fujikawaguchiko

Tokyo 2023: FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO – Successful Do-It-Yourself Day Tour to See Mount Fuji + Tips on How to Plan Your Own Trip [October 2023]

Last October 2023, I, together with some friends, flew to Tokyo for a few days to re-explore the city and to see what had changed since our previous visits. I went to Tokyo in 2015 with the same set of friends. I have also passed by the city multiple times after that 2015 trip, when I went to Fujikawaguchiko and Takayama in 2017, when I flew to Sapporo in 2018, and when I went to Nagano back in 2019. I have not been around Tokyo for a while, so I thought it was the perfect time to visit and stay longer in the city.

One of the most famous day trips outside of Tokyo is a visit to Fujikawaguchiko, or Hakone, to see the beautiful and famous Mount Fuji. On one of our days in Tokyo, my friends and I decided to go on a do-it-yourself trip to Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji (again) and to explore the town at our own pace. Allow me to share with you everything about this do-it-yourself day tour, from transportation to the route taken and to the places we visited.

Disclaimer: All the information below is true and correct as of October 14, 2023, our day trip day. Please note that schedules, fare costs, and other details can change at any time. Also, we missed Mount Fuji’s snow cap by 2 days. The first snow cap for the autumn 2023 season showed up two days later.

Fujikawaguchiko is a Japanese resort town in Yamanashi Prefecture. This famous town surrounds one of Fuji’s five lakes, Lake Kawaguchiko. It is one of the best places to see the beautiful Mount Fuji. The town is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Tokyo, with thousands of visitors each day.

In case you missed it, I visited Fujikawaguchiko back in 2017. I stayed in town for 2 full days and 2 nights, and I got the chance to see Mount Fuji in its glory. Check out the previous trip here.

Tokyo ⇿ Fujikawaguchiko

Fujikawaguchiko is a little over 110 kilometers away from Tokyo Station. The fastest and most comfortable way to go to Fujikawaguchiko from Tokyo and back is by taking the highway buses that run between these two places. These buses leave from multiple areas in Tokyo, such as Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, and a lot more. All these buses terminate their service at Kawaguchiko Station.

My friends and I booked our bus tickets with Willer Express and chose the earliest departure (6:50 a.m.) from Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit. On the way back, we got the 5:30 p.m. schedule from Kawaguchiko Station back to Tokyo Station. The return bus ticket cost us ¥4,120 each. My bank charged me ₱1,618.10 for the ticket, including the foreign transaction service fee.

Day Tour Route

My friends and I arrived at Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit around 6:30 a.m. We went to a nearby convenience store and bought food for the bus trip. We went back to the bus boarding area and got on the bus a few minutes before the scheduled departure time. At exactly 6:50 a.m., we left Tokyo Station and took a 2.5-hour bus trip to Mount Fuji Station.

We got off at Mount Fuji Station, or Fujisan Station, the stop before Kawaguchiko Station. From here, we took the local bus (¥100 fare) to Shimoyoshida Station. We passed by the famous Honcho Street, but we did not get off the street.

From Shimoyoshida Station, we walked and hiked up to Arakurayama Sengen Park and got a glimpse of Mount Fuji with the famous Chureito Pagoda. We hiked up further and found a covered rest area where we spent a considerable amount of time resting and relaxing while looking at Mount Fuji and enjoying the cold weather.

We walked down the hill and back to Shimoyoshida Station. We took the 13-minute Fujikyuko Local Line train (¥310 fare) to Kawaguchiko Station. Then, we walked to the famous nearby Lawson convenience store and had lunch inside. We crossed the street and took photos of this convenience store from the other side of the road.

After having lunch and taking photos, we walked back to Kawaguchiko Station and took the red sightseeing bus to Oishi Park in Lake Kawaguchiko. The bus trip took close to an hour due to traffic and multiple stops, and it cost ¥570 per person. We skipped the maple corridor because it was too early for the autumn leaves.

