Booking choice: The Skytree deck ticket, ★ 4.5 (15,621). Check dates Compare the options below
Tokyo has two famous towers, and most first-time visitors ask the same thing: do I need both? Tokyo Tower, the red and white landmark of 1958, stands in Shiba Park in central Minato. Tokyo Skytree, opened on 22 May 2012, rises 634 m over Sumida, east of Asakusa, and is the tallest tower in the world.
This guide sets them side by side: the heights and decks, how they compare with the Eiffel Tower, where Skytree ranks in the world, what you see from each, where they are and how to do both in one trip. The ticket choices for Skytree itself are in where to buy Skytree tickets.
The quick answer
Tokyo Skytree is 634 m tall with decks at 350 m and up to 451.2 m; Tokyo Tower is 333 m tall with decks at 150 m and 250 m. Skytree's lower deck is 100 m above Tokyo Tower's top deck, so for height and distance Skytree wins clearly. Tokyo Tower wins on location and character: it is in central Tokyo, close to Roppongi and Shiba Park, and from nearby decks you see it lit up in the skyline, which you never get from inside Skytree. If you only have time for one, pick Skytree on a clear day and for a first view of the whole city; pick Tokyo Tower if you are staying in central or south Tokyo and want the classic retro landmark. With a few days in Tokyo, doing both is easy: they are about 8 km apart and each visit takes about an hour.
What is the difference between Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree?
Height, age and location. Skytree is 634 m tall, opened in 2012 and stands in Sumida in the east; Tokyo Tower is 333 m tall, opened in 1958 and stands in central Minato.
Both are broadcasting towers with observation decks, but they feel very different. Skytree is a modern white lattice with enclosed, glass-ringed decks high above the city, reached by fast elevators. Tokyo Tower is painted red and white, modelled on the Eiffel Tower, and has a nostalgic charm; its Main Deck is low enough that streets and parks still look close. Skytree was built partly to take over TV broadcasting from Tokyo Tower, whose height was no longer enough for the growing city.
| Tokyo Skytree | Tokyo Tower | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 634 m | 333 m |
| Opened | 22 May 2012 | 1958 |
| Lower deck | Tembo Deck, 350 m | Main Deck, 150 m |
| Upper deck | Tembo Galleria, 445 to 450 m (Sorakara Point 451.2 m) | Top Deck, 250 m (Top Deck Tour option) |
| Area | Oshiage, Sumida (east, near Asakusa) | Shiba Park, Minato (central, near Roppongi) |
| Tickets | Every ticket for a set date and entry time | Main Deck, Top Deck Tour as an option |
| Best for | Height, distance, Mount Fuji on clear days | A central landmark, the classic retro tower |
Which tower is best to visit in Tokyo?
For most first-time visitors, Tokyo Skytree: it is the higher, wider view and on a clear day you can see about 70 km. Tokyo Tower is the better pick if you want a central, classic landmark and a view that feels closer to the streets.
Skytree makes sense if you want to understand the size of Tokyo, hope to spot Mount Fuji, or plan to combine the visit with Asakusa and Senso-ji across the river. Tokyo Tower makes sense if you are staying in Roppongi, Shimbashi or Shinagawa, want a short visit between other sights, or simply love the look of the tower itself. Many people who have seen both say the same thing: Skytree for the view, Tokyo Tower to look at.
Whichever you pick, the weather decides the day. A clear sky matters more than which tower you are on, and for Skytree the time slot is part of the ticket, so see the best time to visit before you book.
The most booked Skytree ticket: timed entry to the 350 m deck, with the 450 m Galleria as an option, rated 4.5 from 15,621 reviews.
Check dates for the Skytree deck ticketWhich is taller, the Eiffel tower or the Tokyo Skytree?
Tokyo Skytree, by a long way: 634 m against the Eiffel Tower's 330 m. Skytree's lower deck, at 350 m, is already higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower grew to 330 m in March 2022, when a new antenna was fitted to its top. Tokyo Tower, at 333 m, was designed in the Eiffel Tower's image and is still a few metres taller than its model. Skytree is almost twice the height of either. On the Tembo Deck you stand about 20 m above the highest point of the Eiffel Tower, and in the Tembo Galleria about 120 m above it.
Where does Tokyo Skytree rank in the world?
It is the tallest tower in the world, certified by Guinness World Records on 17 November 2011, and the third-tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur.
- Tallest tower: among self-supporting towers, the category that includes Tokyo Tower and Toronto's CN Tower, Skytree is number one at 634 m.
- Third-tallest structure: only Burj Khalifa (about 828 m) and Merdeka 118 (678.9 m, completed in 2023) are taller. Older pages that call Skytree the second-tallest date from before Merdeka 118.
- Tallest structure in Japan: nothing in the country is higher.
- A tower, not a building: Skytree has no offices or homes, so it is ranked as a tower, not a building.
- 634 m on purpose: the digits read Mu-Sa-Shi, Musashi, the old name of the province around Tokyo.
Can you see Tokyo Tower from Tokyo Skytree?
Yes. On a clear day Tokyo Tower stands out to the south-west from the Skytree decks, and at night it glows orange among the city lights. From Tokyo Tower you can see Skytree to the north-east.
