How To Get From Haneda Airport To Shinjuku

About
Latest Posts

Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

Haneda to Shinjuku at a Glance

The Cheapest Option: Metro via Daimon

The Easiest Option: Airport Limousine Bus, Private Car or Taxi

Best with Lots of Luggage: Airport Limousine Bus, Private Car or Taxi

Best for Early or Late Arrivals: Metro, Private Car or Taxi

Best for Families: Limousine Bus or Private Car

The Quickest Option: Taxi

To find out where to pick all of these up and the relevant costs, keep reading.

How to Take the Metro

The cheapest way to get from Haneda Airport to Shinjuku is to take the metro. If you type this into the map, though, you’ll be presented with a few different options, so which should you take? If you were traveling with me, it would be this one.

Take the Keikyu Airport Line Express to Daimon. Then, change trains and take the Toei Oedo Line to Shinjuku Station.

The journey takes 59 minutes and costs ¥650.

Train pulls into the platform at Haneda Airport station. Above it a sign reads for Shinagawa, Higashi-Ginza, Asakusa.

I’d pick this route because Daimon station is small and easy to navigate (it’s also the area I stay in when I’m in Tokyo), and it avoids using the Yamanote Line. This is always talked about as a great transport route as it connects lots of different places, but it can also be incredibly busy so it’s not necessarily something you want to deal with with luggage, jetlag or a mild case of flight fatigue!

The first train from Haneda Airport to Shinjuku leaves at 5:23 am. Trains operate approximately every 10 minutes until the last train departs at 11:38 pm. You can buy Metro tickets from ticket machines or ticket offices at the airport, or, if you have an iPhone, you can load a digital travel card onto your phone and breeze through the gates without queueing.

Get the instructions for setting that up here.

What Does ‘Stay On The Train’ Mean?

If you put this journey into Google Maps or the Navitime planner, you’ll see the name of the line change halfway through the journey; don’t panic. If it says ‘stay on the train’, you don’t need to change trains.

In Japan, it’s common for train lines to swap names along their route, but as long as the instructions tell you to ‘stay on the train’, just stay put. You’ll keep going along the route as expected.

Getting on the Monorail

Another option for getting from Haneda Airport to Shinjuku is to take the Tokyo Monorail and Metro. This affordable route takes one hour and costs ¥730.

This option involves taking the Tokyo Monorail from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station. From there, change to the Yamanote Line, which will take you to Shinjuku Station.

View from the front car of the Tokyo Monorail. You can see Tokyo Tower in the distance.

The first Tokyo Monorail train from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho leaves Terminal 1 station at 5:13 am. It then departs the airport approximately every 10 minutes until the last train leaves at 00:04 am.

You can purchase tickets for the Monorail and Metro from the ticket machines at the Monorail station or use an IC Card, Tourist IC Card, or digital IC card.

The only reason to take this route over the first one is that you get to ride a monorail. It’s more expensive than the first one, and it uses the Yamanote Line, which can get busy. I would not try this route in rush hour.

Using The Limousine Bus

One of the easiest ways to get from Haneda Airport to Shinjuku is to take the Limousine Bus. The Limousine Bus is an airport transport service that provides fast and direct access from Haneda Airport and Central Tokyo. You could be in Shinjuku in as little as 55 minutes, depending on where you need to get off. Even if you must stay on until the last stop (the Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower), it’ll only add 13 minutes to your journey time.

You can catch the Limousine Bus from the arrival halls at Terminals 1, 2, and 3. You can also buy bus tickets from each Terminal’s information counters and ticket machines.

Tickets cost ¥1,400 for adults and ¥700 for children, and the bus stops at ten different locations in Shinjuku, including popular hotels like the Keio Plaza, Shinjuku Washington Hotel and Hotel Sunroute Shinjuku Plaza.

However, note that the first Limousine Bus to Shinjuku doesn’t leave Terminal 3 until 9.05 a.m., so if you’re on a very early flight, it’s not going to work for you. If you’re on a late flight, the last bus to depart Haneda Airport leaves Terminal 3 at 11:40 p.m. Check the full timetable here.

Booking a Private Car

Hiring a private car to pick you up at Haneda Airport and drive you directly to Shinjuku is the most convenient way to travel between the two places. It’s also the easiest and fastest option because you don’t have to wait for a train or a bus with all your luggage.

However, it’s also the most expensive choice.

Klook offers private car services from Haneda Airport to Shinjuku for small and large groups. Prices for this service range from around ¥12,480 to an astronomical ¥70,230 depending on the type of service you choose and the size of car you require.

This is a lot of money, but you’re paying for the convenience of door-to-door service. The journey from the Airport to the center of Shinjuku should only take 30 minutes (depending on traffic).

When taking a car from the airport, one thing to check is how they determine the pickup time. Some wait a set number of minutes after your flight lands, others ask you to choose a pickup time, and you then have, say, 30 minutes to get to them. Make sure you know which your company uses to ensure you don’t miss the driver or incur extra fees.

Need Extra Planning Help?

Our Japan trip planners can help. Choose from our 62-page Japan Super Planner, which includes tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing. Or, try a specific planner like Tokyo Tips, Kyoto Tips, or the Rail Pass Planner. Find them at our Etsy Store. Use code BLG25 at checkout to get 25 per cent discount.

Taking a Taxi

A more affordable way to travel into Shinjuku from Haneda Airport is by taxi. Taxis offer the same convenience as a private car but, from Haneda, can cost less. They’re a better option for solos or couples than a private car. Families with lots of luggage won’t fit into a normal taxi though so private car is better.

You can jump in a taxi from the arrival halls at Terminals 1, 2, and 3, but I recommend getting a taxi from Terminal 3 because the taxi companies there offer you the chance to use the ‘Flat-Rate Fare Taxi Service’ (see below).

These taxis are available 24/7 from the designated Terminal 3 stand. The fare from the airport to Shinjuku is set at ¥8,300. Between 10 pm and 5:00 am, a surcharge of ¥1,500 is added to the fare. See more about flat-rate taxis here.

The journey usually takes approximately 30 minutes in a taxi, but traffic can impact how long it takes.

So, that’s our guide to the easiest ways to get from Haneda to Shinjuku. Hopefully, it’s made your decision a bit easier.

Who Writes This Blog?

My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.

I’ve traveled to Japan five times before- solo and with my partner – and I’ve just returned from trip six in June 2023. So, everything here is pretty up to date.