Discover how to travel from Narita or Haneda Airport to central Tokyo with ease and start your Japan adventure on the right note. Fortunately, the Tokyo area has a well-established urban rail network, which significantly eases the burden of traveling with heavy luggage. This guide covers airport transportation, accommodation recommendations, and a flexible arrival-day itinerary featuring Shibuya Crossing, shopping, and local dining — giving first-time visitors a smooth introduction to Tokyo.
Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to spend your first evening exploring Shibuya after checking in to your hotel, or simply rest early in preparation for the next day. It's a gentle way to ease into the trip without over-scheduling, especially when jet lag and heavy luggage are still very much a factor.
Arrival: Narita or Haneda to hotel (Gotanda)
After landing at Narita or Haneda Airport, the first order of business is practical: picking up an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) for the rest of the trip before heading into the city. From Narita or Haneda airport, it takes about 50 minutes or 20 minutes respectively to reach the heart of the Tokyo rail network — the JR Yamanote Line. This line can carry you to most of the famous spots in Tokyo, and therefore we recommend travelers visiting Tokyo for the first time stay at hotels near the JR Yamanote Line.
- Narita Airport Arrival: Keisei Narita Sky Access Line to Nippori, then the JR Yamanote Line to the hotel at Gotanda (80 min).
- Haneda Airport Arrival: Keikyu Airport Line to Shinagawa, then the JR Yamanote Line to the hotel at Gotanda (40 min).
Since the Narita route takes about twice as long as the Haneda route, use your own flight's actual landing time — not the sample times in the Time-Block Itinerary below — to judge how much daylight you'll have left. A Haneda landing generally leaves more time and energy for the Shibuya evening than a Narita landing at the same clock time would, simply because there's less travel in between.
Where to Stay (in Tokyo Area)
Really, choosing where to stay comes down to transit access to the sights you want to visit — this itinerary uses Gotanda as one example. Gotanda is convenient for reaching both the east and west sides of Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, Asakusa, and more), and it's relatively affordable. If your budget allows for something more upscale, the area around Tokyo Station and Ginza also has plenty of comfortable, higher-end options. Vacation Rental is another option to consider if your family wants to stay together or cook for yourselves.
After a long flight, this is a good moment to drop the luggage, freshen up, and rest for an hour before heading back out — there's no need to rush straight into sightseeing on a travel day.
Check-in at hotels opens at 15:00. If you arrive early, you may entrust luggage at hotel counter before Check-in.
Evening: Shibuya Streets
By around 16:00, head from Gotanda over to Shibuya for a first taste of central Tokyo. Since this is the first evening of the trip, it's fine to keep the pace relaxed — window shopping, people-watching at the famous scramble crossing, and getting a feel for the city before the busier days ahead.
Here are a few spots worth checking out:
- Shibuya Crossing, northwest of the station
- Hachiko statue outside the station
- Shops at Shibuya PARCO
- Loft, for stationery and homeware
- MEGA Don Quijote, for cheap snacks and souvenirs
- Shibuya Hikarie, with retail shops up to the 11th floor
Shibuya Sky observation deck needs a reservation. The tickets, especially early morning and evening, sell fast. Reserving tickets at least 3 days before your visit is recommended.
Dinner
If you're still wondering where to have dinner, head north from Shibuya Station to Shibuya Yokocho, a vibrant food street just three minutes away on foot. Home to nine restaurants, it offers a culinary journey across Japan, featuring regional dishes from Hokkaido to Okinawa, along with specialty seafood and meat restaurants, Korean eateries, bars, and nostalgic cafés.
For a memorable first dinner in Tokyo, I recommend Tsukada Farm Shibuya Miyamasuzaka. This popular Miyazaki-style izakaya is renowned for its premium free-range chicken and welcoming atmosphere, making it an ideal place to experience casual Japanese dining.
Before you go: Arrival days run on airport time and jet lag, not the clock — treat the Shibuya evening as optional and flexible rather than a fixed plan, and don't hesitate to cut it short if the flight was a long one.
Time-Block Itinerary
Start: Narita Airport Terminal 1 or Haneda Airport Terminal 3
End: Mitsui Garden Hotel Gotanda
| Time | Stop | Line | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Narita Airport Arrival | — | — |
| 13:10 | Depart Narita Airport T1 → Nippori | Keisei Narita Sky Access Line | ~45–50 min by train |
| 14:05 | Arrive Nippori, transfer | JR Yamanote Line | Outer loop toward Gotanda |
| ~14:40 | Arrive Gotanda | — | IC card top-up if needed |
| 15:00 | Mitsui Garden Hotel Gotanda | — | Check-in, short rest |
| — | Haneda Airport Arrival | — | — |
| 14:05 | Depart Haneda Airport T3 → Shinagawa | Keikyu Airport Line | ~15–20 min by train (a "Kaitoku"/Limited Express train is fastest, but any train on this line works) |
| 14:30 | Arrive Shinagawa, transfer | JR Yamanote Line | Outer loop toward Gotanda |
| ~14:45 | Arrive Gotanda | — | IC card top-up if needed |
| 15:00 | Mitsui Garden Hotel Gotanda | — | Check-in, short rest |
| — | Shibuya evening | — | optional and flexible |
| 16:00 | Depart Gotanda → Shibuya | JR Yamanote Line | ~10 min by train |
| 16:15 | Shibuya streets | — | Hachiko statue, PARCO, Loft, Don Quijote, Hikarie |
| 18:00 | Dinner | — | Tsukada Farm, Miyamasuzaka branch |
| 20:00 | Depart Shibuya → Gotanda | JR Yamanote Line | ~10 min by train |
| ~20:30 | Buy breakfast for tomorrow | — | Tokyu Store, near the hotel |
| ~21:00 | Mitsui Garden Hotel Gotanda | — | End of day |
Transport Notes
- The Keisei Skyliner is a paid limited express that connects Keisei-Ueno/Nippori and Narita Airport in as fast as 36 minutes, if you'd rather skip the Sky Access Line's local-style route for a faster (but pricier) ride.
- The Keikyu Airport Line runs direct from Haneda Terminal 3 to Shinagawa, where it's a simple same-station transfer onto the JR Yamanote Line.
- Gotanda, Shinagawa, Nippori, and Shibuya are all on the JR Yamanote Line, so no further transfers are needed for the rest of the day.
- Consider buying or topping up an IC card at the airport before leaving — it will be used for every train ride on this trip.
- Luggage will still be in hand before arriving at the hotel, so allow extra time at ticket gates and on escalators/elevators versus a normal travel day.
Cost and Ticket Notes
- The Keisei Skyliner is an all-reserved-seat paid limited express, so you need a limited express ticket in addition to the base fare. Skyliner tickets can be bought from Keisei line ticket machines at Narita Airport Station or Airport Terminal 2 Station, at the Skyliner ticket counter, or through Keisei's official ticketless service.
- IC card is the easiest way to pay for the ordinary Sky Access/Keikyu/Yamanote legs used in the Time-Block Itinerary above.
- Budget for: the Keikyu + Yamanote train fares from the airport, a casual izakaya dinner at Tsukada Farm, and any small purchases made while wandering Shibuya.
This day pairs well with:
- Tokyo - Shrines, Skylines & Gardens — the day after, also based at the same Gotanda hotel, covering Meiji Shrine, Ikebukuro, and Shinjuku Gyoen