Best Day Trips from Tokyo

Quick answer

The best day trips from Tokyo are Mt. Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi), Hakone, Kamakura, Nikko and Yokohama. With young children, add Mount Takao, Tokyo Disney and Kawagoe, which are closer and easier.
Closest: Tokyo Disney (about 15 minutes from Tokyo Station), Yokohama (about 30 to 40 minutes), Kawagoe (about 30 minutes from Ikebukuro) and Mount Takao (about 50 minutes from Shinjuku).
Longest: Mt. Fuji and Nikko, about 2 hours each way. Leave Tokyo by 8:00.
By train, Kamakura, Hakone and Nikko are easy. Each has its own discount pass: the Hakone Freepass (¥7,100 from Shinjuku), the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass (¥1,640) and the NIKKO PASS (¥3,000).
With children under 6, choose one destination per day and keep the travel under 2 hours each way.

Best Day Trips from Tokyo at a Glance

The five classic day trips from Tokyo are Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Kamakura, Nikko and Yokohama. For families with small children, Mount Takao, Tokyo Disney and Kawagoe are just as good and much closer. All eight are possible in one day by train, with no overnight stay.

I run private day trips from Tokyo hotels for families, and this is how I would compare them before choosing.

Destination	From Tokyo	Best for	Best ages
Mt. Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi)	About 2 hrs	The mountain view, lakes	All ages; 6+ for the pagoda steps
Hakone	About 1 hr 20 min to Hakone-Yumoto	Ropeway, pirate ship, hot springs	4+
Kamakura and Enoshima	About 1 hr	Great Buddha, temples, the sea	All ages
Nikko	About 1 hr 50 min	Shrines, waterfalls, autumn leaves	6+
Yokohama	About 30–40 min	Cup Noodles Museum, Chinatown, harbour	All ages
Mount Takao	About 50 min	An easy mountain with a cable car	3+
Tokyo Disney	About 15 min	Theme parks	All ages
Kawagoe	About 30 min from Ikebukuro	Old merchant streets, sweets	All ages

Times are one way by the fastest normal train from central Tokyo. With children, add 30 minutes for station changes and toilet stops.

Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi

Mt. Fuji is the day trip most families want, and it works from Tokyo if you leave early and the weather is clear. The Fuji Five Lakes, on the Yamanashi side, are about 100 km from Shinjuku. The highway bus from Busta Shinjuku takes about 1 hour 45 minutes and costs from ¥2,200 for adults and ¥1,100 for children. There is no Shinkansen to Lake Kawaguchi.

The usual route is Chureito Pagoda (398 steps, with a sloped path alongside), Oishi Park on the lake shore, and the spring-fed ponds of Oshino Hakkai. Oishi Park and Oshino Hakkai are flat and fine with a stroller.

Time: about 2 hours each way; up to 3 hours on the way home at weekends
Cost by bus: from ¥4,400 return per adult, plus local buses
Best ages: all ages; the pagoda steps suit children 6 and up
When: October to February, in the morning, when the mountain is most often clear

Mt. Fuji hides behind cloud on most summer days, so check the live cameras the night before. For the full route, transport choices and a timed plan, read our Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo guide.

Of all the day trips I run from Tokyo, Mt. Fuji is the one families have been happiest with.
Mihiro Ono, founder of Japan Trails

Hakone

Hakone is the best all-round day trip from Tokyo for children aged about 4 and up, because the transport itself is the fun: a mountain train, a cable car, a ropeway over steaming volcanic vents, and a pirate ship across Lake Ashi. The Romancecar from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes.

Time: about 1 hour 20 minutes by Romancecar; the loop takes most of the day
Cost: the 2-day Hakone Freepass is ¥7,100 from Shinjuku (child ¥1,600); the Romancecar seat fee is extra
Best ages: 4+; children under 6 need no ticket
Watch out: families with babies, or anyone with asthma or a heart condition, should skip the walk at Owakudani because of volcanic gas

Start early so you finish the loop before the last boats. If you want to stay the night, a ryokan with a private onsen solves the problem of tattoos and shy children in shared baths. The step-by-step loop is in our Hakone day trip guide.

Kamakura and Enoshima

Kamakura is the easiest classic day trip by train: the JR Yokosuka Line runs from Tokyo Station to Kamakura in about an hour with no change. The highlight for children is the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in, a huge bronze figure that sits in the open air.

