Sources were checked on 2026-07-09. Every attraction fact below carries an official citation; opinions are labelled as opinions. Opening hours and ticket prices change constantly — confirm on the official site before you go.
Getting there
Nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita (NRT) typically take around 11h 30m to 12h westbound, and exact times vary by aircraft, routing, and conditions. Nonstop LAX–Narita service is operated by a range of carriers including All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines, American Airlines, United, and ZIPAIR, with Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines also serving the route. Some Los Angeles–Tokyo flights instead use Tokyo's closer-in Haneda airport, so check which one your ticket lands at — it changes your transfer time into the city.
The route is well served by nonstop flights, typically several departures a day, alongside one-stop connecting options. Nonstop is usually fastest; connecting itineraries can sometimes be cheaper.
(Route facts above come from the reviewed Flyroz route page for Los Angeles to Tokyo — no separate citation needed.)
Two things worth knowing before you plan
Senso-ji, in Asakusa. The temple's own site states plainly: "Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo." It dates its founding to 628, when a Kannon statue was found in the Sumida River. Tokyo's official tourism site describes Asakusa as "an area centered around Sensoji Temple", and points visitors at the Thunder Gate and the Nakamise shopping street that runs up to it.
Neither Senso-ji's own English site nor Tokyo's official guide publishes visiting hours or an entrance fee. GO TOKYO's Sensoji page tags the temple "Free", but states plainly: "For updated information on opening hours, closings, prices, and more, please check the official website or ask the facility directly." We are not going to print hours nobody official publishes. If exact timing matters to your day, confirm it before you go.
Tokyo Skytree. The official site states: "Standing 634 meters tall, TOKYO SKYTREE's scale is clear even in the numbers." Tickets are required for the observation decks — the site sells "Admission Tickets for the Observation Deck" and does not publish prices on its homepage.
Note what is not written above. You will read elsewhere that Skytree is the world's tallest tower. Its own homepage makes no such ranking claim, so neither do we.
Our take
Opinion from here on, and nothing below is a fact you should plan around:
If you have three days, we would not try to "do" Tokyo. We would pick two neighbourhoods and walk them properly. Asakusa in the early morning is our favourite version of the city — the Nakamise street is a different place at 7am than at noon, and the walk is free whether or not the temple buildings are open.
We would go up Skytree only on a clear day, and we would check the forecast the morning of rather than booking days ahead. A 634-metre view of cloud is still cloud. If the sky is grey, we would spend the money on a train ride out of the city instead.
And we would treat the flight as part of the trip. Nearly twelve hours westbound lands you in a city where it is already tomorrow. We would book nothing for the first evening.
Compare live fares for your dates before deciding; Flyroz never adds a booking fee.
Sources
- Senso-ji official site (English) — "Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo"; founding dated to 628
- GO TOKYO — Asakusa — Tokyo's official tourism site; Asakusa "an area centered around Sensoji Temple", Thunder Gate, Nakamise
- GO TOKYO — Sensoji Temple — tagged "Free"; publishes no hours or price, directs visitors to the temple directly
- TOKYO SKYTREE official site — "Standing 634 meters tall"; admission tickets required for the observation deck