Many visitors to Tokyo are committed to coming out of town, especially to seeing Mt. Fuji nearby. While this offers great day trips outside of town, make sure you have plenty of time to enjoy Tokyo itself as this is one of the most incredible cities in the world with endless activities, restaurants and bars to keep you busy. Also, if you spend time in Tokyo, you will not spend 3-5 days in the city, and then you will not be able to travel at least one day from the city.
However, since I visited Japan during the winter, I am very happy to go to Mt. Fuji and Hakone on my chosen day. Luckily, it was raining in Tokyo and while we were snowing Mt. Fuji the next day, when we were scheduled for a day trip, it was a bright and clear sky. But if we had planned to go a day ago, our plans would have been completely abandoned! Therefore, it is best to keep the last momentary change open and do not sell yourself enough time in Tokyo. It’s an incredible city you’ll have to watch for over 3 days!
When I was visiting Japan as part of it The wonders of the Japan Tour At Trafalgar, day trips to Mt. Fuji and Mt. Hakone were already placed on our schedule. I was visiting Japan with my father, who was very enthusiastic about looking at the mountains, but neither of us knew how rare winter sightings were, as the mountains are often covered in thick clouds.
The drive from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji took about 2 hours, but it is highly dependent on traffic. We left at 8am in the morning and most of the city traffic was heading towards town rather than out of town, so most of the rush hour was skipped.
Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the mountain itself, but many visitors have assured us that we will head to the fifth station and experience the mountain nearby. If you really want to do this, make sure you have the flexibility of your planning as the weather plays a key role. On the day of our visit, we were unable to go nearby due to heavy snow the day before.
Anyway, this mountain is best seen from afar as you approach Mt. Fuji rather than the most whimsical. Therefore, in my opinion, it is best to look at it from Lake Kawaguchi.
The view from Lake Kawaguchi was no match for anyone. There was no more impressive sight in the world that day! Here, take a happy snap, sell blueberries and vanilla (or something like me!) soft serve ice cream, then jump into the souvenir shop. Soon you will realize that Japanese people really love the taste of soft serves, from matcha to wasabi!
You’ll have time to make the most of your day trips and continue to see Mt. Fuji from afar, along with visiting nearby towns. You can see Mt. Fuji from above the cable car from afar on a sunny day, but don’t be surprised if you are greeted by a thick cloud cover!
The cable car base has a variety of gift stores selling everything from sticky souvenirs to traditional Japanese handicrafts. Stores selling “secret boxes” (very publicly published on the exterior) offer wonderful traditional gifts to bring back to your loved ones or treat yourself.
If you have more time, Hakone Shrine is another popular stop, located just off the lake and with a museum.
World of Wanderlust traveled with Trafalgar on the Splendours of Japan tour.