Step off the Tokyo–Kyoto Shinkansen at Shin-Fuji for a half-day stopover: a local bilingual guide, hidden viewpoints, the principal Fuji shrine and award-winning yakisoba — then back on your train.
★ 5.0 on Viator & Tripadvisor · Private — just your group (1–15) · Van: room for most suitcases, up to 3 guests
Van (1–5): free cancellation & date change until 2 days before · Instant confirmation. Mini bus (6–15): Oct–Dec 2026, most days · Instant confirmation.
It fits between your trains
Most Mt. Fuji tours cost you an entire day round-tripping by bus from Tokyo. A Shin-Fuji stopover changes that: the Shinkansen drops you right at the mountain's foot — the easiest way to see Mt. Fuji between Tokyo and Kyoto. We meet you at the gate, tour for four hours, and have you back on your train with buffer to spare.
Times are examples — after booking, send us your train times and we plan the day around them. Only Kodama trains stop at Shin-Fuji (covered by JR Pass). Plan your stopover: train tickets, luggage and the time to allow →
Your four hours
These routes were shaped by someone born in the shadow of the mountain, and they run with two bilingual guides who know them just as well. Every tour is tailored to the weather, the season, and you — this is a typical highlights day.
Takumu (Taku) Makino, founder, born at the foot of Mt. Fuji — the tours he designed are hosted by his two bilingual guides. Their story →
Meet at the station gate
Your guide is waiting with a sign. For groups of up to 3, most suitcases fit in the van; otherwise use a station coin locker or the Tourist Information Center's luggage storage — both outside the ticket gates.
Local park
A quiet local park with sweeping views of Mt. Fuji and almost no tourists — chosen that morning for the clearest view.
Principal shrine of Fuji worship
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine — where climbing the mountain traditionally began. Your guide explains why it matters.
Award-winning yakisoba lunch
Fujinomiya's B-1 Grand Prix soul food, at a family-run spot locals queue for. ~¥900.
Green tea or matcha at an award-winning tea house
Green tea that has won Japan's Prime Minister's Award, served with seasonal sweets in a tea house built from a single 400-year-old tree.
Back at your platform
With buffer time for souvenirs before your train onward.
Honest answer to the big question
Fuji shows itself fully on roughly one day in three. We don't pretend otherwise — we plan for it, checking visibility in real time and rerouting by the hour.
Unfortunately the day we were at Mount Fuji it was raining. Our guide immediately found an alternative activity we thoroughly enjoyed — a private tea ceremony. The food was amazing!— Annette M. · February 2026 · Viator · ★★★★★
Explore
From hidden Fuji viewpoints to hands-on sessions with local masters — a taste of where we'll take you and what you can do, plus three sample itineraries to start from. Browse them all, then tell us what catches your eye.
See all destinations, experiences & sample itineraries →
A rare, wide-open Mt. Fuji panorama from a prestigious golf club, with lunch at its restaurant facing the mountain. Lunch is cash only, and a dress code applies — ask us for the details. Weekdays only, by reservation. Stopping in just for the view is welcome too — the dress code still applies.
Shape seasonal Japanese sweets from white bean paste — nerikiri, a craft born in Edo-period Kyoto two to three centuries ago and refined alongside the tea ceremony.
Learn the traditional preparation under expert guidance, then drink the bowl you made. Tatami or table seating.
Up to three sakes in mini cups, brewed with pure Mt. Fuji spring water. The free tasting is the 190-year-old brewery's courtesy to browsing customers — no obligation to buy if nothing wins you over.
A traditional oharai ceremony performed by shrine priests inside the main hall — open to everyone.
How to add: mention any experience in the booking notes, or message us after booking — we check availability and confirm before your tour date.
Book your date first →What travelers say
★★★★★ 5.0 · Viator & Tripadvisor
"Taku is an amazing guide! He took us to all the local spots, picture view points, and made this experience one we will never forget."
"A brilliant guide from the start! He took us to his favourite local spots for mountain views, delicious Yakisoba for lunch, and a traditional tea experience. Clear views of Mt. Fuji all day!"
"We do many private tours and this was the best. The English is outstanding. The stops chosen were spot on. A wonderful ambassador for Japan."
"He customized our tour to our interests and made it a delightful experience. His warm hospitality, friendliness and personality left us with a wonderful impression."
"Unfortunately the day we were at Mount Fuji it was raining. Our guide immediately found an alternative activity we thoroughly enjoyed — a private tea ceremony. The food was amazing!"
Private or group?
Most guests book the private stopover. From October to December, there's also a small-group tour on selected days.
Your own guide and vehicle, shaped around your Shinkansen times.
Private or small group? Read our guide to choosing your Mt. Fuji tour →
Book direct
Private tours run on most days. On selected days, we also run a small-group tour.
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4 hours · up to 5 guests · private van, local bilingual guide, hidden spots. After booking, send your train times and we tailor the day.
4 hours · 6–15 guests · private mini bus with its own driver, local bilingual guide, hidden spots. After booking, send your train times and we tailor the day.
