How to get from Haneda Airport to Tokyo City Center

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We arrived in Tokyo through Haneda Airport, (Haneda Kūkō, HND), also known as Tokyo International Airport. Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, Haneda Airport is preferably used for domestic flights but, after the construction of the new international terminal, the number of international flights has increased greatly.

In our family trip, we came from Bangkok and, arriving through this airport turned out to be very convenient for our family, as it is relatively close to the city center, less than 25 km and easily accessible.

Our main concern was that due to our flight arriving in the evening (10.30pm), we were afraid we might miss out on using the Monorail to get out of the airport as the latter train part at 00.10am and we feared that due to some delay in the flight, or due to a longer delay to pass through customs, we could miss this alternative of travel.

 However, everything went well for our family. The plain was exactly on time and, the customs were fast, has so many things in Tokyo. After our travel experience, we would like to leave our analysis and tips of the different possibilities to get to the city center from Haneda airport and, of course, our choice and the reasons for it, with the hope that our tips may help you to plan your trip to Tokyo.

Tokyo Monorail

This was our family's choice and, fortunately, everything went according to our plans like we said previously. We managed to get through the customs and get Monorail before the last departure, which is at 00h10 (the first is at 05:12).

We can not talk about the Monorail without mentioning a very important issue for those arriving in Tokyo, which is the JR Yamanote Line. And the importance of that reason is related to the fact that Tokyo is not a city with a Center, unlike many that we can meet, but rather have several centers. And the JR Yamanote Line is a circular line that runs through the different centers so that its route delimits the great center of Tokyo.


 So, although the monorail does not take you to the city center, it takes you to Hamamatsucho station, which belongs to the JR Yamanote Line, and then you can pick up the train to your final destination, just like we did.


The journey to Hamamatsucho Station takes about 15 minutes and then we take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda station near our hotel. In our case, we got in the opposite direction of the clock, because it was the one that most quickly led to our destination.

How to get Monorail?

Finding the right path for Monorail is easy, just follow the arrow that points to the left after going through customs, which is conveniently written in English.

How to buy the ticket

We advise you to carry out a previous search of the station closest to your destination. It is also possible to check the price of the trips (in our case up to Kanda, cost 650 yen per adult and 330 per child). Next to the ticket machines, you will see the main stations of destination and the respective costs for both children and adults (children from 6 to 12, less than 6 do not pay). Since all the stations we pass had wifi, we use google maps to help us to buy the tickets, it says the exact amount you should pay, and the exit you should use. Take a look at our post about the best free apps to use in your trip to Tokyo, for sure they will be of great help to you. 

 If you do not take yens with you when you land, we advise you, when going through customs, to use one of the companies that exchange money or to pick up at one of the several ATMs available. The reason you will need the money is that when you buy the tickets, you must do it with money because the Ticket Machines do not accept credit card. As mentioned, you can buy the tickets in the various Ticket Machines that exist in the various terminals.

 Let us explain how you can buy your tickets: In the right upper corner of the screen of the Ticket Machines, you will see the option English, click there, then the whole process is easy and intuitive. In our case, we chose the JR Yamanote option, because our destination obliged to use these two means of transport.

The ticket is combined, so only one ticket allows you the use both means of transport.

If you have the Japan Rail Pass, JR Tokyo Wide Pass, JR East Nagano Niigata Area Pass, JR East Tohoku Area Pass and JR East South Hokkaido Pass, you can use it to make your trip. You can see here the detailed description of how to buy your ticket in the ticket machines.

Keikyu Line

This is also a great option for those who want to get out of the airport and head for the city center. Although our choice was to use Monorail, the decision was only to think that it is the fastest way to get to our hotel and, in making its decision, should be the main criterion to take into account, your final destination, since both modes of transport work very well and direct you to the JR Yamanote line, only at different stations.


 Also, the tickets machines have a very convenient English mode and, next to them you find the different destinations and prices, there is nothing to cheat. Do not forget that you will not be able to use your credit card and you will need money to buy your tickets.

To get to Keikyu Line, simply follow the signs in English and, unlike the Monorail that will be to your left, the Keiku Line exit is to your right.


 Keikyu Railways takes you to Tokyo's Shinagawa Station (JR Yamanote) on a journey of about 15 minutes, but also to the Asakusa Metro Line in Yokohama and Kanagawa Prefecture, and can also connect you to Narita Airport.

In relation to this line, the first train departs at 5:29, and the last at 0:01. And, do not worry if you lose your train, as like in the monorail, if you lose one train, after a few minutes you can catch the following. And, they are safe, clean and fast.

 We only went on monorail but, from many opinions, the ride is more pretty using the monorail, so that may be a factor to consider when making your choice. But both options are, for sure, great.

Limousine Bus

Contrary to what the name might lead one to think, we are not talking about a limousine. It is a bus service that will take you to your destination on a journey that can take you to your destination in about 30 minutes to more than one hour (depending on destination, traffic). And the price varies from 620 to 2000 yen, also depending on your destination and time you do the trip, at night is more expensive.


Buying the ticket is easy. Once you reach the arrival lobby, you will find the ticket counter on your left. You do not need to make any reservation in advance. In addition to the possibility of buying your ticket, you will see in the various screens the bus schedules and the different destinations, so you only have to buy the ticket to the destination that suits you and you have the added advantage of not having to make any transfer, in case the bus passes near its final destination.

You can buy the ticket at ticket machines, but also in the ticket office, which may be the best option if you are not sure of the best option to take to reach your destination. The workers talk English and for sure they will be of great help.

 To reach the terminal of the Limousine Bus is a short walk of fewer than 5 minutes, always following the indications present along the entire route. The great of the advantage of the Limousine Bus over the train and that was one of the reasons why we studied this option, which is that of their extended hours when compared to the train. They operate from around 4:30 am until 2:00 p.m., and it may be the best option to arrive at your final destination if you miss the last train shortly after 00:00.


Taxi and Uber

These are two of the best-known ways to get to the city center. They have the advantage of being extremely comfortable and take more than one passenger. It will leave you at the door of your destination, which is great but, they are also an expensive option, a very expensive option.

In relation to Taxi costs, and depending on your destination, it may be around 9500 JPI to travel to the city center (2018 prices), with the possibility of a night surcharge (usually between 10pm and 5am) of about 20% of the value of the trip. Taxis in Tokyo are reputed to be safe, and there is no big risk of being tricked into paying more, as in other destinations.


 The trip in Uber is slightly cheaper, and you can save around 1000 JPI on your trip. Both alternatives are comfortable, safe but with the inconvenience of the price being much higher than the alternatives.

Final decision

Our final decision, as we mentioned at the start of our post, fell on the monorail trip. The reasons ware financial but also for being fast access to our destination. Of course, the decision taken by each traveler will have to take into account several factors, but we assure that it is an airport with good access to downtown, all of them safe and efficient.

We always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and its with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals in the city of Tokyo clicking here, it won't cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

 We would also like to invite you to leave your opinion and questions and, in the case you want to discover more about Tokyo, we invite you to check our Itinerary for 4 days in the great city. Come back often to our Non Stop family Travel Blog and, if you enjoyed this article, don't forget to share it with your friends.

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