How to get from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko for Mount Fuji
If you want to visit Mt. Fuji from Tokyo, this guide is for you.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s most iconic symbols, and a landmark not to be missed on a trip to Japan. There are many different locations to see Mt. Fuji. It is a huge mountain after all!
Lake Kawaguchiko is one of the Fuji Five Lakes, and the most accessible from Tokyo. The town has a serene atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and many recreational activities including onsens (natural hot springs), hiking, and lake boat rides.
In this guide, I’ll break down all the best ways to get from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko and its surrounding areas. You’ll learn about travel by train, bus, car, and even tours including costs, travel times, and which option is best for your itinerary.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my business so I can create content like this for you!
Where is Kawaguchiko?
Lake Kawaguchiko is in the Fuji Five Lakes region located at the base of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. About 100 kilometers west of Tokyo, it is easy to reach Lake Kawaguchi or Kawaguchiko by public transportation or car from Tokyo.
Options for public transportation include trains and buses. Most travelers begin their visit at Kawaguchiko Station which serves as the main hub for exploring the region.
When to go to Kawaguchiko?
Seeing Mount Fuji is not always guaranteed as it is weather dependent.
Winter (November to February) has the highest chance of seeing Mt. Fuji, whereas it is relatively harder to see it between April and August.
Spring is a beautiful season when cherry blossoms frame the mountain and the lake. Autumn is also stunning with vibrant foliage reflecting on the water.
We visited in late April, and were really lucky to see Mt. Fuji all day long on the day we arrived. However, the next morning we saw a glimpse of it from our ryokan (which was amazing honestly!) before it hid behind the clouds the entire day.
If you are really worried about visibility, do it as a day trip when the skies are clear in Tokyo ☀️
How to get to Kawaguchiko:
There are direct train options from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko, and ones that require transfers.
🚊 Fuji Excursion – Direct Train – 2 hours
Fuji Excursion, or Fujikaiyuu, is limited express train with a direct route from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko. Price is 4130 JPY one way (about $27 total). The Fuji Excursion departs JR Shinjuku Station 5 times a day, and the ride takes about 2 hours.
First train at 07:30 am.
08:30 am
09:30 am
10:30 am
11:34 am
Tickets can be purchased at JR East website but I don’t recommend this. The site is not easy to navigate, you have to pick up physical tickets at a station which can be confusing, and I had to try 3 different credit cards until one was accepted. I’d purchase tickets at Klook.com for convenience of receiving it as a QR code, and easy payment (use my code MINYWANDER for a discount!).
The Fuji Excursion does sell out at busy times. I highly recommend purchasing tickets soon as you know the date you are traveling. I also recommend getting the reserved seats as there’s no additional cost. I took this train to Kawaguchiko and the aisles were packed with people standing the entire 2 hour journey. Select window seats to get views of Mt. Fuji from the train.
Tip: You can sit on either side (left or right) because the train eventually changes direction and both sides will get views of Fuji at some point.
For return journey, the trains run from Kawaguchiko Station to Shinjuku, departing at:
14:10
14:55
16:22
16:45
17:33
In my opinion, the Fuji Excursion is the best way to travel from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko.
🚆 Train (with transfers) – 2 hours 40 minutes
Take the Azusa train from Shinjuku to Otsuki, then transfer to Fuji Excursion or Fujikyuko Line from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko.
Interestingly, the Azusa and Fuji Excursion are the same train, but the train cars split at Otsuki Station and head to different final destinations. If you take the Azusa option, you have to get off at Otsuki Station and switch to a local train to get to Kawaguchiko. It takes 1 hour from Shinjuku to Otsuki, and a short 10-15 minute transfer, and another hour from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko.
You can also take local trains on Chuo line or Keio line, but these options while slightly cheaper, require transfers and take longer so I would not recommend.
Total costs 3530 yen one way ($23) – can be up to 4390 yen depending on the trains.
As you can see, the price difference really isn’t that significant so if you can take the Fuji Excursion without having to switch between trains, I would opt for the Fuji Excursion.
