Hi there!
Mt Fuji 5th station is the “base” or start of the Yoshida Trail, the most popular of the 4 hiking trails that will take you to the Mt Fuji summit.
I took a direct bus from Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station to start the climb up Mt Fuji, so this will be a bit of what you can expect if you’ll be doing the same thing.
You can also hang out at Mt Fuji 5th station even if you won’t be hiking up the mountain.
There’s a climbing season for Mt Fuji, and direct buses to Mt Fuji from Tokyo generally operate during the season only.
If you don’t want to hike to the top of Mount Fuji and would rather admire the mountain from far away, see some of the best things to do for Mt Fuji views in Kawaguchiko.
Also be sure to see where to go for the iconic view of Mt Fuji you’ve probably seen in photos!
Climbing Mt Fuji as a 2-day hike
This is what my 2 days of climbing Mt Fuji looked like:
- Bus from Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station
- Walk around 5th station
- Hike from 5th station to 7th station
- Overnight stay at mountain hut
- Hike from 7th station to summit!
- Crater hike at the top
- Hike back down to 5th station
- Bus from 5th station to Kawaguchiko (Fuji Five Lakes area)
- Overnight stay at Kawaguchiko hostel
I arrived to Tokyo by bullet train from Kyoto, so I also had a short train ride from Shinagawa to Shinjuku before the direct bus to Mt Fuji 5th station.
So…
Do you need to buy bus tickets in advance?
It’s highly recommended to buy bus tickets from Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station in advance.
This direct bus only operates during the summer.
In general, weekends are said to be busier than weekdays.
So if you have flexibility, it could be best to try to go during the week.
The bus ticket will cost around 2,500 to 2,700 yen (US$25).
It’ll take around 2.5 hours to get from Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station by bus.
See more costs of climbing Mount Fuji.
What if bus tickets to Mt Fuji 5th station are sold out?!
There are alternative ways to get to Mt Fuji 5th station.
It will just take longer.
If you find that you can’t get a direct bus from Tokyo to 5th station but you are still determined to start your Mt Fuji climb on that day, the next best option will likely be to get yourself to Kawaguchiko.
And then once there, you can get a bus from Kawaguchiko to Mt Fuji 5th station.
Google Maps can be a reliable way to get around Tokyo and Japan, so consult Google Maps for the suggested route!
My brother showed up to the Shinjuku bus station at 6am or 7am one morning, hoping to get a bus to 5th station, but he wasn’t able to get one.
So he had to resort to plan B. Which was to get to Mt Fuji 5th station the best way that Google Maps says there is!
He was still able to get to 5th station that morning, climb up Mt Fuji and then back down in one day, aka he did the Mt Fuji bullet climb which actually really isn’t recommended.
I opted to do it over 2 days by staying at a mountain hut on Mount Fuji!
Bus ticket for Mt Fuji 5th station to Tokyo?
So what about after you finish climbing Mount Fuji?
How to get back to Tokyo?!
I only bought a ticket to get to Mt Fuji, as I didn’t know how long it would take me to complete the trail.
After I finished climbing Mt Fuji and got back to 5th station, there just happened to be a bus to Kawaguchiko leaving soon, so I hopped on that bus, since my plan was to stay the night in Kawaguchiko anyway.
Even if you want to make it back to Tokyo immediately, it could be easiest to head back through Kawaguchiko. (So Mt Fuji 5th station to Kawaguchiko, and then Kawaguchiko to Tokyo.)
🗾
Now…
Here’s a bit of what Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station by bus might look like!
Arrive at Shinjuku bus terminal
You may want to give yourself a bit of extra time to navigate around the Shinjuku station.
The train station and bus station are located in the same general area, but it’s still a rather expansive area.
If you see this…
Or this…
You want to make sure you’re on the other side of the street!
The Shinjuku bus terminal is on the 4th floor, and this street level is considered the 2nd floor.
Follow the signs!
Or if you’re arriving by train to Shinjuku station, you can just follow the signs for the “highway bus”!
Coin lockers at Shinjuku bus station
You can find coin lockers right in front of the main entrance.
These coin lockers are more suitable if you’ve arrived at the bus station early and want to wander around Shinjuku a bit.
The ones I saw here were showing a 2-hour rate. (Unlike other coin lockers that show a daily rate.)
Convenience store at Shinjuku bus station
There’s also a convenience store right near the entrance.
So if you need to do some last minute shopping for drinks and snacks to bring with you on your hike, you can stock up here!
So once you enter the bus terminal area…
You can go straight to the information desk and ask about where to wait for your bus.
You can also confirm by looking at the sign.
And then…
Wait for the bus to Mt Fuji!
The Shinjuku bus terminal is a major transportation hub, and you can find buses that leave from here to a lot of different places.
If you wanted to buy tickets at the bus station, you can do so here.
Bus to Mt Fuji arrives!
You can show the bus ticket on your phone if you bought the ticket online.
There’s a luggage storage area under the bus if you have a bigger backpack.
Or you can carry it onto the bus with you.
There’s also toilet on the bus, so be sure to stay well-hydrated before you start your big hike!
Bus ride to Mt Fuji
And your journey to Mt Fuji officially begins!!
So with the bus ride being around 2.5 hours long, it may be tempting to try to catch up on some sleep if you had an early morning.
But be sure to be awake for your first views of Mt Fuji from the bus!
And in case you were wondering… you can apparently bike to Mt Fuji 5th station too. 😉
And then finally…
Arrival at Mt Fuji 5th station!
It’s a good idea to wander around 5th station for a bit to help your body get used to the higher altitude little by little. (Or so they say.)
And off you go to reach the top of Japan!
HAPPY TOKYO TO MT FUJI BUS RIDE!
Climbing Mt Fuji as a 2-day hike
- Bus from Tokyo to Mt Fuji 5th station
- Walk around 5th station
- Hike from 5th station to 7th station
- Overnight stay at mountain hut
- Hike from 7th station to summit!
- Crater hike at the top
- Hike back down to 5th station
- Bus from 5th station to Kawaguchiko (Fuji Five Lakes area)
- Overnight stay at Kawaguchiko hostel