From Narita and Haneda to your Tokyo hotel

Fares, times and prices were checked on the operators' official sites on 15–19 October 2026. Fares are revised and special timetables run from time to time, so check the official site shortly before you travel.

Short answer: Fly into Haneda if you can, and take the Keikyu line or the Tokyo Monorail into the city. From Narita, take N’EX for hotels around Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku; the Skyliner for Ueno and Asakusa; and the Limousine Bus for Ariake and Odaiba hotels or if you have a lot of luggage. Landing late? At Haneda there are trains until just after midnight and buses until 2:20; at Narita, after 23:00 it is a taxi.

This guide answers the questions business travelers ask most often, in that order.

Which airport should I fly into: Haneda or Narita?

Haneda, if you have the choice. It sits inside the city: the Keikyu line reaches Shinagawa in 14 minutes and Tokyo Station is about 30 minutes away. Narita is farther out, about an hour from central Tokyo even by express train.

The one exception is an event at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, where Narita works just as well.

I land late at night. Are trains and buses still running, or is it taxi only?

At Haneda, trains run until just after midnight and late-night buses until 2:20. At Narita, the last train leaves at 23:00 and after that it is a taxi. Weekday last departures from the airports (operators’ timetables, October 2026):

• Narita: last N’EX leaves Narita Airport at 21:44 (arrives Tokyo 22:37, Shinjuku 23:12, Yokohama 23:07). Last Skyliner leaves at 23:00 (Nippori 23:43, Ueno 23:48).
• Haneda (trains): Keikyu from Terminal 3 toward the city runs until 0:13 (last train through to Shinagawa 0:08; last toward Yokohama 23:37). Tokyo Monorail from Terminal 3 to Hamamatsucho runs until 0:10.
• Haneda (late-night bus): four buses from Terminal 3 at 0:20, 1:00, 1:40 and 2:20 to Shinjuku Station West Exit, Busta Shinjuku, Higashi-Shinjuku and Ikebukuro Station East Exit, 2,800 yen. For example, the 0:20 bus reaches Shinjuku West Exit at 0:48 and Ikebukuro at 1:13; the 2:20 bus reaches Shinjuku West Exit at 2:58.

Later than that, it is a taxi at either airport. Late-night taxi fares are in the tables under “How much is a taxi?” below.

Narita Express, Skyliner or Limousine Bus: which one should I take?

Choose by where your hotel is, not by what is cheapest.

• Marunouchi or Tokyo Station: N’EX from Narita. From Haneda, the Monorail to Hamamatsucho or Keikyu to Shinagawa, then change to JR.
• Shinjuku or Shibuya: N’EX runs there direct from Narita. For a door-to-door ride, the Limousine Bus.
• Ueno or Asakusa: Skyliner from Narita, which ends at Nippori and Ueno.
• Ariake or Odaiba: the Limousine Bus stops in front of the hotels.
• Heavy luggage or a group of colleagues: the bus or a taxi.

Adult one-way fares and typical journey times:

Limousine Bus times are worked out from the operator’s daytime timetables. Morning rush hours and heavy traffic make the ride longer (morning buses from Narita to Shinjuku or Tokyo Station take about 1 h 50 min to 2 h). From 7 October to 22 November 2026, buses from Narita to Shibuya take a detour because of expressway works and may arrive late.

If you will also fly out of Narita, the N’EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket is 5,200 yen and valid for 14 days. Use it airport-to-city on the way in and city-to-airport on the way out; the stations do not have to match.

N’EX runs differently from the evening of 6 November to the morning of 8 November 2026. Because of tunnel work between Tokyo and Shinagawa, N’EX does not run between Tokyo Station and Shinjuku or Ofuna (Yokohama side); all trains start and end at Tokyo Station. If your hotel is in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa or Yokohama, change trains at Tokyo Station on those days.

Where do I buy tickets, and do I need to reserve?

Express trains need a reserved seat, the bus is usually bought on the day, and Keikyu and the Monorail need nothing in advance.

• N’EX: all seats reserved. Buy same-day seats at the ticket office or a reserved-seat ticket machine in the Narita Airport stations (Narita Airport Terminal 1 and Airport Terminal 2·3); the machines take credit cards. To book ahead, use JR East’s booking site, JR-EAST Train Reservation, which works from overseas. Tickets bought online and the round-trip ticket are collected at the airport station’s ticket office or at a reserved-seat machine with a passport reader (both 6:30–21:45).
• Skyliner: all seats reserved. Buy at the Skyliner counter or ticket machines in the airport stations; credit cards are accepted. To buy ahead, use Keisei’s official Skyliner e-ticket site: tickets go on sale 30 days before travel and you can pay by credit card, Alipay+ or WeChat Pay. Collect the ticket at the airport station counter with your exchange number or QR code and passport, or register for Face Check in Go to go straight through the gate without your passport.
• Limousine Bus: counter or ticket machine in the arrivals hall. Buying on the day is normal, but on big exhibition days the operator recommends booking ahead on the Limousine Bus booking site, where you can also search by your hotel’s name.
• Keikyu and Tokyo Monorail: no reservation. Tap an IC card or buy a ticket at the machine.

If you use an iPhone, install JR East’s “Welcome Suica Mobile” app before you fly. It creates a Suica in Apple Pay without visiting a station, and you top it up with the credit card already in your Apple Pay. There is no deposit; the card works for 180 days from issue, and any remaining balance is not refunded.