🚌 Bus – 1.5-2.5 hours
An advantage of taking the bus is that there are departures from several stations around Tokyo, and you’re not restricted to just Shinjuku Station. Departures are available from Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara and Tokyo Station.
Costs 2200 yen ($14) one way. It supposedly takes around 1 hour 35 minutes from Shinjuku, but the actual travel times can be longer depending on traffic. You can purchase tickets from the official highway bus website here.
Another bus option is offered on Klook. This VIP liner shuttle bus departs from Tokyo Station or Akihabara Station, goes straight to Kawaguchiko. It costs around $20.
Other ways of getting to Kawaguchiko
You can drive to Kawaguchiko from Tokyo, join a tour, or hire a private car/driver.
This popular tour is private and customizable, with an English-speaking driver. One of my friends used this service on her trip to Mt. Fuji this year, and said great things about it.
You can also join a tour like this one below that takes you to some of the most popular spots in the area.
What is there to do around Kawaguchiko?
🗻 Honcho Street, Shimoyoshida – Charming local street with clear view of Mount Fuji which creates a very cinematic backdrop.
🗻 Chureito Pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Shrine – One of the most iconic Mount Fuji photo spots in Japan featuring a red pagoda with Fuji standing behind it.
🗻 Kawaguchiko Station – Just a few minutes by foot from the station you can see Mount Fuji.
🗻 Oishi Park – A beautiful lakeside garden with seasonal flowers and an unobstructed Mt Fuji backdrop.
🗻 Oshino Hakkai Village – A charming traditional village known for 8 spring water ponds that come from melted snow from Mount Fuji.
🗻 Tenku no Torii – Translates to Gate in the Sky. A torii gate set high on the mountain at Kawaguchi Asama Shrine with Mount Fuji perfectly aligned behind it.
🗻 Along the shores of Lake Kawaguchi – You can see Mt. Fuji. from the shores of the lake, or take a boat ride on the lake itself.
🗻 Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway – You can ride a cable car up to an observation deck on Mount Tenjo for one of the most famous views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko together.
🗻 Fuji-Q Highland – A theme park that features thrill rides with Mt. Fuji in the background. Buy tickets here.
Shimoyoshida is a small town located just a few minutes by train from Kawaguchiko on the Fujikyu Railway Line. It is best known as the gateway to Arakurayama Sengen Park and the iconic Chureito Pagoda viewpoint.
Day Trip vs. Overnight in Kawaguchiko?
Kawaguchiko can be visited as a day trip from Tokyo since travel time is about two to two and a half hours each way. A day trip works well if you are focused on a few highlights in the region.
However, I highly urge you to spend at least one night in the region. Staying overnight gives you a better chance to see the mountain during sunrise or sunset when conditions are often clearest, but also It also allows time to relax in lakeside onsens (hot spring) and explore more of the area at a slower pace.
There are several hotels or ryokans with views of Mount Fuji and I can’t tell you how magical it feels to wake up to these views.
Where to Stay in Kawaguchiko?
Lake Kawaguchiko offers a wide range of accommodations from luxury resorts with private onsen baths to cozy guesthouses. Where you stay can make a major difference in your experience because the best moments often happen early in the morning or late in the day when Mount Fuji appears the clearest.
The most popular area to stay in is around the eastern and northern shores of Lake Kawaguchiko. This side of the lake faces Mount Fuji directly which gives you a much higher chance of enjoying the mountain view from your room or even from a relaxing onsen bath. Hotels near the lakefront and along the Red Line sightseeing bus route are especially convenient for exploring without a car.
If possible, I would highly recommend booking a place that has Mt. Fuji views and if you haven’t stayed in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) before, this is a perfect place to experience it.
Many of these ryokans are not cheap, but trust me, they are worth it! The popular ones do sell out quite quickly (like a year in advance), so it may be difficult to find a room.
I like to check Agoda and Booking.com for hotel availability in Japan. In general I find that Agoda has better deals across Asia.
Many of these ryokans will have free shuttles from and to the train station. Make sure to confirm this before booking.
Here’s a list of ryokans and hotels that have incredible Mount Fuji views.
