Early that morning, the group left the inn at Shinagawa (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo) where they had had a party the night before, and proceeded along the Tokaido (now the National Route 15); they turned at Fudanotsuji after going through Okido; they passed Amisaka (near present-day Keio University, Minato Ward, Tokyo), Myojinzaka and Nakanohashi (now the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Ring Route) to Sakurada Street, and finally assembled at the Atago Jinja Shrine on the street leading to the Sakuradamon Gate.
当日の早朝、一行は決行前の宴を催し一晩過ごした東海道品川宿（東京都品川区）の旅籠を出発し、東海道（現在の国道15号）に沿って進み、大木戸を経て札ノ辻を曲がり、網坂（東京都港区(東京都)、慶應義塾大学付近）、神明坂、中之橋（現在の首都高速都心環状線を過ぎる）を過ぎて桜田通りへ抜け、愛宕神社(東京都港区)（港区）で待ち合わせたうえで、外桜田門へ向かう。