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The Airport Limousine Bus is one of the most convenient ways to get from Tokyo’s two airports to many destinations in Tokyo – and, very helpfully for tourists, it drops off at the door of hotels all over the city. Using the bus is easy, but finding all the information that helps you plan to do so in one place can be tricky. So, here’s what you need to know.
For starters, the Airport Limousine bus is not just one vehicle (or a limousine) – it’s a fleet of bright orange buses that travel from Tokyo’s main airports to locations all over Tokyo.
The benefits of using it are that you don’t have to carry your luggage on busy trains or up and down multiple sets of stairs as it just goes in the hold under the bus; you don’t have to navigate the train system when you’re tired and a bit jetlagged after your flight – and, if you’re lucky, you might even get dropped off at the front door of your hotel rather than having to walk from the station.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Where Does the Bus Go To?
From Narita Airport, you can take the bus to 15 different areas of Tokyo (a few areas it used to serve are still suspended after 2020), including popular tourist favourites like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, Ginza and Tokyo Disney Resort.
The same goes for Tokyo’s other airport, Haneda. The bus currently covers a whopping 36 different areas of Tokyo (again, a few services are still suspended from 2020), including most of the above destinations.
It stops at major transport hubs, such as big train or bus stations and individual hotels. You just choose the route that takes you to your hotel—or a stop close to it. You do not need to stay at the hotels where it stops to use the Limousine Bus from those hotels.
Also, always remember, you can use the bus to the area in which you’re saying and then take the train or a taxi from there to your hotel if you want to save some money.
Is it Always the Best Choice?
Not always—for starters, the buses don’t run all day. Suppose you’re coming in on a very early flight. In that case, you might have to wait until about 8 a.m. for the first bus to your destination (or even later for some routes). Many routes also stop in the early evening. If you land after about 4.30 pm, you’ll be unlikely to make the last bus to some destinations.
The list of stops below gives an idea of the current first and last bus times, but note that some routes have more regular service than others.
Also, check that the bus stops close to your hotel—this is pretty likely somewhere like Shinjuku, where it stops at many hotels around the area. However, if you’re going to say Asakusa, there is only one stop, and, depending where in Asakusa your hotel is, you might be better off choosing to take the direct train from the airport.
Some simple train routes might get you to your destination faster and just as easily as the bus. The Narita Express train runs to Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, and Shibuya from Narita, and depending on the timings it might get you to your hotel faster. It’s a very easy one-train journey from Haneda to Asakusa, for example, and because there’s a fast train from Narita to Ueno, there’s no bus service there at all.
Getting To Your Destination
One tricky thing about using the Limousine Bus is working out where it stops relative to where you’re staying, so this list of tourist-friendly stops might help.
Don’t just rely on the below, though; it doesn’t cover every area you might be staying in, and even in the areas listed below, the company can change routes and timings, so make sure you check the exact stops and timing on the website before you travel. You will do this if you’re going to book in advance anyway.
Stops in Asakusa
From Narita: The only stop in Asakusa itself is the Asakusa View Hotel.
The first bus leaves at 12:25 p.m., and the last one leaves at 5:45 p.m. It takes around 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach Asakusa.
From Haneda: Again, buses only stop at the Asakusa View Hotel. They run from 11.40 am to 6.45 pm. It takes about 80 minutes to get to Asakusa.
If those times don’t work for you, you can see the other options to reach Asakusa in our guide to getting there from Haneda or how to get there from Narita.
Akasaka
From Narita: The stops in Akasaka are The Okura, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, The Ritz Carlton, Tokyo Garden Terrace Kiochio, The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kiochio, Akasaka Misuke, The Capitol Hotel Tokyo, Hotel New Otani and ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo.
The first bus leaves at 8:45 a.m., and the last one leaves at 6:55 p.m. It takes two hours to reach the Akasaka area.
From Haneda: There isn’t currently a service from Haneda. Taxi is the simplest way to get here, but you can also do it by train.
Ginza via Hibaya/Ginza Route
From Narita: The bus stops at Imperial Hotel, Dai ichi Hotel, Courtyard Marriot Tokyo Ginza and the Mitsui Garden Ginza Premier.
The first bus starts at 9.15 am, and the last leaves at 8.35 pm. It takes around an hour and 55 minutes to reach the first hotel in the Ginza area.
From Haneda: There isn’t currently a service from Haneda. But there is an easy train service to Higashi-Ginza station.
Shibuya
From Narita: Stops at Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyo, Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel.
