Mt Fuji and Hakone Day Tour from Tokyo: The Most-Booked Combo, Explained
If you have one day and want both Mount Fuji and Hakone's volcanic hot-spring country, this is the run most travellers pick. It ties the Fuji Five Lakes side of the mountain to Owakudani — reached by aerial ropeway — and a cruise across Lake Ashi, all in a single loop from Tokyo. With 7,220 reviews it is the most-booked combination on the list at $74, and a good default if you can't decide. If you'd rather stay lake-side the whole day, compare the other Mount Fuji day trips first.
About the Fuji & Hakone Tour
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
A full day — early start, evening return
Aerial cable car over the steaming volcanic valley
Sightseeing boat across the caldera lake below Fuji
Coach pickup near a major station; some versions return by train
Licensed guide across both the Fuji and Hakone stops
Check Live Availability & Prices
Real-time departures and prices for the Fuji and Hakone combo — clear-view dates in autumn and spring fill early, so check a few before you settle.
Why This Combo Is the One Most People Book
Most Fuji day trips keep you on the Five Lakes side of the mountain: Lake Kawaguchi, the Chureito Pagoda, the spring ponds of Oshino Hakkai. This one does that and then crosses into Hakone, the hot-spring region on Fuji's southern flank, for two experiences you can't get lake-side — an aerial ropeway over the steaming Owakudani valley, and a cruise across Lake Ashi with the mountain filling the horizon behind the water.
That range is why it has racked up more reviews than any other tour here. It is not the cheapest and it is not the most relaxed, but it covers the widest sweep of the region in a single day, which makes it the safe pick when you only get one shot at Fuji.
The trade-off is pace. Fitting Fuji and Hakone into ten hours means real driving between the two areas, and the day is built around keeping to a schedule rather than lingering. If your priority is unhurried time at a handful of lake viewpoints, a Five Lakes-only tour will suit you better.
If you want the most variety — mountain, valley, ropeway and boat — this is the reason to book it.
What You'll See
One day, two sides of Mount Fuji:
- Fuji Five Lakes viewpoints on the way in — typically around Lake Kawaguchi
- The Hakone Ropeway, an aerial cable car climbing over the mountains
- Owakudani, a live volcanic valley of sulphur vents and steam
- Owakudani's kuro-tamago — black eggs boiled in the hot springs
- A sightseeing cruise across Lake Ashi, the caldera lake
- The lakeside torii gate of Hakone Shrine, seen from the water
- Mount Fuji itself from both the Five Lakes and Hakone angles, weather permitting
What's Included (and What Isn't)
What's Included
- Round-trip coach transport from a central Tokyo meeting point
- Licensed English-speaking guide for the day
- Hakone Ropeway ride up to Owakudani
- Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise
- Fuji Five Lakes viewpoint stop
Not Included
- Lunch and snacks — often free time rather than a set meal, so bring cash
- The Owakudani black eggs (a few hundred yen for a pack)
- Hotel pickup — most versions meet at a set station point, not your hotel
- Any bullet-train fare if you choose a version that returns by Shinkansen
How the Day Flows
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08:00
Depart Tokyo
Meet near a major station — often Shinjuku — and board the coach. Check your exact meeting point when you book; the bus leaves on time.
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10:00
Fuji Five Lakes stop
About two hours out, the first Fuji viewpoint around the Lake Kawaguchi area — the clearest mountain views of the day if the weather holds, usually best before midday.
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12:30
Into Hakone for lunch
Cross toward Hakone with a lunch break along the way. Lunch is often free time, so keep some cash handy.
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13:30
Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani
Ride the aerial cable car up over the ridge into Owakudani, the volcanic valley of sulphur steam. Time to try the black eggs boiled in the hot springs.
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15:00
Lake Ashi cruise
Board the sightseeing boat and cross the caldera lake, passing the lakeside torii gate with Fuji behind — the postcard shot when skies are clear.
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16:00
Head back
Return toward Tokyo by coach, or transfer to the bullet train from Odawara on versions that offer it — you can't change the return option after the tour starts.
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18:30
Back in Tokyo
Arrive back in the city in the early evening, later if traffic is heavy.
Important Things to Know
The details that shape the day:
- The ropeway sometimes closes for high wind or raised volcanic-gas levels at Owakudani; operators usually refund the ropeway portion (often around 1,000 yen) and run a bus instead, so don't book solely for it.
- This is a long day with real driving between Fuji and Hakone — plan a light evening afterwards rather than a big night out.
