Where to Stay When Visiting Mt. Fuji | Recommended Areas

Where to stay when visiting Mt. Fuji during your Japan tour? Accommodations scattered around the mountain base are highly recommended, offering easy access to both its natural beauty and a variety of activities. However, with so many towns to choose from, picking the right place to stay can be a challenge. For your perfect and unforgettable experience, here are five highly recommended areas that offer the best visibility, proximity, amenities, and activities around Mt. Fuji.

Mount Fuji

Lake Kawaguchiko Area

Home to Lake Kawaguchi, one of the best places to capture the scary mountain, this area provides top viewing rooms with breathtaking scenery of Mt. Fuji and its reflection on the mirror-like lake. You can have easy access there by a 1-hour car drive from Tokyo.

Ranging from classic ryokans (traditional Japanese style hotels with tatami matting) to swish modern hotels, you can pick some shoreside rooms with ideal spots to see the distant mountain while enjoying your meal and afternoon tea, then soak in the warm water of an onsen thanks to its abundant hot springs resources.

Just beneath the snow-capped mountain, Kawaguchiko is also a gateway to all kinds of activities, including the exciting Mt. Fuji climbing during the summer. You can behold the great view of Mount Fuji by taking a boat ride, or boarding the cable ropeway to overlook the whole landscape. Other worth-visiting places include the Kawaguchiko Museum of Art and the Music Forest Museum.

• Recommended Hotels in Lake Kawaguchi Area: Lavista Fuji Kawaguchiko, Fuji View Hotel

Fujiyoshida Area

A city between Lake Kawaguchi and Yamanaka, the mountain base Fujiyoshida, is a popular Mt. Fuji gateway of the Yoshida Trail, with its iconic Honcho streetscape against the huge mountain in clear sight. Easily accessible from Tokyo within a 1.5-hour drive, you can take Fujiyoshida as your cozy stay to fulfill your nightlife or free day, since there is a lot to do after or before your mountain adventure.

Offering a mix of classic tatami rooms and modern hotels with pools and spa experiences, a stay in the Fujiyoshida area is an appealing option to all kinds of visitors.

The central one, bustling with izakaya (Japanese bars) where you can savor local beverages like sake or beer with udon noodles, and lively karaoke centers to have a fun singing experience. The highland room, close to the amusement park in Fuji-Q Highland, or Arakurayama Sengen Park, captures the picturesque scenery with mountains, sky, temple, spring cherry blossoms, or autumn leaves.

• Recommended Hotel in the Fujiyoshida Area: Highland Resort Hotel & Spa

View of Mount Fuji from Arakurayama Sengen Park

Lake Yamanaka Area

With a half-hour drive from Lake Kawaguchi, the area is home to Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes. With a higher altitude beneath Mt. Fuji, a stay here can have more outdoor activity opportunities even during the summer holiday. However, skip the eastern end of the lake if the mountain view is your main target.

The rooms and hotels around the Lake Yamanaka area offer relatively budget options, various from inns, guest houses, vacation rentals, and independent villas, ideal for family tour visitors and nature lovers to spend their unique vacation. Also, if you prefer, there is no shortage of camping grounds around the lake shore.

Unwind the lakeside cycling with a pleasant breeze, and take marvelous photos of lake sunsets, swans, and mountain reflections. There are also a number of historical museums here, such as the Teddy Bear World Museum, the Mishima Yukio Library Museum, and the Santa Claus Museum.

Hakone Area

With a wide range of natural hot springs, Hakone is one of the most enjoyable places to stay during your Mount Fuji sightseeing, especially during the winter months, when you can capture the misty Mt. Fuji while immersing yourself in the steaming open-air hot springs.

Hakone is a famous hot spring town gaining popularity for many kinds of onsen with different colors and effects. Perched on the hillside, it usually takes a 1.5-hour drive or a 2-hour express train ride from Tokyo, and a 1-hour drive from Mt. Fuji. With more historic ryokans for choice, a stay in Hakone offers authentic traditional experiences with the surrounding forests and classic rock gardens.

From Gora, ride a cable car to see the scenic views of the Owakudani with its bubbling pools. At Sengokuhara, board the ferry for a leisure cruise through Lake Ashi against Mt. Fuji and the lovely shoreside shrine. Don't forget to drop by Gora Park during your spring break to view colorful blooms as well as cherry blossoms.

• Recommended Hotel in the Hakone Area: Hakone Kowakien Hotel, Aura Tachibana

Mishima Area

Mishima, located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture on Honshu Island, enjoyed its prosperity during the Edo period. The city serves as the gateway to Mount Fuji and Hakone, about a 1-hour drive away from the mountain. There are many hotels and restaurants with fabulous views of Mount Fuji, with fewer crowds and a much more tranquil environment for a relaxing journey.

Mishima has many scenic spots to capture the beauty of Mount Fuji. You can cross the 400-meter Mishima Skywalk, the longest bridge specially designed for pedestrians, to catch a picture of the far mountain and Suruga Bay, as well as the surrounding lush scenery.

As for Yamanaka Castle Remains Park, it offers you a magnificently combined image of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay. Or you can stand beside Nakazato Warm Water Reservoir to take a photo of the magical reflection of Mount Fuji.

Discover Mt. Fuji With Odynovo

An exciting camping trip around Mt. Fuji, a close-up view of the mountain sunrise through the mist and fog, or a fully prepared hike to the top along the mountain trail; to fully enjoy the details of Mt. Fuji's beauty, a nearby stay is always highly recommended. Whether you prefer a hotel with a lake view or a ryokan with an onsen, contact Odynovo at [email protected] and start your Japan tour planning with us!