Booking choice: The private tour with the Shinkansen back, from $314 per group. Check dates Tour details
A lot of first-timers treat Hakone and Kawaguchiko as one place called “Mt Fuji”. They aren't. Kawaguchiko is one of the Fuji Five Lakes on the Yamanashi side, right under the north face. Hakone is in Kanagawa, southeast of the mountain: hot springs, a sulphur valley, a crater lake and a ropeway.
Most coach tours pair the 5th Station with Hakone. The Fuji lakes, with Chureito Pagoda and Oshino Hakkai, are on the budget tour, the private cars and Xplor Japan's private day. Here is how to choose.
The quick answer
Pick Kawaguchiko if seeing Fuji up close is the point: Chureito Pagoda (398 steps), Oshino Hakkai's spring ponds and the lake shore all face the mountain. Pick Hakone for variety without depending on the weather: the ropeway over Owakudani's steam vents, a pirate-ship cruise on Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine. Both in one day means a long drive, which only private tours and the budget coach really do.
What is the difference between Hakone and Kawaguchiko?
Kawaguchiko is about the mountain: you stand at Fuji's foot. Hakone is about the journey: ropeway, volcanic valley, lake cruise, with Fuji in the distance.
Side by side:
| Kawaguchiko and the Fuji lakes | Hakone | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | North foot of Fuji, Yamanashi | About 30 km southeast of Fuji, Kanagawa |
| Fuji view | Close and large | Distant, on clear days |
| Main sights | Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka | Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Ashi cruise, Hakone Shrine |
| Tickets | Mostly free | Ropeway 2,000 yen, cruise 1,700 yen |
| On a cloudy day | Little to see | Still a full day |
| DIY from Shinjuku | Highway bus, 2,200 yen, under 2 hours | Hakone Freepass, 7,100 yen for 2 days |
See Chureito Pagoda and the Fuji lakes, then Lake Ashi, with your own guide and a reserved Shinkansen seat home.
Check dates for the private tour with the Shinkansen backWhat is there to see at Lake Kawaguchi?
The lake shore with Fuji across the water, Oishi Park on the north shore, and the lakes and villages around it: Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai and Lake Yamanaka.
Lake Kawaguchi is the busiest of the five lakes and the easiest to reach: highway buses from Shinjuku take just under 2 hours for 2,200 yen (japan-guide). Oishi Park on the north shore is the classic spot for Fuji over the water. The Fuji sights tours pair with it sit within 20 or 30 minutes' drive: Arakurayama Sengen Park with Chureito Pagoda in Fujiyoshida, Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, Oshino Hakkai and Lake Yamanaka.
Crowds are the downside. A private-tour guest wrote that “as a popular tourist destination, the Mount Fuji area can get REALLY crowded,” and added: “Because we left early at Ryu’s suggestion, we were able to avoid a lot of the bigger crowds.”
Is Chureito Pagoda worth the 398 steps?
On a clear morning, yes: it is the Fuji photo. But there are 398 stone steps with no step-free route, and in cherry blossom season the queues for the deck run for hours.
The five-storey pagoda stands on the hillside of Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, with Fuji behind it. To get the view you climb 398 steps. There is no lift.
Overtourism has caught up with it. Fujiyoshida cancelled its 2026 cherry blossom festival, announced on 3 February 2026, after about 200,000 visitors a year and days of 10,000 or more, with residents' gardens and school routes overrun (Time Out). The park stays open, with extra security, parking and timed entry to the deck. Be there early, or go in autumn when the maples turn.
On tours: Xplor Japan gives it 60 minutes; the private Fuji or Hakone tour includes it on the lakes route. No group coach on this site stops there.
What is Oshino Hakkai, and is it worth a stop?
A village of eight spring-fed ponds between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka, filled by Fuji snowmelt filtered through lava rock for around 20 years. Most of it is free.
The water is so clear you can count the stones on the bottom, with Fuji above the thatched roofs on a good day. japan-guide covers the village; one pond area with a small museum charges a few hundred yen, the rest is free. Street food stalls line the lanes.
It gets busy with tour groups by mid-morning. It is a stop on Gogoday's budget tour (40 minutes), on Xplor Japan's private day (60 minutes) and on the private lakes route. JTB also uses it as a winter substitute when the 5th Station road is closed.
The lowest-price way to the Fuji lakes: Oshino Hakkai, Lake Yamanaka and the Hakone Ropeway in one day.
Explore the budget Fuji lakes and Hakone tour Tour detailsWhat do you do in Hakone on a day trip?
Ride the ropeway over the steam vents of Owakudani, eat a black egg, cross Lake Ashi on a pirate ship and walk to Hakone Shrine's torii in the water.
- Hakone Ropeway: Sounzan to Togendai via Owakudani, 2,000 yen one way since October 2025 (Hakone Navi). Wind and volcanic gas sometimes stop it.