Getting there: JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station, or the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku with the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass
Great Buddha: ¥300 adults, ¥150 children 6 to 12, under 6 free; ¥50 more to step inside the statue. Open from 8:00
Best ages: all ages
Pass: the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass from Shinjuku is ¥1,640 (child ¥430) and covers the return trip plus unlimited Enoden rides

From Kamakura Station, the small Enoden train reaches Hase, the stop for the Great Buddha, in about 7 minutes; the temple is a 7-minute walk from there. Ride the Enoden on along the coast to Enoshima, a small island with a shrine, a lookout tower and seaside food stalls. Kamakura's main temples are quiet places of worship, so with toddlers plan on one temple and the Great Buddha rather than five temples in a row.

Kamakura is busy at weekends and in June, when the hydrangeas bloom. Go on a weekday if you can.

Nikko

Nikko is the day trip for shrines, cedar forests and waterfalls, and it is best for children aged about 6 and up who can manage steps. The Tobu limited express from Asakusa reaches Tobu-Nikko in about 1 hour 50 minutes.

Time: about 1 hour 50 minutes from Asakusa; about 2 hours direct from Shinjuku
Pass: the NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area is ¥3,000 for adults and ¥1,500 for children for 2 days, covering the Tobu return trip and local buses but not the limited express charge
Toshogu Shrine: ¥1,600 adults, ¥550 children, from 9:00
Best ages: 6+

The core of the day is Toshogu Shrine, the red Shinkyo Bridge and Rinno-ji. Add Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji only if you leave Tokyo by 8:00; the mountain road is slow in October and November when the leaves turn. The full plan is in our Nikko day trip guide.

Yokohama

Yokohama is the easiest day out from Tokyo with young children: it is about 30 to 40 minutes by train, flat, and full of things built for families. Take the Tokyu Toyoko Line from Shibuya, which runs straight through to Minatomirai Station on the harbour.

Cup Noodles Museum: ¥500 for adults; high school students and younger are free. Closed on Tuesdays. Making your own cup of noodles in the My Cupnoodles Factory is a paid extra with a numbered ticket
Chinatown: Japan's largest, good for an easy lunch with dumplings and steamed buns
The harbour: a flat waterfront walk between Minato Mirai and Yamashita Park, easy with a stroller
Best ages: all ages

Yokohama also suits a rainy day, because the museum and the shopping centres around Minato Mirai are indoors. Arrive at the Cup Noodles Museum close to opening at 10:00; the numbered factory tickets are handed out on the day and can run out.

Mount Takao

Mount Takao is the closest real mountain to Tokyo and the easiest nature day trip with small children. The Keio Line from Shinjuku takes about 50 minutes, then a cable car or chairlift takes you halfway up.

The Mt. Takao cable car station at the foot of the mountain — Kiyotaki Station, where the cable car starts

Cost: the Keio Mt. Takao Discount Ticket (train and cable car return) is ¥1,450 for adults and ¥740 for children
Cable car or chairlift: ¥490 one way, ¥980 return; children 6 to 11 ¥250 / ¥500; one child under 6 rides free with each paying passenger
Walk: Trail 1 from the top of the cable car to the summit takes about 40 minutes at an adult's pace, past Yakuo-in temple and the monkey park
Best ages: 3+; bring a baby carrier for the walk to the summit

Go on a weekday morning. In November the autumn leaves bring long queues for the cable car. More in our guide to Mount Takao with kids.

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea

Tokyo Disney is the closest day trip of all: Maihama Station is about 15 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Keiyo Line. It needs a full day, and tickets are sold online by date, with the price changing from day to day.

Tickets: dated 1-Day Passports, sold online; weekends and holidays cost more. Children 3 and under are free
Which park: Tokyo Disneyland is easier with toddlers; DisneySea has more rides for older children
Best ages: all ages
Tip: buy tickets as soon as your dates are fixed; popular days sell out

Plan Disney as its own day, not as a half day added to sightseeing. There is more on Disney and other ideas by age in our guide to things to do in Tokyo with kids.

Kawagoe

Kawagoe is a short day trip to an old merchant town of dark clay-walled storehouses, about 30 minutes from Ikebukuro by the Tobu Tojo Line limited express. Stay on to Kawagoe-shi Station for the shorter walk to the old streets.