Peak season — October–November, March–April, and December 30–January 3 — is USD 498 / 1 guest, USD 249 / person for 2, USD 183 / person for 3–5.
The calendar shows the total for your party size — per-person cost drops as you add guests.
Free cancellation & date change until 2 days before · Instant confirmation · Secure checkout
Non-JPY prices are approximate.
USD 980 is the minimum for any mini-bus booking.
Free cancellation until 11:59 PM JST, 4 days before · Secure checkout
Mini-bus prices are quoted in USD.
Before you book
Bring it along — the van can store most suitcases for groups of up to 3 guests. Bringing more than one large case each? Tell us your bag count before you book so we can confirm it all fits. Larger groups can use Shin-Fuji Station's coin lockers (¥300–800, cash or a Japanese transit card such as Suica — no credit cards) or the luggage storage at the Shin-Fuji Station Tourist Information Center (08:30–17:00, cash only, more room for big cases — collect your bags before it closes). Both are outside the ticket gates. You'll have everything with you when you board your next train.
Only the Kodama (こだま) — not Nozomi or Hikari. It's covered by the JR Pass and usually less crowded. Tip: sit in seat E from Tokyo or seat A from Kyoto/Osaka for Fuji views from the train.
Honestly: it varies by season — winter is clearest, summer is shyest. The earlier your tour starts, the better your chances. And if the mountain hides, the cloudy-day plan (shrine prayer, sake brewery, teahouse, UNESCO Center) is why guests still leave five-star reviews. See the “What if Mt. Fuji hides?” section above.
Private van tour (1–5 guests): full refund or free date change until 11:59 PM Japan time, 2 days before your tour date (for a tour on the 18th, by 11:59 PM on the 16th) — after that, no refund. Private mini bus (6–15 guests): free cancellation until 11:59 PM Japan time, 4 days before your tour date (for a tour on the 18th, by 11:59 PM on the 14th). Weekday group tour: no refund or date change if your plans change. We leave at 9:00 sharp and can't wait for late arrivals; if you miss the departure, there is no refund and no date change. Every tour date on the booking calendar runs, however many guests have booked; if we have to cancel (for example, for a typhoon), you can move to another tour date or get a full refund. For van and mini-bus bookings, cancelling takes one click from your confirmation email.
Please send your train details by 11:59 PM Japan time, 3 days before your tour (5 days before for the mini bus) — plus your flight number if you land in Japan that day. If we don’t have them, we will wait at the meeting point (the Shin-Fuji Station ticket gate if no other place is agreed) for just 30 minutes from your agreed start time (10:00 AM JST if none is agreed by 6:00 PM JST the day before). If you don’t arrive in that window, it’s a no-show and non-refundable.
Message your guide in the group chat or email thread we set up before your tour, as soon as you know. If you’re up to 30 minutes late, you still get your full tour time — it simply finishes later. If you’re more than 30 minutes late, you choose: keep your original finish time (a shorter tour), or extend for $60 per 30 minutes per group, paid online on the day on our payments page. This applies whatever the cause, including Shinkansen delays.
Yes — from October 2026 we run a private mini bus for 6–15 guests. See mini-bus pricing and dates. It's USD 980 for 6–10 guests, then USD 98 per adult from 11 guests. Book at least 7 days ahead; your booking is confirmed instantly. Departures currently run October–December 2026. From 11 guests it works out at USD 98 per adult — less per person than the Weekday group tour (USD 148), and the bus is all yours, with your own route and pace.
Private van: ages 6 to 70. Private mini bus and Weekday group tour: ages 6 to 80. Travelling with a child under 6? Please contact us before booking — we'll let you know what we can arrange for your date.
The tour runs 4 hours from the start time agreed after booking, and we ask for a 30-minute buffer between tour end and your train — so pick a train that departs at least 30 minutes after the tour ends. Since Kodama trains run only about twice an hour, the wait at the station can approach an hour; if you'd rather keep touring than wait, you can add 30 minutes for $60 per group by van ($120 by mini bus; see below).
Yes. By van (1–5 guests): extend by 30 minutes for $60 per group (opens in new tab), or add full hours at $120/hour per group (opens in new tab). By mini bus (6–15 guests): $120 per 30 minutes (opens in new tab), or $200/hour per group (opens in new tab). Prices are per group, not per person; for more hours, select the quantity at checkout. All links also live on our Payments page — get the OK first: from us before the tour day, or from your guide during the tour.
Wheelchairs unfortunately can't be accommodated, but we welcome up to 3 guests using walkers and adjust the route to minimize walking. Tell us when booking.
Before you go
Want to go deeper? Short reads on the trains, the food and the quiet local culture at Mt. Fuji's foot — no booking required.
See Fuji in half a day off the bullet train — which train stops, luggage, sample timetables.
Shizuoka sencha the slow way — one cup, a seasonal sweet, a 400-year-old hall.
The quiet southern side, season by season — and a plan for cloudy days.
Japan's B-1 Grand Prix champion soul food — only at Mt. Fuji's foot.
Why Mt. Fuji matters — the culture and meaning behind the mountain.
Questions first?
Your fastest way to get answers