Haneda or Narita: which Tokyo airport to fly into

Tokyo has two international airports, and the flight price often decides for you. When it does not, the choice shapes the first afternoon of the trip and the last morning. Haneda is close to the city. Narita is not.

How far each one is

Haneda sits less than 30 minutes south of central Tokyo. The Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho in about 15 minutes for 520 yen, and the Keikyu line reaches Shinagawa in about 15 minutes for 330 yen, with through trains onto the Asakusa subway line. Japan Guide calls it by far Japan’s busiest airport. It handles most domestic flights and fewer international ones than Narita.

Narita is in Chiba Prefecture, about 60 kilometres from Tokyo. It handles a large number of international flights, plus many low-cost carriers. The Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in about an hour for 3,140 yen. The Keisei Skyliner reaches Nippori in about 40 minutes, and you change to JR from there. Discount buses run to Tokyo Station and Ginza from 1,500 yen.

• Haneda: a short ride, an easier late arrival, and more domestic connections if you are flying on.
• Narita: often where the low-cost and some long-haul fares land. Budget at least an hour into the city, plus the transfer at the other end.
• Either: the JR Pass covers the Narita Express and the Tokyo Monorail. It does not cover Keisei or Keikyu.

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What the airport changes on day one

A late landing at Narita and a hotel on the far side of Tokyo make a long first evening. Choose a hotel near the line you will arrive on, or keep the first night close to the airport side of the city. A morning landing at Haneda can still leave a real afternoon.

Before you land, register on Visit Japan Web. It lets you enter immigration and customs details in advance and show a QR screen at the airport instead of filling in forms. Set up the phone’s data before the flight too, and test it in the terminal rather than on a platform.

Big bags make the first train harder. Send the suitcase ahead if the hotel is up a staircase, and look up the right exit at a big station before you arrive at Shinagawa or Tokyo Station.

On the way home

From 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping works as a refund. You pay the tax in the shop, and customs confirms the goods as you leave Japan. Japan’s tourism agency says to do this at your departure airport before you check your bags, within 90 days of purchase. Tax-free shopping before and after 1 November explains the change. Leave extra time if you bought anything big.

Plan Sakura reads the flight and hotel bookings, puts the landing and the check-in on the same day, and shows the ride between them. The airport you chose is already on the screen.