Two-Day Tokyo Extension After the Asian Games With a Helicopter Flight
Two-day Tokyo extension after the Asian Games in Nagoya: Shinkansen, a city day, then a helicopter tour over Tokyo, with hotel and timing advice.
Sep 5, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 9 min read
Two-day Tokyo extension after the Asian Games in Nagoya: Shinkansen, a city day, then a helicopter tour over Tokyo, with hotel and timing advice.
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The Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 close on 4 October, and many international spectators fly home through Tokyo. If you can add two nights in the capital, you can fit a proper city day and a helicopter flight without rushing either. Daytime and sunset flights depart from Tokyo Heliport in Shin-Kiba, and the two night routes over the Skytree and the twin towers from Funabashi Heliport on the Chiba side of Tokyo Bay; there is no helicopter product in Nagoya, which is why the flight belongs on the Tokyo side of your trip.
If you came here looking for a helicopter flight in Nagoya itself: there is none, and OlaChill is not going to invent one for the Games. The nearest flights are a single Shinkansen ride away. Besides the Tokyo flights in this plan there are the Mt Fuji flights, which also start at Tokyo Heliport, a 40-minute night flight over Yokohama, an 18-minute night flight from Misato Heliport in Saitama and, about 50 minutes west of Nagoya by Nozomi, the Osaka flights.
This is a realistic two-day plan with the flight on day two, so a weather cancellation on day two can still be moved to a later date if you are staying on, and so your first day is not spent watching the sky. Times are deliberately loose because the exact flight slot depends on what the calendar shows for your date.
The shape of the two days
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (travel) | Last Nagoya session or checkout | Shinkansen Nagoya to Tokyo, about 1h40 | Hotel check-in, local dinner |
| Day 1 | City sights on foot and by train | More city, or rest | Optional observation deck or night walk |
| Day 2 | Helicopter flight (Shin-Kiba by day, Funabashi for the night routes) | Free time near the bay or back in the centre | Farewell dinner |
| Day 3 | Airport |
If your flights home are early on day 3, keep day 2 relaxed. If you leave late on day 3, you could move the helicopter to the morning of day 3 instead, but that removes your weather fallback, so we do not recommend it.
Getting from Nagoya to Tokyo
The Tokaido Shinkansen from Nagoya Station takes about 1h40 to Tokyo on the fastest services. Trains around the closing ceremony period will be busy, so reserve seats in advance rather than relying on unreserved cars, especially with luggage. Nagoya Station is served by JR, Meitetsu and Kintetsu lines plus the Higashiyama and Sakura-dori subway lines, so reaching it from most Nagoya hotels is simple.
For two people with suitcases, the Shinkansen wins every time.
Where to stay in Tokyo for this plan
Daytime and sunset flights leave from Tokyo Heliport in Shin-Kiba, in the bay area on the east side of the city; the Skytree and twin towers night routes leave from Funabashi Heliport, across the bay on the Chiba side. You do not need to stay next to either heliport, but staying on the east or central side of Tokyo, roughly the Tokyo Station, Ginza or bay area, makes the day-two journey shorter and less stressful. Staying in the far west of the city means a longer cross-town journey on the morning you least want one.
Whatever you choose, work out the route to your heliport the evening before, check the first part of it, and add a buffer. The time on your booking is a meeting time, and the flight itself starts about 30 minutes later. Arriving late can mean losing the slot.
Day 1: the city on the ground
Use the first day for whatever you have been wanting to see in Tokyo. The value of doing this on day 1 is that you get your bearings, see the landmarks at street level, and then recognise them from the air the next day. A morning in an older district, an afternoon in a shopping area and an evening riverside walk is a typical shape.
Keep the evening light. Late nights before a heliport morning are how people miss meeting times.
Day 2: the flight
Choose the flight before you leave Nagoya, because slots on the calendar are finite and the products differ in what they suit.
- Tokyo first flight, 10 minutes, 3 seats, ¥53,820 per guest. The budget option and the easiest for a nervous first-timer.
- Skytree daytime, 15 minutes, 3 seats, ¥82,350 per guest. A clear daylight route with a landmark to orient by.