We walked along the Flower Street in Oishi Park, took some photos, enjoyed the view of Mount Fuji with the red kochia (summer cypress) plants and other flowers, and got ourselves a cone of soft-serve ice cream perfect for the not-so-cold weather. At quarter before 4:00 p.m., we took the same red sightseeing bus back to Kawaguchiko Station. We paid another ¥570 bus fare per person. We spent the remaining time at Kawaguchiko Station and waited for our bus to arrive.

We boarded our bus a few minutes past 5:30 p.m. We left Kawaguchiko Station right after sunset and arrived at Tokyo Station before 8:00 p.m.

Do-It-Yourself Day Tour Tips

I have been to Fujikawaguchiko twice, and I want to share some tips on how you can make the most of your do-it-yourself trip.

First, identify the top places you want to visit. Fujikawaguchiko is a big resort town with many great places to visit. It is impossible to go to all these places in just a day. Like what we did above, we have identified Arakurayama Sengen Park, Chureito Pagoda, Lawson Kawaguchiko Station, Lake Kawaguchiko, and Oishi Park as the only places we want to see on this day tour. Either you stay for a few days in town or you go back for the others in the next visit.

Second, figure out the route you want to take. As much as possible, refrain from going back and forth between places. To save time and make the most of the day tour, plan the route you want to take on your day tour. Plan, but do not over plan.

Third, always check the weather forecast before planning what day you will visit Fujikawaguchiko. This will give you an idea of when the best day is to go to see Mount Fuji in its glory.

Fourth, make the most of the day tour by taking the first bus out of Tokyo. You will have more time to go around the town if you take the earliest bus out of Tokyo. Also, make sure to visit the bus boarding place at least a day before your trip to know where you will go on the day of your trip.

Fifth, book your bus tickets ahead of time, up to at least days before your desired day trip. While bus tickets can be bought on the day of your tour, there is no guarantee that you will get your preferred schedule or trip time. Bus tickets are available at the Willer Express website.

Sixth, be knowledgeable of the train and bus trip schedules and intervals. This will help you navigate your schedule on the day of the trip.

Seventh, do not forget to bring a bottle of water or tumbler with drinking water. The day tour has a lot of walking and hiking. You will surely need water to get through the day.

Eighth, relax and enjoy every single moment of the day trip. Do not let any small inconvenience ruin your beautiful day with Mount Fuji.

Ultimately, it is ideal to stay in Fujikawaguchiko for 2-3 days if your schedule and Japan itinerary allow you to do so. If not, I hope the tips above will help you plan your do-it-yourself Mount Fuji day trip.

This sums up our Mount Fuji day tour from Tokyo on October 14, 2023. I hope I gave you some information on how to do it yourself. I also hope you found the tips helpful in planning and executing your own do-it-yourself trip.

Do you have any questions about Fujikawaguchiko or anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comment section below. You may also send you questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s write-up about the DIY Fujikawaguchiko trip. Please stay tuned for more Tokyo 2023 travel blogs. Before you go, I hope you can like, follow, and share my social media pages, Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Outside Popular Japan Cities: Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama On A Budget – 7 Days For Less Than ₱35,000

Last November 2017, I went on a week-long journey to explore 2 not-so-popular places in Japan – Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama. I arrived & spent the first day in Tokyo, then stayed in Fujikawaguchiko for 48 hours then onwards to Takayama before flying home from Nagoya.

Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko

If you’ve followed my blog for a while now, you’ll notice that I’ve shared to my readers how much I roughly spent for my past Japan in trips. In October 2015, my friends & I went on a 9-day trip across Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka for less than ₱40,000 all in. In 2016, I went on a solo journey across 7 cities (Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe & Fukuoka) for 13 days & spent less than ₱50,000 including flights. Both trips are pretty affordable than the usual Japan trip.

The beautiful & well-preserved wooden houses of Takayama Old Street

Have you ever wondered how much I spent in my Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama trip last November? Fret not, I am here to answer your question. Yes, I only spent less than ₱35,000 for 7 whole days in Japan. This could be cheaper (to probably around ₱25,000 – ₱30,000) if I booked the right flight to Japan & if I didn’t go on a luxurious dinner with friends in Tokyo. Just like the earlier posts, I will divide the post below to different sections – ticket, accommodation, bus tickets, etc.

