Tokyo's superb rail network puts an extraordinary range of day trips within easy reach. In an hour or two you can be soaking in a Hakone onsen beneath Mount Fuji, wandering the ancient temples of Kamakura by the sea, marvelling at the golden shrines of UNESCO-listed Nikko, exploring cosmopolitan Yokohama and its huge Chinatown, or stepping back into the Edo period at Kawagoe. Here are the six best escapes from the capital, with travel times, costs and how to make the most of each.
Hakone & Mount Fuji
Area
Kanagawa
Distance
90 km SW
“Buy the Hakone Free Pass for unlimited use of the scenic loop — train, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship and bus — in one ticket.”
Kamakura
Area
Kanagawa (coast)
Distance
50 km SW
“Take the vintage Enoden tram along the coast between temples, and don't miss the Great Buddha and the hydrangeas at Hase-dera.”
Nikko
Area
Tochigi
Distance
140 km N
“Start early — Toshogu Shrine deserves a couple of unhurried hours, and the mountain scenery of Lake Chuzenji is a bonus if time allows.”
Yokohama
Area
Kanagawa (bay)
Distance
30 km S
“Go in the late afternoon to see the Minato Mirai waterfront and the giant Ferris wheel light up over the bay at night.”
Kawagoe
Area
Saitama
Distance
40 km NW
“Wander the Kurazukuri warehouse street and time your visit for the Bell of Time, then snack your way down Candy Alley.”
Lake Kawaguchiko
Area
Yamanashi (Fuji Five Lakes)
Distance
110 km W
“This is the classic Mount Fuji reflection spot — check the weather and go on a clear morning for the best chance of a cloud-free peak.”
Tokyo day trips in detail
1.Hakone & Mount Fuji
Hakone is the classic overnight-or-long-day escape from Tokyo, a mountainous hot-spring region wrapped around Lake Ashi with the postcard reward of Mount Fuji rising across the water on clear days. The joy of Hakone is the scenic transport loop itself, best done with the money-saving Hakone Free Pass: you ride a switchback mountain railway up through the hills, a cable car and then a dramatic ropeway soaring over the steaming, sulphurous volcanic valley of Owakudani (where you can eat eggs boiled black in the hot springs), before descending to Lake Ashi to board a whimsical replica 'pirate ship' with Fuji as your backdrop. Along the way lie superb attractions: the outstanding Hakone Open-Air Museum, dotting sculptures by Henry Moore and a Picasso pavilion across mountain lawns, the lakeside Hakone Shrine with its red torii gate standing in the water, and countless traditional ryokan and public onsen where you can soak in mineral-rich hot springs. It is doable as a packed full day from Tokyo, but staying overnight in a ryokan lets you savour the onsen and scenery properly. Go on a clear day for the best chance of seeing Fuji.
Hours
Attractions daytime; onsen often to evening
Price
Hakone Free Pass ~¥6,100 from Shinjuku (2-day)
Getting there
Odakyu 'Romancecar' from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto (~85 min), then local network
Insider tip: Buy the Hakone Free Pass for unlimited use of the scenic loop — train, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship and bus — in one ticket.
2.Kamakura
Kamakura is one of the most rewarding day trips from Tokyo, a relaxed seaside town that served as Japan's political capital in the 12th and 13th centuries and is strewn with the temples and shrines of that golden age. Its emblem is the Great Buddha (Daibutsu) of Kotoku-in, a magnificent 13-metre bronze figure that has sat serenely in the open air since 1252, having survived the tsunami that swept away the hall around it. Nearby, the Hase-dera temple tumbles down a hillside in tiers of gardens, offering sea views and, in June, spectacular hydrangeas, while the atmospheric Hokoku-ji temple hides a tranquil grove of towering bamboo where you can drink matcha. The grand Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine anchors the town at the end of a long approach lined with shops. Half the fun is the nostalgic little Enoden tram that trundles between Kamakura and Enoshima along the coast, past surf beaches and glimpses of Mount Fuji. Add the boutiques and street food of Komachi-dori and a stroll on the beach, and Kamakura easily fills a full, varied day of culture, coast and cuisine, all within an hour of central Tokyo.
Hours
Temples ~08:00/09:00–17:00
Price
Round-trip train ~¥2,000; temple entries ¥200–500 each
Getting there
JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station to Kamakura (~55 min)
Insider tip: Take the vintage Enoden tram along the coast between temples, and don't miss the Great Buddha and the hydrangeas at Hase-dera.
3.Nikko
Nikko, set in the forested mountains a couple of hours north of Tokyo, is one of Japan's most spectacular cultural destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous above all for the astonishingly ornate Toshogu Shrine. Unlike the restrained elegance of most Japanese religious architecture, Toshogu — the lavish mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who unified Japan — is a riot of gold leaf, intricate wood carvings and vivid colour set among towering ancient cedars. It is here you will find the celebrated carvings of the 'three wise monkeys' (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) and the sleeping cat, plus a dazzling gate considered one of the finest in the country. The surrounding complex holds further shrines and temples, an elegant red sacred bridge over the river, and, for those with more time, the natural splendours of the Nikko National Park beyond: the plunging Kegon Falls, the serene mountain lake of Chuzenji and the hot springs of Yumoto. Because it is a longer journey and rich with detail, an early start pays off — spend a couple of unhurried hours at Toshogu, then add the waterfalls and lake if the day allows. It is a magnificent, history-soaked escape.