- Tokyo panorama, 30 minutes, 3 seats, ¥164,700 per guest. The long daytime option for people who want to see the whole city.
- Skytree night, 22 minutes, 3 seats, ¥97,200 per guest, or Twin Towers night, 25 minutes, 3 seats, ¥110,700 per guest. After dark; move the flight to the evening of day 2 if you prefer lights to daylight.
- Sunset and night, 30 minutes, 5 seats, ¥311,850 per guest. For a group of four or five; the other Tokyo flight that carries five is the 30-minute AS350 flight with an Alphard hotel transfer, from ¥93,400 per person or ¥420,300 for the whole aircraft.
Prices above are per guest, for a private helicopter for your party, from two guests up to the seat count; of the flights listed, only the AS350 flight also sells single seats on a shared flight. Check the weight limit, 120 kg per seat with a cabin total set by the seat count (220 kg for a 3-seat cabin), including any bags you carry.
Plan the heliport visit as a block of about an hour, from meeting time through briefing, flight and exit, and add travel each way. If you fly in the morning, the afternoon is free for the bay area or a return to the centre. If you fly at night, spend the day at leisure and head east in the late afternoon.
What to bring on the day
Photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a small bag only, dark clothing if you want to photograph through the window, and a strap for your camera or phone. Leave luggage at the hotel. There is neither space nor weight allowance for it in the cabin.
Weather: why the flight is on day 2, not day 1
Late September and October is warm and humid, and typhoon season has not finished. Cloud or wind can ground a flight. If the operator cancels, you receive a full refund or a free date change. You may also change the date yourself free of charge up to 4 days in advance, so if the forecast for day 2 looks poor several days out, you can shift the flight to day 1 or to a later date if your stay allows.
Putting the flight on day 2 rather than day 1 means a cancellation still leaves you a full city day already done, rather than a cancelled flight and a scramble to fill the time. If your stay is longer than two days, placing the flight earlier and keeping the last day as a fallback is even better.
Budget notes
The only fixed costs here are the flight prices above and your Shinkansen fares. Hotel and meals are up to you. For a group of three on the 15-minute daytime flight, the helicopter is ¥82,350 per guest, ¥247,050 in total. For a couple, the 10-minute taster is the lowest price: ¥53,820 per guest, ¥107,640 for the two of you, in a private helicopter for two to 3 guests; seats are not sold individually on this flight.
How to book with OlaChill
Pick your product on the Tokyo helicopter page, check the calendar for your day-2 date, and pay online; daytime and sunset flights are listed at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours/tokyo and night routes at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours/tokyo/night. If you want a car from your Tokyo hotel to the heliport and back rather than the train, a private car with driver by the hour is available at https://olachill.com/en/japan-chauffeur-hourly, with the tariff shown on that page.
FAQ
Can I fly on the same day I arrive from Nagoya?
You could, but we do not advise it. A delayed train, a hotel check-in that runs long, or a cross-town journey you have not rehearsed can all cost you the meeting time. Fly on a day when you start in Tokyo.
Should the flight be in the morning or evening?
Morning for daylight views and a free afternoon; evening for city lights. Morning flights also give you the rest of the day as a buffer if the slot moves. Night flights suit groups who have already done a full day and want a finale.
How far are the heliports from central Tokyo hotels?
Tokyo Heliport in Shin-Kiba is in the bay area on the east side; Funabashi Heliport, used by the two night routes, is further east across the bay in Chiba. Rather than trust a single estimate, plan the route the night before with a live transit app and add a generous margin. A meeting time missed is a flight missed.
What if the weather cancels the flight on my last day?
You get a full refund or a free date change. If you have no more days in Japan, take the refund. This is exactly why the plan puts the flight on day 2 rather than the day you leave.
Can four people fly together?
The Tokyo 3-seat products cannot carry four. The 30-minute sunset flight carries five and costs ¥311,850 per guest, ¥1,247,400 for four of you. So does the 30-minute AS350 flight with an Alphard hotel transfer, from ¥93,400 per person or ¥420,300 for the whole aircraft. Alternatively, look at the 4-seat products on the Mt Fuji page.
