Mt Fuji and Hakone day trip from Tokyo: tour or DIY?

Fuji lakes or Hakone?

They are two different day trips, both starting from Shinjuku. “Fuji lakes” below means the Fuji Five Lakes around Kawaguchiko.

Hakone: the classic loop

Odakyu’s suggested day trip runs clockwise from Hakone-Yumoto. Every leg below is covered by the Hakone Freepass.

1. Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto by Romancecar, about 80 minutes (all seats reserved). An ordinary Odakyu train, changing at Odawara, takes about two hours and needs no limited express ticket.
2. Hakone-Yumoto → Gora on the Hakone Tozan mountain train, then the cable car to Sounzan.
3. Hakone Ropeway, Sounzan → Owakudani → Togendai, about 30 minutes in all, changing gondolas at Owakudani. Views of Mt Fuji on clear days.
4. Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise, Togendai → Moto-Hakone or Hakonemachi, about 30 minutes. Walk to Hakone Shrine’s lakeside torii.
5. Bus back to Hakone-Yumoto, then the Romancecar to Shinjuku.

The ropeway runs 9:00–17:00 from February to November and 9:00–16:15 in December and January, and stops in strong wind, thunder, typhoons and for maintenance. Check the operating status on the morning of your trip.

Is the Hakone Freepass worth it?

For the full loop, yes. The pass from Shinjuku is ¥7,100 (2 days) or ¥7,500 (3 days) for adults, and includes the Odakyu round trip from Shinjuku to Odawara. The Romancecar costs ¥1,200 extra each way to Hakone-Yumoto (¥50 less on Odakyu’s EMot Online Tickets), so Odakyu’s own example comes to ¥9,500.

Fares as published by Odakyu and Odakyu Hakone (ropeway and cruise fares from 1 October 2025), checked 24 October 2026. The bus from the lake back to Hakone-Yumoto is not counted. The Romancecar ticket is extra with or without the pass. Children (6–11) pay ¥1,600 for the 2-day pass from Shinjuku.

• Buy it on Odakyu’s EMot Online Tickets (a QR code; each traveller, children included, needs their own smartphone for the digital pass) or at Odakyu stations and ticket machines (paper).
• “2 days” means calendar days, not 48 hours: the pass ends after the last service on the second day.
• Skip it if you only go to Hakone-Yumoto for a hot spring and back (first time in an onsen? Read onsen etiquette and tattoos).

Fuji Five Lakes: train or bus

Fares from Fujikyu Bus and Fujikyu Railway, checked 24 October 2026. From 1 October 2026, Fujikyu-run buses on this route are booked on Fujiyama Connect and Keio-run buses on Highwaybus.com; cancel on the site you booked with.

Around the lake, Fujikyu runs local and sightseeing buses from Kawaguchiko Station. With a clear morning, a simple plan is: Chureito Pagoda first (from Shimoyoshida Station), then Lake Kawaguchi’s north shore, then the bus or train back in the afternoon.

Booking, luggage and the Fuji-side seats

All three ways out of Shinjuku have reserved seats, so the booking is the decision. What each operator says:

Romancecar to Hakone

• Booking: every seat is reserved. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 one month ahead, at Odakyu stations, ticket machines and on EMot Online Tickets (¥50 cheaper online). Online you can pick your seat from a seat map.
• Changes: only before departure; a refund costs ¥100. Once the train has left, the ticket cannot be changed.
• Mt Fuji side: Odakyu recommends seats C and D (the right-hand side heading to Hakone, D at the window), with the best views between Shin-Matsuda and Kayama. Coming back, the mountain is on the left in the direction of travel.
• Panorama seats: the GSE trains have 16 observation seats at the front and 16 at the back, at no extra charge. They are the first to go.
• Suitcases: space depends on the train. GSE trains have a large-luggage area plus room under the seats; EXEα trains have a suitcase area; EXE, EXEα and MSE trains have overhead shelves.

Sending your bag to a Hakone hotel

The Hakone Luggage Transport Service, run by Hakone Tozan Bus, lets you hand your suitcase in at Hakone-Yumoto Station and do the loop with a day bag.

