Northwest Airlines Flights from Tokyo, Japan (NRT) to Houston (IAH)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan (NRT) to Houston (IAH) regularly scheduled to depart at 5:10pm and arrive at 1:50pm. Usually a Boeing 777 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Tokyo, Japan to Houston, TX is 11 hours and 40 minutes.*
* Some flights can not be used with service on another airline.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Contemporary Arts Museum
This silver-aluminum parallelogram, located on the corner of Montrose and Bissonnet cater-cornered to the Fine Arts Museum, presents temporary exhibitions of modern art and design. It has no permanent collection; what you might find here is purely the luck of the draw. When I go to the Fine Arts Museum, I always stick my head into the CAM to see what's going on because it's right across the street and it's free.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)
This is by far the best and biggest public art museum in Texas. It's a wonderful testament to what a lot of oil money can do, and the manner in which it evolved tells something about the development of the city's sense of aesthetics. The original museum, built in the 1920s, was pure neoclassical -- the attitude was that if Houston was to have a museum, it was to look like a museum. In the '50s, the MFAH directors hired Mies van der Rohe, the grand architect of the International Style to build an addition. In the '70s that addition received an addition, also designed by Mies. Both of these were bold statements of modern architecture -- lots of glass and steel forming a light and airy space -- but, unfortunately, not the kind of space that lends itself well for much of the museum's collection.In the '90s, the museum's directors hired Spanish architect Rafael Moneo to design a building that would be a return to traditional galleries. It, the Audrey Jones Beck Building, is across South Main Street from the main building. (A tunnel connects the two; make a point of visiting it.) The new building aims at reconciling the boldness of modernism with the staid character of traditional design. Constructed with rich materials and designed on grand proportions, the building feels monumental. All the galleries on the second floor take advantage of interesting "roof lanterns," which allow Houston's plentiful natural light to enter in regulated amounts. The Beck building doubles MFAH's gallery space and allows the directors to attract first-rate traveling exhibitions. The museum's collection of more than 40,000 pieces is varied, but it is perhaps strongest in the area of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, baroque and Renaissance art, and 19th- and 20th-century American art. There is also a fine collection of African tribal art, as well as ancient artwork from several civilizations.Aside from the two gallery buildings, there is a large sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi located across Bissonnet from the main building, and the Glassell School of Art, which can be seen just to the north of the sculpture garden. Look for a building made of a strangely reflective glass brick (another architectural pun). The museum also owns two collections of the decorative arts that are displayed in two mansions in the River Oaks area; see Bayou Bend and Rienzi.
Six Flags AstroWorld & Six Flags WaterWorld
Farther south of Hermann Park and the Texas Medical Center is the new Reliant Stadium and the old Astrodome (the city still hasn't figured out what to do with this structure), and just south of it across the Loop 610 Freeway is AstroWorld, a 75-acre park with several high-tech roller coasters, other thrill rides, performance venues, and theme areas. Highlights include the Serial Thriller, a roller coaster that has you suspended in a seat while it twirls you through seven inversions. In Dungeon Drop you can experience free fall, and the Texas Tornado steel roller coaster does four loops at breakneck speed. Almost all of these rides are for children 48 inches or taller. For smaller children there are themed areas such as the one based on Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes characters.WaterWorld, open from late spring to early fall, is one of those aquatic parks that requires a sturdy bathing suit. It's part of AstroWorld, and admission is free when you buy an AstroWorld ticket. It offers water rides and games with a mixture of chutes and slides that you ride with or without a raft or other device. Again, many require that children be 48 inches or taller. Six Flags owns another, larger water park called SplashTown.
Doubletree Guest Suites
This 26-story hotel, located a block west of the Galleria shopping complex, offers extra-large, plainly furnished suites, each with a fully equipped kitchen (including microwave and dishwasher) and a dining area for four people. (A grocery store is 4 blocks away, and Eatzi's is even closer.) The bedroom includes two full-size beds or a king-size; the sitting room has a sofa or two, armchairs, and a large TV. Bathrooms are large with plenty of counter space. The hotel is well priced, gets a lot of repeat business, and is a favorite for extended stays. The two-bedroom suites are a really good deal. The service is good.
Drury Inn & Suites Near the Galleria
One of the best lodging values in this area is this Drury Inn. Rooms are midsize and comfortable, with extra-long double beds for tall folk. Instead of the usual easy chair and ottoman, there is a recliner; the TV is larger than normal. King rooms are slightly larger and come with microwave and fridge. While the bathrooms are of okay size, they offer limited counter space. The hotel doesn't have a restaurant, but it offers free evening cocktails Monday through Thursday and a breakfast buffet every morning. Guests also receive an hour of free long-distance calls within the U.S.
Hotel Icon
I like a hotel that's not afraid of a bit of fringe, a splash of gold damask, a touch of refined decadence. So many hotels I see opt for the zero-risk approach to traditionalism: conservative furniture with American Colonial or neoclassical elements -- what I call the George-Washington-slept-here look. This place goes more for the Lola-Montez-slept-here look: lots of texture, ornament, and a definite "boudoir" feel to the rooms, all of which makes this hotel a fun place to stay. In renovating the old Union National Bank Building (ca. 1911), the designers sought to capture something of the feel of that golden age of refinement and exuberance. The most fun is to be had in the suites on the top floor, each named after a glorious old hotel. These rooms are extra large and extra plush and touched by a bit of idiosyncrasy (although I can't tell how much of this is the product of the original building's floor plan and how much was by design). The standard rooms are laden with atmosphere and amenities. The higher rate is for rooms with extra-large bathrooms equipped with a pass-through above the large tub that opens up to the bedroom. To set the mood for your stay, I recommend having a drink at the mezzanine bar, which is really in character. Bank Jean-Georges, the hotel's restaurant, is reviewed below. The location is excellent.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Houston (IAH) on Northwest Airlines