Travelling from London to Tokyo: what you need to know
Take your pick of a number of airports when organising a flight from London to Tokyo. Explore your options for leaving London from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW) or London Stansted Airport (STN). London Luton Airport (LTN) and London City Airport (LCY) also service London.
When choosing where to land in Tokyo, Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) are the primary gateways.
The average length of a direct London to Tokyo flight is 13 hours 50 minutes.
The timezone in Tokyo is UTC+9, which is nine hours ahead of London.
With 33 flights a week between the two airports, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) is the most popular route. Board the earliest flight from London to Tokyo with JAL at 08:35. If you'd like to get more out of your day before flying, the latest flight from LHR to HND is with JAL at 19:20.
For a relaxed travel experience, turn up at the airport two hours ahead of international flights and an hour before domestic departures. This will give you enough time to board your London to Tokyo flight.
Travelling during a peak time like July? Public holidays and other popular periods can mean longer lines and delays at security. Play it safe and arrive up to four hours before an international flight and two hours before domestic departures.
How to find the cheapest flights from London to Tokyo
Score cheap London to Tokyo flights by booking 11 months ahead. Based on our research, that's the sweet spot for picking up a bargain.
Schedule your trip for April. That's the best month for scoring an awesome deal on plane tickets from London to Tokyo. If you're open to different travel dates, use the 'Whole month' tool to see the cheapest price across each month.
Finding a cheap flight from London to Tokyo is easy with Price Alerts. All you need to do is set up one of these automatic alerts and we'll get in touch as soon as there's a better deal.
Lock in a cheap London to Tokyo flight with the help of our filters. Choose your ideal times, airlines and number of stops, then sort the results by 'Cheapest' for the best deals.
Flying from London
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
If you're looking for a direct flight from London to Tokyo, you can depart from London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Travel from LHR to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in one seamless journey.
You'll find a variety of airlines offering direct London to Tokyo plane tickets with departures from LHR, including:
We make it easy to book a London to Tokyo flight with a stopover. To see your options leaving from London Heathrow Airport, uncheck 'Direct flights only.' Next, select a flight with a stop long enough to see the sights of your chosen city. Popular stopovers include:
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG)
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK)
The journey from central London to LHR takes around 25 minutes on public transport. If you drive, ride-share or take a taxi, you'll cover the 26 kilometres in 45 minutes or so, depending on traffic conditions.
Looking for a handy hotel near London Heathrow Airport? If you're catching an early flight from London to Tokyo, these stays will put you moments from your departure gate:
78% of flights departing from London Heathrow Airport reach their destination on time.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Get the most out of your holiday with a stopover on your London to Tokyo flight. Visit family or friends or tick another city off your list. Whatever you want to do, here's where you can stop between London Gatwick Airport and Tokyo:
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG)
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK)
Using public transport, you can travel from central London to LGW in around 45 minutes. The terminal is roughly 40 kilometres away. Driving will take you about 1 hour 5 minutes.
Want to treat yourself to an extra night away before catching your flight from London to Tokyo? Check in to a hotel near London Gatwick Airport before your adventure officially starts. Stay at one of these accommodation options:
London Gatwick Airport has a track record for punctuality. 83% of flights leaving here meet their scheduled arrival times without fail.
London Stansted Airport (STN)
You can book a ticket from London to Tokyo with a stop or two out of London Stansted Airport (STN). These are some of the most common stopovers between STN and Tokyo:
Dubai Airport (DXB)
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Madrid Airport (MAD)
STN is around 48 kilometres from central London. The drive from the city centre to the terminal takes about 1 hour 5 minutes. If you're planning to use public transport, you can expect a journey of around 45 minutes.
Rest a little longer, move a little slower, and still make your London to Tokyo flight with time to spare. These accommodation options near London Stansted Airport make getting to the terminal a breeze if you're flying out first thing:
STN has an on-time performance rating of 80%. This means the majority of its flights touch down on schedule and your plans go off without a hitch.
Arriving in Tokyo
Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) is approximately 16 kilometres from the centre of Tokyo. If you're catching a taxi or a ride-share, the drive takes roughly 25 minutes.
Travelling to the centre on public transport takes about 30 minutes.
Book a hotel close to HND if you have a late flight from London to Tokyo. Settle into one of these accommodation options and avoid the hassle of a long transfer:
Go where the road takes you with a Tokyo Haneda Airport rental car. Pick up your wheels from Europcar, Nissan Rent a Car or Times and discover more of Tokyo and beyond.
Booking your vehicle from Tokyo Haneda Airport around three weeks ahead boosts your odds of scoring a great price.
The address for HND is 3丁目 Hanedakuko, Ota.
Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT)
As soon as your flight from London to Tokyo has hit the runway, you can get to the city centre in around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Central Tokyo is approximately 64 kilometres from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT).
You can expect the journey to take about 1 hour on public transport.
After your flight from London to Tokyo, rest your head at a hotel near NRT. These are some comfortable accommodation options that'll help you slip into relaxation mode:
The quickest way to get to where you're going is with a Tokyo Narita Airport rental car. Collect a set of wheels from Airport Car Rental, JDM Rent a car or Miki Car Rental and be off and running.
Lock in the best price by reserving your ride from NRT four weeks in advance. You'll also have access to a greater range of vehicles.
The address for Tokyo Narita Airport is 成田空港第2PTB(バス), Narita.
Best time to go to Tokyo
It's time to plan your travel dates for your flight from London to Tokyo. April is the most popular month for a trip to Tokyo. If you want a quieter atmosphere, go in March.
Before locking in your London to Tokyo tickets, consider the kind of weather you prefer. August is the warmest month in Tokyo, with temperatures ranging from 23ºC (73ºF) to 29ºC (84ºF).
Search for cheap flights from London to Tokyo in January if you'd rather travel when it's cooler. Temperatures are at their lowest then, ranging between 9ºC (48ºF) and 15ºC (59ºF) on average.
More about Tokyo
After booking your flight from London to Tokyo, choose a hotel that puts you where you want to be. Make one of these options your base for exploring Tokyo:
All great adventures should include a little sightseeing. TOKYO SKYTREE, Sensho-ji and Ginza Central Street are attractions you won't want to skip in Tokyo.
Explore more of Japan
Tokyo will leave a lasting impression, but there are so many other parts of Japan you should also see. About 402 kilometres west of Tokyo, a visit to Osaka will keep your itinerary packed. Don't miss top attractions like Dotonbori, Osaka Castle and Universal Studios Japan.
If there's time to check out another great destination in Japan, consider Nagoya, about 257 kilometres west of Tokyo. Nagoya Castle, Sky Promenade and Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium are among its highlights.
