Tokyo · Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit
When to go, where to watch it from above, what Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY add, and every Shibuya tour compared honestly, including when you need no tour at all.
Tickets and experiences hand-picked by our editors
Tours
In the centre, the walk most visitors book: Hachiko, the crossing, the back streets and a hidden view spot in 90 minutes. On the left, SHIBUYA SKY at night with the ticket included. On the right, small bars and izakaya after dark.
Sky ticket included
★ 4.72 hours158 reviewsYour guide has the SHIBUYA SKY ticket: about 45 minutes on the open-air rooftop at night, then down to cross the scramble under the screens.
Most booked
★ 4.91.5 hours722 reviewsA local guide starts at Hachiko, walks you across the crossing and into the back streets, then shows you a high spot to watch it from. Runs rain or shine.
After dark
★ 4.93 hours496 reviewsA guide takes you past the crossing's lights into the small bars and izakaya that are hard to find alone. Venue entry is included; food and drinks you pay as you go.
Neon + skyline
★ 4.92 hours168 reviews
Choose sunset
★ 4.92 hours59 reviews
History walk
★ 4.82 hours169 reviews
13 dishes
★ 4.83 hours292 reviews
On wheels
★ 4.81 hour381 reviewsCompare
The first row is the baseline: the crossing is a public street, and you can see it well on your own. Every option below adds something: a guide and the back streets, a SHIBUYA SKY ticket already booked, food and drink, or the crossing from behind the wheel.
| Option | Starts | Best for | Length | Rating | Cancel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On your own | Hachiko Exit, Shibuya Station | Crossing it, Hachiko and the Mark City window, no ticket needed | 30 to 60 minutes | n/a | n/a | Map |
| Shibuya Highlights Walk & Secret View Spot | Meets at SHIBU HACHI BOX, by Hachiko | A first look with a guide, Hachiko to the back streets | 1.5 hours | ★ 4.9 (722) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya Sky Night View & Crossing Tour | Meets in central Shibuya | SHIBUYA SKY at night without booking the slot yourself | 2 hours | ★ 4.7 (158) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl | Meets in central Shibuya | Small bars and izakaya you would not find alone | 3 hours | ★ 4.9 (496) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya After Dark: Neon Streets & Skyline | Starts at the Hachiko statue | An hour in Center Gai and Udagawacho, an hour on SHIBUYA SKY at night | 2 hours | ★ 4.9 (168) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya Sky Sunset or Night & Walking Tour | Starts at the Hachiko statue | Pick an afternoon, sunset or night departure; entry time depends on the rooftop slot | 2 hours | ★ 4.9 (59) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya Crossing & Hidden Streets Walk | Mark City, 3rd floor | Myth of Tomorrow, Nonbei Yokocho, Miyashita Park and Maruyama-cho | 2 hours | ★ 4.8 (169) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Shibuya Food Tour: 13 Dishes, 3 Eateries | Shibuya Chuo-Gai, Dogenzaka | An izakaya, a street stall and a traditional eatery, with two drinks | 3 hours | ★ 4.8 (292) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
| Street Kart to Shibuya Crossing with Photos | Monkey Kart Shibuya | Harajuku, Omotesando and Yoyogi Park, ending at the crossing; licence or IDP needed | 1 hour | ★ 4.8 (381) | Full refund up to 24 h ahead | Check dates |
In bad weather or strong wind the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop can close at short notice. The street kart needs a valid driving licence or International Driving Permit, and the bar crawl is for ages 20 and over.
What the tour pages don't tell you
Shibuya Crossing is a public street, open to everyone at any hour. Five roads meet in front of the station's Hachiko Exit, so there are five crosswalks and a single diagonal, not the big X most people picture. Since 1973 the lights stop every car at once and let everyone cross in every direction.
What changes the experience is when you come and where you stand. Crowds peak on weekday evenings and on Friday and Saturday nights; early morning is almost calm. From street level you feel it; from above you see the pattern. "The busiest crossing in the world" is a popular label rather than a measured title, and it was not even Japan's first scramble. It is simply the most famous one.
roughly how often the lights stop the traffic. The green phase lasts well under a minute, so keep walking and don't stop in the middle.
