# What to do on a Tokyo Haneda layover

The Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho, a walk from Tokyo Tower, in 13 minutes, and Keikyu trains run straight through to Shimbashi, Asakusa and Yokohama. No free transit tour runs from Haneda, so these plans are on your own, each timed from landing to being back at the airport.

- Web page: https://hanedalayover.com/itineraries/
- Guide: [Haneda Layover](https://hanedalayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), part of City Layover
- Updated 10 November 2026; facts checked 8 November 2026

## How much of Tokyo can you see on a Tokyo Haneda layover?

With 5.5 hours, ride the Monorail to Hamamatsucho for the view from Tokyo Tower, or walk in Hama-rikyu Gardens by the bay. With 6 hours, see Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa, or the free Imperial Palace East Gardens, closed on Mondays and Fridays. With 6.5, ride to Yokohama for the Cupnoodles Museum, closed on Tuesdays. Be back at Haneda 90 minutes before departure.

## At a glance

- **Tokyo Tower**: ¥1,500, Main Deck 9am to 11pm
- **Hama-rikyu Gardens**: ¥300, 9am to 5pm, last entry 4:30pm
- **Imperial Palace East Gardens**: Free, 9am to 4pm Nov to Feb; closed Mon and Fri
- **Senso-ji**: Free, about 35 min by direct train
- **Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama**: ¥500, 10am to 6pm, closed Tue
- **Transit tours**: No free tour; private tours only

Every plan below starts and ends at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), at Terminal 3, where most international flights arrive. The timings build in about an hour to get from the aircraft to the platform, a few minutes' wait for each train, and a return to the terminal 90 minutes before you fly. Check your passport lets you through the border first: [visa and transit rules](https://hanedalayover.com/visa-and-transit/).

Then check the day. The Imperial Palace East Gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays and the Cupnoodles Museum on Tuesdays; many sights close from 29 December to 3 January. The walks from the stations are this guide's allowances, except where a sight publishes its own.

## 5.5 to 6 hours: Tokyo Tower or Hama-rikyu Gardens

At 5.5 hours you'll have about 2 hours in town; the Hama-rikyu plan, a longer ride, leaves about 20 minutes less.

### Tokyo Tower from Hamamatsucho

The quickest plan in this guide: Tokyo's red-and-white broadcasting tower, 13 minutes from the airport by Monorail and open until 11pm, so it works for a late landing too.

1. Take the Tokyo Monorail from Terminal 3 to **Hamamatsucho**, the end of the line: 13 minutes, with a train about every 5 minutes.
2. Walk about 15 minutes west to **Tokyo Tower**, past **Zojo-ji**, the big temple at its foot, whose main hall frames the tower.
3. Ride up to the **Main Deck**, 150 metres up, and allow about an hour for the view. Then walk back to Hamamatsucho.

**Opening hours.** The Main Deck is open from 9am to 11pm, last admission 10:30pm. So a landing as late as about 8pm still gives you an hour at the top.

**Tickets.** Main Deck ¥1,500 for adults, ¥1,200 for high school students, ¥900 for primary and junior high school pupils and ¥600 from age 4. The Top Deck Tour, up to 250 metres, costs ¥3,300 online or ¥3,500 at the counter, last tour 10:15pm.

**Leave by.** Leave Hamamatsucho 2 hours 10 minutes before departure.

### Hama-rikyu Gardens by Keikyu

A garden of ponds and pines on Tokyo Bay, once a shogun's retreat, with a teahouse on an island in its seawater pond. Flat, quiet and a good change of pace after a long flight.

1. Take a Keikyu train from Terminal 3 bound for the Asakusa Line, and ride straight through to **Shimbashi**: about 21 minutes.
2. Walk about 10 minutes to **Hama-rikyu Gardens**. Allow about 75 minutes inside, around the pond to the **Nakajima teahouse** and along the waterfront.
3. Walk back to Shimbashi.

**Opening hours.** 9am to 5pm, last entry 4:30pm, every day except 29 December to 1 January. So land by about 1:45pm to have an hour and a quarter inside.

**Tickets.** ¥300; ¥150 for over-65s, and free for primary school age and younger.

**Leave by.** Leave Shimbashi 2 hours 20 minutes before departure.

## 6 to 8 hours: Asakusa, the East Gardens or Yokohama

With 6 hours you'll have about 2.5 hours in town, and with 8 about 4.5, on the Monorail; the Asakusa and Yokohama plans, on longer rides, leave up to an hour less.

