Tokyo to Mt Fuji by Train

The Full Comparison

There are two rail routes and three main bus departures, plus the Shinkansen, which shows you the mountain but does not take you to it. Tours are listed as a peer option. Fares come from the sources cited throughout this page, and prices drift, so treat the table as a planning figure rather than a guarantee.

How to Read This Table

The rail total of 2,430 yen plus 1,170 yen is for one direction from Shinjuku via Otsuki, so double it for a round trip. The bus figures are one way as well, and the Shinjuku bus drops from 2,200 yen to 2,000 yen when booked online. The Fuji Excursion fare is left blank because published figures disagree.

For a wider view of how a Fuji day fits with other cheap outings, the hub page on free day trips from Tokyo puts this route alongside the other train-based options, and the general pass and ticket logic sits in how to plan a day trip from Tokyo.

The Direct Train, the Fuji Excursion

The Fuji Excursion is a JR and Fujikyu limited express that runs from Shinjuku all the way to Kawaguchiko in about two hours, a few times a day. Every seat is a reserved ordinary-car seat with a power outlet and a table, and there is no Green Car. Between Shinjuku and Otsuki the train runs coupled with a Kaiji or Azusa limited express and the two parts split at Otsuki, so stay in the right cars.

The train reverses direction at Fujisan Station, which is normal for the last stretch. It stops at Tachikawa, Hachioji, Otsuki, Tsuru-bunka-daigaku-mae, Shimoyoshida, Fujisan, Fujikyu-Highland and Kawaguchiko, so it also serves Chureito Pagoda directly at Shimoyoshida. Reservations open one month ahead through JR East's Eki-net service, and because every seat is reserved, book ahead.

The Two-train Route Via Otsuki

The classic Tokyo to Mt Fuji by train route uses two trains instead of one direct train. Start with a JR Chuo Line limited express from Shinjuku to Otsuki, 70 minutes for 2,430 yen. At Otsuki, change to the Fujikyu Railway for the 55 minute, 1,170 yen ride to Kawaguchiko.

Allow time for the change at Otsuki.

The JR Pass Gap

This is the detail that catches Japan Rail Pass holders out. The pass is not valid between Otsuki and Kawaguchiko, because that section belongs to Fujikyu. A pass holder pays a 1,170 yen supplement for the Otsuki to Kawaguchiko section, or 1,770 yen on the limited express.

The JR Tokyo Wide Pass handles this better. It costs 16,000 yen for three consecutive days, is only for non-Japanese passport holders, and covers the whole Tokyo to Kawaguchiko journey except the panorama seats on the Fuji Excursion.

• Step 1: Decide between the direct Fuji Excursion and the Otsuki transfer. The direct train needs a reservation made up to a month ahead on Eki-net.
• Step 2: From Shinjuku, take the JR Chuo Line limited express to Otsuki, 70 minutes, 2,430 yen, if you chose the two-train route.
• Step 3: Change at Otsuki to the Fujikyu Railway toward Kawaguchiko, 55 minutes, 1,170 yen.
• Step 4: For Chureito Pagoda, take the Fujikyu line to Shimo-Yoshida, 35 minutes and 980 yen from Otsuki or 10 minutes and 310 yen from Kawaguchiko.
• Step 5: Walk ten minutes from Shimo-Yoshida Station to Arakura Sengen Shrine, then climb the nearly 400 steps to Chureito Pagoda. Plan 30 to 45 minutes, more in peak season.
• Step 6: Back at Kawaguchiko Station, use the red loop bus, every 15 minutes, or the green Saiko line, every 30 minutes, or buy the Kawaguchiko Saiko Motosuko pass at 1,500 yen for one day or 2,000 yen for two.
• Step 7: For the 5th Station, take the Fuji Subaru Line bus from Kawaguchiko Station, 50 minutes for 2,000 yen one way. Check the return timetable before you go up.

What to Check Before You Leave

Fuji visibility is the first variable. Views are best in the early morning or late afternoon and in the colder months, and the mountain shows on more than 120 days a year from central Tokyo. Timing is the second variable, so check the last return bus from the 5th Station before you go up.

The best time to see Mt Fuji page goes deep on the visibility odds by season.