November 2017 Exchange Rate: 1 Japanese Yen = 0.47 Philippine Pesos

Ticket

I mentioned above that I had to change my flight to Japan. As mentioned in my Fujikawaguchiko blog, I initially planned to go to Sapporo for this trip. Plans changed when I luckily booked another Cebu Pacific Air piso fare ticket to Tokyo for February. My first ticket cost me ₱2,175.86 with Kansai Airport in Osaka as the arrival airport.

Months before the trip, I decided to take the Tokyo-Fujikawaguchiko-Takayama-Nagoya route. It was cheaper & faster to book a new ticket to Tokyo than to take my original flight & take another flight to Tokyo. I booked my one-way Tokyo ticket & used Traveloka‘s 10% off promotion. The one way ticket to Tokyo cost ₱3,509.10.

My return tickets cost me ₱5,684.96 – still cheap for a return ticket to Japan.

Tourist Visa

The Embassy of Japan here in the Philippines gave me a 5-year multiple entry visa when I applied in 2016 so I didn’t apply for a new one for this trip. If you want to know how I got my 5-year visa, I made a 4-step guide a few months ago. You can check the guide here.

Accommodations

Accommodations for this trip were well-planned except for the one night stay in Tokyo. I took advantage of Traveloka‘s promotions. I only paid ₱970.45 for a 2-night stay in K’s House Mount Fuji, that’s after the ₱1,206 discount from Traveloka. On the other hand, I paid ₱2,713.13 for my 3-night stay in K’s House Takayama Oasis – that was after a 20% discount from Traveloka. I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that a decent hostel in Japan will cost you a little over ₱1,000 a night.

My K’s House Mount Fuji Hostel reservation with ₱1,206 Traveloka discount

I booked by Tokyo accommodation last-minute, thus I paid ₱828.66 from the usual ₱600-₱700 per night rate of Oak Hostel Zen. It’s still cheaper compared to other Tokyo hostels. You basically get the same amenities & service. I paid ₱4,512.24 for all 6 nights in Japan. Big thanks to Traveloka‘s promotions, I saved a lot!

My K’s House Takayama Oasis Hostel reservation with ₱800 Traveloka discount

Bus Tickets

I travel on budget & I don’t have the money to pay for a JR Pass so I always take the highway buses. For me, the highway bus is the most affordable mode of transportation between cities & towns around Japan. The buses leave & arrive in every stop on time / on schedule. These buses have comfortable seats; some even have toilet & free Wi-Fi on board & power outlets per seat.

The empty bus to Takayama

I took 3 highway bus routes in this trip. First, I took the Fujikyuko Bus from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko Station in Fujikawaguchiko Station. The 1 hour & 45 minute trip cost me ¥1,800 (₱829.73). From Kawaguchiko, I took the afternoon Nohi Bus to Takayama. The 4-hour trip along the Hida mountains cost me ¥5,000 (₱2,304.81). From Takayama, I took the Highway bus to Nagoya, the city where I flew out of Japan. The 2 hours & 30 minutes bus trip cost me ¥2,980 or ₱1,366.14. I booked these bus tickets before flying to Japan. Some bus routes have cheaper fares when you book (via Willer Express website) weeks / months before the trip. There are also bus companies (like Nohi Bus) that offer fixed bus fares per route.

Took this bus from Nagoya – this bus schedule was operated by Nohi Bus

The 3 bus rides of over 8 hours in total only cost me ₱4,500.68. This amount won’t even let you buy a ticket for the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto!

Internet Sim Card

Exploring Japan without access to Google & Google Maps is difficult. Since I was alone, I got an internet sim card from Klook. This sim card comes with unlimited 4G internet for 8 days but with no credits. I didn’t have issues with the network anywhere I go – mobile internet was faster than the internet provided by the other establishments like restaurants & buses.

