Quick guides
Haneda Airport Overnight with Kids
羽田の夜
I almost spent the night outside a locked terminal because I thought every building at Haneda stayed open. With children, the useful plan is Terminal 3, and a capsule hotel is the plan I would skip.
Photographs for this guide are still being added.
At a glance
T3
The terminal that stays open
Under 12
Not allowed at First Cabin
1:15 a.m.
Last listed T3 shuttle
Quick facts
| Which terminal is 24 hours | Terminal 3. Terminals 1 and 2 generally run about 5 a.m. to midnight, and the doors can close earlier after the last flight. After closing, you should not plan to sleep in those lobbies. Overnight inside Terminal 3 is for people who have used, or will use, an international flight. |
|---|---|
| The free shuttle | It loops the terminals. The airport lists the last Terminal 3 departure toward Terminals 1 and 2 at 1:15 a.m. From midnight to 5 a.m. that bus is for parking customers and for hotel guests in Terminals 1 and 2. You cannot enter Terminals 1 or 2 in those hours. |
| First Cabin, Terminal 1 | Clean, and a poor family plan. Cabins are one person. Men and women are in separate areas. Children under 12 are not allowed. The cabin floor is quiet enough that I did not want to move. The lounge has vending machines and noodles. Airport restaurants were largely done by about 10 p.m. |
| If the doors are already locked | On our night, Terminal 2 was shut by about 11 p.m., earlier than the “midnight” I had in my head. Taxis were not waiting at a dark terminal. The door that worked was the hotel intercom on the arrivals floor. First Cabin’s own note puts a night entrance near bus stop 8. |
| Where a family can actually sleep | The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Haneda is inside Terminal 3 and is open 24 hours. Book the exact number of people. In Japan the hotel can charge extra or cancel if the headcount is wrong. There are three of us, so that was the reservation. Breakfast at the hotel was optional. The food outside was the reason I left the choice open. |
| Resting without a bed | Seats on the upper floors of Terminal 3, near the restaurant village and the observation deck, are where people wait. Don Quijote is there for supplies. The Terminal 3 observation deck is listed as 24 hours and can close in bad weather. A towel on a seat is a courtesy, not a claim. Use a locker, and keep a small bag with you. |
| On arrival | Landing is the easy time to pick up a Welcome Suica. I travel with a Wise card and had yen before I needed a machine to cooperate. Shower rooms are by the hour and were on a wait list when we looked. I have not confirmed an online reservation for them. |
Prices, hours, and house rules change. Use the official link before you go.
Terminals after dark
| Place | What to count on |
|---|---|
| Terminal 3 | Open 24 hours. An overnight stay inside is for passengers on international flights. This is where we would wait. |
| Terminals 1 and 2 | Public areas generally close by midnight, or after the last flight. From midnight to 5 a.m. you cannot enter unless you are a hotel guest or using airport parking. |
| Free shuttle from Terminal 3 | Last listed departure toward Terminals 1 and 2 is 1:15 a.m. After midnight it serves hotel guests and parking, and it does not reopen a locked terminal for you. |
| First Cabin, Terminal 1 | One guest per cabin, separate areas for men and women, no children under 12. Night entrance near bus stop 8 if you are already a guest. |
Short instructions
1Decide the terminal before you decide the snack
If you are staying over, hang out in Terminal 3. More shops, a convenience store, and the restaurant village are there, including a shaved-ice counter I liked and a piano in the hall if the wait gets long. Do not wander back to Terminal 1 or 2 after the last flight and hope the doors are open.
2Skip the capsule if children are with you
First Cabin splits adults and does not take children under 12. I had wondered if the cutoff was 18. The hotel’s rule is under 12. The quiet is the other reason. Any zipper sounds enormous. If you are awake, the lounge is the place, not the cabin.
3Treat the shuttle timetable as a last call, not a promise you can miss
I stayed late in Terminal 3, took what I thought was a safe bus back, and found the terminal locked. The listed last bus from Terminal 3 is 1:15 a.m., and it still will not let you into a closed terminal. If you are staying at the Terminal 1 or 2 hotel, know the night intercom before you leave.
4For a family room, stay in Terminal 3
The Royal Park Hotel is on the departure side of Terminal 3. Vending machines are by the lobby. The spa next to that stay was clean, and hotel guests had a discounted re-entry band. I spent about two and a half hours and would not use a spa-only visit as the family’s bed.
5Keep the bag you would be upset to lose
Lock the big luggage. Sleep, if you are sleeping in a chair, with the small bag on you. Bring a towel if you walk to the restroom. Most people respected a covered seat. It is not a reservation.
Questions parents ask
Are all Haneda terminals open all night?
No. Terminal 3 is the 24-hour terminal. Terminals 1 and 2 generally close by midnight, and they can close earlier when the last flight is earlier. I got back to a locked Terminal 2 around 11 p.m.
What if we miss the last free shuttle?
Do not expect a taxi to be waiting at a closed terminal. Walk to the arrivals-floor intercom for the hotel and ask staff to bring you in. First Cabin describes a night entrance near bus stop 8. I would rather not need it.
Is the Haneda capsule hotel all right for a family?
I would not book it for us. Cabins are single, men and women are separated, and children under 12 are not allowed. The room is so quiet that I stopped moving. Food inside is vending and noodles.
Where should a family with children sleep?
Inside Terminal 3, at the Royal Park Hotel, with a reservation for the real number of people. The spa is a good soak, not a substitute bed. Chairs near the restaurants and the observation deck are for a few hours, not a night with kids.
Can we just sleep in the lobby?
Not in Terminal 1 or 2 after they close. Terminal 3 has seating, and the rules still limit an overnight stay to people on international flights. I would not promise a child a lobby bed.
What should we do right after we land?
Get the Welcome Suica while you are already in the arrivals flow. I had yen on a Wise card so I was not learning the machine and the currency at the same time.
Is there food after midnight?
Much less. Most restaurants we saw were done by about 10 p.m. A convenience store and vending machines were the reliable late option. I would eat before I am dependent on them.