Updated 29 October 2026 · By Fuji Soul Tours, local guides based in Fujinomiya
The short answer
Fuji Soul Tours' private half-day tour links Mt. Fuji's shrine, sake and tea: Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine, a tasting at a 190-year-old sake brewery that uses Mt. Fuji snowmelt, and Prime Minister's Award–winning green tea. Four hours from Shin-Fuji Station with a local bilingual guide and a private van. Private van for 1–5 guests: from USD 159 per person for 3–5 guests, USD 216 per person for two, or USD 432 for one guest. Peak-season prices are higher; the booking calendar shows the exact price for your date. Activities are paid on-site; prices are below.
Shrine: where the climb began
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine is the head of some 1,300 Sengen shrines and the traditional starting point of the Mt. Fuji pilgrimage. Entry is free. Add to it if you like:
- Shinto purification prayer — an oharai ceremony by shrine priests inside the main hall, open to everyone (¥5,000–6,000 per person, about 60 minutes)
- Kimono at the shrine — dress with professional help and walk the grounds (¥3,500 per person, cash)
Sake: brewed with Mt. Fuji snowmelt
A working brewery since the 1830s, making sake with pure Mt. Fuji snowmelt. The tasting is free — the brewery's courtesy to visitors, with no obligation to buy. A guided walk inside the brewery with tasting (about 60 minutes) is also offered free; reserve ahead. Japan's drinking age is 20.
Tea: Shizuoka's green tea at the mountain's foot
- Japan's best green tea — a Prime Minister's Award winner, with hand-made sweets (¥1,000 per person, about 40 minutes)
- Whisk your own matcha (¥3,000 per person) or grind your own on a stone mill (¥2,500 per person)
- Wagashi sweets workshop (¥3,000 per person)
- Tea ceremony with a master (¥20,000 per group; book a month or more ahead)
More on the tea in our green tea guide.
Fitting all three into four hours
Shrine, sake tasting and a tea stop fit into one four-hour tour; the longer options — the purification prayer, the brewery walk or the tea ceremony — mean choosing. Your guide builds the route around your picks, the weather and your trains. If you want everything, a tour extension adds time (van: $60 per group per 30 minutes, agreed in advance). All activities are listed on the experiences page.
Why the Shizuoka side
The Fuji Five Lakes on the Yamanashi side draw most tour buses. The southern, Shizuoka side is where the pilgrimage began and where the snowmelt resurfaces for sake and tea — and it is quieter. See how to see Mt. Fuji without the crowds and why Mt. Fuji matters.
FAQ
Is there a Mt. Fuji tour with a shrine, sake and tea?
Yes. Fuji Soul Tours' private four-hour tour from Shin-Fuji Station can combine Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine, a free tasting at a 190-year-old sake brewery and Prime Minister's Award–winning green tea, with a local bilingual guide and a private van.
Can I do the shrine, sake and tea in four hours?
Yes, for a shrine visit, a sake tasting and a tea stop. Longer options such as the purification prayer, the brewery walk or a tea ceremony mean choosing, or adding time with a tour extension.
Do I have to drink sake?
No. The tasting is optional, and Japan's drinking age is 20. Tea and the shrine are for everyone.
Are the tea ceremony and the purification prayer included in the tour price?
No. They are paid on-site: the purification prayer is ¥5,000–6,000 per person and the tea ceremony is ¥20,000 per group (book a month or more ahead). The sake tasting is free.