARY DEFINITION of these areas, but for the most part we all understand them to contain certain states/cities/landscapes.
In Japan, there are roughly 9 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu (which includes Okinawa). For the sake of brevity, I’ll only dip into one, and that’s Kanto. It is the region that Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, and other big cities. It’s pretty much considered the power engine of Japan. If Kanto sounds familiar, you might know it as being the main setting for the first generation of Pokémon games (Red, Blue, Yellow), their remakes, and Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee!.
Yokohama is also the setting for the super dope manga Bungo Stray Dogs 🙂
Now breaking that down even further, prefectures are most similar to states in the USA. They DO have an official border. Unlike states in the USA however (which have their own constitution and can have VERY varying state laws and taxes), there is only one common constitution in Japan that they all follow. Within that constitution, prefectures can have slightly “unique” regulations, like in Kanagawa (Yokohama’s prefecture) it is mandatory to have bicycle insurance…which most of them now mandate so it’s not that unique haha.
Why Yokohama
Again, my favorite easy escape from Tokyo is a Yokohama day trip because it’s so close. Sure, there are a lot of places you can go on a bullet train but…if no one has given you the heads up yet, bullet trains are expensive. As in a one-way ticket can easily cost $100 USD. ONE WAY. Sure, I’ve been known to shell out on a day trip, but…it really eats into your budget.
Meanwhile, you can get to Yokohama from Tokyo on the local train for about 500-600 Japanese yen, or about $3-4 USD.
But aside from being super close and super affordable to get to, I think everyone should try to fit in a Yokohama day trip because it is LITERALLY Japan’s second largest city based on population. There is so much history and culture and sheer things to do in Yokohama that you can’t get anywhere else.
Yes, including Tokyo.
And…imma be really real for a minute now. I recommend Yokohama over Osaka. THERE I SAID IT. That said, there are some great day trips from Osaka, but…since they’re also close to Kyoto anyway, I’d say just go from Kyoto lol.
BUT THAT’S JUST ME.
Yokohama is such an amazing city for food and culture lovers because the city is just overflowing with it. Honestly, I didn’t do too much shopping in Yokohama so I don’t know the best spots for that, but since it’s so big I’m sure there’s an abundance of cool shops as well. Okay okay, now let me get off my soapbox before I hurt myself haha, but seriously, you gotta at least promise to consider a Yokohama day trip, alright?
Things to do in Yokohama
If you’re new to my blog, sorry for all the exposé, it’s just something I do. Hopefully it gave you a little insight on Yokohama and Japan on a larger picture, but if not…well, idk what to tell ya haha. I’m not going to stop doing it bahahah.
But anyways, I always get to the point of the post. Welcome to the section you probably wished you had started with. All the amazing things to do on a Yokohama day trip! There’s a lot, but I’ve narrowed it down to my personal favorites as well as the things I feel pack the most punch when it comes to a unique attraction. Yes, Yokohama has zoos and aquariums and art museums just like most big cities but…you can visit those in other big cities.
You’ve only got a day in Yokohama after all, let’s hit up the spots that are special to this city. I’ve listed them roughly in the order I would recommend visiting, but of course feel free to create your exact itinerary based on your timing and things you’d want to skip and/or add.
On that note, RIP to the Gundam Factory. If you had your sights set on seeing the MASSIVE animatronic gundam figure do a lil 2-step shuffle on the pier, I’m deeply saddened to announce that the factory has closed permanently. But don’t worry, there’s a bunch of other good spots that’ll entertain you during your Yokohama day trip!
Snoopy Museum Tokyo
Okay technically the Snoopy Museum isn’t in Yokohama, but it’s on the way! This newly reopened (as of 2024!) museum is a must-visit for all Peanuts enthusiasts, so if that’s you then I’d recommend buying tickets in advance so you can either start your Yokohama day trip with a visit, or swing by on your way back to Tokyo.
That said, if there’s simply not enough time, you can always take a few hours out of your Tokyo itinerary to visit. Either way, it’s definitely worth it.
The museum will take you through the early days of Peanuts and how the creator Charles M. Schulz got his start. You get the backstory on each of the characters as well as some lesser-known Peanuts lore that’s always fun to hear about. The actual museum isn’t too big and will take you about an hour to get through, but you’ll want to budget enough time on top of that for the GIFT SHOP (my personal favorite).