### Senso-ji and Nakamise, Asakusa

Tokyo's oldest temple, reached through the giant red lantern of Kaminarimon and a street of stalls. The classic first look at old Tokyo, and one direct train from the airport.

1. Take a Keikyu train from Terminal 3 bound for the Asakusa Line and ride straight through to **Asakusa**: about 34 minutes. Check the platform display: not every train runs through.
2. Walk to **Kaminarimon**, the Thunder Gate, then up **Nakamise Street**, lined with snack and souvenir stalls, to the main hall of **Senso-ji** and its five-storey pagoda.
3. Allow about 90 minutes for the temple and the street, then walk back to Asakusa station.

**Tickets.** Senso-ji is free. Go by day, when the Nakamise stalls are trading.

**Busy days.** From 1 to 7 January the temple holds its New Year prayers, and the crowds are at their biggest.

**Leave by.** Leave Asakusa station 2 hours 30 minutes before departure. On a weekday the last direct train to the airport leaves at 10:41pm; after that, take any Asakusa Line train south to Daimon, beside Hamamatsucho, and the Monorail.

### The Imperial Palace East Gardens

The grounds of the old Edo Castle, beside Tokyo Station: wide lawns, stone walls and the base of the castle keep. Free, and a calm walk in the middle of the city.

1. Take the Tokyo Monorail to **Hamamatsucho**, then a JR Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line train to **Tokyo Station**: about 30 minutes in all.
2. Walk about 10 minutes from the Marunouchi side of the station to the gardens' gate.
3. Allow about 90 minutes in the **East Gardens**, then walk back to Tokyo Station.

**Pick your day.** Closed every Monday and Friday, unless a national holiday falls on one (except 23 February), and from 28 December to 3 January. It can also close for Court events.

**Opening hours.** From 9am. It closes at 4pm from November to February (last entry 3:30pm), 4:30pm in October, 5pm from 1 March to 14 April and in September, and 6pm from 15 April to the end of August. On a winter afternoon, land by about 12:30pm to have 90 minutes inside.

**Bags.** Bags are inspected at the entrance, and big ones are better left in a station locker or at the airport.

**Leave by.** Leave Tokyo Station 2 hours 20 minutes before departure.

### Yokohama and the Cupnoodles Museum

Japan's second city, on the harbour 25 minutes from the airport by Keikyu, and a museum of instant noodles that children enjoy. The direct train runs south from the airport, away from central Tokyo.

1. Take a Keikyu train from Terminal 3 to **Yokohama**: about 25 minutes. Trains for Yokohama leave in the other direction from those for central Tokyo, so check the platform display.
2. Change to the Minatomirai Line to **Minatomirai**, then walk 8 minutes to the **Cupnoodles Museum**, by the harbour. Allow about 90 minutes inside.
3. Walk back to Minatomirai and return to Yokohama.

**Pick your day.** Closed on Tuesdays (or the next day when a holiday falls on a Tuesday), over the New Year, and on 23 November 2026.

**Opening hours.** 10am to 6pm, last entry 5pm.

**Tickets.** ¥500 for adults; free for high school age and younger.

**Leave by.** Leave Yokohama station 2 hours 35 minutes before departure. At weekends and on holidays the last direct train to the airport leaves at 9:40pm.

## Tours from the airport

No free transit tour runs from Haneda. What you can book is a private tour: Viator lists layover tours of Tokyo with a guide who meets you at the airport.

A private tour suits a first visit if you'd rather not work out the trains, or you're travelling with children. Add about 2.5 hours to the tour's length for the layover you need: an hour to get through immigration and 90 minutes back at the airport before your flight. So a 4-hour tour from the airport needs about a 6.5-hour layover. Before you book, check where it starts and ends, and that it brings you back to Terminal 3.

## Overnight: rest at the airport, then Hama-rikyu Gardens

Landing at night, rest at the airport, then reach Hama-rikyu Gardens as it opens.

