Day Tour to Mt Fuji and Hakone?

Hi we have seen on the web a day tour to Mt Fuji and Hakone from Tokyo with Viator. Has anyone else been on this trip and any feedback would be great.( We are a family of 4 ) Thanks

Day Tour to Mt Fuji and Hakone?

Viator seems to book its Japanese tours with Sunrise. There are many inquiries about the Fuji Hakone Tour. I do not have personal knowledge, but weather is always a concern--visibility can be so poor that you will never see the mountain. Also, the bus can be stuck in traffic. Consider doing Hakone on your own as a day trip. If weather is good, you will have a nice view of the mountain.

Day Tour to Mt Fuji and Hakone?

We booked this day tour with Viator in March and was very pleased with it. It was run by Sunrise Tours, they picked us up at our hotel(certain hotels only) and took us to Hamamatsucho Bus Station to get our identification tags for the tour. At the end of the tour you will not be brought back to your hotel but dropped at a train/bus station easiest for getting to your hotel. It was our first day in Tokyo and we were were a bit apprehensive about this but it was not a problem, the transportation system is excellent and easy to use. We enjoyed the bus ride out as we found the scenery interesting and our guide did a good job of explaining some of the history and culture of Japan. The day was cloudy when we left Tokyo but after an hour and a half we started to see Mt. Fuji as the weather had cleared. We had great views all day, but were told that this was most unusual. We opted for the traditional Japanese lunch which we would recommend - a great introduction to Japanese food. The drive to Hakone was quite scenic, the area is quite touristy but the boat ride was very pleasant. A change in the tour had us doing the Hakone Ropeway over Owaku-dani-very interesting! The ride back was scenic at the start but it did get a bit tedious as traffic built in the late afternoon. Overall, I would recommend this tour if you prefer to sit back and have someone else do all the work. We are in our 60%26#39;s and it was perfect for us.

I would definetly recommend going on the tour. Sunrise are a great companny and specialise in all things Japan. If you are hesitant booking it through Viator on the internet, you can always book it through a supplier called JTB and also Jalpak which most travel agents in Australia use. Cost is all the same price with whoever you book it with.

If its your first time going to the area, do a tour, so at least then there is someone to guide you to where you should go and what to do. If you are familiar with the area, then going it on your own is much more adventurous but also can be more costly in some cases. As you are a family of 4 - i think it would be best for a tour that way you only have to worry about having fun - rather then, where are you going and what will you be doing next, and you know what time things are happening - especially good for the kids!

Please note that Mt Fuji has approx 100 viewable days every year, so its totally up to mother nature, but overall, the trip is awesome, well organised and goes to all the main places - the mountain, the lake, and the cable car ride, and also allocates enough time in each place so that you will enjoy it.

If you are in doubt, ask me any questions and i%26#39;ll be glad to try and help you. Ive lived in Tokyo and been there many many times before. In fact, I%26#39;ll also be going next week, and doing this exact tour (again!) for a bit of self research for work (im a travel agent!)

Thanks for the feedback.We will do the trip as suggested.Just one question about trip back do you catch the bullet train back into Tokyo?

Hi there! Yes, you will catch the Bullet Train back (as long as you book the tour with the name MT FUJI HAKONE 1 DAY RETURN BY SHINKANSEN (as there is also another tour but by motorcoach throughout...for the better experience go with the Shinkansen one, its only a few dollars more BUT you would have experienced the highspeed bullet train!)

Your itinerary would be:

Pick up at hotel (selected hotels only)

9am - Meet at Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal,

Fuji Visitor Centre (20mins), Mt.Fuji 5th Station (30mins)

Lunch

4pm - Kojiri, Cruise on Lake Ashi (15mins), Hakone-en, Mt.Komagatake Aerial Cableway (50mins), Odawara Station to board to Bullet Train

6.30-8pm - Tour ends on arrival at Tokyo Station.

As its a full day, be sure to have a day pack with you, and also remember to bring a long sleeve top or something to keep you warm as up in the mountain it does get cool, even during the day.

Hope you have an awesome time!!

Thanks Deidretan, you have been a great help. Enjoy your trip too.

Could you please provide me a-day tour cost with many thanks.

The Fuji Hakone Day tour is a very poor value imo, being you get very little and pay a huge premium for it. With lunch and shinkansen one way, ¥15,000 per person. With lunch and motorcoach both ways, ¥12,000 per person.

Pick up a Hakone Free Pass, and go to the same places except for the 5th station (which unless you are climbing is a waste of time imo), but pay only ¥5000 including round trip train to Shinjuku on the Odakyu line. 4 people....save ¥40,000.

It is not hard to navigate around Hakone...it is well marked, and virtually everyone visiting there goes the same or similar route...no surprises or even a minute chance of getting lost. Plenty of non-Japanese go there every day, and you can be assured that you will be able to communicate in English. And, being on your own, you enjoy the luxury of choosing where to go and when to go there, where and when to eat, and when to go home.

Hey there Aussieitchyfeet,

We are a family of 4 also and have just returned home from 2 wonderful weeks in Japan,

At first we were going to Hakone just for the day, but decided to stay the night and spend more time there. We are so glad we did.

Our rail pass got us from Shinagawa to Odawarra, then we picked up the Hakone Free Pass from the station.We spent the night at Lakeside Inn Charlotte, right on the edge of Lake Ashi and had drinks and nibbles on the deck. Beautiful!!

Plenty of time to do the lake cruise, ropeway (make sure you get of at Owakudanai and walk up the path to get some ';black boiled eggs';)cablecar etc.There is a lovely walk from Moto-Hakone to Hakone Machi or the other way. Getting up early the next day (6.30) we were treated to a perfectly clear view of the majestic Mt Fuji.Worth it just for that alone.

Happy travels

I know this post is old but for the benefit of any new-comers I%26#39;d add my opinion. The tour run by JTB is poor value for money IMHO. I got picked up in a nice sized coach from the hotel and then transfered at the chaotic bus terminal to a small coach where I was seated next to a 6ft plus tall guy and because I was on my own had to put up with him taking half my seat too!

You are rushed around at stops and had it not been for the fact that we got a great view of Fuji at the Visitor%26#39;s Centre I%26#39;d have felt let down.

The view had disappeared by the time we reached our next stopping point - stage 4 of the mountain. Despite it being clouded in total fog and no view we had to hang around there for 30 minutes. THere are no western style toilets up there either!

The Hakone part was okay but nothing spectacular and the bullet train ride back was about 25 minutes so it never reached it%26#39;s top speed as it%26#39;s coming back into Tokyo - huge letdown.

I wouldn%26#39;t recommend this tour by JTB at all.

I left the hotel at 8am and returned (on foot) at 7.30pm.

Big disappointment.