Tokyo Observation Decks: SHIBUYA SKY vs Tokyo Skytree vs Tokyo Tower, Tickets, Sunset Times and Weather

The sun setting behind a cloud over a sea of buildings, seen from the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop — Sunset seen from the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop, 229 m above the groundPhoto: Joli Rumi · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo details

Seeing Tokyo from above is one of the best ways to understand how huge the city is. The question is which deck. SHIBUYA SKY has an open-air rooftop, Tokyo Skytree goes highest, Tokyo Tower is the classic landmark, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is free. This guide compares them with the operators' own prices and rules, explains how SHIBUYA SKY's tickets sell out, and shows when the sun sets in each month so you can time your visit.

It's easy to feel unsure when every list calls a different deck "the best". In practice, the right one depends on whether you want open air, the highest view, a famous tower, or no ticket at all.

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SHIBUYA SKY: an open-air rooftop 229 m up; tickets go on sale 2 weeks ahead and can sell out
SHIBUYA SKY's adult web tickets cost 2,700 yen before 15:00 and 3,400 yen from 15:00
Tokyo Skytree: indoor decks at 350 m and 450 m; prices change by date, and buying on site adds 500 yen
Tokyo Tower: Main Deck at 150 m for 1,500 yen; Top Deck Tour at 250 m from 3,300 yen online
Free: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's decks at 202 m

Which deck should you choose?

	SHIBUYA SKY	Tokyo Skytree	Tokyo Tower	Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Height	229 m, open-air rooftop	350 m and 450 m, indoors	150 m and 250 m, indoors	202 m, indoors
Hours	10:00–22:30 (last entry 21:20)	10:00 or 9:00 to 22:00, by date (last entry 1 hour before closing)	Main Deck 9:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30)	South deck 9:30–22:00 (last entry 21:30)
Adult ticket	2,700 / 3,400 yen online	From 1,800 yen (350 m) or 3,000 yen (both decks)	1,500 yen (Main Deck)	Free
Best for	Sunset and open-air photos	The highest view in Tokyo	The classic landmark tower	A free view, no booking

Quick picks: for sunset and an open sky, choose SHIBUYA SKY. For the highest view, or for a rainy or windy day, choose Tokyo Skytree. If you want the famous landmark tower itself, choose Tokyo Tower. On a tight budget, go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

How high is each deck?

Heights from the official pages of each deck (checked October 17, 2026).

SHIBUYA SKY: how tickets work, and why they sell out

SHIBUYA SKY sits at the top of the Scramble Square skyscraper, connected to Shibuya Station. The visit has an indoor gallery on the 46th floor and the open-air rooftop, SKY STAGE, 229 m above the ground. The official rules that matter most:

Timed tickets: every ticket is for a date and a 20-minute entry window. Tickets go on sale at 00:00 Japan time, 2 weeks before the date.
Prices (adults, 12 and over): web tickets are 2,700 yen for entry until 14:59 and 3,400 yen from 15:00. At the ticket counter on the 14th floor they cost 3,000 yen and 3,700 yen.
Sold out means sold out: when adult web tickets for a time are gone, the counter has none either. On the day we checked, the official site showed that day's tickets as sold out.
Children: tickets for children 11 and under (including 12-year-olds still in elementary school) are sold only at the counter on the day, for 1,200 yen. Children 5 and under (and 6-year-olds not yet in school) enter free with an adult.
Cancellation: official web tickets can be canceled free until the day before. On the day, you can cancel free only if the rooftop is closed at your entry time. Once you enter, there are no refunds.
No re-entry, but no time limit once you are inside. SHIBUYA SKY is closed on New Year's Day.

Leave your bag behind for the rooftop. Bags, backpacks and pouches, tripods, monopods and selfie sticks, hats and caps, earphones, and food and drink can't go onto SKY STAGE. Leave them in the lockers on the 46th floor. You can take a smartphone, and a camera or binoculars that fit in a pocket or hang from a neck strap. SHIBUYA SKY also asks you not to bring large luggage such as suitcases, so leave it in a station locker first.

