The Wonderous Mt Fuji

As the highest mountain in Japan and an iconic symbol recognized around the world, one can argue that you can’t visit Japan without attempting to see Mt. Fuji. I say ‘attempting’ because sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate.

Self-Guided vs. Tour

There are MANY tours offered from Tokyo and other cities throughout Japan that provide various options to visit and view Mt. Fuji. Originally, we had reserved a tour on Viator that would transport us by charter bus from Tokyo to Hakone stopping at the 5th station, Lake Ashinoko, and the Hakone Ropeway and conclude with a Shinkansen (bullet train) ride back to Tokyo. However, the day we were scheduled for this tour was not looking promising, so we cancelled (fully refundable) and decided to be a bit more flexible with our trip by training on our own to the northern side of the mountain.

Guided tours range from ~$50 USD/person to a few hundred/thousand dollars per group depending on your preferences. The benefit of the guided tour is not having to navigate the train transfers and crowds that come with that. If you opt for the private tour, you may have flexibility to customize your itinerary.

Self-guided tours are very affordable, especially if you already have a Japan Rail Pass. We took a very early morning train. It was still packed and you do need to plan your route in advance but if you’ve been navigating the train system within Tokyo you won’t have any issues. This option gave us ultimate flexibility as we decided how long to stay at each spot.

When to visit

The winter months are said to be when the mountain is most visible. We visited in mid-April and were lucky to have a relatively clear day. This website is helpful when planning your trip, but of course, weather is subject to change. We ended up changing our approach and visiting the north side of the mountain since it was looking clearer than the south on our planned day.

What to expect

If you’re taking a day trip and not spending the night in one of the surrounding trips, you can expect large crowds. Our trip was during Sakura (cherry blossom) season, so we fully expected it to be busy and it was. If we were to do this again, we would choose to spend a night and enjoy the early morning/late evening hours without the day tourists.

Chureito Pagoda

This is an iconic viewing spot of the pagoda with Mt. Fuji in the background found in Arakurayama Park. You’ll arrive at the Shimoyoshida Station and walk ~20 minutes (and almost 400 steps) up to the pagoda. You’ll likely need to join the queue if you want to stand on the viewing platform. It is a free, timed activity (~5 mins) and there are no more than 15 people on the platform with you. Average queue time is said to be 40 minutes which is what we experienced prior to 9am. Tour buses begin to arrive around that time so wait times can increase. Personally, I feel this is worth it. There is another trail that takes you further into the park where it is said there is no line so that is an option if waiting in line is not your cup of sake.

Kawaguchiko

Upon arrival in Kawaguchiko Station we were met with a bit of chaos. Hundreds of people trying to determine how to get to their next destination. Many people staying in local accommodations arriving with large suitcases along with many day trippers like us. Once you are here, you have a few options: local taxis, local buses, the tourist bus, or bicycle rentals.

We chose the tourist bus which was ~$10 USD/person. There are ticket machines inside the station, just make sure you’re buying from the correct kiosk. This is a VERY popular choice and was one of the least enjoyable bus rides on our entire trip as people are crammed in on the return journey to the Kawaguchiko Station. Consider renting a bicycle if the weather is nice as the trail did not look challenging and it looked much more enjoyable. The map below shows the various routes and stops that are available and aside from it being uncomfortable, it was still a good option if you’re looking for an affordable way to visit this area.

There are plenty of shopping and dining options here. We picked up our favorite foods from Lawson’s (the one with the famous view) and ate outside at one of the parks.

Oishi Park

We took the red line to Oishi Park where we spent some time taking in the mountain on the shores of Lake Kawaguchi. The bus stops near Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center. There are a few cafes and restaurants in the general area. Be prepared to wait your turn for all of your photos.

We hope this helps give you some ideas of how you can experience the views of Mt. Fuji. We hope to come back when the mountain is open to climbers (it was not during our trip).