Things to Do Near Narita Airport: Naritasan Shinshoji and Omotesando on Arrival or Departure Day

The best thing to do near Narita Airport is Naritasan Shinshoji temple and its Omotesando street. Take the Keisei Main Line from the airport to Keisei-Narita (about 10 minutes, about ¥280) or the JR Narita Line to JR Narita (about 8–17 minutes), then walk about 10 minutes along the roughly 800 m Omotesando to the temple. Two to three hours covers the temple and an eel lunch, which makes it a natural fit for the spare half-day on your arrival or departure day. The real problem is luggage: the Omotesando is a sloping old street and the temple has plenty of stone steps, so big suitcases are best left elsewhere.

Key takeaways

• Narita town is close to the airport: Keisei Narita Airport Station to Keisei-Narita takes about 10 minutes, and JR Airport Terminal 2 Station to JR Narita about 8 minutes. The two Narita stations are next to each other, and the temple is about a 10-minute walk away.
• Naritasan Shinshoji was founded in 940, and there's no ticket to visit the Great Main Hall. The hall holds several Goma fire rituals a day; from October to March the morning ritual starts at 6:00.
• The Naritasan Omotesando runs about 800 m from the station area, lined with more than 150 restaurants and souvenir shops; grilled eel is Narita's signature dish.
• The Keisei Line is a private railway and isn't covered by the Japan Rail Pass; JR Pass holders can take the JR Narita Line.
• Narita Airport's baggage storage counters only work if you collect your bags back at the airport. If you're heading into Tokyo afterwards, or starting from a Tokyo hotel on your way to a flight, a delivery service can send your bags straight to the hotel or the airport instead.

How do you get from Narita Airport to Naritasan Shinshoji?

The simplest way from Narita Airport to Naritasan Shinshoji is the Keisei Main Line to Keisei-Narita or the JR Narita Line to JR Narita. Both rides take under 20 minutes, and the temple is about a 10-minute walk from either station. The two stations sit almost side by side, and both lead onto the Omotesando.

Route	Airport station	Get off at	Journey time	Adult one-way fare	JR Pass
Keisei Main Line	Narita Airport (Terminal 1), Airport Terminal 2 (Terminals 2 and 3)	Keisei-Narita	About 10 min	About ¥280	Not covered
JR Narita Line	Narita Airport (Terminal 1), Airport Terminal 2 (Terminals 2 and 3)	JR Narita	About 8–17 min	About ¥260	Covered

Don't board the wrong train: the Keisei Skyliner runs on the Narita Sky Access Line and does not stop at Keisei-Narita. Fares were checked on a route-search site in October 2026; for timetables and current fares see Keisei and JR East. Journey times follow the access pages of Naritasan Shinshoji and the Narita City Tourism Association.

How to plan a Narita half-day trip on arrival or departure day

Allow three to four hours for a Narita half-day trip, including the ride to and from the airport. On arrival day you can land in the morning, see Naritasan, and head into Tokyo by early evening. On departure day you start from Tokyo, explore Narita, and go on to the airport for an evening flight.

Arrival day: land in the morning, see Narita, then go into Tokyo

1. After immigration and baggage claim, sort out your bags first (hand them to a delivery service for your Tokyo hotel, or leave them at an airport storage counter).
2. Take the Keisei or JR train from the airport to Narita, about 10 minutes.
3. Walk about 10 minutes down the Omotesando, browsing the old shops on the way.
4. Visit Naritasan Shinshoji; if the timing works, sit in on a Goma fire ritual in the Great Main Hall (about 30 minutes each).
5. Head back up the Omotesando for grilled eel or souvenirs.
6. Take the Sobu Line Rapid from JR Narita to Tokyo Station (about 70–75 minutes), or a Keisei Limited Express from Keisei-Narita to Ueno (about 65 minutes).

Departure day: start from Tokyo, see Narita, then fly

1. Check out of your Tokyo hotel in the morning and hand your bags to the front desk or a delivery service to be sent straight to Narita Airport.
2. Ride the JR or Keisei line to Narita with empty hands and explore Naritasan and the Omotesando.
3. After lunch, take the 10-minute train from Narita back to the airport.
4. Check in at the time your airline recommends; for international flights leave plenty of margin rather than packing too much into Narita.

The old Naritasan Omotesando street. Photo: Kunitaka NIIDATE / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

What is there to do on the Naritasan Omotesando? Eel and old streets

The Naritasan Omotesando is a temple-town street running about 800 m from the JR and Keisei Narita stations to Naritasan Shinshoji. It has thrived on pilgrims since the Edo period, and today more than 150 restaurants and souvenir shops line the way. The entrance is right by Narita Station, marked by a statue of a kabuki actor.

Narita's signature dish is eel. Nearby Lake Inba has supplied freshwater fish for centuries, and the inns of the temple town have served eel to pilgrims since the Edo period; many old restaurants along the street still guard their own "secret sauce". Halfway along, the storehouse-style Narita Tourist Pavilion has sightseeing information.

The Omotesando has several sloping stretches, the old street is narrow, and shopfronts often have queues, so pushing a large suitcase along it is hard work. For shops and maps see the Narita City Tourism Association.

What to see at Naritasan Shinshoji: key halls and the Goma fire ritual

Naritasan Shinshoji is a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in 940. The grounds hold many halls, several of them nationally designated Important Cultural Properties; on a first visit, the Great Main Hall, the Three-Storied Pagoda and the Great Pagoda of Peace make a full loop. There's no ticket to visit the Great Main Hall, and anyone is welcome to go inside.