This is the best argument for Tokyo Tower: from its decks you look at Skytree far away, but from Skytree you look down on Tokyo Tower as part of the city. The tower you stand on is always the one missing from your photos. That is why some visitors choose a third viewpoint near Tokyo Tower, such as Roppongi Hills' indoor deck, just to have the red tower in the frame; the options are in Skytree or Shibuya Sky.
From Skytree, look for Tokyo Tower next to the high-rises of Toranomon and Roppongi. A clear winter day adds Mount Fuji further to the west, although it is never guaranteed.
The Night View option of the standard Skytree ticket adds one alcoholic drink at SKYTREE CAFE 350, a good way to watch Tokyo Tower light up. Reviewers like a slot a little before sunset, to see the city in daylight and after dark on one ticket.
Explore the Skytree deck ticketWhere are Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree?
About 8 km apart. Skytree stands in Oshiage, Sumida, east of the Sumida River near Asakusa; Tokyo Tower stands in Shiba Park, Minato, between Roppongi and Hamamatsucho.
- Tokyo Skytree: Tokyo Skytree Station (Tobu Skytree Line, 3 minutes from Asakusa) and Oshiage Station (Hanzomon, Toei Asakusa and Keisei lines) are at its foot. The deck entrance is on the 4th floor.
- Tokyo Tower: a short walk from Akabanebashi Station (Toei Oedo Line), Kamiyacho Station (Hibiya Line) and Onarimon, and about 10 minutes on foot from Daimon.
- Between the two: the Toei Asakusa Line runs directly from Oshiage to Daimon, so the trip is well under an hour, including the walk to the tower.
- From the airports: direct trains reach Oshiage in about 39 minutes from Haneda and 49 from Narita, handy if you visit Skytree on your arrival or departure day.
Can you visit Tokyo Tower and Skytree on the same day?
Yes, easily: each deck visit takes about an hour, and the direct subway between Oshiage and Daimon links them. The most rewarding order is Tokyo Tower by day and Skytree around sunset.
A good plan is a morning at Tokyo Tower and Zojo-ji temple next door, lunch in central Tokyo, Asakusa in the afternoon and a Skytree slot 30 to 60 minutes before sunset. The morning bus tour with Tokyo Tower covers the Imperial Palace outer garden, Tokyo Tower's Main Deck and Senso-ji in 4 to 4.5 hours, rated 4.7 from 313 reviews, and leaves your afternoon open for Skytree. For Tokyo Tower on your own, the Tokyo Tower admission ticket covers the Main Deck at 150 m, with the Top Deck Tour at 250 m as an option; it is rated 4.6 from 4,487 reviews but cannot be refunded.
Remember that a Skytree ticket is for a set date and entry time, so fix that slot first and build the rest of the day around it.
Want both towers in one go? The helicopter flight passes Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower in about 30 minutes in the air, 1 hour with the briefing. It leaves from Chiba Wangan Heliport in Chiba, not central Tokyo, for 1 to 4 passengers, and refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
Explore the helicopter flightWhich tower suits your trip?
Choose by the kind of traveller you are: Skytree for first-timers, view lovers and Fuji hopefuls; Tokyo Tower for short stays in central Tokyo, repeat visitors and fans of retro Tokyo.
- First trip to Tokyo: Skytree, for the highest view in Japan and the easy pairing with Asakusa.
- Families: either works; at Skytree, children aged 5 and under do not pay for a ticket and the glass floor on floor 340 is a favourite.
- Photographers: both. Skytree for the wide city view, and a spot near Tokyo Tower for the lit landmark in the frame.
- Short on time: the tower closest to your hotel. Tokyo Tower suits central and south Tokyo, Skytree the east and Asakusa.
- Nervous of heights: both decks are fully enclosed and safe; Tokyo Tower's lower Main Deck feels gentler.
- Second visit to Tokyo: Tokyo Tower, or Skytree at night if you only saw it by day.
Skytree for your first look at the whole city: book the timed deck ticket and add the Galleria if the day is clear.
Check dates for the Skytree deck ticketFrequently asked questions
Is Tokyo Tower worth it if you have been up Skytree?
Yes, if you like the tower itself. The view from 150 m or 250 m is closer to the streets and more central, and the retro atmosphere is very different from Skytree. For height alone, Skytree already gives you more.
Is Tokyo Tower taller than the Eiffel Tower?
Slightly. Tokyo Tower is 333 m and the Eiffel Tower is 330 m since its new antenna in 2022. Tokyo Skytree, at 634 m, is almost twice as tall as both.
Can you walk from Tokyo Skytree to Tokyo Tower?
Not sensibly: they are about 8 km apart across the city. Take the Toei Asakusa Line from Oshiage to Daimon, then walk about 10 minutes to Tokyo Tower.
Which tower is better at night?
Skytree gives you the wider sea of lights, with Tokyo Tower glowing in it. For a photo of a lit tower, you need to stand outside it, so many visitors see Skytree from the deck and Tokyo Tower from the street.
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Tokyo Skytree Observation Deck Ticket
- Timed entry to the Tembo Deck (350 m) and its glass floor
- The Tembo Galleria (450 m) if you choose that option
- Night option: one drink at SKYTREE CAFE 350; morning option: a soft drink and a snack
Tokyo Tower Admission Ticket
The Main Deck at 150 m, with the Top Deck at 250 m as an option
Skytree & Tokyo Tower Helicopter Flight
Both towers from the air in a 30-minute flight from Chiba
