Mount Fuji Travel Tips

See one of the most beautiful views of Mount Fuji from the quiet lakeside town of Kawaguchi. Mount Fuji is not always visible because of clouds. So, I recommend spending a night or two because visibility tends to be best in the early mornings and in the late afternoons. These hours are also the best time to avoid the huge crowd at the popular sites like the Chureito Pagoda. Lake Kawaguchi is located in the Fuji Fives Lakes area. So, there’s plenty of things to do nearby as well.

Hakone is another quiet lakeside town blessed with a view of Mount Fuji. If you want to see Mount Fuji from a different angle, go for Hakone. It is farther away compared to Kawaguchi-ko but closer to the Tokyo-Osaka Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train route.

On a day trip, I enjoyed the Pirate ship boat ride across Lake Ashi, ropeway to the Owakudani sulfur mine, and got to see the iconic Torii at Hakone Shrine.

Hakone is one of Japan’s best places to experience a natural onsen, at a private ryokan or public bathhouse. From Hakone, you can also go on a half-day trip to Mishima Sky Walk, Japan’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.