Hato Bus Tokyo: Open-Top Bus Tour and Night Tour Guide

What Is the Hato Bus Open-Top Bus Tour?

The Hato Bus open-top tour is a sightseeing drive around central Tokyo on a double-decker bus with no roof on the upper deck, run by Hato Bus, a sightseeing bus company that has shown visitors around Tokyo for decades. The standard daytime course, the TOKYO Panorama Drive, leaves from Tokyo Station about every 30 minutes, takes about one hour, and passes the National Diet Building, Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge and Ginza without stopping.

It is not a hop-on, hop-off bus. You board at Tokyo Station, everyone sits on the open upper deck, and you get off where you started an hour later.

A bus guide gives commentary in Japanese, and an automatic audio guide in English and seven other languages plays on your own phone.

Families get an hour of the big Tokyo sights from a seat high above the traffic, with the wind in their faces and no walking for small legs. It works best on your first or second day, to see how the city fits together.

Private tour

Tokyo Private Tour with Kids A private day planned around your children's ages, naps and food. From US$550 per group.

Choosing a Hato Bus Open-Top Tour in 2026

Hato Bus runs one daytime course all year, two night courses, and seasonal drives for the autumn leaves, the Christmas lights and the cherry blossoms. These are the courses on sale for autumn 2026.

With young children, the TOKYO Panorama Drive is the one to choose. It is short, cheap, runs in daylight, and is the only course with daytime departures all year.

The night courses suit older children who can stay up and handle the cold wind on an open deck.

TOKYO Panorama Drive Route and What You See

The TOKYO Panorama Drive is a loop from Tokyo Station through the government district, past Tokyo Tower, across Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba, and back through Tsukiji and Ginza. The bus does not stop, so you see the sights from your seat.

1. Tokyo Station, Marunouchi South Exit (start)
2. Hibiya Park and Kasumigaseki, the government district
3. The National Diet Building, Japan's parliament
4. Toranomon Hills, one of Tokyo's new towers
5. Tokyo Tower, seen from close below
6. Rainbow Bridge, the high point of the drive, with the sea and the city on both sides
7. Odaiba and Toyosu, on the bay
8. Kachidoki Bridge and Tsukiji
9. Kabuki-za, the kabuki theatre
10. Ginza, then back to Tokyo Station

The course also runs briefly on the Shuto Expressway, where the open deck feels much faster than it is. Hold on to hats on Rainbow Bridge, the windiest part of the ride.

Prices and Child Fares

On the TOKYO Panorama Drive, adults pay ¥2,200 on weekdays and ¥2,400 at weekends, and children aged 6 to 11 pay half. These are the official fares for October 2026, including tax.

Two rules matter for families.

• One free lap child per adult. A family of two adults with a baby and a 4-year-old can ride with both children on laps for free, or pay ¥700 for a seat for the 4-year-old. Book that seat as "infant with seat".
• Twelve-year-olds pay the adult fare, even if they are still at primary school.

For a family of two adults and two children aged 6 to 11, the drive costs ¥6,600 on a weekday and ¥7,200 at a weekend.

Where to Board at the Hato Bus Tokyo Station Stand

All open-top and night tours leave from the Hato Bus stand at Tokyo Station, on the Marunouchi side. On Google Maps it is listed as "Hato bus Tokyo office", and it has a waiting room and a ticket counter.

Go out through the Marunouchi South Exit ticket gates, walk straight ahead and outside, then turn left and follow the station building to the Hato Bus stop.

You can also reach it from the Keiyo Line's underground Marunouchi exit. Check the notice board in the Hato Bus waiting room for the exact bay of your bus, and arrive 15 minutes early, because seats are assigned on the day before boarding.

Tokyo Station is huge and its two sides are far apart, so do not arrange to meet anyone "at Tokyo Station" without naming the exit. Our Tokyo Station guide explains the layout.

How to Book

Book online on the Hato Bus website, where sales open at 9:30 two months before the date of the tour and stay open until one hour before departure. Weekday daytime drives rarely sell out.

Weekend afternoons, the autumn and Christmas courses and the night drives fill faster.