This sim card was quite expensive – ₱1,484.82 but it was cheaper than getting a pocket Wi-Fi. I also got the sim card to avoid carrying the pocket Wi-Fi device in my bag every single day.

Tokyo Dinner With Friends

I took advantage of my Tokyo stopover to meet my HTC friends who were living in & visiting Japan. I met with Laura & Leon in Omotesando Hills. We walked around the area then to Shibuya. We had a glass of craft beer in Craftheads then went to Nogigochi for dinner. We had yakitori for dinner & sake for drinks.

This dinner was quite expensive. I spent around ¥5,000 (or ₱2,350) for dinner & drinks. I don’t mind spending too much when I’m with friends.

Mount Fuji 4th Station

I met a Dutch guy in the hostel & we decided to visit Mount Fuji 4th Station to see what’s up there. We bought the round-trip tickets in Kawaguchiko Station. The return ticket costs ¥2,100 (or ₱987). It took us around 45 minutes by bus to reach the 4th station & another 45 minutes to go down. This destination offered a nice view of Mount Fuji’s crater & the Japanese Alps.

Hida Beef Lunch

One of the highlights of this trip was the hida beef lunch set I had in Ajikura Tengoku in Takayama. The whole beef lunch set (with dessert & tea) cost me ¥4,000 (₱1,880). This was the most expensive lunch I had in Japan for this trip. The experience & the meal was worth the expensive price.

Shirakawa-go Day Tour

Ticket to Shirakawa-go – purchased at the Takayama Bus Terminal ticket office

Another highlight of this Japan trip was the visit to Shirakawa-go. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is located 60 kilometers away from Takayama. It takes about an hour by bus to reach this village full of gassho-style houses.

Walking around the wooden houses & seeing the people’s daily lives in Shirakawa-go gave a unique experience. I explored the village for about 3 hours & I think it was just right. I spent ¥4,420 (₱2,077.4) for the round-trip bus tickets to Shirakawa-go.

Daily Allowance

Breakfast food & drink bought in the supermarket!

One of the ways to travel in budget is to set a daily allowance. This allowance should cover food, transportation, entrance fees & beers. I set a daily budget of ¥3,000 in my 2015 trip & ¥3,500 in my 2016 trip. These trips were both subway-heavy so I had to put in a higher budget. For my Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama trip, I set a daily budget of ¥2,500 per day. This included breakfast & dinner (while I was in Kawaguchiko) food I bought in the supermarket & minimal daily expenses + all transportation costs I had.

Summary of Expenses

Everything’s in. Let’s have a look how much I actually spent for the trip.

There you go! I spent a total of ₱33,322.10 for 7 days in Japan (Tokyo, Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama) including airfare, accommodations, a flight change & extraordinary expenses. As mentioned earlier, the total expenses can still be reduced to around ₱25,000 – ₱30,000 if only I planned everything well. I don’t regret the last-minute changes I made in my itinerary.

That’s it for today. Are you planning to go see Mount Fuji up close or visit Takayama’s preserved old town? Well you should! If you have any questions about the details provided above, feel free to comment below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Watch out for the next post! I’ll take you to Sapporo, Japan! Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Outside Popular Japan Cities: FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO – Mount Fuji In Its Glory

In 2015 & 2016, I went to Japan for 3 weeks in total. I explored major cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto (twice), Osaka (twice), Nagoya & Fukuoka. I also went to not-so-busy cities like Hiroshima, Nara & Kobe. Japan easily became one of the favorite countries I’ve been to. Since I got my 5-year multiple entry visa (Want to know how to apply for a tourist visa? Click here.) in 2016, I told myself I will try to go back to Japan at least once a year until my visa runs out.

Mount Fuji from the other side of Lake Kawaguchi

Keeping up to my sort-of promise, I went on a 7-day Japan trip last November 2017. Since I already went to some major cities, I decided to go to peaceful & laid back places outside the popular cities. I spent 2 full days in Fujikawaguchiko & 3 full days in Takayama. In this post, I will talk about my short stay in Fujikawaguchiko. I missed visiting Mount Fuji during my stay in Tokyo in 2015 so I made sure I stay in one of the towns near the five lakes.