- Shuhoukaku Kogetsu (where we stayed!)
- Wakakusa no Yado Maruei Ryokan
- Hotel Kaneyamaen
- Kawaguchiko Fufu
- Konansou
- La Vista Fuji Kawaguchiko
- Bessho Sasa
- Lakeland Hotel Mizunosato
My 1 day Mount Fuji Itinerary
We took the early morning 08:30 am Fuji Excursion train from Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station, and arrived around 10:30 am.
Our ryokan was on the lake and offered a free shuttle, but since we didn’t want to waste time dropping off our bags, we left our luggage at the coin lockers at Kawaguchiko Station.
After walking around the station a bit and admiring our first views of Mount Fuji, we stopped by this cute store called FUJISAN SHOKUPAN that sells Mr. Fuji themed pudding. The pudding was delicious!
We then hopped on the local train using our IC cards (suica, pasmo, icoca) and headed to Shimoyoshida Station. We visited Honcho Street, which honestly just looked unreal in real life. There was a guard helping to manage people trying to take photos in the streets. The lights are fairly short. If you visit, please do not jaywalk or stand on the car roads when you’re not supposed to.
Just a few blocks down from the main Honcho Street, we found plenty of streets that were empty with Mt. Fuji towering in the backdrop.
There’s a cafe I had pinned from Shimoyoshida. The menu is very limited, but the views from their second story cafe was absolutely breathtaking.
Fujiyoshida Kinseiken Fuji Chaan
フジヨシダキンセイケンフジチャアン
A lot of the places I had looked up to eat around here were closed this time of the day, so after some Google searching, we stopped by a local restaurant for a simple lunch.
Next we got on a local bus and went to Oshino Hakkai Village. Google Maps works pretty well in Japan so looking up bus schedules and routes was easy.
At Oshino Hakkai, we got some tasty treats, saw crystal clear ponds, and of course, lots of views of Mount Fuji.
Back at Kawaguchiko train station, we met up with our hotel’s shuttle driver and he drove us around the lake, to our Ryokan.
Our package came with dinner and breakfast. The dinner was a kaiseki traditional cuisine served right in our room, and by the way this hotel has Mt. Fuji views from all the guest rooms.
After a wonderful dinner we soaked in the open-air hot spring onsens (baths). This ryokan does not have a private onsen, so my husband and I had to each go to the separated men’s and women’s baths, but it was so relaxing after a long day of exploring.
In the morning we caught a glimpse of Mt. Fuji before it hid behind the clouds for the day. We walked along the shores of Lake Kawaguchi in front of our hotel, before taking the shuttle back to the train station.
As listed in the things to do section above, there’s a lot of different things to do around the lakes area but I recommend choosing the best things based on your interest, and taking it slow.
We definitely did not have time for some of the activities like the Chureito Pagoda and Oishi Park, but surely we will be back to explore them some day.
Final Thoughts on Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko
I hope this post has convinced you to visit Lake Kawaguchiko on your next trip to Japan. There’s stunning views of Mount Fuji from every corner, and it’s easy to get to, whether you’re taking the train, bus or doing a private tour.
Remember to check out my other posts for more Japan travel tips!
USE MY CHECKLIST TO PLAN YOUR TRIP!
- Flights
- Search for the best flights on Skyscanner to get to your destination
- Search for the best flights on Skyscanner to get to your destination
- Hotels
- I use Booking.com for most accommodations
- For Asia, I prefer Agoda as they have the most competitive prices. I also compare prices on Klook (you can use my code MINYWANDER for a discount so see if that’s a better deal)
- For vacation rentals, especially for larger families, consider VRBO
- Transportation
- Trains & Ferries – book on Omio
- Rental Cars – I usually book on DiscoverCars
- For reliable airport pickups, use Welcome Pickups
- For Asia I use Klook (code MINYWANDER for a discount) – Japan trains for example
- Activities & Tours
- GetYourGuide and Viator are my go to’s.
- For Asia, I prefer Klook as there are more options – use code MINYWANDER
- E-sim
- Stay connected with Airalo E-sims.
One Comment