How to Get from Narita Airport to Tokyo — Every Transport Option and Current Prices
Narita Airport is 60 kilometers from central Tokyo — significantly farther than Haneda — and the journey to the city takes 60 to 90 minutes by train depending on which service you use. The Narita Express (N'EX) is the most convenient train option; the Limousine Bus works better if you're heading directly to a specific hotel. Taxis from Narita are extremely expensive and almost never the right choice. Here's every option with current prices.
All options at a glance
Narita Express (N'EX): ¥3,070 to Tokyo Station / ¥3,250–4,070 to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro. 53–90 min. Direct, reserved seats, luggage space. Most popular tourist option.
Keisei Skyliner: ¥2,570 to Ueno (41 min) or Nippori (36 min). Fastest train option. Best if staying near Ueno, Asakusa, or connecting to the Yamanote Line at Ueno/Nippori.
Keisei Limited Express (Access Express): ¥1,270 to Ueno. 75 min. Budget train option — no reserved seats, slower, but significantly cheaper.
Airport Limousine Bus: ¥2,900–3,200 per person. 60–120 min depending on traffic. Drops directly at major hotels and stations across Tokyo.
Taxi: ¥20,000–30,000+. 60–90 min. Rarely justified — the train covers the same distance for a fraction of the cost.
Shared shuttle services: ¥2,000–3,500 per person. Door to door. Requires advance booking. Good for groups or travelers with many bags going to non-central destinations.
Option 1 — Narita Express (N'EX)
The Narita Express is JR East's dedicated airport train, running from Narita Airport's Terminal 1, 2, and 3 stations directly to Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and Yokohama without transfers. Reserved seating, luggage racks at the end of each car, and English announcements make it the most comfortable train option from Narita.
Journey times: 53 minutes to Tokyo Station, 80 minutes to Shinjuku, 90 minutes to Ikebukuro. Trains depart roughly every 30 minutes.
Price: ¥3,070 to Tokyo Station. ¥3,250 to Shibuya, Shinjuku. ¥4,070 to Yokohama. Covered by JR Pass (show your pass at the Narita Express counter to get a reserved seat ticket at no additional charge).
Tickets: IC cards (Suica/Pasmo) cover the base fare on the N'EX but not the limited express surcharge or seat reservation — you must purchase a separate limited express ticket from a vending machine or the JR East counter before boarding (or from the conductor on board). The simplest approach for most visitors is to buy the complete N'EX ticket (base fare + limited express surcharge bundled) at the JR counter, or use the N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket described below. JR Pass holders get both the base fare and limited express surcharge covered — show your pass at the counter to receive a reserved seat ticket at no additional charge.
Best for: travelers staying near Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Ikebukuro. JR Pass holders get it effectively for free. The most straightforward single-train option to central Tokyo for most first-time visitors.
Tourist discount ticket: the N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket (¥5,000 for a Tokyo round trip, available to foreign passport holders only) offers the best value if you plan to take the N'EX in both directions. Buy at the JR East Travel Service Center at the airport with your passport.
Option 2 — Keisei Skyliner (fastest to Ueno)
The Keisei Skyliner is Japan's fastest airport train service, reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h and arriving at Nippori Station (connections to the JR Yamanote Line) in 36 minutes and Ueno Station in 41 minutes from Narita. No JR Pass coverage — Keisei is a private railway.
Journey time: 36 minutes to Nippori, 41 minutes to Ueno. Trains depart every 20–40 minutes.
Price: ¥2,570 to either Ueno or Nippori. Buy at the Keisei ticketing counter or vending machines in the arrivals hall.
Best for: travelers staying in the Ueno, Asakusa, or Akihabara area (eastern Tokyo), or anyone who needs the fastest possible journey and is connecting at Ueno/Nippori to the Yamanote Line northward. It's also the best option for travelers heading onward to Asakusa — the Toei Asakusa Line connects from Ueno for direct service.
Limitation: only goes to Ueno and Nippori, not to western Tokyo destinations like Shinjuku or Shibuya. For western Tokyo, the N'EX is the better direct option.
Option 3 — Keisei Access Express or Limited Express (budget option)
The Keisei standard services (Limited Express, Access Express) use the same Keisei Line tracks but are slower and stop at more stations, taking approximately 75 minutes to Ueno. The fare is ¥1,270 — about half the Skyliner price for the same destination, but with a longer journey and no reserved seating.
The Access Express runs via the Toei Asakusa Line and stops at Asakusa, Nihonbashi, and Higashi-Ginza — useful if those are your actual destinations, as you avoid a transfer entirely. Worth considering for budget travelers comfortable with a slower, more local-feeling journey.
Option 4 — Airport Limousine Bus
The Airport Limousine Bus runs from Narita directly to dozens of hotels and major stations across Tokyo — Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Tokyo Station, and several hotel clusters. The main advantage over trains: direct hotel drop-off with luggage in the undercarriage, no transfers, no platform stairs.
Journey time: 60 to 120 minutes depending on destination and traffic. The expressway between Narita and Tokyo is subject to significant congestion, particularly during evening rush hours — the bus can take up to 2 hours in bad traffic what the train covers in 53 minutes.
Price: ¥2,900–3,200 per person depending on destination.
Tickets: buy at the Airport Limousine Bus counter in the arrivals hall. Check which hotel or area is served by which bus route — not every bus serves every destination.
Best for: travelers with heavy luggage staying at a hotel directly on a bus route, or travelers who find the train system unfamiliar enough that the simplicity of a bus outweighs the time difference. Not recommended as a time-efficient option during rush hours.
Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro: Narita Express (N'EX) — direct, reserved seat, no transfer
Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara: Keisei Skyliner to Ueno/Nippori — fastest option, 36–41 min
Ginza, Nihonbashi, Asakusa (on a budget): Keisei Access Express — slower but ¥1,270 only, no transfer
Direct hotel drop-off anywhere in Tokyo: Airport Limousine Bus — more time, less logistical effort
JR Pass holders: N'EX is free with Pass — use reserved seat ticket from JR counter
Narita vs Haneda — why it matters for planning
Many first-time Japan visitors don't realize they may have a choice between Narita and Haneda when booking flights — both serve Tokyo, and the airport you fly into significantly affects your arrival logistics. Haneda is 14 kilometers from central Tokyo; Narita is 60 kilometers. If your flight options include both airports at similar prices, Haneda is almost always the more convenient choice — lower transit costs, shorter journey time, simpler arrival logistics. If flying into Narita is significantly cheaper or is the only option for your route, the N'EX or Keisei Skyliner manage the distance well.
Last train times from Narita
Last Narita Express departure from Narita Terminal 1: approximately 9:30–9:50 PM
Last Keisei Skyliner from Narita: approximately 10:00 PM
Last Keisei Limited Express: approximately 11:00–11:30 PM
Airport Limousine Bus: some routes continue until 11 PM or later — check at the bus counter
After last trains: taxi (¥20,000–30,000+ to central Tokyo) or a hotel near the airport. Late-arriving international flights at Narita frequently leave passengers without train options — factor this in when booking late-evening arrivals.
Planning your first Japan trip? Browse all guides at The Travel Cartographer Japan Travel Guide.
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