### A night at the airport, then Hama-rikyu Gardens

1. Rest at the airport: past security in the Transit hotel if you're changing planes at Terminal 3, or after immigration in the hot spring or a landside hotel (see below).
2. The last trains into town leave Terminal 3 at about 12:10am, and none run again until 5am. The first Monorail leaves Terminal 3 at 5:09am and the first Keikyu train at 5:26am, so there's no rush: aim to reach Shimbashi by 9am.
3. Walk 10 minutes to **Hama-rikyu Gardens**, open from 9am, and allow about 75 minutes inside. Then go back to Shimbashi.

**Earliest flight.** In the gardens from 9am and back at Shimbashi by about 10:35am, you're at the airport by about 11:25am and can fly from about 1pm. Not from 29 December to 1 January, when the gardens are closed: go to Tokyo Tower instead, open from 9am every day.

## 24 hours

With a whole day, take two plans: Senso-ji or Hama-rikyu Gardens in the morning, then Tokyo Tower in the evening, open until 11pm, and the Monorail back from Hamamatsucho, 15 minutes' walk away. Or spend the afternoon in Yokohama and come back for the tower after dark. Leave bags at Terminal 3's baggage counters, open 24 hours, rather than carry them all day. If you're flying ANA from Europe, its TOKYO+ fares include a stopover in Tokyo on the same ticket.

## Rest at the airport

If you're changing planes at Terminal 3, the Transit hotel is the only bed past security. After immigration you have more choice: a 24-hour hot spring, shower rooms and hotels at each terminal.

### Royal Park Transit hotel, airside at Terminal 3

The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Haneda Transit is in Terminal 3's departure area, past security, near gate 114. Rooms are sold on 6-hour and 12-hour plans, only on the hotel's own website, which shows the price when you book. The refresh room, with a shower, a sofa and a TV but no bed, costs ¥5,000 for the first hour and ¥3,000 for each extra hour, for one guest; book by phone on +81 3 6830 1111, or ask at the desk on the day. Check-in runs from 5am to 1am, and the desk is closed from 1am to 5am. Guests can use the hotel's lounge, with coffee and tea, from 7am to 11pm.

It's only for passengers who arrive at Terminal 3 and fly on from Terminal 3 without entering Japan, or who have passed departure immigration there. It isn't for a connection to Terminal 2 or to a domestic flight.

### Haneda Airport Garden hot spring

Izumi Tenku no Yu, the hot spring at Haneda Airport Garden, is connected to Terminal 3's arrivals hall, after immigration. It's open 24 hours, but the baths close from 10am to 12:30pm for cleaning. Adults pay ¥4,800 and children ¥2,000, with ¥4,000 more for adults between 1am and 5am; towels and loungewear are included. You need permission to enter Japan to use it.

### Landside hotels, showers and the observation deck

Each terminal has a hotel on its public side, after immigration: The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Haneda at Terminal 3, the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu at Terminal 2 and the First Cabin compact hotel at Terminal 1. Terminal 3's shower rooms, on the arrivals floor, are open 24 hours: ¥1,500 for 30 minutes, or ¥3,000 an hour for a refresh room with a reclining chair. For a free hour, the 5th-floor observation deck looks over the runways and is open 24 hours, weather permitting, and on the 4th floor Edo Koji is a street of shops and restaurants built in old Edo style.

## Tips that make a Tokyo layover easier

- **Ride the Monorail back.** It runs latest, until 11:59pm from Hamamatsucho, and has a train every few minutes.
- **Buy a travel card at the airport.** A Welcome Suica from the Monorail station or a Tourist PASMO from the Keikyu station pays for every train in these plans. Load ¥2,000: there's no refund.
- **Check which way the train goes.** At the Keikyu station, trains for central Tokyo and for Yokohama leave in opposite directions.
- **Mind the weekdays.** The East Gardens shut on Mondays and Fridays, and the Cupnoodles Museum on Tuesdays.
- **Watch the winter light.** From November to February the gardens close at 4pm and 5pm. Save Tokyo Tower for a late landing.
- **Know your terminal.** Terminal 3 is the first stop on the way back; if you fly from Terminal 2, stay on.

## Questions people ask

### What can I see in Tokyo on a 6-hour layover?

One sight, done properly. With 6 hours you'll have about 2.5 hours in town: enough for Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa, or the free Imperial Palace East Gardens (closed Mondays and Fridays). With 5.5 hours, Tokyo Tower, 13 minutes away by Monorail and a 15-minute walk, is the quickest.