Sights: the Toki no Kane bell tower, which rings at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00, and Kashiya Yokocho, a lane of old-fashioned sweet shops
Pass: Tobu sells a KAWAGOE DISCOUNT PASS for visitors from overseas, covering the return train from Ikebukuro; check the current price at the Tobu counter in Ikebukuro Station
Best ages: all ages; the streets are flat
Pair with: half a day in Ikebukuro on the way back

Weekend afternoons are crowded on the main street. Come in the morning and eat your way down Kashiya Yokocho before lunch.

Getting There: Train, Rail Passes or a Private Car

For most of these trips the train is fast and cheap, and the regional discount pass is better value than the Japan Rail Pass. A 7-day Japan Rail Pass does not cover Hakone's Odakyu Line, the Keio Line to Mount Takao, the Tobu line to Nikko or most of the Fuji routes, so for a family staying in Tokyo it rarely pays off. Our Japan Rail Pass guide explains when it does.

Destination	Best ticket	Japan Rail Pass?
Hakone	Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku	No (Odakyu Line)
Kamakura and Enoshima	Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass, or JR from Tokyo Station	Yes on JR to Kamakura
Nikko	NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area	Only on the JR route
Mt. Fuji	Highway bus from Busta Shinjuku	Only part of the way
Mount Takao	Keio Mt. Takao Discount Ticket	No (Keio Line)
Yokohama, Kawagoe, Disney	Normal fares on an IC card	Partly

If you plan several JR trips in three days, look at the regional JR Tokyo Wide Pass and check its current price on the JR East site. For normal fares, a Suica or other IC card is the simplest ticket for every family member over 6.

Private car. With young children, a car removes the train changes, the stroller on station stairs, and the wait for buses at the other end. Japanese law requires a child seat for children under 6 in private cars, so ask about seats before you book any car. Our Mt. Fuji private tour for families is eight hours by private car from your Tokyo hotel, with a guide, a separate driver and free child seats: US$990 for up to five guests, US$150 for each extra guest, and US$1,200 in peak seasons. We run Hakone and Kamakura days the same way and at the same price.

How to Plan a Day Trip from Tokyo with Kids

The rule that matters most is one destination per day. Kamakura and Enoshima, or Hakone's loop, fill a day at a child's pace; trying to add a second town turns the trip into a day on trains.

Leave by 8:00. Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Nikko all reward an early start: clearer views, shorter queues, and you are on the way home before the traffic.
Go on a weekday. Kamakura, Mount Takao, Kawagoe and the road back from Mt. Fuji are much busier at weekends and on Japanese holidays.
Keep travel under 2 hours each way with children under 6. That rules in Yokohama, Takao, Kamakura and Disney, and makes Fuji and Nikko a matter of starting early.
Pack for the toilets and the steps. Shrines and temples have long stone stairs; carry a baby carrier as well as the stroller for Kamakura, Nikko and Takao.
Have a rainy-day swap. Yokohama's museums and Tokyo Disney work in the rain; Mt. Fuji and Mount Takao do not.

For Yokohama we run a six-hour walking day at the same price as our Tokyo private tour with kids: US$550 for up to four people, with stroller routes, allergies and nap times planned in advance. Nikko is longer, so we plan it as a custom private tour and quote it for your dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best day trip from Tokyo?

Mt. Fuji on a clear day, or Hakone if the forecast is cloudy. With young children, Yokohama and Mount Takao are the easiest because they are under an hour away.

What is the best day trip from Tokyo with kids?

Hakone for children 4 and up, because of the ropeway and pirate ship. With toddlers, choose Yokohama, Mount Takao or Tokyo Disney, all within an hour of central Tokyo.

Can you do Mt. Fuji and Hakone in one day?

Only by private car, and it is a long day. By train, choose one: Lake Kawaguchi for the mountain view, or Hakone for the ropeway, pirate ship and hot springs.

Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it for day trips from Tokyo?

Usually not. It does not cover the Odakyu Line to Hakone, the Keio Line to Mount Takao or most Fuji routes. Regional passes such as the Hakone Freepass are better value.

How far is Kamakura from Tokyo?

About an hour on the JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station, with no change of train. From Shinjuku, the Odakyu Line with the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass takes a little longer.

Which day trips from Tokyo are good in the rain?

Yokohama, with the Cup Noodles Museum and indoor shopping, and Tokyo Disney. Mt. Fuji, Hakone's ropeway and Mount Takao are best saved for a dry day.