Route
Mt. Fuji & Lake Kawaguchi
Fuji worship: viewing, not climbing
About 220 km round trip from the city, including stops and lunch
Length
10 hours
Distance
About 220 km round trip from the city, including stops and lunch
Best season
January and February give the clearest views; July to September the mountain is often inside cloud
Fuji has been an object of worship far longer than it has been a climbing target. In the Edo period, pilgrims of the Fuji-kō walked from the city to the northern foothills and prayed from a distance at Sengen shrines — reaching the summit was never the point. Driving to the fifth station today continues that older habit of approaching without ascending.
Lake Kawaguchi is one of the Fuji Five Lakes. The reflection on the northern shore needs a windless morning, which is why the lake comes first in the day. Moving to the Yamanakako side in the afternoon gives the mountain a second chance to appear.
How the day runs
Times are indicative. They move with traffic, weather and your own pace.
Pickup in the city
Via the Chuo Expressway, about two hours.
North shore, Lake Kawaguchi
The reflection needs still air; if wind picks up, the lake-and-ridge line is the view.
Lunch: hōtō noodles
Yamanashi's miso noodle pot; the car waits outside.
Oshino Hakkai
Eight spring-fed ponds from Fuji's snowmelt. About 40 minutes on foot.
Depart for Tokyo
Ahead of the Sunday-afternoon crawl on the Chuo.
Drop-off in the city
Indicative; moves with traffic.
Which vehicle
Decided by headcount and luggage. A full car carries fewer bags.
Included
- Driver
- Consumption tax (shown in the fare)
Not included
- Expressway tolls and parking (charged at cost)
- Sightseeing admission
- Meals
- Personal purchases
- Special arrangements outside the operating area
On charters, expressway tolls and parking are charged separately at cost. Airport transfers are the other way round — those are included.
Cautions for this route
The fifth station sits at 2,305 m; even in summer it is around 10°C. Bring a jacket.
Weekends and autumn colour season jam the lake roads; the return may run late.
The destination is in Yamanashi, outside the operating area; pickup and drop-off are both in Tokyo.
The destination lies outside our operating area. Pickup and drop-off are both inside Tokyo's 23 wards and the Musashino–Mitaka area.