Narita and Haneda Airports to Central Tokyo: How to Choose Skyliner, N'EX, Keikyu, or the Airport Limousine Bus

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After landing at Narita or Haneda, your first decision is how to get into the city. Narita is far from central Tokyo, and choosing the wrong route can easily cost you an extra hour. Haneda is closer, but Keikyu, the monorail, and buses each reach different places fastest. This guide brings together fares and travel times checked in 9/2026 on the websites of Keisei, JR East, Airport Limousine, Keikyu, and Tokyo Monorail, then recommends a route for the area where you are staying.

The short version: take Keisei for Ueno or Asakusa; take JR N'EX or the Airport Limousine bus for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station, or Shinagawa; take TYO-NRT if budget comes first. From Haneda, Keikyu or the monorail works for almost everyone; consider a bus or fixed-fare taxi if you have lots of luggage. You can buy IC cards (Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO) at stations in both airports. Skyliner and N'EX require reserved-seat tickets; for the other rail routes, just tap your card to enter.

Narita Airport to the city: choosing among four options

Keisei Skyliner: fastest, and the top choice for Ueno or Nippori

Skyliner departs from Narita Airport Station (Terminal 1) and Airport Terminal 2 Station (Terminals 2 and 3), stopping only at Nippori and Keisei Ueno. It reaches Nippori in as little as 36 minutes and Ueno in about 41 minutes. The fare is a regular fare of ¥1,280 plus a ¥1,300 Liner ticket, totaling ¥2,580 (¥2,567 when entering with an IC card); the child fare is ¥1,290. All seats are reserved. To save money, buy a Skyliner Discount Ticket. It is sold as an e-ticket on the official website, through overseas travel agency websites, and on flights operated by Peach and other low-cost carriers. A one-way ticket costs ¥2,310, and a round trip costs ¥4,500 (regular price ¥5,160). Round-trip tickets must be exchanged at Narita Airport Station. Keisei also offers a Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket package at the airport station's SKYLINER & KEISEI information center; check the official website for the price. At Nippori, you can transfer directly to the JR Yamanote Line for Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, or Tokyo Station.

Keisei Access Express: no limited-express ticket needed, with through service to Asakusa, Oshiage, and Shinagawa

Access Express uses the same Narita Sky Access Line but makes more stops. You pay only the regular fare, with no Liner ticket required. It runs through onto the Toei Asakusa Line, so you can reach Oshiage (Tokyo Skytree), Asakusa, Nihombashi, Shimbashi, and Shinagawa without changing trains; some services continue to Haneda Airport. The drawbacks are commuter-style cars with no reserved seats and little luggage space. Travel times and fares vary by destination, so check Keisei's route search before departure. It is the best value if you are staying around Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, or Nihombashi and do not have much luggage.

JR Narita Express N'EX: direct to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Yokohama

N'EX reaches Tokyo Station from Narita Airport in as little as 53 minutes, then continues in two directions: toward Shinjuku (via Shinagawa and Shibuya) or toward Ōfuna (via Yokohama), without requiring a transfer. Regular-car reserved-seat fares from 2026/3 are ¥3,140 to Tokyo, ¥3,330 to Shinagawa, Shibuya, or Shinjuku, and ¥4,480 to Yokohama; children pay half fare. On board are large-luggage areas with combination locks and power outlets. Foreign nationals holding a passport issued by a country other than Japan may buy the N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket by presenting their own original valid passport. Japanese nationals are not eligible, and JR East does not require Temporary Visitor status. The ticket costs ¥5,200 round trip and must be used within 14 days, saving over a thousand yen versus regular round trips to Tokyo Station at ¥6,280 or Shinjuku at ¥6,660. Buy it through JR East's online reservation service or at a JR East Travel Service Center at the airport; when buying in person or collecting an online reservation, you must show your own original passport. Check the official website for all purchase conditions.

Buses: Airport Limousine goes straight to hotels; TYO-NRT is cheapest

Airport Limousine buses run directly from each terminal to major stations and hotels, and the driver handles your luggage. From Narita to Shinjuku Station (including Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and some hotels), fares are ¥3,600 for adults and ¥1,800 for children. To Tokyo Station's Yaesu North Exit and T-CAT, they are ¥3,100 for adults and ¥1,550 for children. Travel time depends on traffic; the official timetable lists departure times only, so allow an extra hour during peak periods. AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT is the budget bus between Narita, Tokyo Station's Yaesu Exit, and Ginza. It costs ¥1,500 for adults and ¥750 for children and takes as little as 65 minutes. Late-night and early-morning services cost double, at ¥3,000. There are no reservations or assigned seats; tap Suica or PASMO to pay when boarding. If departing from Tokyo Station and paying by cash or card, buy a ticket first at the JR highway bus ticket office. Departures between 5 and 6 in the morning accept cash only. Luggage is limited to one item with a combined length, width, and height of no more than 158 cm.

