Narita Airport to Haneda Airport: Rail Lines Out of Narita, Terminals and Late-Night Hours

The doors of arrivals at Narita slide open onto a hall of rolling suitcases, announcements in Japanese and English, and signs pointing down toward the stations under the terminals. Your next flight leaves from Haneda, the other airport of Tokyo, and the city lies between the two.

How do you get from the airport to Tokyo?

From Narita, the way into Tokyo is by rail, on three lines: the JR line, the Keisei line and the Narita Sky Access line. Each one carries you into the city, and from one of its stations you continue to Haneda. Narita sits in Chiba, about 37 miles from central Tokyo, while Haneda is officially called Tokyo International Airport and is the other airport the Japan National Tourism Organization names as nearest to the city.

The choice between the lines comes down to where you want to step off in the city. The JR line and its Narita Express serve Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Yokohama and Ofuna. The Keisei trains serve Nippori and Keisei Ueno, plus stops such as Aoto and Shin-Kamagaya. If your hotel or your onward connection is near one of those names, that settles it.

Your terminal at Narita matters too, because each terminal has its own station. Terminal 1 uses Narita Airport Station, while Terminals 2 and 3 share another station. Your arrival hour matters at the Haneda end: part of Haneda keeps late hours and part of it closes overnight. If you land late and fly out the next day, the hours of the Haneda terminal you need will shape your plan more than the train choice does.

A rechargeable IC card, such as Suica or Pasmo, works on trains and buses in Tokyo. Cards from other regions, ICOCA for example, are accepted across Japan, so one card can cover the whole crossing and the shops along it.

Your options from the airport

At Narita the options are the trains, and the three rail lines run to different parts of Tokyo. Which one you take depends on the station where you want to leave Narita’s network and continue toward Haneda.

The JR line and the Narita Express

The Narita Express, run by JR East, is the named train of the JR line. It calls at Narita Airport Station for Terminal 1 and at Airport Terminal 2 Building Station for Terminals 2 and 3. After Narita Station and Chiba Station, it reaches Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama and Ofuna.

The line suits you if your plans begin on the western side of the city, since the Narita Express is listed as serving Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku and the West Tokyo area. Ikebukuro is also served by the JR line. For a traveler heading to Haneda, the useful names are the big stations on the route, Tokyo and Shinagawa, where you step off and carry on.

The Keisei Skyliner

The Skyliner belongs to the Keisei line and runs from Narita Airport Station (Terminal 1) and Airport Terminal 2 Building Station (Terminals 2 and 3) toward Shin-Kamagaya, Aoto, Nippori and Keisei Ueno. Some Skyliner trains stop at Aoto and Shin-Kamagaya, and others do not, so the stops depend on the train you board.

Nippori and Keisei Ueno are the two stations where most passengers leave the train. Both are in Tokyo itself, and from either of them you carry on to Haneda. Keisei Ueno suits you if your stay is built around the Ueno side of town, and Nippori if you want a stop on the way.

The Keisei Access Express and the Keisei Main Line

The two other Keisei services serve the same two Narita stations as the Skyliner. The Access Express adds Shin-Kamagaya, Higashi-Matsudo, Keisei Takasago, Aoto, Nippori and Keisei Ueno. The Keisei Main Line stops at Keisei Narita, Keisei Funabashi, Keisei Takasago, Aoto, Nippori and Keisei Ueno.

Both lines reach Nippori and Keisei Ueno, so they give you the same two exits into Tokyo as the Skyliner, with more intermediate stops along the way. The Narita Sky Access line is the third line serving the airport, and the Access Express is the one that shares its tracks with the Keisei network.

Airport transfer options compared

The trade-off is mostly one of geography. The JR side gives you the big hubs of Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku, and it continues to Yokohama and Ofuna if your trip goes that way. The Keisei side gives you Nippori and Keisei Ueno, with a choice among the Skyliner, the Access Express and the Main Line, which differ in the stations they call at.

Whichever you pick, the last leg to Haneda starts at one of these city stations. That makes the in-town stop the real decision, more than the train itself. Pick the stop that sits closest to where you are headed, then continue to the Haneda terminal your airline uses.

Arriving at the airport

Narita has three terminals, and each one has its own way to the trains. Terminal 1 is served by Narita Airport Station, and Terminals 2 and 3 by the station that carries both numbers in its name. The walks differ by terminal.

Terminal 1 has 40 gates, and Terminal 2 has 32 boarding gates. Terminal 3 is the one built for low-cost airlines, and Skytrax voted it the best terminal for low-cost airlines in Asia in 2024. It also has a food court that stays open around the clock, described as the largest airport food court in Japan, which is useful if your connection lands you there at an odd hour.

Narita observes a curfew: no aircraft operations between midnight and 6 a.m. That affects a late arrival or an early departure at Narita, and it is why many travelers think about the Haneda side of the trip, where the hours are different.

Haneda has three passenger terminals with jet bridges at the gates. Terminal 2 serves All Nippon Airways, Air Do and Solaseed Air for their domestic flights. An underground walkway joins Terminals 1 and 2, and a free shuttle bus links all three terminals on the landside, so a wrong terminal can be corrected without leaving the airport.

Good to know before you go

An IC card can be used on trains, buses and boats, and also in vending machines, convenience stores and some taxis, so one card covers the trains of the crossing and the coffee you buy in a station. Cards from other regions work throughout Japan, even though each region has its own names and mascots. Keep your Haneda terminal in mind before you set out, since the hours of the terminals differ and the free shuttle bus connects them once you arrive.