Fujikawaguchiko is small peaceful resort town about 100 km (or 1 hour 45 minutes by land) away from Tokyo. This town surrounds one of the scenic Fuji Five Lakes at the base of Mount Fuji – Lake Kawaguchiko. This town also has a number of museums & hot spring resorts & onsens.

One of the many shots I took at 6:30 am

sole reason I went to this town is to see Mount Fuji in its full glory – which I did a number of times (wait for the photos!). I didn’t really go around the museums, resorts & onsens in town. I felt like seeing Fuji made this leg of the trip super worth it. Anyway, let us still go into the details of my Fujikawaguchiko visit.

Plane Ticket

Flying over Chiba Prefecture before landing in Narita International Airport

It all started with a super duper cheap round-trip ticket to Japan. Last March 2017, GetGo (Cebu Pacific Air‘s loyalty program) had an anniversary promotion. Base fare for all domestic & international routes were priced at 10 GetGo points per way. Counting all airport fees & taxes, I got a Manila-Osaka-Nagoya-Manila ticket for ₱2,175.86. It’s like a ₱1 fare ticket, but with GetGo points. YES, THAT CHEAP. Imagine flying to & from Japan for that small amount. I immediately bought the ticket when I saw it. This was the same promotion I took advantage when I booked my return flight when I went to Komodo, Indonesia last October / November 2017.

I had plans of flying to Sapporo for this trip but everything changed when I was able to book another ₱1 fare ticket to Tokyo last June. I looked for other nice places to visit in Japan & found Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama. Fujikawaguchiko is near in Tokyo so I decided to book a new ticket to Japan. Believe me, the cost of taking an overnight bus or a flight to Tokyo is the same with the cost of buying a new one-way ticket. I took advantage of Traveloka‘s 10% off promotion. I got the Manila to Tokyo ticket via Cebu Pacific Air for only ₱3,509.10. By the way, I didn’t use my Manila-Osaka flight.

Adding both tickets, my air ticket for this trip cost me ₱5,684.96. It’s still super cheap compared to the regular tickets on other airlines ranging from ₱10,000 to ₱15,000 return. These are the perks of a being a GetGo member & a Traveloka user.

Tokyo Stopover (Including Accommodation)

Back in Tokyo for a few hours before heading to Fujikawaguchiko

There is no airport in Fujikawaguchiko; the nearest airport is found in Tokyo. I took advantage of my Tokyo stopover to meet my HTC friends who were living in & visiting Japan. Upon arrival at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, I took the train to the city & to my hostel. I stayed in Oak Hostel Zen, an affordable & cozy hostel located in Taito neighborhood. It was my 2nd time staying in this hostel; I stayed here during my 2015 Tokyo visit. Guess what? I was assigned in the same room where I stayed 2 years ago. I settled down & took a nap.

It was the same dormitory room I stayed with last October 2015

Finally met Laura & Leon, two of the many great people I met in Elevate

A few hours later, I took the train to Harajuku / Shibuya & met with Laura, Leon (both previously from HTC) & Kristin (Leon’s colleague). It felt nice to finally meet them in person (after x years of being friends online) & to spend the night with them.

Inside Craftheads – a known small pub in Shibuya

Had yakitori for dinner – it was an expensive but super good dinner

We walked around Omotesando Hills then went to Craftheads, a nice pub in Shibuya area, to have some beer. We then went to the famous Shibuya intersection & finally settled for dinner in Nogigochi, a highly-rated yakitori restaurant. This restaurant served the best yakitoris I’ve had in my life so far. The ambiance was cool & the service was superb. The price of food may not be affordable but it’s all worth it. I look forward to having dinner again in this restaurant.

Ueno Park during autumn

My bus to Fujikawaguchiko is not until 12:20 on day 2 so I decided to take a morning stroll around Taito & Ueno Park. Autumn was at its peak during my visit. The leaves were all in yellow, orange & red color. The streets & park were really pleasing to the eyes.