No. Only some viewpoints above it, such as SHIBUYA SKY or MAG8, sell tickets.
Weekday evenings from about 5 to 8 pm for crowds, early morning for calm photos.
30 to 60 minutes on your own; two to three hours with SHIBUYA SKY.
No drones, no street drinking at night, and keep moving while you cross.
How to see it
The route that works for most first visits, with or without a guide. Allow about an hour, or come back after dark for the second half.
Follow the signs to the Hachiko Exit. The bronze dog is Shibuya's classic meeting point, so expect a short queue for photos.
A few minutesOnce straight over, once on the diagonal. Film if you like, but keep walking: the green phase is short.
About 40 seconds eachThe Starbucks on the second floor of SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, the glass walkway to Mark City or the MAG8 rooftop.
20 to 30 minutesGo up SHIBUYA SKY around sunset, or walk back down when the screens and neon take over.
1 to 2 hoursPlan your visit
Where to watch it from, how to get there, when it is busiest and the few rules that matter.
Where it is
In front of Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
The crossing is the first thing you see when you leave Shibuya Station by the Hachiko Exit. The Hachiko statue stands in the square beside it; SHIBUYA TSUTAYA and its Starbucks face it from across the street, and Center Gai leads off it into the shopping streets. SHIBUYA SKY is on top of Shibuya Scramble Square, directly above the station.
Around your visit
Small things visitors wish they had known, what is nearby, and the dates to be aware of.
Shibuya, Tokyo · every two minutes
Walks, rooftop tours and evenings out, with the refund terms stated on every option.
Check availabilityGuest reviews
★★★★★Very friendly guide and epic locations that I would never have found on my own. A must for first timers in Shibuya.
★★★★★The views from Shibuya Sky at night are incredible, and the tour around the district was also really great to discover some hidden gems that we would never have found on our own.
★★★★★We did the 8pm tour and it was a very good slot to see all the lights and nightlife. If you want to shop, most shops seem to close at 9pm, so do that before the later tours.
★★★★★I booked this on my first day in Shibuya, to orient myself, and it was a great idea. It was interesting and helpful to learn about the area.
★★★★★He guided us through the Shibuya crossing 4 times and walked us through popular spots in Shibuya. Our last stop was Shibuya Sky, an experience I believe everyone should have.
★★★★★Very knowledgeable about the area, advising us on places to eat and shop. The visit to the skyline viewing platform was fantastic, with great views over the crossing.
★★★★★You get to see Shibuya from multiple angles: the izakayas, the parks, the karaoke places, scenic views and so on.
★★★★★Very informative and interesting. The tour took us through lots of unexpected places in the back streets, and the guide was very well versed in the history of the area.
★★★★★Took us to places I would have missed on my own. The highlight was definitely Shibuya Sky: the views are incredible at night.
Be in the picture
Most photos of the crossing have everyone in them except you. A short private walk with a local photographer fixes that, with the neon, the side streets and the scramble as the backdrop.
Want to be in the picture instead of taking it? A local photographer walks you through the crossing, the glowing side streets and rain reflections, and sends you more than 35 retouched photos. Private, relaxed and fine for the camera-shy. Full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Private35+ photosNeon at night
The guide
Shibuya Crossing takes 40 seconds to walk and needs no ticket, yet visitors come away with very different memories of it. The difference is almost always three choices: where you stand, when you come, and what you do once you have crossed.
Five roads meet in front of Shibuya Station, one of the busiest stations in the world, served by nine major lines. Since 1973 the lights have stopped every car at once and let pedestrians cross in every direction, including one long diagonal of about 44 m. The cycle comes round roughly every two minutes, and at busy times well over a thousand people step off the kerb together. Nobody counts them officially; the famous "3,000 at once" is a peak estimate. Add the giant screens on every building, the Hachiko statue in the square and a long list of films, from Lost in Translation to Tokyo Drift, and you have the image most people carry of Tokyo.
Cross it first, then go up. At street level you feel the rush; from above you see the scramble for what it is. The glass walkway from the station to Mark City looks down on it with no ticket needed. The Starbucks on the second floor of SHIBUYA TSUTAYA is the classic close view, though since its 2024 renovation the window is mostly standing room. MAG8, on the roof of MAGNET by SHIBUYA109, is a ticketed open-air deck close enough to make out umbrellas. For the whole city, SHIBUYA SKY's rooftop sits 229 m up on Shibuya Scramble Square; its timed tickets for sunset go first, which is why several tours include one.
