Narita or Haneda to Central Tokyo: Train, Bus or Taxi? (2026 Times and Fares)

Short answer: Haneda is close (about 30 minutes to Tokyo Station). From Narita, pick by where you are staying: the Skyliner for Ueno and Nippori (JPY 2,470, about 41 minutes), the Narita Express for Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku (JPY 3,140 to 3,330), or the JPY 1,500 bus to Tokyo Station and Ginza. A Narita taxi is a fixed JPY 29,000 or more.

Why this page: in the Japan Tourism Agency survey of 4,110 visitors leaving Japan (FY2025), 11.3% said they had trouble using public transport, mostly finding the route and the right platform or stop.

Narita Airport to central Tokyo

Keisei Skyliner (to Ueno or Nippori)

• Time: fastest 41 min to Keisei-Ueno, 36 min to Nippori (from Terminal 2·3).
• Fare: JPY 2,470 to Nippori or Ueno. Change at Nippori to the JR Yamanote Line: JPY 2,630 Tokyo or Akihabara, JPY 2,640 Ikebukuro, JPY 2,670 Shinjuku or Shinagawa. With an approved IC card at the gate Keisei lists JPY 5 to 11 less.

Narita Express, N'EX (to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama)

• Time: JR's own notice shows trains taking about 55 to 75 minutes to Tokyo Station.
• Fare (Ordinary Car): JPY 3,140 Tokyo; JPY 3,330 Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku; JPY 4,480 Yokohama. Green Car JPY 3,910 to Tokyo.
• Round trip: the "N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket" is JPY 5,200 within 14 days.

Low-cost bus, LCB (to Tokyo Station, Ginza, Ikebukuro, Shibuya)

• Fare: JPY 1,500 to Tokyo Station, Ginza Station or Shinonome Aeon-mae (not for late-night and early-morning flights). Ikebukuro JPY 2,300 (JPY 1,900 prepaid online). Shibuya JPY 2,500. Toyosu JPY 1,800. Shin-kiba JPY 1,500.
• Time: not given on the Narita Airport page.

Fixed-fare taxi (by zone, tolls extra)

• Chuo, Chiyoda, Taito, Bunkyo, Arakawa: JPY 29,000 via Keiyo Road, JPY 31,000 via Bayshore Freeway.
• Shinjuku, Shibuya, Meguro, Minato (not Daiba), Shinagawa (not Higashi-yashio), Ota, Toshima, Nakano: JPY 31,500 or JPY 32,500.
• Surcharge from 22:00 to 5:00. Travel time not given.

• Skyliner: Keisei's fare page lists the fare per destination as a base fare plus the Skyliner limited-express ticket. Narita Airport lists Skyliner stops at Nippori and Keisei-Ueno, and at Aoto and Shin-Kamagaya on some trains.
• Narita Express: reserved seats (not Green Car) cost no extra. JR also sells an unreserved ticket. You can buy up to one month ahead online, at a JR East Travel Service Center, the Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket office, or a multilingual reserved-seat machine that takes cash and credit cards.
• Bus: Narita Airport says to buy highway-bus tickets at the bus ticket counter or ticket machine before boarding. Many other Tokyo routes exist (Shinjuku, Tokyo City Air Terminal, Tokyo Disney Resort and more); the airport page lists stop numbers by destination.
• Taxi: boarding areas are the No. 15 stand at Terminal 1, No. 28 and No. 31-A stands at Terminal 2 and the taxi stand at Terminal 3. Narita Airport says you may choose your taxi and the fixed fares assume the expressway; if you choose another route, the meter is used.

