If you’re a newcomer to Tokyo and you’ve taken the bus from Narita Airport, it’s likely that one of your first impressions of Tokyo was the glittering view of skyscrapers glimpsed while crossing the iconic Rainbow Bridge. While the bridge carries plenty of road traffic and the Yurikamome Line, it’s also a pedestrian bridge with pathways (officially the ‘Rainbow Promenade’) on both the north and south sides of the bridge.

A colourful sign says welcome and points towards the entrance of the Rainbow Bridge walkway
Admittedly not the best first impression | Photo by Maria Danuco

Crossing the bridge on foot takes about 25 minutes and is free. To walk the bridge, you can start at either the Tokyo or Odaiba end. For convenience’s sake we recommend doing a loop starting and finishing on the Tokyo side of the bridge. Or you can ride the Yurikamome Line over to Odaiba and enjoy the view, then walk across Rainbow Bridge back to Tokyo.

rainbow bridge tokyo
In through the in door | Photo by Greg Lane

If you’re starting on the Tokyo side, find your way to the visitor center. On entering, the first decision you have to make is whether to take the north or the south route — there are separate elevators for each. The north route will give you views of Tokyo Tower, the skyscrapers around Roppongi and Toranomon, the Shiodome area and Toyosu. The south route affords views of Odaiba including the adjacent islands as well as the Shinagawa area.

Suggested Activity
Navigate Japan with a Saily eSIM from $US3.99
With mobile data packages from $US3.99 for 1GB to $US22.99 for 20GB, Saily has your Japan data needs covered. Saily is brought to you by the people behind NordVPN. Use TYOCHEAPO5 at checkout for a 5% discount.
A view out over Odaiba with a park in the foreground
View of Odaiba from the South Route | Photo by Maria Danuco

On the other hand, there’s no visitor center on the Odaiba side. And, there’s no elevator either. Instead you walk up a long sloping path until you reach the bridge. It’s not particularly steep though, so you’ll barely work up a sweat.

Photo by Gregory Lane

The views from both sides are impressive, so if you’re after some nice photos consider the lighting. Odaiba looks amazing at dusk, so you could take the south route just before sunset and then get those city lights from the north route on your return journey.

rainbow bridge tokyo
Photo by Gregory Lane

The bridge is an easy walk, but consider you’ll have cars and trucks rumbling past right next to the walkway. If you’re sensitive to some exhaust fumes you might want to give the walk a miss. You can also take your bicycle over the bridge, but you have to walk it over — they’ll even give you a trolley to stop you from cheating! The only other restriction is pets, so leave Shiro at home.

The pedestrian walkway continues ahead, to the right there is a view of Odaiba while on the left is the road
Just you, the view and the traffic | Photo by Maria Danuco

Rainbow Bridge hours of operation

  • Summer (April to October): 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Winter (November to March): 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Note: When there are strong winds, the walkways may be closed. The walkways are also routinely closed on the third Monday of the month.

Access

The visitor center on the Tokyo side of the bridge can be accessed from Shibaura-futō Station on the Yurikamome Line. The Yurikamome Line connections with JR lines and the Tokyo Metro at Shimbashi Station.

On the Odaiba side, the closest station is Odaiba-kaihinkōen on the Yurikamome Line or Tokyo Teleport on the Rinkai Line.

While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. Last updated in November 2022 by Maria Danuco.

Ask our local experts about Tokyo

Get our Tokyo Cheapo Hacks direct to your inbox

Watch this next

Recommended hotels located nearby