There are so many unique souvenir and merch at this specific Snoopy Museum that you can’t get anywhere else. You can also sign up for hands-on workshops and snag a table at the adjacent Snoopy Cafe (where the food is actually good!). I could probably go on for a while about this specific attraction, but I’ll leave the juicy bits for a stand-alone Snoopy Museum blog post!
Red Brick Warehouse
My last trip was my first time visiting the Red Brick Warehouse and honestly I can’t believe I hadn’t been on my prior visits. In my humble opinion, it’s one of the best places to visit on a Yokohama day trip!
Especially for history buffs!
Long story short, when the Yokohama port opened wayyy back in 1858, only five years after Japan reopened to the rest of the world after almost three centuries of deliberate isolation, it marked a significant change in the country. This warehouse specifically used to operate as Yokohama’s main shipping hub, then as an American military storage location after WWII and during American occupation, and THEN once they were returned to Japan they went through a few rebrands before the city finally acquired the buildings and restored them into what they are today.
A cute shopping and event space!
Pretty much every weekend there’s some kind of event or seasonal festival being held at the Red Brick Warehouse. When I visited, it was strawberry season so they had a huge tent filled with booths from strawberry farmers, strawberry themed food and drink stands, and even some cute strawberry merch!
But even if there’s not an event going on, I’d recommend stopping by because there are permanent booths inside the buildings with various food, souvenir, accessory, clothing, and home stores to shop and browse. There’s also a section dedicated to the history of the building, and little history mementos throughout which was a cute touch.
Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum
Let me put you onto the BEST thing to do in Yokohama (in my opinion) – the Ramen Museum. This attraction alone is worth the Yokohama day trip. At this museum, you learn all about one of Japan’s most iconic dishes! This one is for both the history/culture nerds and the foodies, as its the perfect blend between mental stimulation and physical stimulation.
…
…in terms of like, actually eating I mean.
Anyways, the museum can be a little difficult to find because it’s a little tucked away, but just keep going until you see the big mechanic ramen bowl with the chopsticks dipping up and down! The museum opens with an explanation of what is “ramen” and potentially more importantly, what is “umami” and its impact on both ramen and Japanese cuisine. Then it move sinto the history of ramen, how different variations arose, and even the arrival of instant/modern ramen.
I GEEKED OUT, it was all super cool.
That’s the first half of the museum, and it’s not too big. I got through it in maybe twenty minutes, and that’s reading through everything. The latter half of the museum gets a lot more interactive.
Downstairs of the museum is a reconstructed facade of restaurant booths serving small sample-sized bowls of ramen varieties from around Japan. There are a good amount of booths, but just note it is a sit-down at eat experience inside the mini restaurants and some of the lines can take a while. For this reason, I recommend going for lunch to ensure you can try as many ramen bowls as your stomach can fit compared to going for dinner and you might run out of time as the museum closes.
Cup Noodles Museum
On a similar note, Yokohama also has a Cup Noodles Museum! While there is an interactive portion where you customize your own Cup Noodle, the emphasis here is definitely more on the museum side than the Ramen Museum. It’s also just bigger in general.
Here, you learn all about the history of instant ramen specifically, it’s rise to fame under the innovation of Momofuku Ando, and a bit about the different iconic instant ramen brands on the shelves today. The different bits are a mix of reading as well as short movies, so you get a lot of information without feeling bogged down.
I’ve only visited the Cup Noodles Museum on my very first Yokohama day trip, and that was before I was a blogger and everything, so I didn’t take any pictures, but I don’t believe it’s changed that much. I believe they added a food bazaar, similar to the Ramen Museum, that has food booths serving noodle dishes from around the world. I don’t have experience with that though, but I’m sure it’s great too.
Towards the end of the museum is the large area where you decorate the outside of a Cup of Noodle cup and then you go down a cafeteria-esque line to pick out the different ingredients and flavors you want on the inside! Then they seal it up for ya – or you can choose to eat it. But personally I liked it better as a souvenir.
THAT SAID – they do technically have expiration dates if you choose to eat it later down the line.
