Tokyo Skytree vs Tokyo Tower or Shibuya Sky: Which Should You Visit?

They have three of the best views in Tokyo, but which one should you add to your itinerary? Having finally got up Tokyo Tower and Skytree on our latest trip, we realized they all have their selling points – and so, we’ve decided to give suggestions for the type of traveler you might be. So, here’s how to decide which is the best observation deck in Tokyo for you – Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, or Shibuya Sky?

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Which is the Tallest?

Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building of the three, and if you’re going for the thrill factor, it’s hands down the one you want to pick.

To put things in perspective, Tokyo Tower is 250 meters high at the tallest point you can visit. Shibuya Sky is also 250 meters high at the top, but Tokyo Skytree is 340-350 meters high for the main observation decks, and you can also upgrade and go another 100 meters up to what’s known as the Tenbo floor, which is 450 meters high.

If it’s the height you’re after, pick Tokyo Skytree.

Which Is Scarier?

Again, if you want the adrenaline rush – the answer is Skytree. Partly because of the extra height, but it also includes quite a big area of glass floor that you can walk on and have pictures on.

Shibuya Sky will get the heart pounding in a different way with a rooftop that’s open to the sky and glass walls. It makes for fantastic views, but this means it’s not the best choice for people who don’t do well with heights – see more on that below.

Note – the open-air element of Shibuya Sky also means the roof can close on rainy or very windy days.

Which Has the Better View?

Hmm, this is a matter of what you decide is a good view.

On a clear day, you can see 70km from the top of Tokyo Skytree. However, because it is so tall, the details you can see with the naked eye are fairly limited.

You’ll see more detail from the top of Tokyo Tower.

To compare the two, here’s a view from Tokyo Skytree…

And this is the view from Tokyo Tower.

Admittedly, neither of them is in the best location for ‘iconic’ views

For that, Shibuya Sky wins – because of its location right in the middle of the city, you’ll see more sights you might recognize – plus you see Skytree and Tokyo Tower, which are two of the most iconic buildings in Tokyo – not seeing either of them makes the skyline feel kind of empty.

If the sky is clear enough, you can see Mount Fuji from all three viewpoints – but that can be a big if.

Which is Best With Kids?

For smaller children, I’d say Tokyo Tower. It’s fun up there.

They have a little shrine from which you can buy tower-shaped ema. They have stamps that kids can collect if they’re using a stamp book.

When I was up there, I didn’t feel it was all about the view, but about the tower itself, if that makes any sense.

It has personality, and they make the most of that with cute icons and other kid-friendly stuff.

Just watch out if you visit the souvenir shop on the first floor. It has some slightly quirky gifts to buy – if you’ve ever wanted some chocolate boobs with a Tokyo Tower theme, they’ve got your back!

Skytree also offers stamps and has the benefit of a huge mall downstairs, including some fantastic character shops. If you want Pokemon, Hello Kitty, or Studio Ghibli merchandise, you’ll find them all nearby – but it just kind of lacks the fun factor.

Many teenagers, though, are going to want to go to Shibuya Sky to get the iconic pictures from the stunning escalator in the sky (see picture in the Instagram section below) that they’ve seen on TikTok!

Which is Cheapest?

Tokyo Tower

Klook sells advanced tickets for AU$12.59 which is around US$8.50 or UK£6.60

Shibuya Sky is the most expensive admission price at AU$23.59 – which is around US$16 or UK£12.40

Skytree falls in between at AU$21.85

Which Is Better if You’re Tight on Time?

Tokyo Skytree has a pretty convenient location. It’s a short train ride away from Asakusa and the temple Senso-ji, which is definitely going to be on your must-see list, and that makes it easier to combine with other sights than Tokyo Tower, which is a bit out on its own.

If you are tight on time, book the skip-the-line passes so you jump the queues which can be large. We walked straight in with these while the queue to buy tickets was about 30 deep.

Shibuya Sky also fits in very well with most itineraries as it’s close to the famous crossing and Hachiko statue (check our Shibuya area guide to find other fun spots in Shibuya) – but, if you want to go up there at sunset, you will have to book well in advance and expect to queue for the prettiest photo spot so you might need to allocate more time for your visit in the first place.

Again, it’s a good idea to book skip-the-line passes so you’re not stuck in a queue for ages and to ensure you do get in.

Scheduling Shibuya Sky

Just in case you didn’t see this above. The Shibuya Sky rooftop will close if the weather is bad, and if you don’t have time in your itinerary to reschedule a booking if this is predicted, you might miss out (cough, this may have happened to me, cough).

Even if you do have plenty of time on your visit, book Shibuya Sky at the start of your trip, not the end, just in case you do have to reschedule – says the voice of experience.

Which is Better for Instagram?

Tokyo Tower is prettiest from the outside, but if you’re going to shoot pics for the gram, go to Shibuya Sky.

