Your flight lands late, immigration takes a while, and suddenly the last train is gone: this happens in Tokyo more often than you would think. The good news is that you are not stranded at the airport. It depends on whether you land at Haneda or Narita, because Haneda has trains and night buses well past midnight and Narita does not. This guide shows the last connections, the taxi options and when an airport hotel or a private transfer makes sense. As of 25 October 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Most comfortable: book a private transfer in advance. The driver waits in the arrivals hall and you do not have to check a timetable. With Welcome Pickups* Haneda costs from €87, from €104 at night, per vehicle for up to four people, Narita from €139, from €167 at night (according to the provider, as of 25 Oct 2026).
  • Haneda: Terminal 3 is open around the clock. According to the timetable the last Keikyu train towards Shinagawa leaves at 0:08. According to the airport night buses to Shinjuku and Ikebukuro run until 2:20 from Terminal 3.
  • Narita: according to the timetable the last Skyliner from Terminal 1 leaves at 23:00 for Keisei-Ueno. According to our sources no trains run after midnight.
  • Taxi: a night surcharge applies. On the meter it is 20 percent between 22:00 and 5:00 according to a travel portal. From the airport, fixed fares are common.
  • Hotel: if you land after 22:00 and travel on early in the morning, you will often sleep better at the airport. Many hotels do not allow a late check-in, so ask first.

When is an arrival “late”?

Do the sums honestly. Between landing and the platform lie taxiing, immigration, baggage claim and the walk to the station, in many cases an hour or more. The authorities do not publish current waiting times at immigration, so build in a buffer. Entry itself is explained in the guide Entering Japan. If your plane lands at 22:30, you only make the last train at Narita with luck, while at Haneda you have room to spare.

Haneda: Terminal 3 stays open all night

According to the airport’s rules of use, Terminal 3 is open around the clock, but at night only people who use or have used international flights may stay. Terminals 1 and 2 close their domestic areas at 0:00.

All the ways from Haneda into the city are in the guide From Haneda Airport to the city.

Narita: it is over shortly before midnight

Narita is much less flexible. The airport names only certain floors as accessible all night: in Terminal 1 the 1st floor and the basement, in Terminal 2 the 2nd floor, the 1st floor and the basement, in Terminal 3 the 1st and 2nd floors. The departure floors are open only from 5:00 to 24:00.

Taxi: expensive, but always there

Taxis wait at both airports at night too. At Narita the airport lists fixed fares without tolls by zone, depending on the route via the Keiyo Road or the Bayshore: for Zone C (Chuo, Chiyoda, Taito, Bunkyo, Arakawa) 29,000 or 31,000 yen, for Zone D (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Toshima and others) 31,500 or 32,500 yen. For 22:00 to 5:00 the airport names a night surcharge but not the percentage.

From Haneda the airport names fixed fares for most areas, without amounts. The taxi company Tokyo MK states on its page (as of 20 April 2026) for trips from Haneda to Shinjuku a fixed fare of 9,000 yen and 10,700 yen late at night from 22:00 to 5:00, in each case plus tolls of up to 1,950 yen and a 1,000-yen reservation fee. That is one company, and others charge differently. On the meter, according to a travel portal, a night surcharge of 20 percent applies in Tokyo. Ask before the ride whether the fixed fare applies.

Private transfer: luggage, children, late landing

If you are tired, travel with children or have a lot of luggage, take the way without a timetable. Welcome Pickups arranges pick-up in the arrivals hall at a fixed price per vehicle. According to the provider the ride costs from €87 from Haneda, from €104 at night, and from €139 from Narita, from €167 at night, for up to four people (as of 25 Oct 2026). You pay in advance, and the pick-up is planned after landing. As alternatives Kiwitaxi and GetTransfer* arrange rides, and with GetTransfer drivers make offers that you compare. Check each time the waiting time after landing and what applies if your flight is delayed.

Airport hotel: arrive and sleep

If you land after 22:00 and have to move on in the morning, an airport hotel saves you the taxi, the hotel search and the midnight ride. At Haneda, according to the airport, the four airport hotels (First Cabin Terminal 1, Excel Tokyu Terminal 2, Royal Park in Terminal 3 and the transit hotel in the security area) are open around the clock. A travel portal points out that many hotels in the city do not allow a late check-in. For hotels with a shuttle the last departure from the airport lies, according to one portal, between about 23:20 and 1:30 depending on the property, and some do not run at night at all. Tell the hotel your arrival time. You will find a selection in the guides Early-flight hotels and Hotels with a free shuttle. If you only need a few hours of sleep, see the guide Day rooms at the airports.

Checklist for a night arrival