You can also consult our Mount Fuji travel diary here.

Nearest stations to Mount Fuji?

The arrival point that I advise you is: KawaguchikoStation (to see Mount Fuji from close enough + the lake in front of it)



or ShimoyoshidaStation if you want to visit Chureito Pagoda first like us.



Some people prefer to go to Yoshidaguchi5th Station ( also known as Kawaguchiko 5th Station), which is the base of the hike to the top of Mount Fuji. There is a bus going there from Kawaguchiko Station, there is even a bus going there directly from Tokyo. But I advise you not to go there, because those who went there were strongly disappointed: Mount Fuji is prettier seen from below than from above (logical!)

How to get to Mount Fuji?

 

• By train/metro: only if you are near Shinjuku Station. Enter the name of Kawaguchiko Stationon Google Maps and choose the route consisting of train/subway only. From Kawaguchiko Station, you can take another bus to Kawaguchiko 5th Station. It costs from 2460yen/person/one way

• By bus: the Highway bus is the simplest and most economical option. You can leave from then Shinjuku Station or Shibuya. You can buy the tickets on the spot (I don’t recommend it because there are always more people than seats, especially for the return trip), or on the website : https://highway-buses.jp/ticket the day before (online payment with a foreign card without any problem). No need to print the tickets. You can choose to go to Kawaguchiko Station or Kawaguchiko 5th Station (5th station only for summer). It costs between 1750yen and 1800yen/adult/one way.

Where do the buses to Mount Fuji leave from?

Attention for the bus: the departure from Shinjuku Station of Shibuya isn’t easy to find. You can find the departure/return points in 2 ways :

• by opening the link on your bus ticket, then click on the name of the departure/return stations. It will open another window and then in “other information”, you will find information about the location of the station

• by going on their website : here are the infos concerning the departure from Shinjuku and the departure from Shibuya

For the return trip, don’t take the wrong bus! The buses for Shinjku leave from platform 3, while the buses for Shibuya leave from platform 2.

Practical advice

• I advise you to look at the weather forecast before you go. Because Mount Fuji is very often in the clouds and given the effort and the time to go there, it will be a pity
• The trick to know if Mount Fuji is in the clouds or not is to look at the most recent pictures on Instagram.
• There are buses where you can buy a day ticket to travel in hop on/hop off mode around the area. Some tickets include a boat ride + cable car. Click on the pictures to zoom.

How to get to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival?

Every year, until the end of May, you can also go to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, where you can see this :



There is a discount rate at the moment: for 2000yen, you are entitled to a round trip to the festival from Kawaguchiko by bus + entrance fee. The bus to Fuji Shibazakura Festival leaves from Platform No. 7. No need to book this bus, which leaves every 30 minutes or so.



Buy bus tickets here, platform 7 just in front of Kawaguchiko station

Where to take beautiful pictures?

Clearly, the first place that we must not forget is Chureito Padoga.

Then you have the Fuji Shibazakura Festival website, to take pictures of the flowers in full bloom and Mount Fuji in the background.

Finally, you have the different points of view advised by the site Kawaguchiko.net


If you take the red bus, here is the name of the stop that I advise you:



Here are some more information about Mount Fuji, click on the pictures to enlarge them