Hall	Built	Highlights
Great Main Hall (Daihondo)	1968	The main hall for the Goma fire ritual, enshrining Fudo Myoo
Three-Storied Pagoda	1712	Important Cultural Property with vividly coloured carvings
Niomon Gate	Rebuilt 1830	Important Cultural Property, hung with a huge "Uogashi" lantern
Shakado Hall	1858	Important Cultural Property, the former main hall, carved with 500 arhats
Great Pagoda of Peace	1984	58 m tall, with exhibits on Naritasan's history inside

What is the Goma fire ritual and when is it held?

The Goma fire ritual is an esoteric Shingon rite in which wooden prayer sticks are burned before Fudo Myoo to pray for wishes to come true, and Naritasan holds several a day in the Great Main Hall. The early-morning ritual starts at 5:30 from April to September and at 6:00 from October to March. During the day there's roughly one an hour until about 3 pm, each lasting about 30 minutes; exact times vary by month and between weekdays and holidays, so check the Naritasan website.

The Great Main Hall of Naritasan Shinshoji. Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5

More time? Naritasan Park and the Calligraphy Museum

With about an extra hour, carry on into Naritasan Park behind the temple. It covers about 165,000 m² (around 3.5 Tokyo Domes), with three ponds, the Yuhi Waterfall and a Western-style garden, plus plum, cherry, wisteria and maple for every season. The 2026 Naritasan Park Autumn Leaves Festival is scheduled for 14–29 November.

Inside the park, the Naritasan Calligraphy Museum holds more than 6,000 works. It opens 9:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30) and closes on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday). From 20 October 2026 admission is ¥800 for adults and free for high-school students and anyone under 18 (Naritasan website).

The Western Garden in Naritasan Park. Photo: Patrick de Perio / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Visiting Narita with luggage: 3 options compared

Big luggage is the hardest part of a Narita visit: the Omotesando has sloping stretches and the temple grounds have several flights of stone steps, and dragging a suitcase 800 m before climbing stairs takes the fun out of a half-day trip. There are three common approaches, and the right one depends on whether you're going back to the airport or on to Tokyo afterwards.

Option	How your luggage travels	Best for	Watch out for
Narita Airport baggage storage counter	Left at the terminal, collected when you return	Layovers, or anyone flying out after the visit	Fees depend on bag size and counter; on arrival day you'd have to double back to the airport before Tokyo
Carry it or find a station locker	You push it yourself, or find a free locker	Travellers with small bags only	Large lockers aren't always free; slopes and stone steps on the street and in the temple
Send it straight to your Tokyo hotel or the airport	Hand it over at the airport or hotel; delivered to your next stop	Arrival day into Tokyo, or departure day from a Tokyo hotel	Book in advance and note the handover and delivery times

Narita Airport has baggage storage counters in Terminals 1 and 2; the 1F counters open from 6:30 until one hour after the last international arrival (Narita Airport).

LuggAgent sends your bags straight to your next stop. On arrival day, hand them to an agent holding a LuggAgent sign in the arrivals hall and go to Naritasan empty-handed; your bags reach your Tokyo hotel's front desk by 21:00 the same day (or by 18:00 with priority delivery). On departure day, hand them over at your hotel's front desk and they're delivered to Narita Airport; we recommend choosing a delivery time at least 2 hours before your flight departs. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. If you're picked up at an Airbnb or guesthouse, meet the driver in person at the pickup time you chose (09:00–11:00) with your bags; if your bags are delivered to one, send the full address and entry details (door code, key box or building access) by 13:00 local time on the service day, and you don't need to be there. For coverage and time slots in Tokyo, see Tokyo luggage delivery.

If you want to see Naritasan straight after landing, hand your bags over in the arrivals hall and have them sent ahead to your hotel in Tokyo's 23 wards:

If you want to see Narita before your flight home, hand your bags over when you check out of your Tokyo hotel and they'll go straight to Narita Airport:

Book luggage delivery

FAQ

How long does it take from Narita Airport to Naritasan Shinshoji?

The Keisei Main Line to Keisei-Narita takes about 10 minutes, or the JR Narita Line from Airport Terminal 2 to JR Narita about 8 minutes, then it's about a 10-minute walk to the temple. Not counting immigration, allow roughly 30–40 minutes of travel from the plane to the temple.

Does Naritasan Shinshoji charge admission, and what are the opening times?

There's no ticket to visit the Great Main Hall, and anyone can go inside. The morning Goma ritual starts at 6:00 from October to March and at 5:30 from April to September; the Naritasan Calligraphy Museum in the grounds opens 9:00–16:00, closes on Mondays, and charges ¥800 for adults from 20 October 2026.

Can I use the JR Pass to get to Narita Station?

Yes, on the JR Narita Line to JR Narita, but the Keisei Line is a private railway and isn't covered by the JR Pass. Both stations are about a 10-minute walk from Naritasan Shinshoji, so JR Pass holders should simply take JR.

Can I visit Naritasan during a layover?

If you have enough time, yes, but you must enter Japan first (whether you need a visa depends on your passport) and leave time to go back through airport security. The airport is about 10 minutes from Narita Station and the temple and street need at least 2 hours, so with immigration and check-in on top it doesn't work for short connections.

What can I do with my luggage if I visit Narita on my departure day?

If you're starting from a Tokyo hotel, hand your bags to LuggAgent at checkout and they'll be delivered to Narita Airport (we recommend a delivery time at least 2 hours before your flight departs), leaving you free to explore Narita empty-handed. On a layover, or if you're staying near the airport, you can also leave bags at a Narita Airport baggage storage counter and collect them when you get back.