For the full crush, come on a weekday evening between about 5 and 8 pm, or on a Friday or Saturday night, when the screens are at their brightest. For calm photos, come early in the morning. Rain is a gift rather than a problem: the crossing turns into a patchwork of umbrellas, best seen from an indoor window. The one time to think twice is Halloween, when Shibuya City asks people to stay away and barriers go up around the station.
Hachiko, the loyal Akita who waited at the station for almost ten years, is a few steps away; today's statue dates from 1948. Center Gai leads into the shopping streets, Nonbei Yokocho hides tiny bars beside the tracks, and Harajuku is one stop away. After dark, Shibuya is generally safe and busy until late. Drinking on the street around the station is banned from 6 pm to 5 am, so the evening happens indoors, in izakaya and small bars, which is exactly where a good bar crawl or food tour takes you.
Guides
Six in-depth guides for the questions visitors ask most before they go. See all guides.
Best time to visitBusy and calm hours, day or night, rain, seasons and events.
Where to watchSix viewpoints above the crossing, pros, cons and photo tips.
SHIBUYA SKY guideTimed slots, rooftop rules, weather and tours with the ticket.
Hachiko and the crossingThe loyal dog, the 1973 scramble, the numbers and the films.
Shibuya tours comparedWalks, rooftop tours, bars, karts and photos side by side.
Shibuya at nightSafety, the drinking ban, bars, food, last trains and neon.FAQ
Straight answers to what visitors ask most about Shibuya Crossing.
For the biggest crowds, a weekday evening between about 5 pm and 8 pm, or a Friday or Saturday night, when the screens and neon are at their brightest. For calm photos, come early in the morning. Hour by hour in the best time to visit.
About 40 seconds for the longest walk, the 44 m diagonal, at a normal pace. The lights change roughly every two minutes and the green phase lasts well under a minute, so keep moving and never stop in the middle.
Both, if you can. By day you see the pattern of people crossing from above; after dark the giant screens and neon take over. If you only have one visit, come around sunset and stay until it is dark.
Because it is the most photographed crossing in Tokyo: traffic stops in every direction and well over a thousand people can cross at once at busy times, right outside one of the busiest stations in the world. Films from Lost in Translation to Tokyo Drift did the rest. The story in Hachiko and the crossing.
No. The crossing is a public street, open to everyone at any hour, and so is the Hachiko statue. You only need a ticket for some viewpoints above it, such as the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop or the MAG8 deck.
SHIBUYA SKY for the whole city from 229 m; the Starbucks on the second floor of SHIBUYA TSUTAYA and the MAG8 rooftop for a close view; the glass walkway to Mark City with no ticket needed. Every viewpoint in where to watch the crossing.
At the busiest times, well over a thousand with each green light; some estimates put the peak at around 2,500 to 3,000. Nobody counts officially, and "the busiest crossing in the world" is a popular label rather than a measured title.
Allow 30 to 60 minutes to cross, see Hachiko and watch from one viewpoint, or two to three hours with SHIBUYA SKY at sunset or a guided walk.
Yes, generally. The crossing is busy and well lit until late. As in any nightlife district, ignore street touts, choose your own bar and keep an eye on your drink and your card. More in Shibuya at night.
Not around the station at night. Since October 2024 drinking on streets, in parks and other public spaces around Shibuya Station is banned every day from 6 pm to 5 am, so have your drink inside a bar or restaurant.
On a clear day, yes: it is an open-air rooftop 229 m up, straight above the crossing, and the sunset slots sell out first. The rooftop can close in bad weather or strong wind. Tickets, slots and tours in the SHIBUYA SKY guide.
Shibuya City asks people not to come to Shibuya for Halloween. In recent years the Hachiko statue was fenced off, shops stopped selling alcohol and barriers went up around 31 October; check the ward's announcement, usually out in early October.
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More: bar and izakaya crawl · rooftop at sunset · SHIBUYA SKY official site