Haneda Airport to the city: Keikyu, monorail, bus, and taxi

The Keikyu Line reaches Shinagawa from the Terminal 1・2 station in as little as 14 minutes (11 minutes from the Terminal 3 station). The fare from the Terminal 1・2 station to Shinagawa is ¥330 (¥327 with an IC card). At Shinagawa, transferring to the JR Yamanote Line for Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Tokyo Station is easy. Keikyu also runs through onto the Toei Asakusa Line, reaching Shimbashi (about 24 minutes), Asakusa (about 37 minutes), and Oshiage (about 41 minutes) without a transfer. ANA and JAL passengers can buy a KEIKYU Hanetoku Ticket and Tokyo Subway Ticket package in advance on the airline website: ¥1,600 with a 24-hour subway ticket, ¥2,100 with a 48-hour ticket, or ¥2,600 with a 72-hour ticket. Exchange it at Haneda. Hanetoku is a round-trip ticket between the airport station and Sengakuji Station, valid for 9 days.

Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsuchō from the Terminal 3 station in as little as 13 minutes. From any terminal to Hamamatsuchō, the fare is ¥520 (¥519 with an IC card), or ¥260 for children. Hamamatsuchō connects directly to the JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tōhoku lines. On Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and designated dates, the ¥590 Monorail & Yamanote Line Discount Ticket covers travel from an airport station to any Yamanote Line station. For Tokyo Station, Shimbashi, or Hamamatsuchō, this route is more direct than Keikyu.

Airport Limousine buses from Haneda cost ¥1,400 for adults and ¥700 for children to Shinjuku Station, or ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for children to Tokyo Station's Yaesu North Exit. The airport website lists both trips at about 35 minutes. For travel from Haneda into Tokyo, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has approved fixed-fare taxis. Fares are fixed by ward, with toll road charges, such as those for the Shuto Expressway, added. A late-night or early-morning surcharge applies from 22 to 5 the next day. Check the Tokyo Hire-Taxi Association's fixed-fare table for each ward, and confirm the fixed fare with the driver before boarding. If you land late at night, have lots of luggage, or are traveling with older relatives, a bus or taxi is easier than carrying bags through transfers.

At a glance: routes, destinations, travel times, and fares

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Narita Airport: Keisei Skyliner to Nippori and Ueno; JR Narita Express N'EX to Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku; Airport Limousine Bus to Tokyo Station and major hotels. Haneda Airport: Keikyu Line to Shinagawa; Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho; Airport Limousine Bus to Shinjuku and other destinations.

Choose a route for where you are staying

• Ueno, Nippori, northern Asakusa: from Narita, take Skyliner; from Haneda, take Keikyu to Shinagawa and transfer to the Yamanote Line.
• Asakusa, Oshiage, Nihombashi, Shimbashi: take Access Express from Narita or Keikyu from Haneda. Both run through onto the Toei Asakusa Line, so no transfer is needed.
• Tokyo Station, Marunouchi, Yaesu: from Narita, take N'EX or the TYO-NRT bus; from Haneda, take the monorail to Hamamatsuchō and transfer to the Yamanote Line.
• Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa: from Narita, take N'EX; if you are eligible and will use N'EX both ways, compare the round-trip ticket. From Haneda, take Keikyu to Shinagawa and transfer, or take Airport Limousine directly to Shinjuku.
• Ikebukuro: from Narita, take Skyliner to Nippori and transfer to the Yamanote Line; from Haneda, take Airport Limousine or transfer from Keikyu.
• Odaiba, Toyosu: from Haneda, take Keikyu or the monorail to Shinagawa or Hamamatsuchō and transfer, or take an Airport Limousine Odaiba route. Check the official website for departures.

How and where to buy tickets

• Skyliner: buy an e-ticket on the official website, or use the SKYLINER & KEISEI information center or ticket machines at Narita Airport Station. Seats are usually still available if you buy after clearing immigration.
• N'EX: book online with JR East, or use a JR East Travel Service Center or reserved-seat ticket machine at the airport station. The machines have a Traditional Chinese interface and accept cash and credit cards. Travelers who meet the passport and nationality requirements must present their original passport to collect or buy the round-trip ticket.
• Airport Limousine: reserve on the official website or buy at a bus ticket counter in the arrivals hall. TYO-NRT needs no reservation; tap an IC card when boarding.
• Keikyu, Tokyo Monorail, Access Express: no separate ticket is needed. Tap in with Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO; both cards are sold at airport stations.

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