Mount Fuji Day Trip by Car from Tokyo with Private Driver

4.88

(912 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Hands in pockets, I watched our driver—Mr. Sato—wipe a bit of mist off the windshield before we left Tokyo. He asked if we wanted to see the Chureito Pagoda first or head straight for Lake Kawaguchi. My partner and I just looked at each other, shrugged, and let him decide. The city faded behind us, replaced by those endless rows of cedar trees, and Sato-san started pointing out little roadside shrines I’d never have noticed. He told us about Konohanasakuya-hime, the goddess of Mount Fuji, and how people still come to pray for safety before climbing. I didn’t expect to feel that hush in the air as we walked under the torii at Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine—like even the birds were holding their breath.

The climb up to Chureito Pagoda was no joke—400 steps, my legs still remember it—but you get this view at the top that’s weirdly quiet even when there are other people around. Cherry blossoms weren’t out yet (wrong season), but the wind had this cool bite and you could smell pine needles crushed underfoot. We lingered longer than planned because honestly, it’s hard to leave a spot like that once you’re there. Sato-san waited patiently in the car; he’d packed bottled tea for us, which felt oddly comforting after all those stairs.

Later on at Oshino Hakkai village, I tried one of those rice crackers from a tiny stall—still warm, kind of smoky—and watched an old man feed koi in water so clear you could see every pebble. There’s something about seeing Mount Fuji reflected in Lake Kawaguchi that makes you go quiet for a second. We skipped Gotemba Outlets (shopping wasn’t why we came), but did squeeze in Owakudani Valley for those black eggs they say add seven years to your life. Sulfur smell hit me before anything else—like boiled eggs and fireworks mixed together—and Li laughed when I tried to ask for “kuro-tamago” in Japanese (I probably butchered it). Honestly? That egg tasted just like any egg, but eating it there felt different.

The drive back was sleepy—sun going down behind Fuji’s shoulder—and I kept thinking about how many little stories must be tucked into these forests and shrines. It’s not just about seeing Mount Fuji up close; it’s feeling how much it matters here. If you’re looking for a private mount fuji tour by car with pickup from Tokyo, don’t rush through it all—you’ll want time for those small moments that stick.