Mt. Fuji, Five Lakes and Oshino Hakkai are registered as UNESCO's World Heritage sites. In this tour, you can be relaxed in the beautiful nature in Fuji area, enjoy views from Lake Kawaguchi, and take pictures of Mt. Fuji and the red pagoda together at Asakura Sengen Shrine. The view of Mt. Fuji is fantastic if the weather permits.
Shinjuku Bus Terminal
I reserve our seats for the tour day by phone in advance.
You purchase you and your guide's bus return tickets, about 4400 /person (It is slightly different depending on the place you visit).
For our outgoing bus, I will book one departing at 9:15.
If you like to start earlier or later, please let me know. The starting time depends on you, but it will be better to start not too late.
Pick-up service is provided, 3000JPY on the spot. If you need it, inform your guide in advance. Your meeting time at your hotel will be sent.
You will arrive at Shimoyoshida stop around 10:50.
We have about one hour for hiking, taking pictures, visiting the shrine in the Arakurayama park.
Chureito Pagoda in Arakurayama park is the most famous scenic site among my guests. You see the red pagoda and Mt. Fuji at the same time and learn Japanese culture, and history of the shrine there. It is about 15 minute-hike up to Chureito pagoda on the steps or slopes and you enjoy taking pictures at higher places. Mt Fuji is beautiful when the weather allows.
This is a recommended itinerary when flowers are nice and views of Fuji is good.
Heading for Lake Kawaguchi by train and bus takes longer time than going by taxi. It depends on the traffic condition on the day.
You enjoy wonderful scenery of Mt. Fuji from the lakeside flower park when the weather allows.
Lunch at one of local restaurants on the lakeside.
Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum is wonderful and nearby where you can see some gorgeous works made by the tie dye hand-made Kimono master, Itchiku Kubota. (It's closed on Tuesday) that are stored and displayed in an old Japanese style wood structure. You can also enjoy its beautiful garden with a pond.
The additional cost of entrance: 1500JPY /person
An express bus takes us to Shinjuku directly, arriving around 6:30pm, depending on the traffic conditions.
End of the tour
Since the local buses don't come often, it is hard to visit 4 places in one day.
Instead ①, ② or ③, you can choose to go to Oshino-hakkai, the village with eight ponds of natural springs. You take a local bus from Kawaguchi Lake station at 3;20, taking 20 minutes.
The water is clear because it's flowing underground from Mt. Fuji. You can stroll around the ponds and along the river, and enjoy a typical Japanese countryside.
From Oshino-hakkai, you take a direct bus to Shinjuku, leaving at 4:40, arriving at Shinjuku at 7:00 or later depending on the traffic.
Shinjuku station
guide fee, local buses (guide), entrance (guide)
*Return ticket (you and guide) of express buses between Shinjuku, Shimoyoshida and Kawaguchiko: 4400JPY /person (From Oshino-hakkai 300yen more)
*local buses (you): about 1000JPY / person
*your meals and drinks
*Optional: Entrance of Icchiku Kimono Museum (you): 1500 JPY
*Pick-up service: 3000JPY /group on the spot, If you need it, inform your guide in advance:
I can guide you in Kyoto, Nikko, Hakone if you pay my tranportation fee.
In order to avoid the crowds, weekdays are recommended.
We walk a lot. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
This tour is recommended on weekdays. On Sundays and national holidays, roads are expected to be busy and you will have to wait for long time every place.
Once the tour starts, it will not be cancelled and refunds will not be issued though the weather is not good.
We recently had the pleasure of joining a day trip to Kamakura, guided by the wonderful Yuka. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. Yuka's knowledge, enthusiasm, and genuine passion for Kamakura's rich history and culture made this tour one of the highlights of my trip to Japan. Yuka was incredibly well-organized and punctual. She communicated all the necessary details before the trip, ensuring everyone knew the meeting point, schedule, and what to expect. Her meticulous planning allowed us to make the most of our day without feeling rushed. I recommend Yuka highly enough for a day trip to Kamakura. Her expertise, warmth, and dedication to providing an unforgettable experience made this tour truly special. If you're looking for an enriching and enjoyable way to explore Kamakura, Yuka is the perfect guide. Thank you, Yuka, for an incredible day!!!
Thank you very much for your wonderful comments about Kamakura tour. I'm happy to hear you really enjoyed the day. I hope you'll have good memories about temples with flower gardens, bamboo garden and maccha.
Yuka made our day in Hakone wonderful, and was very informative about the history. It was a great day and made navigating all around the lake very easy and saw areas of the lake we never would have thought to visit on our own.
Thank you, all of your family members, and thank you for warm comments, Alex. Your ideas and thoughts made it perfect. Your uncle's stories were impressive.
Yuka was a wonderful guide and made our first full day very worthwhile. Not only was she able to show us the best things. But she showed us how to purchase train tickets. And even where to go. This was helpful today and for the remaining days on our trip. In addition, she showed us a lot of free places to go such as the metropolitan building. Which is a 45 story observation deck and totally free versus paying a lot of money for the sky tree. Also had a nice view of Shabu Crossing. And took us to a lot of shopping, including the Nintendo one. You will likely be going back to many of these places, thank you for showing us around!
Thank you for nice comments, James. They are helpful for others. I'm happy you enjoyed Tokyo today. It was a quite unique tour. But thanks for your research, we had a good time.
Yuka, thank you so much for the amazing tour in Hakone. Despite the weather, it was a memorable experience. Your flexibility in adjusting the itinerary and your assistance in getting from Gora to Odawara were greatly appreciated. We had a lot of fun on the tour, even with the fog. Your help made a big difference!
Thank you for warm words, Anne. And your understanding the situation there was great, helped me a lot. I'll remember your family.