Written by Katharina Mungall
Travel writer, photographer and architect
Our rainy visit to Tokyo Tower
We went up Tokyo Tower because our Nikko plans had been pushed back a day. A typhoon was heading towards Japan, and the tower was close to our hotel, so on 17 September 2017 we started in Shiba Park and went up afterwards. It was a rainy day, but we made the most of it.
But you do not have to go up Tokyo Tower to enjoy visiting it. You can see it from Shiba Park and Zojoji without buying a ticket. If you want to go inside, there are two observation decks to choose from.
My quick answer: Yes, Tokyo Tower is worth visiting. In clear weather, I would choose the ¥1,500 Main Deck for the city views. Pay extra for the Top Deck Tour only if you want the higher, 250m viewpoint. To photograph the tower itself, stay outside: seeing it from Shiba Park and Zojoji is free.
We went up Tokyo Tower on 17 September 2017. Current prices, opening hours and booking rules were checked on 30 September 2026. The ticket recommendations below are my advice for planning a visit now.
Before you buy a ticket
| Practical detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Adult Main Deck | ¥1,500; 150m |
| Adult Top Deck Tour | ¥3,300 online / ¥3,500 counter; 250m plus Main Deck |
| Main Deck hours | 9am–11pm; last admission 10.30pm |
| Top Deck hours | 9am–10.45pm; last tour 10.15pm |
| Booking | Top Deck needs a timed reservation; Main Deck tickets do not include Top Deck |
| Weather | Visibility varies; Top Deck may close for unsafe conditions |
What are you paying for?
The first choice is between looking at the tower and looking out from it. Only then do you need to decide how high to go.
| Choice | When I would choose it |
|---|---|
| Exterior only: free | You want Tokyo Tower in your photographs, have a tight budget or do not want another observation deck. No deck access. |
| Main Deck: ¥1,500 | You want to go inside Tokyo Tower and see the city from 150m without paying for the higher level. |
| Top Deck Tour: ¥3,300 online / ¥3,500 counter | You specifically want the 250m viewpoint and can commit to a timed reservation. Includes Main Deck. |
These are adult prices. The official Tokyo Tower fees page lists the younger age bands, disability discounts and links to the official ticket providers. You do not need to buy a separate Main Deck ticket if you book the Top Deck Tour.
Tokyo Tower warns that congestion can bring the Main Deck’s last admission forward, and poor weather or operational restrictions can close the Top Deck. Check the day’s operating notices as well as the regular hours before heading over late in the evening.
The Main Deck is the easier ticket to justify
If you want to go up Tokyo Tower but are not set on reaching the highest deck, the ¥1,500 Main Deck is the cheaper option. It takes you to 150m, without the extra cost or timed booking of the Top Deck Tour.
The deck is 150m above ground. The official Main Deck guide also lists the Skywalk Window, a glass-floor section on its first floor where you can look straight down. You do not need the Top Deck ticket for that feature. Nor do you need to stand on the glass if looking out through the windows is quite enough.
If you already have another observation deck booked, think about whether you need a second one. Going inside will not give you the photograph of the whole tower you came for.
You can also wait to see what the weather is doing before buying a Main Deck ticket. The official online ticket is valid for six months without a fixed visit date, but it cannot be cancelled or changed. You may still have to queue, so leave time for getting up and back down.
Inside on our 2017 visit
On our 2017 visit, the buildings below faded into the rain and mist beyond the observation-level windows. There was also a gridded glass-floor panel, with the tower’s orange steelwork underneath. You could still look down at the city, but it was not a day for distant views.
When the Top Deck Tour earns its extra cost
The Top Deck Tour takes you to 250m and includes the Main Deck. The extra height is the main reason to pay more.
Tokyo Tower’s current tour description also lists geometric mirrors, lighting, a drink and a photo card. Nice extras, but I would not pay the difference just for those.
For an adult, that difference is ¥1,800 online or ¥2,000 at the counter. It adds up if you are buying several tickets. If a view from 150m is enough for you, there is no need to pay for the higher deck.
The Top Deck does not impose a strict stay limit, according to the operator’s FAQ, although it closes at 10.45pm. Your reservation controls entry, not a promise that you can stay beyond closing.
There is also a ¥7,000 adult Tokyo Diamond Tour with both decks and a lounge. That is a separate premium package; you do not need it for a visit to either observation deck.
Seeing Tokyo Tower without buying a ticket
If your main aim is to see Tokyo Tower, you can do that without going through the observation-deck entrance. Shiba Park and the grounds around Zojoji give you places to look towards it, and you can also walk closer to its base.
This is a good option if money or time is tight. You are not obliged to buy a ticket just because you have come this far. Paid temple areas at Zojoji are separate; you do not need to visit them to see the tower.
If you want to explore the area as well, our walk around Tokyo Tower, Shiba Park, Zojoji and Atago Shrine covers the surrounding route.
Rain changes the value, even if the decks stay open
Tokyo Tower gave us somewhere to go on our rainy day, but the mist limited what we could see. Being indoors does not help much if the view you have paid for is hidden by cloud.
Check how much you can actually see before buying a ticket. Rain is only part of the problem: the decks can be open with very little visible in the distance. If you can change days, wait for a clearer forecast before committing.
