Tokyo Tower tickets: Main Deck, Top Deck Tour and why to buy the Top Deck online

💡 The Short Version: Tokyo Tower features two distinct viewing tiers: the Main Deck at 150 metres (¥1,500) and the geometric, mirror-lined Top Deck at 250 metres (¥3,300 online / ¥3,500 at the counter). The Main Deck stays open late until 23:00 (last entry 22:30), making it Tokyo’s best late-evening observation deck. The Top Deck Tour requires a reserved timeslot and suspends operations during severe weather. Purchase tickets through the official Tokyo Tower site, or KKdayad{rel=“sponsored nofollow noopener”}. Or book through an agency: the Tokyo Tower Admission Ticketad (from ¥1,500, 4.6 stars from 4,648 reviews) matches the operator’s official Main Deck price and provides mobile turnstile redemption. All prices are in Japanese yen (¥).

The official tickets and pricing structure

Erected in 1958 in Shiba Park, Minato Ward, Tokyo Tower was conceived by structural engineer Tachu Naito as a unified telecommunications relay tower for the Kanto region. Rising to 332.9 metres, it exceeds the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris by nine metres, yet weighs only 4,000 tonnes—roughly half the weight of its Parisian predecessor—owing to high-tensile steel lattice construction.

The attraction is managed by Tokyo Tower Co., Ltd., offering two principal observation experiences:

• Online savings for Top Deck: Purchasing the Top Deck Tour online in advance saves ¥200 per ticket compared to the same-day counter rate and guarantees admission during your preferred time window.
• Main Deck walk-up flexibility: Because the Main Deck has high visitor throughput, prices are uniform whether purchased online or at the ground-floor box office. If you only plan to visit the 150-metre level, you can buy a ticket on the day without penalty.
• Operating schedule: The Main Deck welcomes visitors from 09:00 to 23:00 daily, with final admission at 22:30. The Top Deck Tour runs from 09:00 to 22:45, with final departure at 22:15.
• Tokyo Diamond Tour: An ultra-premium VIP package costing ¥7,000 per person that includes private guide commentary, priority elevator boarding, dedicated access to the private Diamond Lounge, and complimentary refreshments.

Historic wooden architecture of Zojoji Temple set against Tokyo Tower. Photo: Ph0kin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Exploring the Main Deck (150 metres)

The Main Deck occupies two storeys (Club 333 on the 1st floor and the main viewing concourse on the 2nd floor) suspended 150 metres above the Shiba Park grounds:

• The Skywalk Windows: Located on the 1st floor of the Main Deck, these are sections of toughened structural glass built directly into the floor. Visitors can stand on the transparent panes and look 150 metres straight down past the steel framework to the FootTown plaza below.
• Tower Daijingu: Perched on the 2nd floor of the Main Deck, this registered Shinto shrine is the highest official Shinto sanctuary within Tokyo’s 23 central wards. Dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, it is visited by students praying for success in high school and university entrance examinations.
• Club 333: An entertainment and broadcast stage hosting evening acoustic music performances and weekend DJ sessions with skyline views across Minato Ward.
• Souvenir Shops and Cafe: The official Tokyo Tower gift shop sells limited-edition memorabilia, tower-shaped mineral water bottles, and traditional Japanese confectioneries (omiyage).

The Top Deck Tour (250 metres)

Completely redesigned in 2018, the Top Deck Tour is a guided experience that takes small groups up to 250 metres above the metropolis:

• The Reception and Welcome: Tour participants check in at the dedicated Top Deck Gate on the 2nd floor of the Main Deck. You receive an advanced multi-language audio guide device (available in 13 languages) and a complimentary welcome beverage (green tea or seasonal fruit nectar).
• The Secret Library: Before boarding the secondary elevator, visitors pass through an archival exhibition tracing the engineering achievements, construction photography from 1958, and post-war cultural history of the tower.
• The Mirror Room: The Top Deck observation chamber at 250 metres is wrapped in geometric prism mirrors and ambient LED lighting designed by artist Kazunori Matsumura. The faceted reflective surfaces mirror Tokyo’s street grid by day and bounce neon light reflections at night, creating an optical kaleidoscope.
• Weather restrictions: Because the upper elevator shaft and top viewing chamber are vulnerable to high winds, the Top Deck Tour is suspended during typhoons, gale-force wind advisories, or approaching thunderstorm cells. In such cases, online ticket holders are refunded the difference between the Top Deck Tour and the Main Deck admission fee.

