Mount Fuji and Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo

A Mt Fuji Hakone day trip is the most ground we cover in a single day, taking in the lakes on the north side of the mountain and then crossing into Hakone for the cruise and the ropeway. It only works by car. On public transport the two areas are a separate ticket system and most of the day would go on transfers. Hotel pickup is included and the price is for the vehicle rather than each seat.

What you see on this Fuji and Hakone day

Lake Kawaguchiko comes first, the classic reflection view from the northern shore, and on a still morning the mountain sits doubled in the water. Arakurayama Sengen Park is next, where the Chureito Pagoda stands above the town with Fuji behind it, the single most photographed view in Japan. Lunch is nearby, usually houtou noodles, the thick flat noodle in miso broth that belongs to this region. The afternoon crosses to Hakone for a cruise on Lake Ashi and a ride on the ropeway above Owakudani, where the mountain appears again from a completely different angle.

How the day is paced

Pickup is from your hotel or any address inside Tokyo's 23 wards, and this is our longest driving day, about six and a half hours in the car in total. That is the trade for seeing both areas. Stops run thirty to forty five minutes each, shorter than on a single-area tour. Your English-speaking guide will decide the order on the day, because both halves depend on which side of the mountain is clear.

Who this tour suits

Best for travellers with one free day who do not want to choose between Fuji and Hakone. If you have two days, our separate Mount Fuji and Hakone tours give you far more time at each stop. If you have one, this is the honest way to do both. The steps at Arakurayama are the only climb. Our drivers hold a Japan Class 2 commercial passenger licence, and your guide is also the driver.

Best time for this trip

Winter gives the clearest mountain, with snow on the peak and dry air, and it is the season with the highest chance of seeing Fuji from both sides in one day. April brings blossom at the pagoda and long queues on the steps. Late autumn adds colour around both lakes. July and August are the weakest months, when haze hides the mountain for days at a time.