### How long a layover do I need for a tour from Tokyo Haneda?

There's no free transit tour from Haneda, only private tours. Add about 2.5 hours to the tour's length: an hour to get through immigration and 90 minutes back at the airport before your flight. So a 4-hour tour that starts and ends at the airport needs about a 6.5-hour layover.

### Is the Imperial Palace East Gardens open on Fridays?

No. The East Gardens are closed every Monday and Friday, unless a national holiday falls on one (except 23 February), and from 28 December to 3 January. On a Friday, Hama-rikyu Gardens or Senso-ji are the nearest alternatives.

### Can I take children into Tokyo on a layover?

Yes. The Cupnoodles Museum in Yokohama is free for high school age and younger, and ¥500 for adults; Hama-rikyu Gardens is free for primary school age and younger; and Tokyo Tower's Main Deck costs ¥600 to ¥1,200 for children, by age. The Monorail is 13 minutes, the shortest ride into town.

### What can I do with my luggage while I see Tokyo?

Leave it at Terminal 3's baggage storage counters, on the arrivals floor and the departures floor, open 24 hours: ¥800 a day for a bag under 120 cm in total, ¥1,000 up to 199 cm and ¥2,000 for larger ones. The East Gardens inspect bags at the gate, so don't take a case there.

## Sources (checked 8 November 2026)

- [Tokyo Tower: fees and business hours (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://en.tokyotower.co.jp/fee/)
- [Tokyo Tower: access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://en.tokyotower.co.jp/access/)
- [Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Hama-rikyu Gardens, outline (hours and price, checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/teien/en/hama-rikyu/outline.html)
- [Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Hama-rikyu Gardens, access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/teien/en/hama-rikyu/access.html)
- [Imperial Household Agency: Imperial Palace East Gardens (opening times checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.kunaicho.go.jp/en/visit/event/higashigyoen/)
- [Senso-ji: official English site](https://www.senso-ji.jp/english/)
- [Zojo-ji: official English site](https://www.zojoji.or.jp/en/)
- [Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama: admission (hours and prices, checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/en/yokohama/guide/admission/)
- [Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama: access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/en/yokohama/guide/access/)
- [Tokyo Monorail: Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/)
- [Tokyo Monorail: fares from Monorail Hamamatsucho (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/guidance/pdf/fare_hamamatucho.pdf)
- [Tokyo Monorail: timetables, Terminal 3 and Hamamatsucho (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://train-cloud.navitime.biz/en/tokyo-monorail/railroads/timetables?station=00009590&directional-railroad=00000783-up)
- [Keikyu: timetable from Haneda Airport Terminal 3, ride times, revised 13 Dec 2025 (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://norikae.keikyu.co.jp/transit/norikae/T5?dw=0&slCode=253-6&d=1)
- [Keikyu: fares from Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/ticket/pdf/KK16.pdf)
- [Keikyu: Yokohama station timetable towards Haneda and Sengakuji (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://norikae.keikyu.co.jp/transit/norikae/T5?USR=PC&dw=0&slCode=250-25&d=1)
- [Toei Subway: Shimbashi timetable towards Haneda Airport, weekdays (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/timetable/asakusa/A10SD.html)
- [Toei Subway: Shimbashi timetable towards Haneda Airport, weekends and holidays (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/timetable/asakusa/A10SH.html)
- [Toei Subway: Asakusa timetable towards Haneda Airport, weekdays (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/timetable/asakusa/A18SD.html)
- [Toei Subway: Asakusa timetable towards Haneda Airport, weekends and holidays (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/timetable/asakusa/A18SH.html)
- [Haneda Airport: train and monorail access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/access/train/index.html)
- [Royal Park Hotels: The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Haneda Transit (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.royalparkhotels.co.jp/en/the/tokyohaneda/transit/)
- [Haneda Airport Garden: hot spring user guide (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.shopping-sumitomo-rd.com/eng/haneda/spa-izumi/userguide.html)
- [Haneda Airport: hotels and facilities (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/facilities/)
- [Haneda Airport: shower rooms (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/facilities/shower_room.html)
- [Haneda Airport: baggage storage (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/facilities/baggage_checkroom.html)
- [Haneda Airport: observation decks (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/facilities/observation_deck.html)
- [ANA: TOKYO+ free Tokyo stopover (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/it/plan-book/promotions/japan-domestic-promotion/)