Hours
Shrines ~08:00/09:00–17:00
Price
Tobu round-trip ~¥2,800; Toshogu entry ~¥1,300
Getting there
Tobu Railway limited express from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko (~2 hr), or JR
Insider tip: Start early — Toshogu Shrine deserves a couple of unhurried hours, and the mountain scenery of Lake Chuzenji is a bonus if time allows.
4.Yokohama
Just half an hour south of Tokyo, Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city and its most cosmopolitan port, an easy and enjoyable half- or full-day escape with a distinctly different, breezier waterfront feel. The star is the Minato Mirai district, a gleaming bayside development of futuristic towers, the landmark sail-shaped hotel, a giant illuminated Ferris wheel (the Cosmo Clock 21) and the Cup Noodles Museum, all wrapped around a lively harbour promenade that is magical after dark when everything lights up over the water. As one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, Yokohama also boasts the country's largest and most vibrant Chinatown, a colourful grid of ornate gates, temples and hundreds of restaurants and street-food stalls that is a fantastic place to eat your way through dumplings, buns and more. Add the restored red-brick warehouses (Akarenga) full of shops and cafés, the tranquil traditional Sankeien Garden, and a pleasant seaside park, and Yokohama offers a relaxed, varied change of pace from the intensity of Tokyo. Cheap and quick to reach by train, it makes a great evening trip too — come in the late afternoon to enjoy Chinatown and watch the bayfront skyline come alight.
Hours
Attractions ~10:00–21:00; Chinatown to late
Price
Train ~¥500 each way
Getting there
Tokyu Toyoko or JR from central Tokyo to Yokohama / Minato Mirai (~30–40 min)
Insider tip: Go in the late afternoon to see the Minato Mirai waterfront and the giant Ferris wheel light up over the bay at night.
5.Kawagoe
Kawagoe, an easy trip north-west of Tokyo in Saitama, is affectionately known as 'Koedo' or 'Little Edo' because its historic centre preserves the atmosphere of the Edo period better than almost anywhere near the capital. Its signature sight is the Kurazukuri street, lined with sturdy, black clay-walled kurazukuri merchant warehouses that survived the fires and modernisation that erased such buildings elsewhere, now housing craft shops, cafés and restaurants. Rising above them is the town's symbol, the wooden Toki no Kane 'Bell of Time' tower, which still chimes several times a day. A short walk away, the narrow, nostalgic Kashiya Yokocho or 'Penny Candy Alley' is crammed with old-fashioned confectioners selling traditional sweets, sweet-potato treats (Kawagoe's local speciality) and street snacks, a delight for all ages. Add the atmospheric Kita-in temple with its 540 individually carved stone rakan statues, the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine famous for its summer wind-chime tunnel and love-fortune charms, and streets where you can rent a kimono to stroll in, and Kawagoe makes a relaxed, photogenic and family-friendly half- or full-day trip back into old Japan, all within about 45 minutes of central Tokyo.
Hours
Streets always open; shops ~10:00–18:00
Price
Train ~¥500 each way
Getting there
Tobu Tojo Line or Seibu line from Ikebukuro/Shinjuku to Kawagoe (~30–45 min)
Insider tip: Wander the Kurazukuri warehouse street and time your visit for the Bell of Time, then snack your way down Candy Alley.
6.Lake Kawaguchiko
For travellers whose priority is to see Mount Fuji up close, Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible and rewarding base among the Fuji Five Lakes, offering the definitive front-row views of Japan's sacred volcano. On a clear day the perfect snow-capped cone rises directly across the lake and is mirrored in its still waters — the classic image, at its most beautiful in the early morning and during the cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf seasons. A sightseeing loop bus links the highlights around the shore: the Kachi Kachi ropeway climbs to a lookout for a panoramic Fuji-and-lake view, the Oishi Park lakeside gardens frame the mountain behind seasonal flowers, and there are museums, lavender fields, sightseeing boats and lakeside onsen where you can soak with a Fuji view. Nearby, the much-photographed Chureito Pagoda offers the iconic shot of a red five-storey pagoda with Fuji beyond. The trip is easiest by direct highway bus from Shinjuku in under two hours. The essential tip is to watch the forecast: Fuji is notoriously shy and often shrouded in cloud, so pick a clear day and arrive early for the best chance of an unobstructed view of this unforgettable, world-famous mountain.
Hours
Attractions daytime
Price
Highway bus from Shinjuku ~¥2,000 each way
Getting there
Direct highway bus from Shinjuku (~1 hr 45 min), or train via Otsuki
Insider tip: This is the classic Mount Fuji reflection spot — check the weather and go on a clear morning for the best chance of a cloud-free peak.