Tokyo is a massive city; while sightseeing is incredibly fun and there's much to discover, your feet are bound to hurt at some point. Here's where Tokyo's incredibly convenient and entirely free sightseeing loop buses come in!
Famous locations such as Tokyo Station and Odaiba can be visited by bus and without paying a single yen - let's take a look at the city's major free loop buses.
Tokyo Bay Shuttle - Exploring Odaiba!
Odaiba is known as Tokyo's beautiful bay area, featuring landmarks such as Venus Fort and the Fuji TV building. Those popular tourists spots are scattered over the entire area, making exploring the island on foot not impossible but certainly somewhat of a challenge.
The Tokyo Bay Shuttle bus, however, visits Odaiba's many attractions entirely for free! Even on weekends and holidays, this loop bus operates every day between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., leaving in intervals of about 20 minutes. With barely any waiting time in between the buses, this is one of our favorite ways to explore Odaiba!
Operates: Daily
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Frequency: Every 20 minutes
Main Stops
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1) National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation第1停車場:日本科学未来館
- Address 2-3-6, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064
Miraikan
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3) Venus Fort第3停車場:ヴィーナスフォート
- Address 1-3-15, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064
Palette Town
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5) DiverCity Tokyo Plaza第5停車場:ダイバーシティ東京プラザ
- Address 1-1, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064
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6) Hilton Tokyo Odaiba第6停車場:ヒルトン東京お台場
- Address 1-9-1, Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 135-0091
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8) Fuji TV第8停車場:フジテレビ
- Address 2-4, Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 135-0091
Marunouchi Shuttle - Touring Around Tokyo Station
Naturally, Tokyo Station is one of the Japanese capital's major traffic hubs where many train lines cross - local, express, and even Shinkansen. Because of that, the area around the station is not only filled with hotels and restaurants but also with a whole variety of all kinds of different landmarks and sightseeing spots.
The Marunouchi Shuttle is a sightseeing loop bus that covers the entire area, a wonderful choice for both shoppers and sightseers alike. Added to which, it's a rare opportunity to gaze upon Tokyo's hustle and bustle from a relaxed bus ride.
In general, the Marunouchi Shuttle buses' route takes about 40 minutes, but on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., a special "Otemachi Route" is in place, particularly made for the business people of the morning rush hour, skipping Yurakucho Station - make sure to keep that in mind!
Operates: daily
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. on weekdays
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
Frequency: Every 12 to 15 minutes
Main Stops
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2) Otemachi Tower第2停車場:大手町タワー
- Address 1-5, Otemachi , Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004
Marunouchi Oazo
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7) Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation第7停車場:三井住友銀行
- Address 1-31-3, Marunochi , Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005
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11) Dai-ichi Life第11停車場:第一生命
- Address 1-13, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0006
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12) Hibiya第12停車場:日比谷
- Address 1-8, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0006
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13) Shin Kokusai Building第13停車場:新国際ビル
- Address 3-4, Marunochi , Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005
Bic Camera
Metrolink Nihonbashi - Getting to Know Nihonbashi
Just recently, the two massive shopping facilities COREDO Muromachi 2 and COREDO Muromachi 3 have opened in an area called Nihonbashi. In the Edo period, the area flourished and prospered as a castle town directly next to Edo Castle - even today, the historic glory of this era is still both palpable and visible. Many a long-established restaurant offer the delicious, authentic tastes of old cuisines, while the latest technology and trends can be found at shops and cinemas just next door.
Metrolink Nihonbashi is a free sightseeing bus that departs from the busy Tokyo Station, making its way to Shin-Nihonbashi over five stops. Buses depart every 10 minutes, and each and every stop has unique spots of interest and sightseeing attractions to offer within walking distance.
The Metrolink Nihonbashi is also a great choice for shoppers as its main route is the Chuo-Dori, where shops and stores of all genres can be found. Hop on!
Operates: Daily
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Frequency: Every 10 minutes
Main Stops
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3) Nihonbashi Station(subway)第3停車場:地下鉄日本橋駅
- Address 1-2, Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027
COREDO Nihonbashi
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5) Mitsui Memorial Museum第5停車場:三井記念美術館
- Address 2-1, Nihombashimuromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0022
近くの観光スポット:千疋屋總本店
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7) Nihonbashi Muromachi Itchome第7停車場:日本橋室町一丁目
- Address 2-2, Nihombashimuromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0022
Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi
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9) Nihonbashi Nichome第9停車場:日本橋二丁目
- Address 2-4, Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027
Takashimaya
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14) Yaesu Underground Mall第14停車場:八重洲地下街
- Address 1-1-1, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0031
Panda Bus - Asakusa Sightseeing, the Adorable Way
The famous sightseeing area of Asakusa does of course have its very own free sightseeing bus - and it's an unmistakably adorable one! The Panda Bus is just that - a bus in the cute shape of a panda that takes eager sightseers around Asakusa's most famous places and hot spots. It operates on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, and it's a wonderfully convenient way to stop by all of Asakusa's must-visits in one day, such as Kaminarimon or Senso-ji Temple.
The Panda Bus also crosses the Sumida River, taking you straight to Tokyo Skytree(R) on the other side. Since this famous landmark is a fair distance away from Asakusa Station, people commonly use either the subway or a taxi to reach Tokyo Skytree(R), but why not just make use of the Panda Bus for free?
Operates: Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (no service between 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.)
Frequency: Every 40 minutes
Main Stops
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3) Kaminarimon第3停車場:雷門
- Address 2-3-1, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0032
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1) in front of ROX第1停車場:ROX前(浅草ROX)
- Address 1-25-15, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0032
Asakusa ROX
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4) in front of Tokyo Skytree Station第4停車場:とうきょうスカイツリー駅前
- Address 1-4-1, Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-0045
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6) Tobu Asakusa Station第6停車場:東武浅草駅
- Address 1-4-1, Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0033
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7) Nitenmon第7停車場:二天門
- Address 2-3-61, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0032
Top image credit: Vassamon Anansukkasem / Shutterstock.com
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*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.
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