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With 5 to 6 hours at Narita Airport, you can store your bags and visit Narita city (10 minutes by train), go shopping at Shisui Premium Outlets (about 15 minutes by bus), or join a free volunteer-guided tour, which restarted on 1 October 2026. Sawara's Edo-period canals need a longer layover. With less time, relax in your airline lounge.
On our way home from Seoul in January 2019, we had a 6-hour stopover at Tokyo Narita Airport. Even with only half a day, there's a lot you can do. Besides going into Tokyo for food and last-minute shopping, here are the best things to do on a short layover at Narita.
Narita layover ideas at a glance
| Under 4 hours | Stay airside: airline lounge, shops and food |
|---|---|
| 5–6 hours | Narita city and Naritasan Temple (we did this), Shisui Premium Outlets, or a free guided tour |
| 7+ hours | Sawara canal town, or a longer guided tour |
| Free tours | Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program: 6 volunteer-guided tours of 3–6 hours, restarted 1 October 2026 |
First: Store Your Hand Luggage at the Airport
If you can't check in yet, or you're in transit with your carry-on, store your bags in an airport locker. We left our daypacks in the lockers because they were heavy. Keep the receipt and take a photo of it in case you lose it. When we went, lockers cost ¥300 to ¥1,000 depending on size.
The only challenge is that lockers are limited, so you may need to wait for one to free up. We were lucky and only waited 10 minutes before someone came to collect their things.
Relax in the Airport Lounge
ANA has one of the best business lounges in the world. We visited the ANA lounge at Narita and were surprised by the standard. On one trip, I spent 2 hours there and the time flew by. There are showers for guests (bonus points for the Dyson hair dryers!), and they even served different sakes to try. I wouldn't have minded staying a few more hours. Read our ANA business lounge review.
Explore Narita City
If you'd rather leave the airport but don't want to spend hours travelling, go to Narita city. It's just a couple of stops away, about 10 minutes by train, and it's famous for freshwater unagi. H and I did this on our layover and had lots of fun. Read our Narita city layover guide.
Join a Free Guided Tour (Restarted October 2026)
The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program offers free tours with English-speaking volunteer guides; you only pay for your own transport and food. It restarted its tours on 1 October 2026, with six options:
- Tour 1, Narita city: about 3 hours, including Naritasan Shinshoji Temple
- Tour 2, Katori city (Sawara): about 5 hours, Edo-period riverside town
- Tour 3, Tako town: about 4 hours, rural Japan
- Tour 4, Shibayama town: about 4 hours, aviation
- Tour 5, Sakae town: about 5 hours, yukata dressing and the samurai era
- Tour 6, Kozaki town: about 6 hours, a fermentation village and sake
Book on the official programme site. In 2019, the airport's guided tour cost ¥500; now there's no guide fee.
Shop at Shisui Premium Outlets
Photo: Abasaa, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Shopaholics can head to Shisui Premium Outlets, with international and Japanese brands, about 15 minutes from the airport by direct bus. The bus leaves from Terminal 1 (stop 30) and Terminal 2 (stop 28). It cost ¥350 in 2019; recent listings say about ¥500 one way, so bring cash. We didn't go on this layover.
Discover the Edo Period in Sawara
Photo: アリオト, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sawara, a small town northeast of Narita, was an important trading hub in the Edo period, and its canals carried goods to the capital, Edo. You can take a boat along the Onogawa canal (about 30 minutes, ¥1,300 for adults in 2026). It's about 45 to 60 minutes from the airport by train via Narita, so it suits a longer layover, or join the free Tour 2 above. We didn't have time to visit.
Heading into Tokyo instead? The Keisei Skyliner takes about 45 minutes to Ueno. For an overnight layover, compare hotels near Narita Airport on Agoda.
FAQ
What can I do with 5 hours at Narita Airport?
Store your bags and take the 10-minute train to Narita city for Naritasan Omotesando, grilled unagi and Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, or take the bus to Shisui Premium Outlets. With less than 4 hours, stay in the airport and relax in a lounge.
Are there free tours from Narita Airport?
Yes. The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program restarted its free volunteer-guided tours on 1 October 2026. There are six tours of 3 to 6 hours, including Narita city and Sawara. You only pay for your own transport and food.
How do I get to Shisui Premium Outlets from Narita Airport?
Take the direct bus from Terminal 1 (stop 30) or Terminal 2 (stop 28). It takes about 15 minutes. Recent listings give the fare as about ¥500 one way, payable in cash.
Is Sawara worth visiting on a Narita layover?
Only on a long layover of 7 hours or more. It's about 45 to 60 minutes each way by train via Narita. The Edo-period canal town and the 30-minute boat ride are lovely, and the free Tour 2 goes there with a guide.
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