blog – The Wknd Travel

Tokyo 2025: MOUNT FUJI DAY TRIP WITH KIDS – Our Easy, Stress-Free Private Tour Experience (Including Price, Booking Process & Itinerary) [February 2025]

A trip to Tokyo is not complete without at least a day tour around Mount Fuji. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Mount Fuji several times over the past eight years.

In 2017, I traveled to Kawaguchiko and enjoyed the breathtaking views of Mount Fuji over a 3-day, 2-night stay. I wrote about that first visit [here].

In October 2023, my friends and I returned to Kawaguchiko on a do-it-yourself day trip. We visited the Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Station, Lake Kawaguchiko, and Oishi Park—all via public transportation. I also shared details of this DIY tour [here]—feel free to check it out!

Fast forward to February 2025: I flew to Tokyo with my relatives and had the opportunity to visit Kawaguchiko once again. This time, we explored the area with a private driver we hired for the entire day. Let me share everything about this Mount Fuji Private Day Tour—from the cost and booking process to the full itinerary.

Private Day Tour Agency Booking & Cost

My relatives and I booked our private day tour with Your Travel Guide: Daily Private Tours & Airport Transfers via Facebook. This tour agency was recommended by several members of a Japan travel-related Facebook group. We had already used their service for a private Kyoto day tour back in February 2024 and were happy with their rates and service, so we decided to book them again for this Mount Fuji private tour.

After providing our pick-up and drop-off locations along with the number of passengers (in our case – 3 adults and 2 kids), the agency sent us a suggested itinerary and an initial cost estimate. Following a brief exchange of questions and clarifications, they gave us a final quotation, which was valid for three days. We made the payment via local bank transfer and received our tour confirmation on the same day.

We paid ₱18,068 for a 10-hour private day tour around Mount Fuji from Tokyo Haneda area. The fee included 10 hours of private car (7-seater) service with a basic English-speaking (Japanese or Chinese) driver, along with fuel, tolls, and parking fees. Pick-up and drop-off at our designated location/hotel were also included in the package.

Pre-Tour Arrangement

The tour agency sent us a WhatsApp group link the night before our tour. Both the tour operator and our private driver were included in the group. On the morning of the tour, the driver sent a message to notify us of his arrival at our hotel.

Day Tour Itinerary

Our driver picked us up from our hotel at exactly 7:00 a.m. We immediately began the tour and headed straight to Lake Kawaguchiko.

OISHI PARK & LAKE KAWAGUCHIKO

We arrived at the park before the crowds started to come in. We spent some time by Lake Kawaguchiko, walking around and enjoying the magnificent views of Mount Fuji from Oishi Park.

OSHINO HAKKAI

Oshino Hakkai is a small village located between Lake Kawaguchiko and Lake Yamanakako. It is known for its eight crystal-clear springs, believed to originate from Mount Fuji. My cousins and I enjoyed walking around the springs and taking in the serene atmosphere.

LAKE YAMANAKAKO

From Oshino Hakkai, we drove about 15 minutes to Lake Yamanakako. There, we strolled along the lake and boardwalk, enjoyed the view of Mount Fuji, and watched my cousins play with and feed the swans. The area had significantly fewer tourists—probably not even 10% of what we saw at Lake Kawaguchiko. If only we had more time, I would have rented a bicycle and ridden it around the lake.

GOTEMBA PREMIUM OUTLETS

Our final stop was Gotemba Premium Outlets. We had lunch there and did some shopping while still enjoying the stunning view of Mount Fuji. We left the outlets a little past 3:00 p.m. and made it back to our hotel just in time to complete the 10-hour tour.

Our Mount Fuji private day tour was a great mix of nature, sightseeing, and shopping. Since we were traveling with two kids, having a private car made the trip much easier and more comfortable. We did not have to deal with crowded buses or train schedules, and we were able to enjoy each stop at our own pace. From the lovely views of Lake Kawaguchiko and Lake Yamanakako to the charming village of Oshino Hakkai and the shopping at Gotemba outlets, every part of the trip was fun, relaxing, and stress-free. It was totally worth it!

Have you been to Mount Fuji before? Did you explore it through a private tour, a joiner tour, or a DIY trip? Which place was your favorite? Feel free to share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? You’re welcome to send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com—I’d be happy to respond!

Thank you for reading this post. Before you go, I’d really appreciate it if you could like and follow my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This helps expand my reach and keeps you updated with the latest blog posts, itineraries, Hostel of the Day features, and flight reports on the website. Thanks again, and see you next time!

PS. Photos were taken using my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Tokyo 2023: WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR TOKYO – THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER, HIE SHRINE, HARAJUKU & OMOTESANDŌ Photoblog [October 2023]

Last year, my friends and I flew to Tokyo for a little over a week. We went around the city and visited the usual and not-so-usual places. We have been to Tokyo in 2015 and individually in the following years, so we did not aim to see everything this time. We carefully planned our itinerary, but we also kept it open and flexible.