• Going: drop it at the counter inside the ticket gates between 8:30 and 12:00; it is at your hotel from 15:00. Online booking closes at 11:30 the same day.
• Leaving: give it to your hotel’s front desk by 10:00 and collect it at the station between 13:30 and 18:30. The hotel arranges this; it cannot be booked online.
• Price from 1 April 2026, per bag, one way: ¥1,500 up to 140 cm and 15 kg; ¥2,500 up to 200 cm and 30 kg.
• Limits: partner hotels only; nothing over 2 m or 30 kg, no valuables, precision devices, power banks or strollers. Some Lake Ashi hotels are not served in early January.

Highway bus to Kawaguchiko

• Booking: you choose and reserve your own seat. Booking online on Fujiyama Connect is cheaper than the counter, and no tickets are sold on board.
• Changes: before departure only; after departure there are no changes or refunds.
• Suitcases: one large suitcase per person goes in the hold at no charge. There is luggage storage and there are coin lockers near Kawaguchiko Station.
• Mt Fuji side: Fujikyu does not name one, so we don’t either.

FUJI EXCURSION

• Booking: JR East ticket offices and reserved-seat machines, travel agencies, Eki-net, or JR-EAST Train Reservation for visitors from abroad. There are no unreserved cars.
• With a JR Pass: the pass covers JR East between Shinjuku and Otsuki only. Otsuki to Kawaguchiko is Fujikyu Railway, and you pay for that part separately. The Romancecar is an Odakyu train and the JR Pass does not cover it.

Timing and last trains

• FUJI EXCURSION on weekdays leaves Shinjuku at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30, arriving at Kawaguchiko from 9:28. Back from Kawaguchiko at 14:08, 14:58, 16:48 and 17:41 (timetable from 14 March 2026).
• Romancecar: the first trains to Hakone leave Shinjuku from about 7:00 to 7:40 depending on the day; the last one back from Hakone-Yumoto leaves at about 19:50.
• Seats go on sale at 10:00 Japan time one month ahead for both trains. Weekends, holidays, cherry blossom season and autumn leaves sell out first.
• Leave early. Clouds often build around Mt Fuji during the day, and the Hakone Ropeway stops at 17:00 (16:15 in winter).

Will you see Mt Fuji?

Fuji City has recorded at 8 a.m. every day since 1991 whether the whole mountain was visible. Over 35 years:

Fuji City (Shizuoka), on the south side of the mountain; Kawaguchiko and Hakone see it from other angles and conditions differ. The city notes that a sunny day does not guarantee a view of the mountain.

• Best: November to February, early in the morning.
• Hardest: June to August (rainy season, then summer haze), and September (typhoons). Hakone is the better choice then: the loop is worth doing without the view.
• Autumn in Hakone: Odakyu gives late September to mid-November for the Sengokuhara pampas grass, and early to mid-November for the leaves at Choanji.
• Check a live camera the night before or that morning, and keep a flexible day in your plan for the Fuji lakes.

When a tour is worth it

Doing it yourself is straightforward and usually cheaper. A day tour is the better choice when:

• You want Fuji and Hakone in one day. Coach tours cover the Fuji lakes and a short Hakone loop (often the ropeway and Lake Ashi) in about 10 hours, which is hard to match by public transport.
• Trains and buses are sold out, on holidays or in autumn.
• You are travelling with children or older relatives, and want no changes, a fixed meeting point in central Tokyo and a guide who handles the timing.
• Not worth it if you only want Hakone (the Freepass loop is easy), or in summer if a view of Mt Fuji is the only reason to go.

Group coach tours from Tokyo were listed from about US$50–85 per person, and private tours with a driver from about US$320–400 per group (as seen on GetYourGuide on 24 October 2026; prices change daily). Check what is included (lunch, ropeway or cruise tickets), the pick-up point, how long you get at each stop, and what happens if the ropeway is closed.

Quick answers

Can you see Mt Fuji and Hakone in one day from Tokyo?

On your own it is rushed: the Fuji Five Lakes and Hakone are separate trips from Shinjuku, and doing both by public transport leaves little time at either. Pick one area per day, or take a coach tour that covers both in about 10 hours.

Is the Hakone Freepass worth it for a day trip?

Usually yes, if you do the classic loop. The 2-day pass from Shinjuku is ¥7,100, while the separate fares for the Odakyu round trip, the Hakone Tozan train and cable car, the ropeway and the Lake Ashi cruise already add up to about ¥7,130 before the bus back to Hakone-Yumoto. Add ¥1,200 each way for the Romancecar.

