I’ve compiled a list of some of my recommended day hikes from Tokyo, ranging from beginner to intermediate difficulties. As well as classic beginner-friendly hikes like Mt Takao and Mt Mitake which are only 1 - 2 hours from Tokyo, I’ve included mountains as far afield as Fukushima and Yamagata, which are surprisingly accessible as a day trip if you don’t mind paying the Shinkansen fare. With elevations ranging from 329m to 2956m, there’s mountains for every season, and with most having ropeway access, you’ll get some stunning views for not too much effort at all.
Mt Takao, Tokyo (599m)
Mt Takao (高尾山) is by far the most popular mountain in Tokyo, with a variety of hiking trails accessible in all seasons, and being only one hour from Shinjuku by train. With ropeway access, you’ll be at the summit in less than an hour.
Of course, with this popularity comes large crowds, and if you take one of the easier routes it’s more of a long walk up a paved path rather than a true hiking experience. If you’re looking to stretch your legs and escape the crowds, there are also two longer 15km course options I would recommend:
- The Minami-Takao Seven Summits course (南高尾セブンサミッツ) which takes you in a heart-shaped loop around some of Takao’s lesser known peaks, before you end your hike at the peak of Mt Takao itself
- The Mt Jinba to Mt Takao course (陣馬山～高尾山) which takes you past Mt Jinba’s iconic-yet-weird horse statue.
Although they are long, the trails are quite straightforward and doable for anyone with the stamina.
Access to Mt Takao is via train on the Keio line to Takaosanguchi (高尾山口) station. If you’re looking to go to Mt Jinba, you’ll need to get the train to Takao (高尾) station - note this is a different train station to Takaosanguchi - and then a 30 minute bus to Jinba-kogen (陣馬高原).
Mt Takao is climbable nearly all year around. Tokyo gets snow a couple days of the year at most, so if you’re concerned about snow, as a rule of thumb if it’s cold enough to snow in Tokyo there’s probably snow on Mt Takao as well. I have done the trail from Mt Jinba in February with no problems!
Mt Mitake, Tokyo (928m)
Mt Mitake (御岳山) in Okutama is also a popular hiking destination within 2.5 hours of Tokyo. Using the ropeway, expect only a 1km or 30 minute walk to the summit of Mt Mitake and its shrine. From here there are multiple options to extend your course:
- Take a 5km loop course to Mitake’s rock garden and to the Ayahiro Falls
- Hike out to Mt Hinode and back, as part of a 5km course
- Hike out to the neighbouring Mt Odake and then back again, for a total 9km hike
Public transport access is 2 hours by train from Tokyo to Mitake station on the JR Chuo line, and then a 10 minute bus trip from the station to the Mitake cablecar.
Since the bus between the station and the cablecar only comes twice an hour, it’s also an option to skip the bus and walk the extra 40 minutes. I recommend giving it a go on the way back if you have the energy, since there’s the opportunity to walk along the beautiful Tamagawa river on the way to Mitake station.
Similar to Mt Takao, Mt Mitake can be climbed nearly all year round, although it’s best to double-check the trail conditions in the winter months. It’s also particularly popular in November if you’re looking to catch the autumn leaves.
Mt Oyama, Kanagawa (1252m)
Mt Oyama (大山) is the most accessible mountain in Kanagawa’s Tanzawa mountain range. With cablecar access, you’ll be looking at a 3 hour, 4km hike to the summit and back. Without using the cablecar, you’ll about double your hike to 8km in under 6 hours.
A particular highlight and recommendation from me is the matcha tiramisu you can buy at the cafe at the top of the ropeway. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a balcony seat with views out onto to the town below.
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, I’d also recommend some of the other mountains in Tanzawa like Mt Tonodake, Mt Tanzawa or Mt Nabewari.
Public transport access is via a 1 hour train from Shinjuku to Isehara station on the Odakyu line, and then a 30 minute bus ride to the cablecar station.