The Top Deck can close in poor weather. But poor visibility alone is not a promise of cancellation or a refund, which matters if you have already booked a timed ticket.
Go in daylight to pick out the buildings below, or in the evening for the city lights. Allow time across sunset if you want both. Neither option will get around cloud or mist, though. And for photographs of Tokyo Tower lit up, you need to be outside it.
There is a sign pointing towards Mount Fuji, but it cannot do much about the weather. Do not pay for the higher deck assuming you will be able to see it.
Booking the Top Deck without an expensive mistake
The Top Deck Tour is reservation-only, although the counter can make a reservation if a slot is available. Buying online costs ¥200 less per adult than the counter price. Start from the official fees page and follow its Top Deck booking link.
Start at the elevator area on the first floor of Foot Town, the building at the tower’s base, then reach the Top Deck Gate on the Main Deck’s second floor by your booked time. Leave enough time to find the entrance and take the lifts. Your booking time is when you need to be at the Top Deck Gate, not when you should be leaving the station.
Arriving late invalidates the Top Deck reservation, with no refund. The operator says you can still visit the Main Deck, but that is not the higher-deck visit you paid for.
Dates and times cannot simply be edited after purchase. You must cancel and buy new tickets. For bookings made now, cancellation is free through three days before the visit. From two days before, the cancellation fee is 100% and the operator accepts no changes, cancellations or refunds. If Tokyo Tower itself cancels the tour, it refunds the purchase. Do not assume a forecast you dislike will be treated as an operator cancellation.
The official Top Deck FAQ is worth reading before committing to a date. It also explains that entry is one-time: once you descend from the Main Deck to ground level, you cannot re-enter on the same ticket. You can visit the Main Deck after coming down from the Top Deck, so take any outside photographs before going in, or once you have finished with both decks.
For the tour, luggage whose height, width and depth total 100cm or more must be stored on Foot Town’s first floor. Leave time for that if you are visiting between hotels.
How much time should you allow?
I would allow 60–90 minutes for the Main Deck, or around 90 minutes to two hours for both decks. Treat those as a guide rather than a fixed schedule: queues, photographs or a café stop can make the visit longer. Add your travel time separately.
For a short exterior stop close to the tower, 20–30 minutes gives you some room to look around and take photographs. Walking through Shiba Park and Zojoji is a longer outing; use the walk guide if that is your plan.
For sunset, leave extra space rather than booking dinner immediately afterwards. You need time on either side of sunset if seeing the view change is the reason you are going.
Taking the stairs is not a cheaper ticket
The outdoor stairs climb approximately 600 steps to the 150m Main Deck. Regular observatory fees still apply, so this is a choice of how to ascend, not a free route to the view.
Upward access is on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 4pm. Downward access is daily from 9am to 8pm. Both staircases close during rain, severe weather or a heatstroke warning.
There is no lift access partway along the staircase. You can take the lift back from the Main Deck, but do not start the climb expecting to switch midway. Check the official outdoor-stairs information and give yourself more time if you choose this route.
Getting there and checking access needs
Tokyo Tower’s official access guide lists Akabanebashi on the Oedo line as a five-minute walk, Kamiyacho on the Hibiya line as seven minutes, and Onarimon on the Mita line as six minutes. Those are the operator’s estimates from the listed exits, not a reason to cut a timed-tour arrival fine. Pick the station that suits your journey rather than changing lines just to save a minute on foot.
For wheelchair users, staff can guide you along the accessible route to the Main Deck lift. The lift arrives on the Main Deck’s second floor; ask staff if you need to move to its first floor. The accessibility page gives the full arrangements.
The Top Deck has tighter restrictions. The maximum wheelchair size is 700mm by 1,200mm and a companion is required. The operator says it cannot admit multiple wheelchairs at the same time because of the small lifts and emergency-access requirements, so contact Tokyo Tower about your party before booking. There is no accessible toilet on the Top Deck; they are available on the Main Deck’s second floor and in Foot Town.
The tour also includes stairs, so the operator recommends storing pushchairs on Foot Town’s first floor. If your visit depends on particular access arrangements, contact Tokyo Tower before booking rather than assume both decks work in the same way.
If you only have room for one skyline stop
If you are choosing between Tokyo Tower and Skytree, compare them before buying either ticket. Our Tokyo Tower vs Tokyo Skytree comparison looks at the views, cost and how each fits into a day in Tokyo.
For fitting this stop into the rest of your trip, our five-day Tokyo itinerary lets you choose nearby neighbourhoods without adding a second cross-city skyline detour.
Would I pay to go up?
On a clear day, yes. I would choose the Main Deck rather than pay extra for the Top Deck Tour, unless the higher viewpoint was something I particularly wanted.
In weather like we had in 2017, I would be more hesitant. The tower was close to our hotel and fitted our changed plans, but rain and mist limited the view. If you are making a special trip for the skyline, wait for a clearer day if you can.
Check Tokyo Tower’s official tickets and operating information before booking. And if you only want photographs of the tower, there is nothing wrong with keeping your money and enjoying it from outside.
Would you pay to go up Tokyo Tower, or spend your time looking at it from outside? Share your experience in the comments.
