Mountain hikes near Tokyo 東京から日帰りでハイキング

Let's start with the easiest to access! In 45 minutes by train from Tokyo, leaving from Shinjuku station by the Chuo line or the Keio line, 2.5 million people go there each year, making it the number one hike in the world!

There are six routes to access the panorama, which has an altitude of 599.3 meters. The most popular trail, route 1, takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach the top passed the famous Takaosan O Yakuin temple.

Mount Takao is sacred and is the center of Shugendo, an ancestral spiritual tradition of Japan, where the relationship between man and Nature is paramount.

It is also the place of the legend of Tengu, the long-nosed demons! You will find statutes bearing his effigy as soon as you get off the train on the platform of JR Takao station.

There are many sights to see depending on the route, hiking trail n°4 you will travel over a suspension bridge and the route n°6 where you will walk past the Biwa Waterfall.

For those who don't want to get blisters on their feet, a funicular and a chairlift are available!

After the hike, we recommend you enjoy a good onsen at Gokuraku-yu, just next to Keiô Takaosanguchi station, and taste the local specialty: soba noodles. 

Eighty minutes by train from central Tokyo, to get there, you have to get off at JR Hamakanaya station, then take a cable car that will take you to the top of 329 meters of Mount Nokogiri.

Here you will see a breathtaking 360° view of Tokyo Bay and even Mount Fuji on a clear day.

Then you will begin your walk through the forest, between the amazing cliffs cut down for construction purposes. There are many stairs that you will need to climb during this walk, giving you good calve muscles, but the 1,553 statues of Buddha that dot the course will provide you with the courage to keep going until you arrive at the huge carved Buddha that measures 31 meters.

You'll even find a 30-meter-tall goddess carved into the cliff half-way into the journey.

The Nihon-dera temple, founded in the year 725, will also offer you a spiritual break. Between grandiose religion, abundant nature and solitary walk, you will come back conqueror, but exhausted, from Nokogiriyama.

A direct bus from Basta Shinjuku bus station (1 hour 54 minutes journey) will take you to the foot of Mount Kintoki, get off at the Kintoki Tozanguchi stop.

Here you are in Fuji Hakone Izu National Park, ready to attempt the ascent of the highest mountain in the Hakone caldera, Kintoki rises to 1212 meters above sea level.

Around this place is based the legend of Kintaro: a boy raised in the mountains with animals for friends and family, a Tarzan of ancient times. Kintaro is said to have lived in the area, at the mountain level and a shrine dedicated to his spirit can be observed during your hike.

There are 9 different routes but Yagurazawa is the most popular. The 2.3km of this route is done in 80 minutes and the view of the whole Mount Fuji is worth all your sacrifices! 

Suruga Bay and Mount Akashi can be enjoyed, as well as Lake Ashi in the heart of the caldera.

Another route allows you to see Owakudani and its volcanic fumaroles. On your return, we recommend relaxing in the onsens of Hakone. A perfect way to relax after a long walk. 

• Also read: The best hikes in Hakone