SHIBUYA SKY tickets and tours

Is Shibuya Sky worth it?

On a clear day, yes. It is the only open-air rooftop this high in the middle of Shibuya, 229 m up and straight above the crossing, and the view at sunset and after dark is one of the best in Tokyo.

What makes it special is the open deck: no glass between you and the sky on the rooftop itself, a glass edge you can lean against, and the city in every direction. Reviewers of the tours that include it call the night view the highlight of their evening. What it is not is a close view of the crossing: from 229 m the scramble is a small pattern of stripes far below, so for people and umbrellas go to a lower viewpoint as well.

It is less worth it on a day of low cloud, when the view can vanish, or in rain and strong wind, when the rooftop may be closed. Look at the forecast before you book, and keep a lower viewpoint as a plan B: the options are in where to watch the crossing.

How do you book SHIBUYA SKY tickets?

Book a timed slot on the official SHIBUYA SKY site, or take a tour that includes the ticket. Online tickets cost less than the counter on the day, and slots from mid-afternoon onwards cost more than earlier ones.

• When tickets open: they usually go on sale a few weeks ahead, often about two weeks, and the release pattern can change, so check the official site for your date.
• Sunset: the slots around sunset are the first to go, on clear weekends sometimes soon after they open. Book as soon as your date is available.
• The counter: same-day tickets are sold at the entrance on 14F when slots remain, at a higher price than online. On busy days the popular times will already be gone.
• Your slot: it sets when you go in, not how long you stay.
• With a tour: the guide holds the tickets and takes the group in together, so you do not have to watch the release date.

The SHIBUYA SKY sunset or night tour lets you choose an afternoon, sunset or night departure from the Hachiko statue, with a walk through Center Gai and Udagawacho and the story of Shibuya's youth culture. The rooftop entry time depends on the slots available. Rated 4.9 from 59 reviews; full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

★ 4.9 (59) · 2 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the Shibuya Sky sunset tour →

What can you bring onto the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop?

Only what you can hold securely: phones, glasses and cameras on a strap. Bags, travel luggage, tripods, selfie sticks, loose hats, earphones, food, drink and animals are not allowed on the rooftop; everything else goes in the lockers on 46F.

The rules are about the wind: at 229 m anything loose can blow away, and the rooftop has only a glass edge between you and the drop. Leave a big bag at your hotel if you can. The lockers are on the indoor floor just below the rooftop, and you collect your things on the way down.

• Allowed: your phone, glasses, and a camera on a neck or wrist strap.
• In the lockers: bags of any size, hats that are not fastened, earphones, food and drink.
• Not allowed at all: travel luggage, tripods, selfie sticks and animals.
• Dress: it is windy and cooler than the street, so bring a layer, especially at night and in winter.

What are SHIBUYA SKY's opening hours?

Every day from 10:00 to 22:30, with last entry at 21:20. It closes on New Year's Day and can close temporarily or shorten its hours, so check the official site before your visit.

The entrance is on the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, which is built directly over the station; follow the signs for SHIBUYA SKY from the station or the shops below. Arrive a few minutes before your slot to allow for the lifts and the lockers. Station works move passageways from time to time, so give yourself a little extra time on your first visit.

Late slots are quieter than sunset and still give you the full night view. If you want a guide for the evening as well, the Shibuya Sky night tour spends about 45 minutes on the rooftop, then takes you down to cross the scramble several times under the screens.

Does SHIBUYA SKY close in bad weather?

The rooftop can close in rain, strong wind or other bad weather, sometimes at short notice. There is no published threshold, so on an unsettled day check the official site and the forecast before you go.

Low cloud is a different problem: the rooftop may be open, but the view can disappear. Typhoon days can close it too. If you book your own ticket, read the official terms for what happens when the rooftop closes. If you book a tour, read the listing: on one tour, reviewers describe the rooftop being closed on some rainy nights and the guide taking the group round the streets instead.

Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead, which helps if the forecast turns. On a wet day, the crossing itself is at its most photogenic from an indoor window; see the best time to visit for rainy-day ideas.

How long do you need at SHIBUYA SKY?

About 90 minutes for a typical visit, from the entrance on 14F to the rooftop and back. There is no time limit once you are in, so a sunset visit can easily run longer.

• Getting up: the lift from 14F, then the indoor floors and the lockers. Allow a little time for queues at busy slots.
• The rooftop: 30 to 60 minutes is enough for most people; for sunset, stay until the city is fully lit.
• The indoor floors: worth a few minutes on the way down, especially if the wind is strong outside.
• On a tour: the night tour allows about 45 minutes on the rooftop, and the after-dark tour about an hour, as part of a 2-hour evening.

With the crossing and Hachiko before or after, plan on two to three hours for the whole visit.

Is sunset, night or morning best at SHIBUYA SKY?

Sunset is the favourite: arrive about 30 minutes before sunset to watch the day turn to night. Night is easier to book and has the best lights, and morning has the clearest air and the smallest crowds.

• Sunset: daylight, the sky changing colour and then the lights, all in one visit. The slots go first and the rooftop is at its busiest.
• Night: Tokyo as an ocean of lights, with the crossing's screens glowing below. Easier to book than sunset, and the later slots are calmer.
• Morning: often the clearest air of the day, especially in winter, and fewer people. Mount Fuji is sometimes visible on clear mornings, but never promised.
• Midday: fine on a crisp day, but haze builds in summer.

For a morning visit with a guide, the SHIBUYA SKY morning tour includes the ticket, then walks you down to Hachiko and the crossing.

Which Shibuya tours include a SHIBUYA SKY ticket?

Five tours on GetYourGuide include the rooftop: the night, after-dark, sunset and morning tours include the ticket, and the Hachiko tour includes it on some plans. Booking yourself is simpler if you only want the view.

A tour makes sense if you want the sunset or night slot without watching the release date, a guide for the crossing and the back streets, or help with photos on the rooftop. Book the ticket yourself if you only want the view and are happy to plan around the release date. Every tour below refunds in full if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

Frequently asked questions