In the last few weeks, I shared with you under the Tokyo 2023 blogs the places we visited for this trip: Roppongi, Yokohama, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Gotokuji, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno, Shinjuku, Odaiba, and Tokyo Disneyland. I also shared with you how we completed a do-it-yourself day trip to Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Station, and Lake Kawaguchiko.

Today, I will share with you details and photos of the remaining places we have been to on this trip to Tokyo. I hope you can look forward to photos of the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Hie Shrine, Harajuku, and Omotesandō.

Plane Tickets

My friends and I scored ₱1 base fare ticket to Tokyo during Cebu Pacific Air’s anniversary sale in March 2023. We got our tickets for ₱7,116.72 roundtrip each. We got the fare bundle, including a complimentary standard seat and 20 kilograms of checked luggage.

I wrote about our Cebu Pacific Air flights to and from Tokyo: 5J 5056 Manila to Tokyo Narita and 5J 5055 Tokyo Narita to Manila. I hope you can find time to read these flight posts.

Accommodation

My friends and I stayed for all 10 nights at Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel. We got a private twin room with toilet and bath for the first night and eventually transferred to a 6-bed mixed dormitory when another friend joined us.

I elaborated on Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel in one of the recent hostel of the day features. I hope you can check out that hostel feature and find out why this instantly became my new favorite Tokyo hostel.

Going Around Tokyo

Going around Tokyo can be intimidating and challenging, given its complicated metro and subway system. Subway and train lines normally overlap, and train stations have an unending number of exits. My friends and I overcame the city’s confusing train system and managed to reach our planned destinations and go back to our hostel every single day.

We did not avail of any subway or metro passes. Instead, we used our IC cards on every train ride. With the help of Google Maps, we took either the fastest or the most economical route on every journey.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter

Opened in June 2023, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter walks you through behind the scenes of the Harry Potter series. It features iconic movie sets like those of The Great Hall, Platform 9 ¾, Diagon Alley, The Forbidden Forest, and The Ministry of Magic. It also has interactive areas like the Quidditch, the moving stairs, the living portraits, and the spell areas. Lastly, the tour also features real props and materials used, as well as original costumes worn by the cast during filming.

My friends and I got our tickets three months in advance from Klook and paid ₱2,270.25 each after discounts. We took our time and finished the whole walkthrough experience in a little over 4 hours.

Nearest Train Station: Toshimaen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Oedo Subway Line)

Hie Shrine

Hie Shrine is a tree-covered Shinto shrine located on top of a hill in Nagatachō district. The shrine is the starting point of Sannō Matsuri, a famous summer festival in Tokyo.

Nearest Train Stations: Tameike-sannō Station (Ginza and Namboku Subway Lines) and Akasaka-mitsuke Station (Ginza and Marunouchi Subway Lines)

Harajuku

Harajuku is a famous fashion and colorful youth shopping and entertainment area in Shibuya Ward. The area’s main street, Takeshita Street, is full of vintage shops, unique cafes and stores, cosplay shops, and dessert places.

Nearest Train Stations: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)

Omotesandō

Omotesandō is one of Tokyo’s upscale and luxury shopping districts. The area has several fashion flagship stores and beautifully designed architectural buildings. It is also a vintage shopping hotspot where you can find small local vintage and artisan shops. The area also has small bars, restaurants, and cafes. Omotesandō is one of the best places for retail therapy when in Tokyo.

Nearest Train Stations: Omote-sando Station (Chiyoda, Ginza, and Hanzomon Subway Lines) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)

This wraps up our Tokyo 2023 trip! It was all good memories, tired feet and crying wallets. Nevertheless, my friends and I will never get tired of visiting Tokyo.

Have you been to Tokyo or to the places shown above? How was your trip or experience? Do you see yourself going back to Tokyo in the future? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have questions about Tokyo or anything mentioned above? You may send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in this Tokyo 2023 series. We have been to a lot in this trip and we still have a lot left to see! I hope you can look forward to more Japan content in this website in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Tokyo 2023: ODAIBA, TEAMLAB PLANETS TOKYO & TOKYO DISNEYLAND Photoblog [October 2023]

Many months ago, my friends and I visited Tokyo for a little over a week. We have been around Tokyo as a group since 2015. We have also been around the city individually in the following years. We carefully decided to choose the places we wanted to go. We did not aim to see everything. In fact, we kept our itinerary open and flexible.

In the previous Tokyo 2023 blogs, I shared with you details and photos of our experiences in Roppongi, Yokohama, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Gotokuji, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno, and Shinjuku. I also shared a detailed do-it-yourself blog about our Fujikawaguchiko day tour. Today, I will share bits and pieces about our visit to Odaiba, teamLab Planets, and Tokyo Disneyland.