My recommendation would be to go after the Ramen Museum, one so you aren’t starving but also the walking will help digest all of the ramen you just ate haha. If you only have time for one of the food-themed museums, here’s my personal analysis based on potential priorities:
- Eating: The Ramen Museum
- Immersive museum experience: Cup Noodles Museum
- For Kids: Cup Noodles Museum
- Short on time: The Ramen Museum* if you’re only planning on one or two bowls
Of course, visiting both would be amazing but time can be limited on a Yokohama day trip. Don’t feel bad if you can only visit one. Alternatively, you can either skip the Snoopy Museum (or save it for the journey back) and make sure to get to Yokohama at 10am/11am!
Sankeien Garden
I have a bad habit of visiting Japan in the winter, and thus all of my Yokohama day trips have been…in winter. So I haven’t gotten the opportunity to see at its most beautiful…and I still think it’s a worthy itinerary add!
If you’re more of a park goer, my favorite in Yokohama is Sankeien. What makes it special is that the entire garden used to be the private resident of a super wealthy silk merchant by the name of Tomitaro “Sankei” Hara. The property has a lot of historical houses and culturally significant buildings (literally they have the government stamp of approval) from all over Japan, so you get a LOT in one garden.
For those of you traveling outside of winter, late March to early April is sakura (cherry blossom) season. Early summer has hydrangeas and peak summer (July/August) brings pink lotus blossoms. The most beautiful time to visit Japan (in my opinion) is late autumn for the changing leaf colors, as well as cosmos and chrysanthemums.
But visiting in late-winter is still a nice time to visit the gardens because you can catch the gorgeous ume (plum) blossoms. Alas, I always visit in early-mid winter so…yeah, I usually just enjoy the bamboo trees during my Yokohama day trips haha.
Yokohama Chinatown
My next must-do during a Yokohama day trip, and that’s to make your way over to the city’s Chinatown.
It’s actually the largest Chinatown in Japan, and a very popular destination for Japan residents (both Japanese and foreign residents). I say that to give you the heads up that this will probably be the busiest area of Yokohama. This Chinatown has over 250 buildings, the large majority being restaurants and shops, so honestly you could spend your whole Yokohama day trip here if you wanted.
But…my advice would be to save that for another time.
What I do recommend is, at the very least, walking through the neighborhood for some good ol’ fashioned window shopping. The majority of early Chinese immigrants to Yokohama were from China’s Guangdong province, so you might recognize the southern Chinese influence in many of the restaurants.
Chinatown is also a great spot for lunch or dinner, depending on when you want to hit up the ramen museum, but my personal suggestion would be to go for dinner so you can see Chinatown all lit up at night!
Another option would be to do the Ramen Museum, Cup Noodle Museum, and Chinatown as a Yokohama food tour to get the best bites around the city all in one go!
Cosmo World
And last but not least, close out your day with a quick stop at Cosmo World. My favorite part of Cosmo World is the giant ferris wheel, which used to be the largest ferris wheel in the world!
It’s…not…anymore, but yanno it’s still cute. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
But that’s besides the fact. Cosmo World is like a mini amusement park, kind of like what you would find at the end of any pier like at the Santa Monica Pier. I love a good pier park. It’s free to enter and look around, which is great if you’re doing your Yokohama day trip on a budget. But if you do buy some tickets, there are arcade games, the ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and other carnival like attractions.
It closes late (8pm/20:00) so it can either be your last stop before heading back to Tokyo, or wherever you’re taking your Yokohama day trip from, or you can go back earlier to catch the last of the Snoopy Museum (closes at 6pm/18:00).
Conclusion
Woohooo and there ya have it friends! My complete list of things to do on a Yokohama day trip! Hopefully that helped give you some ideas and jumpstart your itinerary planning!
If you have more time, I’d highly recommend staying overnight in Yokohama so you can try more of the food outside of food tours or ramen at the ramen museum haha. You’d also be able to dig into more niche museums such as the Yokohama Doll Museum and the Silk Museum. But if all you have is a Yokohama day trip, this is more than enough to get you started!
If you’ve been to Yokohama, let me know if I missed any of your favorite spots for a day trip. If you’re headed there soon, let me know which activity you’re most looking forward to. Who knows, I might just see ya there next time!
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