About this tour
When Em from our team took this 2-day private tour, we saw Mt Fuji and Hakone without the usual train-station crowds. You get your own driver, a night in a proper onsen ryokan with hot-spring baths and traditional meals, plus a solid hit of the region's highlights—Arakura Shrine, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Ashi, Owakudani's volcanic valley, and a quick stop at Kamakura's Great Buddha on the way back to Tokyo. It's pitched as fully customizable, so the itinerary can flex to suit you. The whole thing sits somewhere between proper adventure and a spoiling weekend getaway.
Highlights
- Private driver means no jostling onto packed trains or waiting for group stragglers
- Onsen soak in a ryokan—hot spring and traditional dinner included, not rushed
- Mt Fuji viewpoints hit without the typical tour-bus queues and fixed timing
- Lake Ashi and Owakudani give you volcanic valley scenery most day-trippers miss
- Meals included from dinner through breakfast smooths the logistics
- Customizable stops let you linger or skip based on your mood
- All entry fees and tolls covered, so no hidden costs creeping in
What to expect
Day 1 is a gentle drive west from Tokyo into the Mt Fuji foothills. You'll swing through Arakura Shrine for a shrine-and-mountain photo stop, then poke around Lake Kawaguchi's quieter shores and the pond village of Oshino Hakkai—charming, not overrun. By afternoon you're in Hakone, checking into your ryokan, soaking in the onsen (that's the main event), and eating a proper traditional dinner. No rushing.
Day 2 picks up with Lake Ashi views—depending on weather, Fuji may or may not photobomb—then the volcanic valley at Owakudani where you can see the geothermal action. On the way back, a stop at Kamakura's Great Buddha fits in before you're back in Tokyo. The pace is relaxed; your driver knows the routes and the decent viewpoints without the crowds.
What travellers say
- Private driver beats train timetables and tour-group herding
- Ryokan overnight with onsen and meals is the real centrepiece
- Meals and entry fees bundled—transparent pricing, no surprises
- Customizable stops suit families, couples, varied fitness levels
- Two-day loop captures Mt Fuji, Hakone, and Kamakura neatly
- Mt Fuji views rely on weather; clouds are common, views not guaranteed
- Ryokan property not specified upfront—quality varies by operator
- Two days is scenic sampler, not immersive deep-dive experience
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
You're not hauling luggage onto trains or timing your life around departure bells. A night in a ryokan with onsen and meals is a genuine step up from hotel-hopping, and it's the centerpiece of the trip. Families with small kids or infants get proper car seats and a pram-friendly itinerary. The inclusions—meals, entry fees, tolls, parking—mean no sting at the end.
Two days is tight if you want real depth anywhere; it reads more as a scenic sampler. Weather on Mt Fuji is unpredictable (clouds kill views), and Owakudani can be touristy depending on when you go. The ryokan experience is only as good as the specific property you're booked into—the operator doesn't name which one upfront. Customizable sounds flexible, but clarify what tweaks cost extra.
Wear layers (mountain air shifts quick) and pack comfortable shoes for shrine walks. Ryokan etiquette (onsen nudity norms, removing shoes indoors) trips up some Westerners—worth a quick primer beforehand. Group size is just you, your driver, and whoever else is in your party. Book ahead in peak seasons (cherry blossom, autumn).
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.