• Online. Pay by credit card. The English website sells the TOKYO Panorama Drive and the main tours. The Japanese site shows every course and the live seat count.
• At Tokyo Station on the day. If seats are left, you can buy at the Hato Bus counter, by cash or card.
• Changes and cancellations. A cancellation fee applies close to the date. The rules are on each course page.
• Odd-numbered groups may share a pair of seats with another passenger, and you cannot choose your seats.

Hato Bus Night Tours to Tokyo Tower or Skytree

Hato Bus runs two regular open-top night tours from Tokyo Station, the Tokyo Premium Night Drive at 18:30 with a stop at Tokyo Tower (¥3,600), and the Discover Night Drive at 18:00 with a stop at Tokyo Skytree (¥4,200). Both include entry to the observation deck, so each one fills an evening of sightseeing.

Both night tours have no departures on 24 October 2026. The Tokyo Tower drive is the easier one to fit into a family trip. It costs less and runs every evening until 31 March 2027.

Tokyo Premium Night Drive (Tokyo Tower)

The bus leaves Tokyo Station at 18:30 and returns at about 20:50. The route runs past the Diet Building, along Aoyama-dori, through Akasaka and Roppongi, then stops for about 50 minutes at Tokyo Tower's Main Deck, 150 metres up, before crossing Rainbow Bridge and returning through Ginza.

From October 2026 it costs ¥3,600 for adults, and children aged 6 to 11 pay about half (the child fare changes by date). Under-6s pay ¥700 for a seat or ride free on a lap.

Discover Night Drive (Tokyo Skytree)

The bus leaves at 18:00 and returns at about 20:50, passing Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple, Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, and Kaminarimon in Asakusa, with a stop at the Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck. It costs ¥4,200 for adults and ¥2,800 for children.

It runs daily from 1 October to 30 November and from 28 December to 3 January, and on Thursdays to Sundays and holidays from 3 to 27 December.

On both, the upper deck is cold after dark from October to April. Bring a warm layer for each child, even if the day was mild.

The night tours sell out faster than the daytime drive. Some October evenings were already full a few days ahead when we checked, so book a week or more ahead for a family.

Hato Bus Tours in English

The open-top buses have a Japanese-speaking guide and an English audio guide on your phone. If you want a person explaining in English, Hato Bus runs two half-day tours with a licensed English-speaking guide, on an ordinary bus with stops.

• TOKYO MORNING (AE301). Leaves Shinjuku Station East Exit at 8:20 or Tokyo Station Marunouchi South Exit at 9:00, back at about 13:00. Stops at the Imperial Palace Plaza (40 min), Tokyo Tower Main Deck (40 min) and Senso-ji in Asakusa (60 min).
• TOKYO AFTERNOON (AE302). Leaves Tokyo Station at 14:00, back at about 18:00, with the same three stops in a different order.

Both cost ¥6,300 for adults and ¥4,300 for children aged 6 to 11, and under-6s join free without a seat. That is about three times the open-top fare, for four hours instead of one, with time on foot at each stop.

Both run daily, except on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 to 29 December 2026.

Neither format lets a family set its own pace. The bus leaves each stop on time, and lunch, naps and toilet breaks fit around the timetable.

Japan Trails runs private walking days in Tokyo planned around your children's ages, US$550 for up to four guests over six hours. See our private Tokyo tour with kids.

Is the Open-Top Bus Good for Kids?

Yes, for children who can sit still for an hour, usually from about 4 years old. The height, the wind and the bridge make it feel like a ride, and they see Tokyo Tower and the bay without walking.

For babies and toddlers it works too, on a lap, though there is not much for them to look at from low down.

ONO

I strongly recommend it. In a short time you see the whole of Tokyo and feel the open air, and there is a guide on board.

Before you go with children, check these points.

• There is no toilet on the bus. Everyone should go before boarding. There are toilets inside Tokyo Station.
• Strollers and large bags go in the bus's luggage space. Tell the crew when you board. Keep valuables with you.
• Everyone wears a seatbelt, and nobody may stand or change seats while the bus is moving.
• Hats, sun and wind. The upper deck has no shade. Bring sun cream and a hat with a strap in summer, and a jacket from autumn to spring.
• Snacks. Food is not allowed. Drinks are fine in bottles, cans or flasks with a lid.
• The English audio needs a smartphone with a data connection in Japan and your own earphones. None are lent. Tell the guide when you board, then scan the QR code you are given.