Side by Side

The table puts the rail routes against the three main bus departures on the same axes. The Shinjuku bus leaves from Busta Shinjuku, roughly twice an hour, and takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to just under two hours direct. Reservations open one month before travel and close 10 minutes before the first departure, and booking online saves 200 yen on the Shinjuku route.

When the Bus Wins

The bus avoids the Otsuki transfer, and the Shinjuku fare of 2,200 yen is lower than the 2,430 yen plus 1,170 yen two-train route. It also suits families, since the bus runs direct to Kawaguchiko Station with no change. The Shinjuku bus time is quoted as about 1 hour 45 minutes in one source and just under two hours in another, so allow a buffer on the return.

When the Train Wins

The train wins if you hold the JR Tokyo Wide Pass, because the whole journey is already paid for inside the 16,000 yen pass. It also wins if you want one seat and no change, since the Fuji Excursion runs direct. Early morning from sunrise to about 8:30 gives the best chance of a clear view, so an early departure matters whichever mode you pick.

Prices and Opening Hours Around Kawaguchiko

The good news is that the headline sights are cheap or free. Chureito Pagoda costs nothing, though it sits nearly 400 steps up from Arakura Sengen Shrine and rewards the climb best in the early morning or late afternoon. The Panoramic Ropeway is the main paid viewpoint on the lake, reachable by a 15 minute bus from Kawaguchiko Station or a 15 to 20 minute walk.

The 5th Station sits at about 2,300 m and has restaurants, shops and coin lockers once the bus delivers you. Note that the Fuji Subaru Line closes to private cars from 3 July to 10 September, so the bus is the only way up during the climbing season.

Bus Passes Once You Are There

Kawaguchiko's red loop bus runs every 15 minutes and the green Saiko line every 30 minutes, and both leave from in front of the station. If you expect more than a couple of rides, the Kawaguchiko Saiko Motosuko pass costs 1,500 yen for one day or 2,000 yen for two days, and the wider Fujisan Fujigoko Passport covers buses on two consecutive days for 4,700 yen when the Fujikyu Railway line is included. If an onsen is the afternoon plan, Fujiyama Onsen next to Fuji-Q Highland opens 6:30 to 9:00 and 10:00 to 23:00 for 800 yen in the morning and up to 2,000 yen on weekends, and Hotel Mifujien opens its baths to day visitors 13:00 to 21:00 for 1,200 yen.

The kawaguchiko day trip page lists more of the lakeside options in one place.

Coach Tours to the Fuji Side

The cheapest option is the Mount Fuji Full-Day Sightseeing Tour from Tokyo with English-Speaking Guide at $54, 10 hours, up to 45 travelers, with all fees and taxes included and lunch not included. The Mount Fuji Full-Day Highlights Day Trip from Tokyo at $80 covers the Chureito Pagoda viewpoint and a Mt Fuji stop with entry fees for all sightseeing spots in the price, but the listing warns a return delay of 2 to 3 hours is possible. The Mt Fuji, Chureito Pagoda, Lake Kawaguchi and Oshino Hakkai Day Tour from Tokyo at $82 adds Oishi Park and a free ticket to the Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba village, with lunch only if you pick a lunch-set option.

For a smaller group, the Small Group Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Day Tour from Tokyo runs up to 15 people for $149 from a Shinbashi meeting point.

Private and Combined Days

Two private options cover the same ground with hotel pickup. The Mt Fuji Full-Day Private Customizable Tour from Tokyo with Hotel Pickup costs $367 for a private group of up to 6 over 10 to 11 hours, with attraction and ropeway tickets extra. The Private Day Tour from Tokyo to Mt Fuji or Hakone runs $508.76 per vehicle with options for 9 to 37 people, hotel pickup included and activity tickets extra.

If you want Fuji and Hakone in one day, the Mt Fuji and Hakone Day Tour from Tokyo, Return by Bullet Train at $159.54 includes the Hakone Ropeway, the Lake Ashi cruise and the bullet train back to Tokyo Station, with lunch only as a paid option. Each tour page carries the full inclusions list, and the honest trade is simple, the tour removes every transfer, reservation and last-bus decision.