Local Guide Stars · Nishi-Shinjuku
This is a Hakone day first and a Fuji day second: Hakone Shrine, a pirate-ship cruise on Lake Ashi, the ropeway up to Owakudani, and Fuji from a white stupa on a hill above Gotemba. Pick it for the time on the ground: the listing gives four and a half hours at the stops, more than any coach tour that also drives up to the 5th Station.
The operator calls itself Japan Guide Star on Viator, and its guides carry a white "Local Guide Stars" flag. You meet in front of the 7-Eleven at the NTT Nishi-Shinjuku Building at 7:50; the coach (49 seats at most) leaves at 8:00 sharp. The order shifts with traffic, but guests describe it like this: Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park first, the Gotemba peace park with a white Buddhist stupa and Fuji straight ahead, then Hakone Shrine and its torii in the lake, the cruise across Lake Ashi to Togendai, and the ropeway up to Owakudani. The coach collects you at the top and drives back to Shinjuku, about two hours.
The listed stop times add up: 50 minutes at Hakone Shrine, 80 at Lake Ashi including the cruise, an hour around Togendai and the ropeway, 50 at Owakudani and 30 at the peace park. One guest thought an hour at Owakudani was too long; most say the pace felt right. Lunch isn't included. Groups usually eat around Hakone Shrine (udon, guests report), so bring yen.
What you give up is the mountain itself. There's no 5th Station here, and one guest wrote that the tour should say more clearly that this is Hakone with views of Fuji, not a trip up Fuji. If standing on Fuji's slopes matters, take the 5th Station tour with the bullet train back. If you'd rather see Fuji from below and spend the day in Hakone, this is the best value on the site: $83 with the cruise and ropeway both paid, when those two tickets alone cost 3,700 yen at the 2026 ropeway fare plus the cruise.
In front of the 7-Eleven, NTT Nishi-Shinjuku Building (1-22-14 Nishi-Shinjuku). Be 10 minutes early: the coach leaves at 8:00 sharp and late arrivals get no refund.
Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park sits on a hill above Gotemba. A white stupa, a quiet garden and, on a clear morning, Fuji filling the view.
The lakeside shrine in cedar forest and the red torii standing in the water. Expect a queue for photos. Groups often eat lunch nearby.
Board a pirate-style sightseeing ship and cross the lake to Togendai. Windy and cold on deck outside summer.
Ride the Hakone Ropeway up from Togendai to the Owakudani volcanic valley: sulphur vents, black eggs boiled in the springs, viewpoints toward Fuji.
The coach picks you up at the top and heads back to Tokyo, usually after dark in autumn and winter.
★★★★★First stop Peace park with a Buddhist stupa and fantastic views of Mt. Fuji. We were so lucky to have great views all day long. No other bus tours were stopped there so that was quite nice.
★★★★★This is a serene, pleasant, well-organized and well-run tour. Even if Mt. Fuji hides behind clouds and mist, the scenery is stunning. Our guide, Anjou, did a fantastic job.
★★★★★The pacing was perfect and left us feeling like we accomplished a lot with just the right amount of rest between stops. We didn't get to see Mt. Fuji due to heavy clouds but the experience was still outstanding!
★★★★★Even though the day was cloudy and drizzling from early morning to afternoon, we could luckily have a good view of Mt. Fuji, from the Peace Park, which true to its name, was very Tranquil.
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No. The Fuji stop is Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park in Gotemba, a hill with a white stupa and a direct view of the mountain, for about 30 minutes. For the 5th Station, look at the Japan Panoramic Tours day or our 5th Station guide.
No. The listing includes the coach, the guide, the cruise and the ropeway, nothing more. Groups usually stop for lunch near Hakone Shrine, where guests report eating udon. Bring yen in cash.
This listing is marked as weather-dependent: if the operator cancels for poor weather, you're offered a different date or a full refund. If it runs and Fuji stays in cloud, there's no refund. In the last year, several 5-star reviewers saw nothing of the mountain and still rated the day highly for Hakone.
No. The listing has a single price band for all ages, so a child pays the same as an adult. Infants sit on a lap. With a strong price for adults that's still fair, but families with young children may find the Japan Panoramic Tours day cheaper, with its child rate for ages 4 to 11.
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A long stop at Lake Ashi with the cruise, the ropeway over Owakudani and Hakone Shrine, all tickets included.
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