The first bus leaves at 9:10 a.m. and the last one at 7:40 p.m. It takes an hour and 45 minutes to reach the first Shibuya stop.
From Haneda: It stops at Shinjuku Station, Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel, and Mark City. The service starts at 5.45 a.m. and runs until 5.20 p.m. It takes about 50 minutes to reach the first stop in Shibuya.
Shinjuku Main Route
From Narita: The bus will visit the Hilton Tokyo, Keio Plaza Hotel, Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Shinjuku Washington Hotel, Hotel Sunroute Plaza and Shinjuku Century Southern Tower. It also stops at Shinjuku Bus Station and Shinjuku Station.
The buses on this route start at 7:05 a.m. and go on until 10:55 p.m. – but check the schedule as not all buses stop at all the stops, especially later in the evening. It takes about an hour and 40 minutes to get to the first stop in Shinjuku.
From Haneda: The same stops as above. The service starts at 6.15 a.m. and ends at 2.20 a.m. – but, again, check the route carefully, as not all hotels or terminals at the airport are served by every bus. It takes about 70 minutes to get to the Shinjuku area.
Shinjuku Kabukicho Route
From Narita: Stops at the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, home to Shinjuku Groove and the Pan Pacific Bellustar Tokyo. The Shinjuku Gracery is next door to this.
The first bus leaves at 8:40 a.m., and the last leaves at 7.30 p.m. It takes about two hours to reach Shinjuku.
From Haneda: Serves the same stops as the above. It runs from 9 am to 10 pm, and takes about 70 minutes.
Shin Uruyasu
From Narita: Stops at Shin Uruyasu Station, Mitsui Garden Hotel Prana Tokyo Bay (closest stop to Disney Celebration Hotel) and Hoshino Resort 1955 Tokyo Bay.
There are only two buses daily on this route, one at 12.00 pm and one at 5.20 pm. It takes 85 minutes to get to the first stop at Shin-Uruyasu Station.
From Haneda: Stops at Shin Uruyasu Station, Bayside Hotel Area (closest stop to Disney Celebration), Mitsui Garden Hotel Prana Tokyo Bay, The Town of Tides, Hirode Community Centre.
Runs from 8.35 am to 10.30 pm and takes about 65 minutes to get to the station.
If the timings don’t work for you, you could also check out our guide to getting to Disney Celebration Hotel. While you might not be staying exactly at this hotel, the big-picture elements of getting to this area remain the same.
Tokyo Disney Resort
From Narita: Stops at Disneyland, DisneySea, Disney Ambassador Hotel, DisneySea Hotel Miracosta, Disneyland Hotel, Maihama Hotel First Resort, Maihama Hotel, Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama, Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay, Tokyo Disney Resort Toy Story Hotel, Hilton Tokyo Bay and Fantasy Springs Hotel.
The first bus leaves at 7:50 a.m., and the last one departs at 6 p.m. It takes about 66 minutes to reach the first stop at Disneyland.
From Haneda: Serves the same stops as above.
It runs from 7.35 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., but check the schedule carefully, as not all buses go to all hotels; at some times of day, you might need to take the monorail to your hotel from another area of the Tokyo Disney Resort.
Also note that only a handful of buses a day depart from Terminal 3, the main international terminal, so, you may have to take airport transport to another terminal to catch the bus.
If you don’t have a flight that works with the buses, you can take a look at our guide at getting from Narita to Tokyo Disney Resort, or, check out our second guide which covers traveling to TDR from Haneda Airport.
If you’re staying in an area I haven’t covered above, check the other service areas and stops listed on the website.
How To Find The Latest Timetable
The easiest way to find all the current routes and timetables when you’re ready to travel is to go to the timetable page and find your destination. This is easy with the above list of the main tourist destinations. This will show you all the buses around the time of your flight. Find the timetable from both airports here.
How to Use the Bus
Okay, so now you know if you can catch the bus to your hotel, how do you get on it?
Well, you can either book a bus in advance – which you can do up to 5 minutes before departure, or just head to one of the bright orange ticket counters in the airport arrivals area and reserve your seat on the next service that has space.
Booking in Advance
Many people prefer to book the bus in advance so they don’t have to wait longer than necessary at the airport. You can book the bus in English on the Airport Limousine Bus website.
Head to the home page, and select your arrival airport – so Haneda or Narita – and, the option for ‘from the airport’, on the buttons. Click select.
It will then take you to a second page where you select your destination. This is where people can get confused as they don’t know what route they need. Hopefully, the above will have helped pin down where you’re going so you spot it easily on the list – but, if you’re going to Tokyo Disney Resort or Shin Uruyasu, it’s a bit hidden.