- Owakudani: a volcanic valley of sulphur vents. The black eggs, boiled in the hot springs, sell in packs at the Kurotamago-kan; local lore says each one adds seven years to your life.
- Lake Ashi cruise: pirate-style ships from Togendai to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone, 1,700 yen one way, 25 to 40 minutes (japan-guide).
- Hakone Shrine: the red “torii of peace” stands in the lake. The photo queue often takes 30 minutes to an hour.
One guest summed up why Hakone works even under cloud: on the JTB day the mountain top “was shrouded in clouds which was in itself a soothing experience.” Fares and passes are in Hakone fares 2026.
Which has better views of Mt Fuji?
Kawaguchiko, by a distance. You are at the mountain's foot, and the north side clears more often in the morning. From Hakone, Fuji is smaller and fades in afternoon haze.
isfujivisible.com's model scores for 2025-26 favour the north side in almost every month, and the gap is widest in the afternoon. In June 2026 it gave the Kawaguchiko side 27% in the morning against 13% at Lake Ashi; in the afternoon, 10% against 3% (source). Hakone tours tend to reach the lake after lunch, which is the worst slot.
Hakone's compensation: when Fuji is out, the ropeway over Owakudani and the ships on Lake Ashi frame it in a way the lakes can't. And when Fuji is hidden, Hakone still has a day's worth to do. Monthly odds are in will I see Mt Fuji.
Fuji up close at the lakes in the morning, Hakone in the afternoon, door to door with a private guide.
Check dates for the private tour with the Shinkansen backCan you do Hakone and Kawaguchiko in one day?
Yes, on a tour; hard by public transport. The lakes and Hakone are about an hour apart by road, and the public link needs a change of bus at Gotemba.
On your own, pick one. The Hakone Freepass covers Hakone end to end; Kawaguchiko is a straight highway bus. Joining them means a bus to Gotemba and another into Hakone, and the day disappears into timetables.
Tours make the join easy. Xplor Japan covers Chureito Pagoda, Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, Oshino Hakkai, Lakes Yamanaka and Kawaguchi, then the ropeway and Lake Ashi, and drops you at Odawara for a reserved Shinkansen seat. A guest on that tour wrote: “One of my favorite parts was the fun speedboat ride on Lake Kawaguchiko, followed by a delicious lunch.” Gogoday does a shorter version by coach: Hakone in the morning, then Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai.
Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai, two Fuji lakes and Lake Ashi for up to five, then a reserved Shinkansen seat to Tokyo.
Explore the private tour with the Shinkansen back Tour detailsWhich tours go to Hakone, Kawaguchiko or both?
Most coaches do the 5th Station plus Hakone. The budget tour and the private cars add the Fuji lakes; Local Guide Stars is almost all Hakone.
The private Fuji or Hakone car makes you choose one route at the start. One family wrote: “We were given two options at the beginning of the trip - hakone + Fuji vs Fuji alone and ended up taking the first choice.” Our pick for first-timers in good weather is the lakes; in doubtful weather, Hakone. For everything that costs money on either route, see Mt Fuji tour prices.
| Tour | Fuji lakes | Hakone |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji and Hakone, bullet train back | No (5th Station) | Ropeway, cruise |
| JTB with drum show | No (5th Station) | Komagatake Ropeway (2026), cruise |
| Hakone cruise and ropeway day | No | Shrine, 80 min at Lake Ashi, ropeway, Owakudani |
| Budget Fuji lakes and Hakone | Lake Yamanaka, Oshino Hakkai | Shrine, ropeway (cruise extra) |
| Private, Shinkansen back | Chureito, Oshino Hakkai, Yamanaka, Kawaguchi | Ropeway, Lake Ashi |
| Private Fuji or Hakone | Lakes route: Kawaguchiko, Chureito, Oshino Hakkai | Fuji and Hakone route |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hakone or Kawaguchiko better for seeing Mt Fuji?
Kawaguchiko. It sits at the foot of the mountain on the north side, which clears more often in the morning. From Hakone, about 30 km away, Fuji is a smaller cone on the skyline.
How many steps are there to Chureito Pagoda?
398 stone steps up to the viewing deck in Arakurayama Sengen Park, with no step-free route to the top.
Is Oshino Hakkai free?
Mostly. The ponds and lanes are free; one private pond area with a small museum charges a few hundred yen.
Which is better on a rainy day, Hakone or Kawaguchiko?
Hakone. The ropeway, Owakudani, the lake cruise and Hakone Shrine still make a day without Fuji. At the lakes, the mountain is most of the show.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Private Fuji Lakes & Hakone Tour, Shinkansen Back
Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai and Lake Ashi with your own guide, then a reserved bullet train seat.
Budget Fuji Lakes & Hakone Ropeway Tour
Fuji from Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai, plus the ropeway. The cruise costs extra.
Hakone Cruise & Ropeway Day Trip with Fuji Views
- English-speaking local guide
- Lake Ashi cruise and Hakone Ropeway tickets
- Round-trip coach from Shinjuku