Mt Tsukuba, Ibaraki (877m)
Mt Tsukuba (筑波山) has the distinction of being the lowest elevation Hundred Famous Mountain. It’s also known for having two peaks, Mt Nyotai and Mt Nantai, from which you’ll be able to get sweeping views out to the farmlands and city of Tsukuba below. Using the ropeway, you’ll be able to visit both peaks in about an hour. Without it, a hike will probably take you in the range of 3 to 4 hours.
Public transport access is via the 45 minute Tsukuba express from Akihabara station to Tsukuba station, and then a 35 minute bus. Although Ibaraki sounds quite far, it is fairly reasonable. The round trip cost for both the train and bus will cost you 3850 yen.
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Mt Nokogiri, Chiba (329m)
Chiba is not really known for being a hiking destination, but one of its more popular peaks is Mt Nokogiri (鋸山). It’s famous for being the site of a huge rock quarry, which you can still see the remains of, and a 31m tall Buddha statue carved into the wall.
By starting your hike at Hama-Kanaya station (浜金谷駅), you’ll be able to do a 3 hour, 5km loop course that passes by the rock quarry. As you approach the summit, there’s also the iconic Hell Lookout or “Jigoku Nozoki” which makes for a great photo opportunity.
There is also a ropeway about a 10 minute walk from the train station. The quarry is quite far from the ropeway, so I would recommend hiking up past the quarry, visiting the lookout and the buddha, and then taking the ropeway on the way back down.
Public transport access is to Hama-Kanaya station (浜金谷駅) which is a 2 hour, 1980 yen train ride from Tokyo.
Mt Hodo, Saitama (497m)
Mt Hodo (宝登山) is a mountain in Saitama’s Nagatoro Alps - although don’t let that name deceive you, because it’s a very low-lying mountain coming in at only 497m of elevation. With direct train access to the start of the trail, you’re looking at a course time of under 4 hours. I’d recommend timing your hike for March, when its yellow wintersweet flowers (ロウバイ) are in full-bloom.
Public transport access is via a 2 hour train from Tokyo to Nogami station (under 2000 yen). Taking the point-to-point course, you’ll be passing through Mt Hodo and ending your hike at Nagatoro station where you can hop on a train back to Tokyo.
Alternatively, to significantly shorten the hike you can start and end your hike at Nagatoro station. There is a ropeway from here that will take you up most of the way to the summit.
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Mt Iwadono, Yamanashi (634m)
Mt Iwadono (岩殿山) is quite a fun mountain, and a little bit different from the other ones I’ve mentioned so far. The trail has some short sections you will need to climb/descend via a chain rope, and takes you along a rounded cliff-face that you can get close to the edge of, if you’re brave!
The course is 4.5 hour, 8km loop starting and ending at Otsuki station. Along the way you’ll pass Maruyama park (丸山公園) which was so beautiful when I visited in April with its sakura trees. Compared to how crowded Tokyo can get, it was really nice to be able to enjoy the sakura without many people around. I recommend visiting in April!
Mt Iwadono is also a part of Otsuki city’s “12 views of Mt Fuji” so on a clear day you’ll might get the chance to see Mt Fuji in the distance as well.
Public transport access is via a 100 minute train ride on JR’s Chuo line to Otsuki station.
Mt Mitsutoge, Yamanashi (1785m)
For those looking to get a more up close and personal view of Mt Fuji, Mt Mitsutoge (三ッ峠山) is one of the more accessible mountains in the Mt Fuji area.
The shortest course is a 5km out-and-back course starting and ending at the Mitsutoge trailhead bus stop which you can do in under 3 hours. The views are great, especially if you get a chance to see Mt Fuji at the top. If you have more time, you can keep going from peak all the way to Kawaguchiko station, for a total 12km, 5.5 hour course.
For those wanting an even longer trail, you can also do a 15km, 8.5 hour station-to-station hike starting at Mitsutoge station and ending at Kawaguchiko station. I had the opportunity to do this in April, and got to pass a lot of beautifully flowering sakura trees that I would have otherwise missed, so it was quite a nice hike!