What is the cheapest way from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko?

The highway bus from Busta Shinjuku: ¥2,000 booked online or ¥2,200 at the counter, about 1 hour 45 minutes. The FUJI EXCURSION train costs ¥4,200 one way but does not get stuck in traffic.

When is Mt Fuji most visible?

In winter and early in the morning. Fuji City’s 35-year record at 8 a.m. shows the whole mountain on about 60% of mornings in December and January, but only about 10–15% in June, July and August.

Do I need to book the Romancecar or FUJI EXCURSION in advance?

Yes, on weekends, holidays and in peak seasons. All seats are reserved on both, and tickets go on sale at 10:00 Japan time one month before the travel date. Highway bus seats can also be reserved from one month ahead.

Which side of the Romancecar has the Mt Fuji view?

Odakyu says seats C and D, on the right-hand side heading towards Hakone, with D at the window; the best stretch is between Shin-Matsuda and Kayama. On the way back to Shinjuku the mountain is on the left in the direction of travel. You can pick your seat when you book online.

Can I take a suitcase to Hakone?

Yes. Romancecar trains have overhead shelves, and the newer GSE and EXEα trains also have space for large bags. Or leave it at the Hakone-Yumoto Station luggage counter (8:30–12:00) and pick it up at your hotel after 15:00: ¥1,500 per regular bag or ¥2,500 per large bag one way, partner hotels only.

Does the JR Pass cover the FUJI EXCURSION or the Romancecar?

The Romancecar, no: it is an Odakyu train. The FUJI EXCURSION only in part: the pass covers JR East between Shinjuku and Otsuki, and you pay Fujikyu separately for Otsuki to Kawaguchiko.

Is a Mt Fuji day tour worth it?

It is worth it if you want Fuji and Hakone in one day, are travelling with children or older relatives, or the trains and buses are sold out. If you only want Hakone, or only Lake Kawaguchi, doing it yourself is easy and usually cheaper.

Heading to Kyoto next? See Kyoto and Nara day trips. Moving hotels on the way? You can send your suitcase ahead and travel with a day bag. Paying fares with Suica or PASMO? The IC card guide explains where they work. Another easy day out from Tokyo: Nikko or Kamakura.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. Odakyu Electric Railway: Hakone Freepass: prices from Shinjuku and Odawara, what it covers
   Railway operator.
2. Odakyu Electric Railway: Limited Express Romancecar: surcharge, journey time and timetable (from 14 Mar 2026)
   Railway operator.
3. Odakyu Electric Railway: Romancecar: which seats face Mt Fuji (C and D, Shin-Matsuda–Kayama) (Japanese)
   Railway operator.
4. Hakone Tozan Bus (Hakone Navi): Hakone Luggage Transport Service: Hakone-Yumoto Station to your hotel
   Operator.
5. Hakone Tozan Bus (Hakone Navi): Hakone Luggage Transport Service fee revision from 1 April 2026 (PDF)
   Operator.
6. Odakyu Hakone (Hakone Navi): Hakone Ropeway: operating hours and suspensions
   Ropeway operator.
7. Odakyu Hakone: Fare amendments for the Hakone Ropeway, Sightseeing Cruise and passes from 1 Oct 2025 (PDF)
   Ropeway and cruise operator.
8. Hakone Tozan Railway (Hakone Navi): Hakone Tozan train and cable car fare table (Japanese)
   Railway operator.
9. Fujikyu Railway: Limited Express FUJI EXCURSION: fares, stops and ticket sales
   Railway operator.
10. JR East: Shinjuku ⇔ Kawaguchiko main trains timetable, from 14 Mar 2026 (PDF)
    Railway operator.
11. Fujikyu Bus: Shinjuku → Kawaguchiko highway bus: fares and booking
    Bus operator.
12. Fuji City: Mt Fuji observation record: days the mountain was visible at 8 a.m., 1991–2025 (Japanese, PDF)
13. JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group): Scope of validity: lines, trains and non-JR sections
    Official JR Group site.

General information. Fares, timetables and operating hours change; the operator’s own page is always right. JapanBenri is not affiliated with Odakyu, Hakone Tozan Bus, Fujikyu, JR or any tour company.