Private Mount Fuji Tour with English-Speaking Guide from Tokyo

Lake Kawaguchiko and Oishi Park

Lake Kawaguchiko is the most visited of the Fuji Five Lakes and the usual first stop on a private Mount Fuji tour from Tokyo, about two hours by road. Its north shore faces the mountain across the water, and on still mornings the summit is reflected upside down in the lake. Oishi Park, on that shore, adds seasonal flowers in the foreground: lavender in early summer, red kochia bushes in October and maple colours in November.

With your own vehicle you can drive along the shore and stop wherever the light is best, rather than following a fixed schedule. The best time to visit Lake Kawaguchiko for clear views is from November to February; from June to August Fuji is often hidden, and views can never be guaranteed. Your guide checks the live conditions and suggests the order of stops that gives the best chance.

Chureito Pagoda

The Chureito Pagoda is the five-storey red pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park above the town of Fujiyoshida, built in 1963 as a peace memorial. From the deck behind it, the pagoda and Mount Fuji appear together in the view seen on countless images of Japan. A staircase of nearly 400 steps leads up through the woods, with a gentler sloping path for those who prefer it.

Plan around 45 minutes to an hour here. Cherry blossoms surround the pagoda in early and mid April and the hillside turns red and gold in November, both very busy times when an early arrival with your private van makes a real difference. Your guide can help with photos and suggest the quietest corners of the park.

Oshino Hakkai

Oshino Hakkai is a village of eight spring-fed ponds between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka. Snowmelt from Mount Fuji filters through volcanic rock for many years before rising here, so the water is cold and astonishingly clear, and the ponds form part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO in 2013. Thatched-roof houses and a water wheel give the village a traditional look.

It is a good place for lunch, with stalls selling grilled rice cakes, noodles and tempura; meals are not included, and halal food is limited around the Fuji lakes, so tell us your needs and your guide will suggest suitable choices or a picnic stop. Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour among the ponds, which are free to visit.

Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine

In the default option the day continues to Hakone, about an hour and a half from the Fuji lakes by road. Lake Ashi lies in the caldera of the Hakone volcano, and on its shore stands Hakone Shrine, founded according to tradition in 757, with a red torii rising straight out of the water. Galleon-style sightseeing ships cross the lake, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears to the north-west.

Your guide can buy cruise or ropeway tickets for you; these and other entry tickets are paid separately. Many travellers wonder how to get to Hakone and the Fuji lakes in one day without changing trains several times: a private vehicle is the simplest answer, and you decide how long to stay at each place.

Owakudani volcanic valley

Owakudani is the active volcanic valley of Hakone, formed by an eruption about 3,000 years ago. At around 1,000 metres, steam vents and sulphur deposits colour the hillside, and the local speciality is eggs boiled in hot-spring water until their shells turn black. On clear days Mount Fuji rises behind the valley.

The valley can be reached by road or by the Hakone Ropeway, and access may be limited at short notice when volcanic gas levels rise; your guide will adapt the plan. Visitors with asthma, heart or respiratory conditions should take care. After Owakudani, your driver takes you back to Tokyo, about two hours away, and drops you wherever you like.