Mount Fuji, Kamakura Great Buddha & Lake Ashi Day Trip from Tokyo

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)

Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first military government in the late twelfth century, and its most famous monument is the Great Buddha of Kotoku-in temple. Casting of the bronze Amida Buddha began in 1252; the figure is about 11 metres tall, more than 13 metres including its base, and weighs over 120 tonnes. The wooden hall that once covered it was destroyed by storms and a tsunami, and since the late fifteenth century the Buddha has sat serenely under the open sky.

About 20 minutes are planned here, enough to walk around the statue, admire its calm face and hands in meditation and take photos from the temple garden. Kotoku-in opening hours run from 8:00 to about 17:00 or 17:30 depending on the season, and your entry ticket is included. Many people plan a separate Kamakura day trip from Tokyo; this route lets you see its signature sight on the way to Fuji.

Lake Ashi cruise and Moto-Hakone

From Kamakura the coach climbs into Hakone, the hot-spring mountains on the southern side of Mount Fuji. Lake Ashi fills the caldera of the Hakone volcano at about 720 metres above sea level, and its sightseeing ships, built like old sailing galleons, cross the lake between Togendai, Hakone-machi and Moto-Hakone. Your short cruise is included and takes about 10 minutes on this route, with forested hills all around and Mount Fuji beyond the water on clear days.

Moto-Hakone, on the eastern shore, is where the red torii of Hakone Shrine stands in the lake; you have around 20 minutes here for photos along the waterfront. Visitors often ask whether Hakone is worth visiting on a single day trip: even this short stop shows why the area is loved for its lakes and mountains. Mount Fuji views depend on the weather and are never guaranteed.

Oshino Hakkai and a Japanese lunch

Oshino Hakkai is a small village between Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi with eight ponds fed by Mount Fuji's snowmelt, which filters through volcanic rock for many years before emerging cold and crystal clear. The ponds are part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site, listed by UNESCO in 2013, and the lanes around them are lined with thatched-roof houses, a water wheel and stalls selling grilled rice cakes and local snacks.

This is the longest stop, about an hour and a half. With the default premium option you sit down to a Japanese lunch at a local restaurant here, so there is no need to search for food; with the option without lunch you choose your own meal. Please tell us about dietary needs when booking: halal food is limited around the Fuji lakes, and we will advise what is possible.

Oishi Park on Lake Kawaguchi

Oishi Park lies on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi, the most popular of the Fuji Five Lakes, and its flower corridor runs along the water with Mount Fuji rising directly across the lake. The beds change through the year: lavender in late June and July, kochia bushes that glow red in October and maple colours nearby in November. Lake Kawaguchiko is also the easiest of the lakes to reach from Tokyo, about two hours by road.

Around 45 minutes are planned for the park, the lakeside path and the visitor centre shop. The best time to visit Lake Kawaguchiko for Fuji views is from November to February, when the air is dry and the summit is white; summer is greener but often hazy. From here the coach returns to central Tokyo, about two and a half hours away.