The rooftop can close without notice for strong wind, rain, snow, approaching thunderclouds, photochemical smog or extreme heat; the indoor 46th floor stays open. Check the rooftop status on the official site or its X account before you go.

Sunset timing: when to book

For sunset, aim to arrive 30 to 60 minutes before the sun goes down, so you see daylight, sunset and the city lights in one visit. The sun sets much earlier in winter than in summer:

Sunset in Tokyo on the 1st of each month (2026)

Source: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, sunrise and sunset times for Tokyo (2026), checked October 17, 2026.

In November and December, the sun sets before 16:50, so a sunset visit to SHIBUYA SKY falls in the 15:00-and-later price band (3,400 yen online). In summer, sunset is around 18:45 to 19:00. Because sunset slots sell first, it helps to open the booking page right at 00:00 Japan time, 2 weeks before your date. Not sure which month to come? See our guide to the best time to visit Japan.

Weather: clear days, wind and Mt. Fuji

For far views, pick a clear, dry day. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says that from its deck, December to February, when the air is cold and clear, offers many days on which you can see Mt. Fuji to the west.
Wind and rain matter most at SHIBUYA SKY, because the rooftop is open air and can close. Skytree and Tokyo Tower's Main Deck are indoors, so they work as a rainy-day plan.
Tokyo Tower's Top Deck Tour can be suspended in stormy weather, according to its price page.

Tokyo Skytree: the highest view

Tokyo Skytree has two decks: the Tembo Deck at 350 m and the Tembo Galleria at 450 m. The entrance is on the 4th floor, a short walk from Oshiage Station or Tokyo Skytree Station. Its official ticket rules:

Prices change by date. Adults (15 and over) pay from 1,800 yen for the Tembo Deck and from 3,000 yen for both decks; children aged 6 to 14 pay from 900 yen and 1,500 yen. Children 5 and under are free.
Buy online to save 500 yen. Tickets bought at the 4th-floor counter or machines cost 500 yen more per ticket. Online tickets also let you choose the date and time and use the advance-purchase lane. Online payment is by card only (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club); to pay cash, use the convenience-store option.
Cancellation fees on official online tickets: free up to 31 days before, 20% from 30 days before until your entry time, and no refund after it. Canceling within 59 minutes of buying is free.
Hours: in October 2026 the decks open at 10:00 on weekdays and 9:00 on weekends, and close at 22:00. Last entry is 1 hour before closing.

Booking Skytree in your own currency? Klook sells TOKYO SKYTREE tickets (affiliate link) for the Tembo Deck alone or both decks, with instant confirmation (checked October 17, 2026). Check the cancellation conditions on the booking page, as they can differ from the official ones above.

Tokyo Tower: the classic landmark

Tokyo Tower is 333 m tall. Its official price page lists two main options:

Main Deck (150 m): 9:00–23:00, last entry 22:30. Adults 1,500 yen, high school students 1,200 yen, elementary and junior high students 900 yen, children 4 and over 600 yen. The last entry time can be earlier when it is crowded.
Top Deck Tour (150 m and 250 m): 9:00–22:45, last entry 22:15. Adults 3,300 yen online or 3,500 yen at the counter.

Free: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

In Shinjuku (Tokyo), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's two decks on the 45th floor are 202 m up and free to enter. You can't book in advance, and the official page says you may wait 20 to 30 minutes to go up. The South deck is open 9:30–22:00 and closes on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month; the North deck closes at 17:30. Both decks close from December 29 to January 3 (except January 1). Tripods are not allowed.

Planning more of Tokyo? See our guides to teamLab Planets and to trains, buses and big luggage, which also helps if you're carrying a suitcase between hotels.

Ready to pick a time? If you want the open-air rooftop at sunset, work out your sunset time from the chart above, then book your SHIBUYA SKY entry on Klook (affiliate link) as soon as your date opens 2 weeks before.

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change; please check the official pages below before you buy.