The other towers were built with a utilitarian purpose (broadcasting, telecoms, and offices), tourist areas were an add-on and so they aren’t actually that good for pictures.

Conversely, the top of Shibuya Sky must have been built with Instagram in mind! Everything about it is a photo opportunity – they even have a professional photographer on the top to take your pictures at the most popular spot (that glass corner you can see in the first picture).

The downside of this is that if you’re trying to visit at sunset when it’s particularly pretty, you’ll need to book almost as soon as the tickets go on sale and may have to queue for pictures in the best spot once you’re up there!

If you’re the type of person who dislikes being surrounded by people spending 10 minutes taking one photo, in frocks that match the sunset color, Shibuya Sky is your idea of a nightmare at sunset. Go another time of day, or go to Tokyo Skytree!

Where to Take THAT Picture of Tokyo Tower

If you’re reading this section, you’ve probably also seen a picture on Instagram or TikTok taken of people posing on some steps with Tokyo Tower above them and wondered where it was.

The easiest way to find it is to find the restaurant Toufuya Ukai, which is close to the base of the tower on Google Maps. To the right of that (on the screen, at least) is a marker for Tokyo Tower Station Parking – those are the steps.

The queue for this photo spot can be longer than the one to get into Tokyo Tower, so if you’re determined to get it, get there early.

The day I went, I arrived at about 10.30 am and there were 6 people in the queue for the shot – all taking roughly 50 pictures each. I’d got off a night flight four hours earlier, and I do not have that kind of patience, so I also do not have that photograph!

Therefore, the closest I got was the photo stop around the corner once I’d come out, but the sun was not at a good angle!!

Which is Better at Night?

Shibuya Sky because it’s in the middle of all the bright lights – it also allows you to see both Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree all lit up.

Also, at certain times of the year, a bar is located on the roof of Shibuya Sky, making it a great place to spend an evening.

Which is Better if You’re Scared of Heights?

This might sound silly because why would you go up tall buildings if you’re scared of heights?

Well, you might be me. I dislike heights and yet, I make myself go up tall buildings as I don’t like the fear to beat me. Or, maybe some of your group are fine with heights, but one person isn’t keen, and you’d like to keep everyone happy.

In my personal opinion, as someone who doesn’t like heights, the answer is unequivocally Tokyo Tower.

That’s me up there with my slightly nervous smile.

The obvious reason is that it’s just not as tall as Skytree – but it also has a smaller circumference, which means you can see more without having to move too far away from the wall, which makes me feel more secure than walking around a big wide building.

I could not stand anywhere near as close to the window at Skytree.

There are glass floors in Tokyo Tower, but, you can easily avoid them – unlike when I went downstairs at Tokyo Skytree and had to walk past a huge glass floor area to get to the lift down. At this point, I actually had to move some barriers to walk against the wall, or, frankly, I’d still be up there.

I also hated the way you transition from floor to floor at Skytree – it was an escalator or stairs going down towards windows, and, for me, that’s an absolute no-no (Shibuya Sky is also pretty horrible for this.) There is a lift to the left of the down escalator, though, so don’t be afraid to use it if you need it.

Talking of lifts, though, I did get a bit of a shock when I got into the lift to go up Tokyo Tower and found it was glass, as I wasn’t expecting that. It made my knees sway a bit – but if you hold on to the railing and close your eyes or look at the floor, it’s fine.

If you’re scared of heights, the absolute worst would be the rooftop of Shibuya Sky. I was actually quite relieved to cancel this because I was dreading the idea of the open roof and the escalator/stairs up and down.

If you’re a bit nervous, there’s a closed-in area on the 46th floor that you could stay in while everyone else goes to the roof – it has chairs, and I find that I’m often fine if I’m sitting. But you might get some FOMO.

Personally, I’m not sure I’d have gotten up to the roof, and if I did, I may not have gotten back down!

If that sounds like you…

So, there you have it, our guide to the best observation decks in Tokyo and the main selling points for Tokyo Tower vs Tokyo Skytree – and both of them compared to Shibuya Sky.

Other Tokyo Spots with Views

There are a couple of other options with views available. You could visit the Roppongi Hills Observation Deck – which gives a lovely view of Tokyo Tower.

In Shinjuku, you have the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which is free – but check the opening hours carefully as they close on and off. As we point out, in our Shinjuku area guide this now has a fun new nighttime projection show on it, so you might want to check that out.

Mags Rooftop has a great view of the Shibuya Crossing and costs just the price of a drink to get in.

The Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro has an open-air rooftop, and the new Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku has a bar on the 17th floor with an open terrace.

The observation decks at three covered in detail above, though, are the most iconic. So, which will you pick?

If you have any further questions, please head over to our Facebook group and ask them there, and either I or someone who wasn’t stupid enough to book Shibuya Sky on their last (rainy) night will answer them for you.

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