Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program to Return with Free and Paid Local Tours
The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program will return this autumn after a six-year suspension, giving travelers the opportunity to explore attractions and communities around Narita International Airport during a stopover or stay in the area.
Free Volunteer-Guided Narita Tours
The program will fully restart on October 1, 2026, with free tours led by volunteer guides. A new selection of paid tours offering more specialized local experiences will begin earlier, with the first tour scheduled for September 5.
The program originally launched in 2015 and is aimed particularly at international travelers making connections at Narita Airport or staying nearby. More than 200 volunteer guides, including local residents and students, take part in the program.
Narita Airport Transit & Stay
Free Volunteer-Guided Tours
The free Transit & Stay Standard Tours will take visitors to destinations in six municipalities surrounding Narita Airport. Tours generally last between three and five hours.
There is no charge for the volunteer guide, although participants pay their own transportation costs, admission fees and other expenses incurred during the tour.
One course explores Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and the traditional Omotesando shopping street in Narita City. The temple has a history of more than 1,000 years, while the approach to the temple is lined with shops and restaurants.
Narita Airport Transit tours
In Katori City, visitors can explore the historic district of Sawara, which is known for its preserved streets, canals and traditional buildings.
The Tako Town course introduces travelers to the area’s satoyama countryside and rural scenery, while the Shibayama Town course visits the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences, located close to Narita Airport.
Visitors choosing the Sakae Town course can experience wearing a yukata and explore Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-Mura, an open-air museum featuring reconstructed streets and buildings from different periods of Japanese history.
The Kozaki Town course focuses on sake and fermentation, including a visit to a local sake brewery. Kozaki has a long association with fermented foods and promotes itself as a fermentation town.
Reservations for the free volunteer-guided tours will open on September 15, ahead of the October 1 restart.
New Paid Tours Offer Local Experiences
A new Transit & Stay Plus program will offer paid half-day and full-day tours accompanied by professional guides. These tours will focus on experiences that are difficult for travelers to arrange independently, including festivals, traditional culture and activities connected with the surrounding communities.
The first tour will take place on September 5 and will give participants the opportunity to help pull a traditional festival float during the Sogo Reido Otaiya Festival.
Further experiences are planned for later in the year. A ninja experience at Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-Mura is scheduled for November 7, followed by a temple stay and Buddhist training experience at Shibayama Nioson on November 19.
Tours combining Katori Jingu Shrine with cultural experiences in the Sawara area are expected to begin from November. Indigo dyeing and agricultural harvest experiences are also being prepared, with dates and locations to be confirmed.
The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program is operated in cooperation with Narita City, Katori City, Tako Town, Shibayama Town, Sakae Town and Kozaki Town, together with the Narita International Airport Promotion Foundation and Narita International Airport Corporation.
For travelers with several hours available between flights, or an overnight stay near Narita Airport, the returning program provides an alternative to remaining at the airport or making the longer trip into central Tokyo. Its courses are focused instead on destinations close to Narita and the surrounding communities of Chiba Prefecture.
