Mt. Fuji Day Tour from Tokyo

Mt. Fuji is one of Japan’s top tourist attractions especially for people going to Tokyo. The famous volcano is located at the boundary of Shizouka and Yamanashi Prefectures. It is also roughly 133 kilometers from central Tokyo and a good day trip for those who are looking for nature trips near the busy city.

At 3,776.24 meters (12,398 feet), Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest peak. For many, it might look like one giant mountain but not many people know that it is composed of three separate volcanoes: Komitake, Kofuji, and Fuji at the top.

It is a global symbol for Japan and very famous for its snow-capped peak. There are options to hike up the summit but only for a very short time, over two months in a year during summer (July to early September). The mountain will not have its snow-capped peak when visiting Mt. Fuji at this time.

The base of the mountain is also surrounded by five beautiful lakes with each offering a great view. We visited Mt. Fuji during January in the middle of winter. We were fortunate that the sun was up and the skies were clear.

It is a sight not to be missed when visiting Japan.

How to Get There

There are many ways to see Mt. Fuji. The option we took was through Lake Kawaguchiko – Mount Kachi Kachi ropeway which gives a breathtaking view of the mountain with the surrounding nature depending on the season. From Tokyo, you can go to Lake Kawaguhiko by private car, bus, or by train. We took the train option which was the cheapest among the three.

Here is an overview coming from Shinjuku station:

Take JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku to Otsuki station. Earliest train leaves at 7:00AM followed by 7:30AM and 8:30AM. 2500 yen one way / 70 minutes.

From Osuki station, take the Fujikyu Railway line to Kawaguchiko station. Earliest train leaves at 8:17AM. 1140 yen one way / 55 minutes.

From Kawaguchiko station, take the Red Omni Bus and get off at the Kachi Kachi ropeway. 140 yen one way / 15 minutes travel.

From Kachi Kachi ropeway, get the 800 yen round trip ticket for the cable car going up the view deck. There is also an option to climb up the view deck which takes 40 minutes.

The cable car ride going up the view deck usually takes around 5 mins and from there you will be able to see the beauty of Mt. Fuji.

Useful Links:

JR Line Train Time Table: https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/pdf/transportation/Shinjuku_Kawaguchiko_schedule.pdf