I have big suitcases. Can I manage on the train?

Yes on the express trains, with care on Keikyu and the Monorail, and most easily on the bus.

N’EX has large-luggage spaces that need no reservation, but there are not many and they go first come, first served; if they are full, keep the bag at your feet. The Skyliner has luggage space by the doors. Keikyu and the Monorail are commuter trains: fine during the day, but avoid 7:30–9:30 on weekday mornings. The Limousine Bus loads bags under the vehicle, so there is nothing to lift. Exhibitors with sample cases should take the bus or a taxi.

How much is a taxi from the airport?

Haneda has fixed fares by destination ward, with no reservation needed. Narita has two kinds: the airport’s own fixed-fare taxis, which need no reservation, and the cheaper Tokyo fixed-fare taxis, which must be booked in advance. All fares are per car, not per person, and expressway tolls are extra.

From Haneda (no reservation; taxi stands at every terminal)

Minato, Chuo, Shinagawa and Koto wards (including Odaiba and Ariake) are not covered by the fixed fares, so those rides are metered.

From Narita

For the airport fixed-fare taxi, just tell the driver at the Narita taxi stand. The range depends on which expressway is used, and a separate late-night surcharge applies from 22:00 to 5:00 (the surcharged amount is not published, so confirm before you set off). The Tokyo fixed-fare taxis are run by Tokyo taxi companies and must be reserved in advance. At daytime rates, booking is cheaper for every destination above, so if you know your arrival time, reserve one.

Tokyo’s metered taxi fares were revised on 20 April 2026: 500 yen for the first 1.0 km, then 100 yen per 232 m (daytime maximum fare).

Ride-hailing apps (GO, Uber, DiDi) work too. At Haneda, every terminal has an app pick-up point, and GO sets it automatically when you order. At the international Terminal 3, the pick-up point opened on 9 June 2026 on the 8th floor of the P5 car park, about a five-minute walk from the exit. You don’t need to explain the destination in Japanese, and payment is handled in the app.

What if immigration takes longer and I miss my booked bus or train?

With N’EX, if you miss your reserved train you can still board a later train the same day without changing the ticket. You will not have a reserved seat: sit in any free seat and give it up if its holder arrives. If you know you will be late, rebook on the reservation site to secure a seat.

For the Limousine Bus or the Skyliner, go to the counter before leaving the airport. Immigration and baggage times vary from day to day, so leave a generous margin rather than booking the first departure after landing.

I have an early-morning flight from Haneda. Can I get there before the first train?

Yes. An early-morning bus runs from Ikebukuro Station East Exit at 3:35, Higashi-Shinjuku Station at 3:50 and Busta Shinjuku at 4:00, arriving at Haneda Terminal 3 at 4:35, for 2,800 yen. To arrive earlier than that, take a taxi; fixed fares also apply for rides to Haneda.

Quick picks

• Haneda if you can: Keikyu to Shinagawa in 14 minutes for 330 yen.
• From Narita: N’EX to Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku; Skyliner to Ueno or Asakusa; Limousine Bus to Ariake, Odaiba or with heavy bags.
• Landing at Haneda after 0:15: the 0:20–2:20 late-night bus (Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, 2,800 yen) or a taxi (9,000 yen to Chiyoda-ku at night, plus tolls).
• Landing at Narita after 23:00: taxi. Without a booking, take the airport fixed-fare taxi; book a Tokyo fixed-fare taxi ahead to pay less.
• Don’t speak Japanese? A ride-hailing app (GO, Uber, DiDi) is easier than explaining the address.
• On an iPhone: set up Welcome Suica Mobile before you fly.
• 6 November evening to 8 November morning 2026: N’EX runs only to and from Tokyo Station. Change there for Shinjuku or Yokohama.

Sources (checked 15–19 October 2026)

• JR East: Narita Express (N’EX), JR East timetable (October 2026), JR East: Yokosuka/Sobu line tunnel work notice
• JR East: Welcome Suica Mobile press release (PDF)
• JR East: N’EX tickets
• Keisei: Skyliner e-ticket FAQ
• Keisei: Skyliner, Skyliner tickets, Skyliner schedule sheet (PDF)
• Limousine Bus timetables (journey times worked out from the Narita–Tokyo Station, Narita–Shinjuku, Narita–Shibuya, Narita–Yokohama, Narita–Odaiba/Ariake, Haneda–Tokyo Station, Haneda–Shinjuku and Haneda–Toyosu timetables), Limousine Bus: Haneda late-night and early-morning buses
• Keikyu: access to Haneda Airport
• Tokyo Monorail fares (PDF), Tokyo Monorail timetable, Haneda Terminal 3
• Haneda Airport: access by train
• Tokyo Hire-Taxi Association: fixed fares from Haneda, Narita fixed fares
• Narita International Airport: taxis and fixed-fare taxis
• Consumer Affairs Agency: utility fare revisions (Tokyo taxi fares), Kanto District Transport Bureau: Tokyo taxi fare table (PDF)
• GO: app pick-up point at Haneda Terminal 3 (press release), Uber: ride-hailing pick-up point at Haneda Terminal 3 (press release)

Update history: published 19 October 2026. 20 October 2026: added Limousine Bus journey times and links to booking sites and ride-hailing apps.