How to Get to Tokyo from Narita Airport

There’s a couple different ways you can get into Tokyo proper from Narita Airport. How you choose what’s best for you will depend on your budget, how much luggage you have, and how much time you want to spend getting there.

In general, it’ll take about an hour from Narita Airport to central Tokyo. It could take up to two hours depending on if you take a bus or a train. Using public transportation will cost the least and getting a private car will cost the most.

This post will go over each available option and the pros and cons for using that transportation method. By the end you’ll be an expert in navigating between Narita Airport and Tokyo! Keep reading!

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Quick Picks

• Fastest: Skyliner Train (under 1 hour)
• Cheapest: Skyliner Train (under $20 USD)
• Easiest: Transfer service

Need to get a SIM card before you land? Here’s the best options and where to get them.

Take a Car

If you have an international drivers license, you can always rent a car and drive yourself into the city. This is a good option if you’re planning on doing a lot of day trips out of Tokyo, or going on a road trip and want to drive yourself around.

You can also book a transfer service from the airport to your hotel in the city. This is a super easy way to do it– just book a transfer online and go directly to the pickup spot in the airport. Your driver will meet you and you can be on your way!

Driving from Narita to Shinjuku usually takes just over an hour, assuming there’s no traffic problems.

Take the Train

This is the way most people do it! The Skyliner train goes directly from Narita Airport to Ueno in a mere 41 minutes. From Ueno you can connect to any other station using the metro, so it’s very convenient.

Trains leave roughly every half hour, with some shortening to 20 minutes during busy periods. There’s luggage racks inside the train cars and there’s free wifi onboard!

Book your train ticket here with Klook or just buy one when you get to the airport.

Be sure to grab the Skyliner eki stamps before you leave the airport, too!

Take a Bus

Cheap and easy, and better than the train if you have a huge suitcase. The “limousine bus” is a direct route from the Narita Airport to a few different drop-off locations within Tokyo proper, way more than the Skyliner train. For instance, you can get dropped off at Tokyo Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, or even Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea!

Limousine buses have free wifi and power ports onboard, and luggage goes into the bottom storage under the bus. Transit time from Narita Airport to Shinjuku (as an example) is just under 2 hours, assuming traffic isn’t too bad.

Buy a bus ticket on Klook here.

Bonus: Stay overnight in Narita and take the Keisei Train

This is actually what I prefer doing! Instead of racing directly into the city, I take a hotel shuttle over to the International Garden Hotel and stay a night or two in Narita. This lets me get through any jet lag I may have, plus do a little sightseeing.

If you’re not in a rush and want to see a really cool shrine, I highly recommend doing it this way! After you get over your jet lag, take the Keisei train line into the city.

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What’s your favorite way to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo?