Cheap flights from London to Tokyo

October is the cheapest month on this route, and fares hold up well through September and November, when Tokyo is comfortable and the crowds are thinner. Spring cherry blossom season, New Year and Golden Week push prices up sharply, so shift your dates if you have any room to move. Midweek departures usually cost less than weekend ones, and overnight connections tend to undercut the daytime options. Prices are shown for every month of the year on this page, so scan the calendar before you settle on a date.

Every airline on this route connects rather than flies non-stop, so the itinerary matters as much as the name on the ticket. Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Juneyao Airlines all route you through China. Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Royal Brunei come in through the Gulf and Southeast Asia, and Air India adds a further option. What is included varies with the fare type and with how the legs are ticketed, so check baggage and meals before you compare totals, because a generous long-haul leg can sit next to a strict short-haul one.

Tokyo has two airports and they are not interchangeable. Haneda, Tokyo Intl, sits close to the city, with monorail and train lines running straight into the centre. Narita Intl is well outside the city, so you need an express train or an airport bus, and the transfer eats into your first day. Both have taxis and buses, and both get busy when the long-haul arrivals land together. Check which airport your fare uses before you book a hotel, and if you are travelling onward inside Japan, leave room between your arrival and the next departure.

Currency

JPY (円)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 100 V

Language

Japanese

Emergency number

110, 118, 119

Calling code

+81

Internet domain

.jp

Population of Tokyo

14.3 M (2022)

Time zone

UTC+09 (Asia/Tokyo)

Country facts: Wikidata

• London has five airports, so check which one your fare actually leaves from before you plan the trip across town.
• Every itinerary connects, so weigh the total journey time and the length of the layover, not just the departure hour.
• If the connection is on a separate ticket, the risk of a missed onward flight sits with you.
• Check the baggage allowance on the connecting airline, since the short leg often has a tighter limit than the long-haul one.
• Confirm whether you land at Haneda or Narita, because the transfer into Tokyo works differently from each.
• Check your passport validity and the visa rules for Japan well before you book.