Haneda Airport to central Tokyo

• Train: Haneda is directly connected to the Keikyu Line and Tokyo Monorail. At Terminals 1 and 2 the platform is on B1F. At Terminal 3 the gates for downtown Tokyo and Yokohama (Keikyu) are in the 2nd-floor arrival lobby. Fares we could confirm: the Keikyu Line costs JPY 330 between Haneda Terminal 3 and Shinagawa (Keikyu's ticket page gives this fare). The Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho costs JPY 520 with a paper ticket and JPY 519 with an IC card, and takes about 13 minutes by Haneda Express or 17 minutes by local train from Terminal 3. Both are one-way adult fares; other Keikyu and Monorail destinations were not checked.
• Bus: Haneda lists about 35 minutes to Tokyo Station and about 35 minutes to Shinjuku Station West Exit. Bus stops are on 1F of each terminal, and tickets for Terminals 1 and 2 are sold at automatic ticket machines. A late-night and early-morning access bus is listed too. Fares not checked.
• Taxi: use the 1st-floor taxi stands in the arrival lobby, which are split by destination (Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Miura, or elsewhere). If you booked through an app, go to the reserved stand on the 2nd floor: Terminal 1 near Exit 7, Terminal 2 near Exit 2. Uber lists Uber Taxi flat fares of JPY 9,000 to Shinjuku, JPY 8,500 to Shibuya and JPY 7,600 to Chiyoda (tolls extra, late-night surcharge 22:00 to 5:00, single destination only). More on apps: taxi apps in Japan.

Before you leave the terminal

• Get through immigration first. Queue data and the arrival kiosk: immigration wait times; fill in Visit Japan Web beforehand.
• Rail card: Keisei and JR both accept IC cards at the gate; see Welcome Suica and Suica on your phone. For the Narita Express, JR says you pay the basic fare with Suica or a paper ticket plus the limited-express ticket.
• Data for maps and ticket apps: see eSIM or pocket WiFi.
• Big suitcase and a late hotel check-in? See sending luggage and coin lockers.
• Going home? The same trip in reverse still needs time for the tax-refund kiosk: departure-day checklist.

Left out (not confirmed on an official page this round): Keikyu fares other than to Shinagawa, Haneda bus fares, Narita bus travel times, Haneda flat-rate taxi fares, Keisei Access Express and JR rapid-train fares, and live delays. Use the operators' pages on the day.

Quick answers

What is the cheapest way from Narita to central Tokyo?

Of the options we checked on official pages, the low-cost bus to Tokyo Station, Ginza or Shinonome Aeon-mae at JPY 1,500 (Narita Airport; not for late-night and early-morning flights). The Skyliner to Ueno or Nippori is JPY 2,470 and the Narita Express to Tokyo Station JPY 3,140. We did not check the slower Keisei Access Express or JR rapid trains, which may cost less.

How long does the Skyliner take?

Keisei gives 41 minutes from Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 to Keisei-Ueno and 36 minutes to Nippori as the fastest times. These are timetable figures and do not include transfers.

How much is the Narita Express to Shinjuku or Shibuya?

JR East lists JPY 3,330 in the Ordinary Car (JPY 4,100 Green Car) for Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku, and JPY 3,140 (JPY 3,910 Green Car) for Tokyo Station.

Do I need to book a Narita taxi?

No. Narita Airport says fixed-fare taxis need no advance reservation: ask the driver before you get in. Tolls are extra, and late-night and early-morning surcharges apply from 22:00 to 5:00.

How far is Haneda from central Tokyo?

Haneda Airport lists about 15 minutes to Shinagawa, 20 to Hamamatsucho, 30 to Tokyo Station, 45 to Shibuya and 50 to Shinjuku by Keikyu Line or Tokyo Monorail. They are estimates.

How much is the train from Haneda to Tokyo?

One way for an adult: JPY 330 on the Keikyu Line from Haneda to Shinagawa (Keikyu's ticket page) and JPY 520 on the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho (JPY 519 with an IC card, Tokyo Monorail fare table). Other stations were not checked, so use the operators' fare search for them.

Will my Narita Express be running on 6 to 8 November 2026?

JR East lists planned tunnel work with the Narita Express suspended between Tokyo and Ofuna/Shinjuku on some trains from the evening of 6 November to the morning of 8 November. Trains still run between Narita Airport and Tokyo Station. See the JR notice for your train.

More Japan trip guides: Japan trip checklist (all guides)