Panoramic city vistas across Minato Ward from the Tokyo Tower Main Deck. Photo: Kirs10, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The 600-step open-air staircase challenge

For active visitors who prefer not to take the high-speed elevator, Tokyo Tower operates an outdoor staircase route (Kaigai Kaidan):

• Schedule: Open on Saturdays, Sundays, national public holidays, and select sunny weekdays from 09:00 to 16:00 (subject to closure in rain or strong wind).
• The climb: The staircase consists of roughly 600 external metal steps ascending from the roof terrace of FootTown to the lower level of the Main Deck. The ascent takes approximately 12 to 15 minutes at a steady pace.
• The experience: The steps are enclosed in wire safety mesh, giving you unobstructed fresh air, sweeping views of Tokyo Bay, and close-up views of the orange steel girders.
• Certificate: Every visitor who completes the climb receives an official, numbered “Noppo-kun Stair Climbing Certificate” from staff upon reaching the top. Standard Main Deck ticket fees apply.

Looking up the red-and-white steel lattice of Tokyo Tower from below. Photo: Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Comparing ticket types and observation towers

Compare Tokyo Tower with the city’s other prominent elevated observation venues:

Observation tickets and city experiences

Pre-booking observation tickets ensures smooth entry when planning an evening outing across central Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower Admission Ticket

From ¥1,500 · 4.6 stars from 4,648 reviews · Main Deck entry

The Tokyo Tower Admission Ticketad provides direct mobile QR-code entry to the 150-metre Main Deck. The ticket allows you to scan through the ground-floor turnstiles, board the high-speed shuttle elevators, and take in panoramic views of Minato Ward, the Rainbow Bridge, and Tokyo Bay.

TOKYO SKYTREE® Observation Deck Admission Ticket

From ¥2,000 · 4.5 stars from 16,436 reviews · Flexible entry

The TOKYO SKYTREE® Observation Deck Admission ticketad grants access to Tokyo’s other prominent tower, situated across the Sumida River in eastern Tokyo. Comparing Tokyo Tower’s central 150-metre perspective with Skytree’s 350-metre and 450-metre heights highlights how dramatically Tokyo’s architectural scale has expanded since 1958.

teamLab Planets TOKYO Digital Art Museum Entry Ticket

From ¥3,800 · 4.6 stars from 15,131 reviews · Timed entry

The Tokyo: teamLab Planets TOKYO Digital Art Museum Entry Ticketad secures advance admission to Toyosu’s sensory digital museum. Pairing Tokyo Tower’s skyline views with teamLab’s immersive water installations is a classic central Tokyo itinerary pairing.

How to get there and transit stations

Tokyo Tower is located at 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato Ward. It is served by several surrounding subway and rail stations within easy walking distance:

• Akabanebashi Station (Toei Oedo Line): Take the Akabanebashi Exit; the tower is clearly visible overhead and reachable in roughly 5 minutes on foot.
• Onarimon Station (Toei Mita Line): Take Exit A1 and walk south through Shiba Park (6 minutes on foot).
• Kamiyacho Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line): Take Exit 1 and walk southeast along the slope (7 minutes on foot). Kamiyacho is also the station for teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills.
• Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa & Oedo Lines): Take Exit A6 and walk west through the grounds of Zojoji Temple (10 minutes on foot).
• JR Hamamatsucho Station (JR Yamanote & Keihin-Tohoku Lines / Tokyo Monorail): Take the North Exit and walk through Shiba Park (15 minutes on foot).

Where to go next

Directly beneath Tokyo Tower lies Zojoji Temple, the historical head temple of the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism and the mortuary temple of six Tokugawa shoguns. Walking through Zojoji’s 1622 main gate (Sangedatsumon) with Tokyo Tower rising directly behind creates one of Tokyo’s most celebrated photographic compositions.

For daytime or sunset observation alternatives, read our in-depth guides to Shibuya Sky tickets and Tokyo Skytree tickets. To compare all available city views—including free municipal towers—see Tokyo’s observation decks compared.

In our 5-day Tokyo itinerary, Tokyo Tower features as an evening option following afternoon explorations of Ginza and Roppongi. For transit passes and subway fare advice, read our comprehensive Tokyo public transport guide, and explore all attraction tickets on the Tokyo hub.