Rules on Board and Weather

The open deck has strict rules, because the bus passes close to trees and through tunnels. Umbrellas, including parasols, and selfie sticks are not allowed, and passengers must not lean or reach out of the bus or touch branches.

• Rain. Hato Bus hands out free rain gear, and the bus may run with a waterproof cover over the deck.
• Heavy rain or storms. The tour is cancelled, and you are told by text message. Give a mobile number that works in Japan when you book.
• Extreme heat. On days with a Special Heatstroke Alert, the tour runs on an ordinary bus with a roof and air conditioning.
• Audio problems. The automatic audio guide is not refunded if it does not work on your phone.

Planning the Open-Top Bus into a Family Day

The TOKYO Panorama Drive fits neatly into a day around Tokyo Station. Take a morning departure, then spend the rest of the day nearby, with Tokyo Character Street under the station for Pokémon, Ghibli and Sanrio shops, the Imperial Palace East Gardens a short walk away (closed on Mondays and Fridays), and a station bento for lunch.

For more ideas that work at a child's pace, see our guide to things to do in Tokyo with kids.

The bus shows you Tokyo from above. A walking day lets you stop where your children want to stop. If you would like a day built around your family, with the trains, lifts, lunch and naps planned before you arrive, that is what our private Tokyo tour with kids is for.

You may also like

Tokyo Private Tour with Kids A private Tokyo day planned around your children: their ages, naps and food. From US$550 per group, no child price, infants free, prams arranged.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Hato Bus open-top tour?

The daytime TOKYO Panorama Drive costs ¥2,200 for adults on weekdays and ¥2,400 at weekends. Children aged 6 to 11 pay ¥1,100 to ¥1,200, and under-6s ride free on a lap.

Where does the Hato Bus open-top tour start?

From the Hato Bus stand at Tokyo Station, on the Marunouchi side. Leave by the Marunouchi South Exit, go straight outside and turn left along the station building.

Can you get off the Hato Bus open-top bus?

No, not on the daytime TOKYO Panorama Drive. It is a one-hour drive with no stops. The night courses stop once, at Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree.

Is there an English guide on the open-top bus?

The bus guide speaks Japanese. An automatic GPS audio guide in English and seven other languages plays on your own smartphone, so bring a phone with data and earphones.

What happens if it rains?

In light rain the bus runs, with free rain gear and sometimes a cover over the deck. In heavy rain or storms the tour is cancelled and Hato Bus sends a text message.

How much is the Hato Bus night tour?

In October 2026 the Tokyo Premium Night Drive to Tokyo Tower costs ¥3,600 for adults, and children aged 6 to 11 pay about half (the child fare changes by date). The Discover Night Drive to Tokyo Skytree costs ¥4,200 for adults and ¥2,800 for children. Both include observation deck entry.

Does Hato Bus have tours in English?

Yes. The TOKYO MORNING and TOKYO AFTERNOON half-day tours have a licensed English-speaking guide and cost ¥6,300 for adults. The open-top and night tours have a Japanese guide, with an English audio guide on your own phone.

Can babies ride the open-top bus?

Yes. Children under 6 ride free on an adult's lap, one per adult, or pay ¥700 for their own seat. Strollers go in the luggage space.

Hato Bus Open-Top Tour

 Address

1 Chome-10-15 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005

See Map

 Nearest station

Tokyo Station (Shinkansen / Tokaido / Yokosuka / Sobu / Keihin-Tohoku / Yamanote / Chuo / Keiyo / Ueno-Tokyo / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi)

Sources

https://www.hatobus.co.jp/feature/opentopbus
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/course/2026/whole-year/A1301
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/course/2026/whole-year/B1314
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/course/2026/whole-year/B1601
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/course/2026/winter-early-spring/AE301
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/course/2026/winter-early-spring/AE302
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/departure
https://www.hatobus.co.jp/guide/faq

Plan a Private Day with a Local

Every tour is private, for your group only, and planned with you before you arrive. From US$550 per group for a day on foot in Tokyo or Yokohama, or from US$890 for a day trip by train to Kamakura, Hakone or Mt. Fuji. Travelling with children? See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

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