Instead of selecting from the displayed list, select the option that says The 23 Wards of Tokyo, then select Chiba. You’ll then see the routes for Disneyland or Shin Urayasu.
If you have trouble using the site, or your credit card is rejected for some reason, you can also book tickets for some of the most popular routes on Klook.
Things to Know When Booking In Advance
Don’t forget to allow enough time to get through immigration and customs. You can’t predict how long this will be, but I’d say allow at least 90 minutes after your flight lands to be safe.
If you missed the time you booked because your flight was delayed, don’t worry. You can go to the ticket counter and take the first bus with seats. Likewise, if you arrive earlier, they can rearrange your booking to an earlier bus if there is one that has seats free. You can also reschedule your bus online if your flight is delayed taking off and you know you’ll be late.
If you must completely cancel your booking, you can do so up to five minutes before the bus is scheduled to depart and receive your money back, but you will lose a ¥100 transaction fee.
Where to Catch the Bus at The Airport
Japanese airports are generally very well signposted in English, but just so you know roughly where you’re heading to catch your bus when you arrive, here are the locations of the bus stops in each airport.
At Narita
Terminal One: On the first floor
Terminal Two: On the first floor
Terminal Three: On the first floor
Check your ticket for the exact stop number. This will be clearly marked when you get there.
At Haneda
Terminal One. Outside Arrivals on the first floor. Ticket counters are on either side of the lobby.
Terminal Two: Outside Arrivals on the first floor. Ticket counters are on either side of the lobby.
Terminal Three: On the first floor. Arrivals is on the second floor so take the escalator/elevator down. The ticket counter is also on the second floor – but there are ticket machines by the stops on the first floor if you forget.
Check your ticket for the exact stop number. This will be clearly marked when you get there.
How Much Luggage Can You Bring
Ideally, you’ll have taken our packing advice about Japan and be traveling light. But, if you do have heavier cases each passenger can check two pieces of 30kg luggage under the bus.
They will also carry folding wheelchairs and prams.
Is the Bus Accessible?
Most of the buses require climbing a step to get into them, but some buses on some routes have wheelchair access. It’s important to book these in advance if you need a space. Look for the wheelchair symbol when you make your booking. If it’s greyed out when you go to book, these seats have already been taken.
Four Priority Seats are also available near the front of the bus if you find it harder to walk to the back. Service dogs are allowed on the bus, but you may need to present proof of their working status.
Does It Have a Bathroom?
Some buses do, but it depends on the route and exactly what bus model you get.
If this is super important, you can see which buses have facilities on the booking page—look for the icon of the two people to be black, not grey. If it is greyed out, then there isn’t a bathroom.
If this is a big concern, then from Narita, you might be better off catching the train, as these have bathrooms.
The monorail or metro from Haneda will not have bathrooms on the train. You’d have to alight and use one at the station.
How Will You Know When to Get Off
The bus has English signage, so you can see when your stop is arriving. Just make sure you know what it’s called! If you have access to the internet (and all buses do have wifi), you’ll also be able to follow your route around Tokyo and see when you’re getting close.
If you’d rather make sure you’re connected rather than using public Wi-Fi, check out our guide to getting online in Japan.
Can You Take The Bus Back to the Airport?
You can. It’s pretty much the same process as the above. However, I would definitely suggest booking in advance for your return journey, as your departure time is set. This way, you won’t end up in a stressful situation of the bus turning up without enough seats for you when you have to meet an international flight.
Don’t forget to allow enough time before you arrive to check in, leave your bags and pass through immigration and security. You can check the timetable pages to see the times that buses go back to the airport from your chosen stop.
Note – if you have an early morning flight, particularly out of Narita, transport may not be running in time to get you there. You might want to look into booking a nearby hotel rather than staying in town. I see people get caught out by this a lot and not realise until it’s too late to change their accommodation and they end up with a hefty taxi bill.
Are There Similar Buses in Other Airports in Japan?
Yes. In fact, the first time I got on the Airport Limousine Bus was from a hotel in Osaka to Kansai International Airport, which, frankly, can be a pain of a journey if you’re not staying by a station.
I’m normally a train person, so this was very weird, but I was a guest of Japan Tourism so they arranged my transfer – and, it was so simple I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done it before!
It’s also the best way to get to Kyoto if you take an internal flight and land at Itami International Airport. I’ll be taking this option on my next trip later this year.
If you have any further questions, you’ll find more information here.