For public transport access, you’ll first need to get to Kawaguchiko station. You can get here either by bus or train in about 2 - 3 hours from Tokyo. From there, it’s a 25 minute bus ride to the Mitsutoge trail head (三ッ峠登山口) bus stop.
Mt Chausu, Tochigi (1915m)
Mt Chausu (茶臼岳) is one of my favourite mountains. You get great views without too much effort. There’s absolutely no trees, so you just get a long view of exposed, orange-looking ridge lines for your entire hike. With a ropeway taking you to near the summit, you can do the hike in as little as 1.5 hours and 2km, or extend your hike with options for 5km and 12km courses as well.
For access via public transport, you’ll first get a Shinkansen to Nasushiobara station, before taking a 70 minute bus to the trailhead. The round-trip comes in at 15,000 yen, which is a little on the pricier side, but still reasonable for a day trip in my opinion.
If you’re coming by bus, this will dictate when you can hike this mountain, as it only runs from April through to the end of November.
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Mt Tanigawa, Gunma (1977m)
Mt Tanigawa (谷川岳) is renowned for its scenery in the autumn season, and is well worth the visit, although it can get very, very crowded. After getting off the Tanigawadake Ropeway, expect a 6km, 5 hour hike up to the summit and back. There are some slightly steeper sections, so this may be a small step up from some of the easier trails I’ve mentioned above, but still very doable for a beginner.
For those looking to extend themselves, there’s the option to skip the ropeway on the way up to climb up a course with 1400m of elevation gain over some very steep rock faces.
Public transport access is via a shinkansen and local train to Doai station. Taking the first Shinkansen out of Tokyo, you should be able to take the ropeway up and begin your hike before 10am. The round trip including the ropeway fees will come to around 20,000 yen.
Mt Tanigawa’s climbing season is from mid-April to the to Mid-November, which also lines up with the operating season for its ropeway.
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Mt Adatara, Fukushima (1699m)
Mt Adatara (安達太良山) is all the way out in Fukushima and so it’s definitely on the pricier side at a 20,000 yen round trip from Tokyo, but still surprisingly accessible as a day hike. I once chatted with an old hiker who told me he had climbed all of Fukushima’s “100 famous mountains” and that Mt Adatara had the prettiest autumn scenery, so October may be the best timing to hike this mountain. If you were looking to make a weekend trip out of it, I’d also recommend the nearby Mt Bandai.
Mt Adatara’s climbing season without snow is from mid-April through to early November.
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Mt Zao, Yamagata (1841m)
Mt Zao (蔵王山) is famous for its green Okama crater lake, and is also well-known as an onsen town and ski resort in winter. Although it’s all the way in Yamagata prefecture, it is accessible as a day trip from Tokyo if you don’t mind paying an eye-watering 28,000 yen (roundtrip).
The views are stunning though! And since you take the Shinkansen it’s a long but comfortable 4 hour trip from Tokyo to the ropeway station. From the top of the ropeway station, it’s a 4 hour, 9km out-and-back course first to the summit of Mt Zao, and then onto the Okama crater itself.
Mt Zao’s hiking season is from late May to mid-October.
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Mt Kiso-komagatake, Nagano (2956m)
Mt Kiso-komagatake (木曽駒ヶ岳) just squeaks onto this list as a day hike from Tokyo. Using public transport, you’ll have to start your hike quite late at around 11:30am, which should give you just enough time to do the shortest 3.5 hour course. But with an elevation of 2956m, this is going to be the closest you can get to 3000m on a day trip from Tokyo, and the views are stunning and well worth the effort.
Since it is quite a high elevation mountain, the hiking season is from the end of June to the end of October. Outside of these months, expect there to be snow.
Compared to Mt Zao and Mt Adatara, the public transport is a more reasonable 13,000 yen for the roundtrip, since you will be taking a highway bus for most of the journey.
⛰️ Read more: Mt Kisokomagatake
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