How to Travel to Mt Fuji From Hakone

Our tours in the Mt Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes region normally start at or near Kawaguchiko Station, a bus and train station located in the northern foothills of Mt Fuji. The most convenient way to make the trip from Hakone to Kawaguchiko Station is by taxi or Fuji Bike Tour's private car pick up/drop off service. The one-way trip by car typically takes 45 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic volume and your location in Hakone.

Hakone is a large, mostly-rural area that has no direct connection to Mt Fuji's northern foothills by public transportation. Bus and train itineraries usually require you to first travel away from Mt Fuji to a transit hub, making the trip from Hakone take 1 to 3 hours longer by public transportation than by private car.

Methods 1 and 2 below are the fastest ways of making the trip from Hakone to Kawaguchiko Station. If those methods are unavailable, or if you are willing to take a relatively long trip by public transportation in order to reduce costs, you can use method 3 below.

As early as possible, ask your hotel concierge to arrange a taxi for you or search online in English for a taxi service you can reserve. In case the drive takes longer than expected, schedule your departure early enough that you should arrive at least 45 minutes before your tour.

Best method to use if you…

• want to start your tour no earlier than 10 am, since taxis in Hakone start operating at 9 am, and the trip to Kawaguchiko Station takes at least 45 minutes.
• want to avoid a relatively lengthy trip by public transportation.

Pros:

• Simple. No need to make sense of an unfamiliar public transportation itinerary or find your way around bus and train stations.
• Little planning and preparation needed. Your hotel concierge may be able to make the taxi reservation for you.
• English-speaking taxi services can be booked online.
• Private and quiet travel experience.
• Flexible. Depart and make stops where and when you wish.
• Fastest way to make the trip. Can take as little as 45 minutes.
• May not be much more expensive than public transportation, or may even be cheaper, if the taxi fare is shared by a number of passengers.

Cons:

• Many, if not all, taxi services in Hakone do not start operating until 9 am. This means you may not be able to arrive at Kawaguchiko Station to start your tour earlier than 10 am or 10:30 am, depending on where in Hakone you will begin the taxi trip.
• A taxi may not be available when you want one if you try to make a reservation on short notice.
• Road delays due to construction, accidents and traffic volume sometimes unexpectedly lengthen the trip. This can cause you to miss part of your tour time unless you depart 45 minutes early.
• May be more expensive than public transportation if the taxi fare is not shared by a party of several people.
• Driver may not speak much English unless you book a taxi through a company that offers English-speaking drivers.
• Can have a large greenhouse gas footprint compared to other travel methods.

As early as possible, ask us to provide you with a ride in our private eight-seat car with native English-speaking driver. In case the drive takes longer than expected, schedule your departure early enough that you should arrive at least 45 minutes before your tour.

Our fee for one-way pick up or drop off between Hakone and Kawaguchiko Station is 75,000 Japanese yen. Round-trip service is 150,000 Japanese yen.

Best method to use if you…

• want to be picked up in Hakone early enough that you can arrive at Kawaguchiko Station to start your tour at 9 am.
• are making the trip without much advance planning and can't find an available taxi or don't have time to look for one.
• are a large party and want to share a single vehicle that can carry up to seven guests or a smaller group with lots of luggage.
• find the language barrier makes communication difficult with Japanese taxi companies or your hotel concierge.
• want the best possible travel experience and don't mind paying more than a typical taxi fare.

Pros:

• Can pick you up earlier than Hakone taxi services so you can start your tour earlier.
• Easy reservation process with our native English-speaking staff by phone, email, Apple/Mac Messages, WhatsApp, Skype or Line.
• Native English-speaking driver who is also an experienced tour guide.
• Large vehicle, compared with most taxis. Seven guest seats plus storage space.
• Pay in advance by credit or debit card on our secure payment webpage.
• If you request our pick up/drop off service when you make your tour reservation, we will bill you for the total of the tour fee and the pick up/drop off service fee so you only need to make one payment.
• Simple. No need to make sense of an unfamiliar public transportation itinerary or find your way around bus and train stations.
• Little planning and preparation needed. Just tell us by the day before your tour that you want to book a ride.
• Private and quiet travel experience.
• Flexible. Depart and make stops where and when you wish.
• Fastest way to make the trip. Can take as little as 45 minutes.
• May not be much more expensive than public transportation, or may even be cheaper, if the cost of the ride service is shared by a number of passengers.

Cons:

• More expensive than a taxi.
• Road delays due to construction, accidents and traffic volume sometimes unexpectedly lengthen the trip. This can cause you to miss part of your tour time unless you depart 45 minutes early.
• Can have a large greenhouse gas footprint compared to other travel methods.

Use Google Maps to display an itinerary for travel from your nearest train or bus station in Hakone to Kawaguchiko Station at the time you wish to make the trip. Show the itinerary to a ticket agent at the station and ask to buy tickets, or show your Japan Rail Pass at the ticket gate. In case your bus trip takes longer than expected, buy tickets for an itinerary that should enable you to arrive at least a few hours before your tour.

Best method to use if you…

• need to keep costs as low as possible.
• don't mind the trip taking a relatively long time.
• are willing to depart early enough that you should arrive at Kawaguchiko Station at least a few hours before your tour so unexpected road delays won’t make you late.

Pros:

• Inexpensive.

Cons:

• Trip duration is much longer than methods 1 and 2 above.
• May require you to repeatedly change trains or buses and find your way at unfamiliar stations.
• Road delays due to construction, accidents and traffic volume sometimes unexpectedly lengthen bus trips by hours. This can cause you to miss part of your tour time unless you follow an itinerary that should enable you to arrive at least a few hours before your tour.