En Route To Fujikawaguchiko

There are numerous ways of going to Fujikawaguchiko from Tokyo. The fastest (also the most expensive) way is via bullet train using a JR Pass. You can go by normal trains (with a few transfers) but it takes around 2 hours per way. The cheapest way is via bus. The land trip takes more or less 1 hour & 45 minutes from Tokyo Station. These buses use a 2-2 seat configuration, have free Wi-Fi (& toilet) on board. The seats are very comfortable. Tickets can be booked online via Willer Express (departing Tokyo Station ) & Highway Buses (departing Shinjuku Station). Tickets cost ¥1,800 per way. There are many trips per day so seat availability won’t be a problem.

This is how the bus seats to Kawaguchiko look like

As mentioned earlier, I took the 12:20 bus from Tokyo Station Tekko Building. The bus left on time, made a few stops along the way & finally made it to Kawaguchiko Station at 14:22. One thing I love about buses in Japan is they arrive in destinations on time, or most of the time ahead of schedule (regardless of road congestion & multiple stops).

Beautiful landscapes just above Tokyo

Accommodation

Fujikawaguchiko has very limited affordable accommodation options. The best choice according to online opinions & reviews is K’s House Mount Fuji. I loved my stay in K’s House Kyoto so I thought of trying their branch in Fujikawaguchiko.

I got the my dormitory bed for around ₱1,088 per night; around ₱2,076 for 2 nights. Traveloka had a special promotion when I booked my stay so I got a ₱1,206 discount. I ended up paying only ₱970 for a 2-night stay in K’s House Mount Fuji.

Inside my dormitory room in K’s House Mount Fuji

The hostel is approximately 800 meters by foot from Kawaguchiko Station – quite far by foot but too near if you take a taxi. Since I am on budget & I don’t mind walking in cold weather, I walked from the station up to the hostel. The hostel people were accommodating & helpful, just like the ones in K’s House Kyoto. The hostel has a spacious reception area, a large food preparation & storage area & a cozy dining & lounge area. This common areas are the best places to meet other travelers & exchange stories. I met a set of nice & fun people from The Netherlands, Australia, Germany & Thailand.

The spacious dining & lounge area of K’s House Mount Fuji

I stayed in a 9-bed dormitory in the 2nd floor. The room had 4 bunk beds & 1 single bed. The room was clean & spacious. Beds were comfortable. The bunk beds didn’t have curtains; each guest was given a locker for their things & valuables. Communal shower & toilet areas are located on each floor. Unlike their Kyoto counterpart, this hostel doesn’t have a cafe / restaurant. Almost all guests go out, buy food & cook / eat them at the hostel. There are convenience stores & a supermarket nearby. It is also a few minutes walk from Lake Kawaguchi.

Big kitchen & food storage area – most guests prepare their meals here

I made the right choice in staying in this hostel. Location & price-wise, this hostel is the best in Fujikawaguchiko. This hostel deserves a 12 out of 10!

Around Fujikawaguchiko

The most convenient & economical way to go around Fujikawaguchiko is via the tourist buses. These buses go around the town with stops at almost every tourist destination. Bus passes are available for those who want to go around for a day or two.

View upon ariving Kawaguchiko Station

Another way of going around the town is by walking. The town is really small. You can basically go around the area in just a day. This is perfect for those who have the luxury of time. My recommended way of getting around the place is via bicycle. K’s House Mount Fuji offers bicycle rental for ¥150 per hour or ¥1,000 per day. Just make sure to reserve your bicycles as early as possible.

Kawaguchiko Station

Kawaguchiko Station is the main entry & exit point for people who want to visit Fujikawaguchiko. All trains & buses make a stop in this station. The station also offers a very nice view of Mount Fuji.

Yagizaki Park

Yagizaki Park is the place where the herbs & flowers are cultivated. It was autumn when I visited the place so there was not much to see in the park.

