Where to sleep on Mount Fuji
Summit Huts
Many travelers climb Mount Fuji during the day to watch the sunrise the next morning. In this case, it is best to spend the night in one of the mountain refuges, accommodated located near the summit.
Mount Fuji huts are operational only during the official climbing season, which is July 1 to September 10 for the Yoshida route (the most heavily traveled) and July 10 to September 10 for the other three routes: Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya. Please note that some accommodation closes at the end of August.
Discover: The ascent routes
Where are the shelters?
The first refuges are located from the 5th station of Mount Fuji. However, most are installed from the 7th station, at 2,700 meters above sea level.
The highest refuge of the Yoshida route is installed after the 8th station, at 3,450 meters above sea level. For the record, the summit culminates at 3,776 meters above the sea.
Which refuge to choose?
Regardless of the accommodation selected, you will need to complete the ascent before dawn to reach the summit.
The lower huts offer the advantage of arriving earlier in the day, but naturally, the rest to be done the next day will be all the longer. If, on the contrary, you want to climb as much as possible during the day to stay as close as possible to the summit, opt for the last refuges of the 8th station.
See: When to climb?
The refuges of the 7th station
TMA
Refuge at the 7th station
TMA
When to arrive at the shelter?
Our advice, if you start the ascent from the 5th station (at 2,300 meters): leave at the very beginning of the afternoon to arrive at the level of the refuges around 5 pm, before nightfall. Especially since some refuges refuse check-ins after dark.
Arrived at the refuge, you will have time to breathe a little, acclimatize, and have dinner on-site before sleeping. The ideal is to go to bed around 7 pm and get up around 2 am or 2:30 am. From there, you will have time to complete the last hundred meters of ascent to witness the goraikô, sunrise from the top of Mount Fuji, around 4:30 am.
Are the huts comfortable?
Expect spartan conditions: large bunk dormitories, limited space, promiscuity. The bedding is still comfortable enough to sleep on. Also, several blankets are made available to protect against the cold, very harsh at the top of Mount Fuji.
Dinner comes down to a bentô, often curry rice, in fairly small quantities and of basic quality. Provide cereal bars, for example, to supplement if you are still hungry. All kinds of drinks (fruit juice, beer, tea, coffee, etc.) are also sold on-site. The huts also offer breakfast.
Paid toilets (200 yen, approximately $1.75/1.50€) are available. Prepare some change. This money helps to maintain the infrastructure.
To read: Report of the ascent
How to book Mount Fuji huts?
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Refuges can be booked by phone and some also online. To book, go to the website of the refuge in question. The staff speaks basic English.
Payment for the night is made on arrival and in cash only, regardless of the refuge. Payment by card is not possible.
How much does it cost?
For the budget, count 6,000 to 8,000 yen (from $52-69.50/63.75-47.75€) per person for one night including dinner.
Some refuges also offer an hourly rate (around 1,000 yen, or around $8.75/8€) for resting during the day.
See also: Budget to plan for the ascent
Here is the list of huts on the Yoshida route, the one with the most accommodation options.
7th Station :
- Hana Goya (website)
- Hinode kan (website)
- Kamaiwa kan (website)
- Fuji Ichi-kan (website)
- Torii so (website)
- Toyokan Inn (website)
8th Station :
- Horai kan (website)
- Hakuun so (website)
- Ganso Muro (website)
- Fujisan Hotel (website)
- Tomoe-kan (website)
- Goraiko kan (website)
On the other hand, there is no refuge on the route descending from Yoshida.
See also the Yamanashi Prefectural Official Guide website (link).
The Subashiri course has nine refuges on the ascending part, and one on the descending part. The Gotemba course has five and one respectively. Finally, the Fujinomiya route has shelters at each station from the fifth, as well as on the descending route.
Can we camp on Mount Fuji?
Be aware that it is strictly forbidden to camp on the slopes of Mount Fuji, given the danger it presents.