- Some versions return to Tokyo by coach; others drop you to catch the Shinkansen from Odawara. Check which one you booked so you know where you finish.
- Fuji is only cloud-free a fraction of the time — roughly one day in six by some counts — so treat a clear peak as a bonus, not a promise.
- Owakudani sits high and cool, and the ropeway cabins are exposed to wind; it can be noticeably colder than Tokyo even in summer.
What to pack
The Fuji and Hakone stops both run cooler and windier than the city.
- A warm layer or windbreaker for Owakudani and the open lake
- Comfortable walking shoes for the valley paths and boarding points
- Cash for lunch, the black eggs and any snacks
- Motion-sickness tablets if winding mountain roads bother you — there's a fair amount of them
- A charged phone or camera; morning light gives the best Fuji odds
Insider Tips for the Fuji & Hakone Day
Small things that make the long day go better:
- Eat the black eggs — locals say each kuro-tamago adds seven years to your life, and either way they're the signature snack of Owakudani.
- Check the ropeway status mindset before you book: if it's shut for volcanic gas, the tour swaps in a bus and refunds that leg, so it's not a wasted trip.
- Sit on the left side of the coach heading out of Tokyo for the better chance at a Fuji view through the window.
- Get your Fuji photos on the morning Five Lakes stop — the peak most often clouds over by early afternoon, by which point you're in Hakone.
- If your version returns from Odawara by Shinkansen, confirm it before you leave the last stop; you can't change the return once the day is underway.
- Take a motion-sickness tablet before the mountain roads rather than after — the drive between the two areas is winding.
Where You're Headed
Who Is This Tour Best For?
It suits travellers who want breadth over depth:
- First-timers with a single Fuji day who want to see the most in it
- Anyone who wants the ropeway and the lake cruise, not just viewpoints
- Couples and families happy with a full, structured day out
- Travellers who like a set itinerary handled by a guide
- Photographers wanting both the Five Lakes and Hakone angles on the mountain
Not ideal for
- Anyone wanting a slow day at a couple of lake viewpoints — a Five Lakes-only tour fits better
- Travellers prone to motion sickness who'd struggle with a full day of winding roads
- People who need the ropeway guaranteed — it can close for weather or volcanic gas
- Those set on the 5th Station; this tour is built around Hakone, not the high road up Fuji
Fuji & Hakone Day Tour — FAQ
How long is the mt fuji and hakone day tour?
About 10 hours door to door from Tokyo. Expect roughly two hours of driving each way plus travel between the Fuji Five Lakes area and Hakone, which leaves time for a Fuji viewpoint, the ropeway to Owakudani and the Lake Ashi cruise.
What are the Owakudani black eggs?
Kuro-tamago — eggs boiled in Owakudani's sulphur hot springs until the shells turn black. They taste like an ordinary hard-boiled egg, and local legend says each one adds seven years to your life. A pack costs a few hundred yen and is the classic thing to try at the valley.
What happens if the Hakone Ropeway is closed?
The ropeway can shut for strong wind or raised volcanic-gas levels at Owakudani. When that happens the tour usually substitutes a bus to the valley and refunds the ropeway portion, often around 1,000 yen per person. It's worth booking for the whole combo rather than the ropeway alone.
Does the tour return to Tokyo or end somewhere else?
It depends on the version. Some return by coach to the central Tokyo meeting point; others end at Odawara, where you catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo Station. Check which return you booked, because you can't change it once the tour is underway.
Will I actually see Mount Fuji on this tour?
Sometimes — it depends entirely on the weather. Fuji is cloud-free only a fraction of the time, and mornings are far more reliable than afternoons. The tour runs whether or not the peak is out, so treat a clear view as a bonus. Late autumn to early spring gives the best odds.
Is lunch included?
Usually not as a set meal — most versions give you free time to buy lunch rather than including it, so bring some cash. Check your specific booking, as a few packages do include a meal.
What Travellers Say
A long day but we packed so much in — Fuji clear from the lake in the morning, then the ropeway over the steaming valley and the boat across Lake Ashi. The black eggs were a fun stop. Good value for everything you get.
The ropeway was closed for gas the day we went, but they ran a bus up to Owakudani and refunded that part, so we didn't miss much. Guide kept everything on time and Fuji came out beautifully at the first stop.
We returned by bullet train from Odawara, which was a nice fast finish after a full day. Bring a warm layer — Owakudani was much colder than Tokyo. Loved seeing both sides of the mountain in one trip.