Lake Kawaguchiko

View of Mount Fuji from the not-so-visited part of the lake

Lake Kawaguciko is the second main attraction (next to Mount Fuji) when visiting Fujikawaguchiko. This lake is the most accessible & the nearest to Tokyo among the five lakes. The lake offers outstanding views of Mount Fuji.

Autumn views around Lake Kawaguchi

Mount Fuji 4th Station

View of the Japanese Alps from Mount Fuji 4th Station

My Dutch mate & I took the bus from Kawaguchiko Station to Fuji 4th Station. The highest base, Fuji 5th Station, was closed for the public during our visit. We saw the crater of Mount Fuji from the 4th station. We saw some remains of the snowfall the night before plus amazing views of the Japanese Alps. A round-trip bus ticket from Kawaguchiko Station costs ¥2,100. Kindly refer to this link for the bus schedule.

We were 2,020 m above sea level! | Sorry no photo of Mount Fuji’s crater – it was full of clouds when we were there.

Oishi Park

Oishi Park is the public park located in the northern park of Lake Kawaguciko. This park offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji with the Lake Kawaguchiko. The park is usually flooded with tourists so make sure to go there early.

Biking Around Fujikawaguchiko

Cycled around Lake Kawaguchi with the guys I met in the hostel

The best way to explore this laid-back town is by renting a bicycle. Our hostel offered the best rates for bicycle rental (¥1,000 yen for 8 hours or ¥150 yen per hour). We decided to rent out bikes for our last day. It took us 3.5 hours to go around Lake Kawaguchiko & enjoy the view of Mount Fuji.

Other Places To Visit

There are other nice places to visit in Fujikawaguchiko. Those who are fond of theme parks can spend a day in Fuji Q Highland – an amusement park located at the base of Mount Fuji. Those who love to ride cable cars / rope ways can spend an hour or two in Mount Kachi Kachi Ropeway. The topmost area offers a panoramic view of the town & Mount Fuji. The photo of Mount Fuji with a pagoda on the side was taken from the Arakurayama Sengen Shrine. This shrine is a few kilometers away from Kawaguchiko Station but a must-visit you want to take photos of Fuji with the pagoda & crimson leaves.

One can also visit Kitaguchi Hongu Sengen Shrine, a shrine located near Fujisan Station. If you are up for some adventure, you can go for a walk in Aokigahara Forest. This forest is located at the foot of Fuji & is famous because of the number of suicides committed in the area. If you’re keen on exploring a traditional village, you must take a trip to Saiko Iyashi No Sato Nemba. The town also has different local museums & tea shops which you can walk into. Make sure to go to at least one onsen in town & have some relaxing time before ending a long day outside.

I missed some good ones, eh? Nah, I’m good. As mentioned above, my only reason of visiting this town is to see Mount Fuji in its full glory (which I did!). I had no regrets of just relaxing in this leg of the trip.

Want to know when is the best time to see Mount Fuji?

View of Mount Fuji from the Lake Kawaguchi bridge – taken 6:00 am

Mount Fuji is quite hard to spot on a normal day. It is usually covered with clouds when most tours / people are visiting. I had an observation during my 48-hour stay in Fujikawaguchiko. Mount Fuji shows up without clouds in the early morning during sunrise & in the afternoon during sunset. Mount Fuji is usually clear during these times. I recommend that you stay in the town for at least one night but if your itinerary doesn’t permit, you can go there with the first bus / train trip or the late afternoon trips.

I made the right decision of staying 48 hours in Fujikawaguchiko. I saw Mount Fuji in its full glory. Japan’s most famous & beautiful landscape is something that needs to be added in everyone’s itinerary. The next part of the trip was spent in Takayama, a small & relatively unknown city in the middle of the Hida Mountains in Gifu Prefecture. Watch out for my next post!

Have you been to Fujikawaguchiko? Were you able to see Mount Fuji without the clouds? Are you planning to visit the town in your next trip? Let me know in the comments if you have questions. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Let’s connect! Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC Re & HTC U11.