Haneda vs. Narita: Which Japan Airport Should You Fly To?

Japan has four main international airports in Narita, Haneda, Osaka, and Nagoya. However, Narita and Haneda offer the most long-distance flights, such as to London or New York. There are a few other airports around the country that have international flights, but none for the very long-haul flights. Those airports focus mainly on flights to and from Korea and China.

So here we will focus on Haneda and Narita airports, as they have the widest range and are your best options for starting your Japan trip in Tokyo.

But how different are the two airports, really?

Haneda vs. Narita: Location and Basic Information

First up, let’s look at the difference in location. Although both airports will come up on flight search engines as TOK (Tokyo), only one is technically in Tokyo city, and that is Haneda. Narita Airport is actually in Tokyo’s neighbouring prefecture, Chiba.

However, Haneda is not in central Tokyo. And Tokyo is a big place! So, although it technically in the metropolis, it will still take a while to get to the centre, as we’ll see in a moment.

Regarding the other basic facility information, there is not a huge difference between the two. Both airports have some 24-hour areas, and some that are restricted. Both airports have three terminals. JAL and ANA, Japan’s two major airlines operate out of both airports. Narita Airport is largely considered the more popular international airport, and has slightly more shopping and restaurant options, but in recent years Haneda has not been far behind.

One of the main differences you might find is in what airline you can use. This may be the deciding factor for you, as airlines to one airport may go direct, or may be cheaper. If your flights are only cheaper by under 50 EUR though, you might want to consider how much it will cost you to travel from the airport into central Tokyo.

Haneda vs. Narita: Travelling into Tokyo

So how easy is it to travel into Tokyo from each airport? Well, you may have already guessed that for the most part, it’s going to be quicker to get into central Tokyo from Haneda, because it is actually in Tokyo.

However, both airports have a number of different ways that you can easily access central Tokyo depending on your budget and needs. They both have bus, train, monorail, car rental, and taxi options available.

Here are the approximate journey times into Tokyo from each airport. There are a lot of train and bus stations to choose from, with stations on the west side like Shinjuku being closer to Haneda, and stations in the east like Ueno being closer to Narita. But to make this list simpler, we’ll use Tokyo Station (somewhere in the middle) as a reference.

Approximate Times to Tokyo Station from Haneda Airport:
• Bus: 50 minutes
• Regular trains: 40 minutes
• Airport express train: 30 minutes
• Car or taxi: 25 minutes

Approximate Times to Tokyo Station from Narita Airport:
• Bus: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Regular trains: 54 minutes
• Airport express train: 57 minutes
• Car or taxi: 1 hour

As you can see, Haneda Airport is the clear winner in this sense.

But which mode of transport you choose will be largely decided by your budget. The buses are the cheapest option, and are dedicated “Airport Limousine Buses”, which are like tour buses or coaches, rather than regular local buses. They have trunk space for your luggage, meaning you don’t have to carry onto the trains. Local trains are cheaper than express trains, but you will have to change trains a few times, which may be tough with your luggage. The express trains are more expensive, but are spacious and comfortable, with a dedicated luggage space.

Getting a taxi is incredibly expensive, and in our opinion, an unnecessary expense when the public transport makes things so easy. If you don’t like the idea of changing trains or getting to your hotel by public transport though, you could get a train or bus to the centre, and then take a taxi to your hotel to avoid lugging your bags around.

We’ve mentioned the airport express trains, but there are actually two different ones for each airport. From Haneda there is the Keikyu Airport Line and Tokyo Monorail, and from Narita the Skyliner and Narita Express. The Narita Express is by far the fanciest and comfiest. They all go to different stations, so check which one is most convenient for you.

Common Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Once you’ve decided which airport to fly into, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when you arrive in Japan, or when you’re flying back home.

One of the easiest and most common mistakes is to end up at the wrong terminal on your return. Make sure to check which terminal you’re flying from, and then be on the look out for that stop when travelling to the airport by train or bus. For Haneda, international flights go from Terminal 2 or 3. From Narita, international flights go from Terminal 1 or 2. If you end up at the wrong terminal, there are easy shuttle buses at both airports to take you to the correct one. Find a help desk to ask where to board the terminal shuttle bus from.

Another mistake some travellers make is going to the wrong airport entirely! This is something you should try to avoid by all means, as the two airports are not close to each other at all. If you’ve arrived at the wrong airport and have 2-3 hours before your flight, your only option is to get a taxi to the other airport. It will be expensive, and you may risk getting stuck in traffic, but the train will take longer and you run a higher risk of making a wrong change in a panic. If you have more than 3 hours, you can probably use the airport express trains, and the Limousine buses even go between the two airports and take only an hour if traffic is good. If you only have an hour or two until your flight though, it’s best to call your airline!

I hope this has given you some good basic information about Haneda Airport and Narita Airport, and how different (or not so different) they are. In the end, the decision is probably mostly down to your budget! So if you want to save money while travelling around Japan, why not take a look at our blog post about the JR Rail Pass?