Early in the morning, the pick-up bus visits several local Tokyo hotels, taking tour participants to Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal, starting point for the tour. Check-in at the Sunrise counter at the Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal was easy, and in no time at all I was in my seat and off to see Mt. Fuji!

Leaving from Hamamatsucho in downtown Tokyo, we passed the Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine, the skyscrapers of Shinjuku, Mt. Takao, and many more Tokyo landmarks as we drove along the highway towards Mt. Fuji. As we got closer, everyone on the bus was surprised to see a full amusement park, Fuji-Q Highland, right at the base of the mountain! Our first stop was the Fuji Visitor Center, where we had a chance to learn some of the history behind Japan's most famous symbol. It was a nice chance to stop and stretch my legs after the bus ride, browse through some of the traditional souvenirs for sale, and get a good look at our main event for the day: Mt. Fuji!

We left the visitor center and started up the road towards the fifth station of Mt. Fuji. Passing the first station, starting point for those adventurous enough to tackle Mt. Fuji's entire height on foot, I noticed that the path was lined in grass, contrasting with the rocky landscapes at Fuji's peak. Unfortunately I had a bit of bad luck with the weather, and it was raining lightly when we arrived at the fifth station. The rain itself wasn't too bad, but it also came with some light fog. Still, everyone had a great time taking pictures and looking over the many special souvenirs only offered on Mt. Fuji. There's actually a small post office located at Mt. Fuji's fifth station, a great place to send postcards of Mt. Fuji to your friends or relatives!

After getting off our bus at the fifth station, our tour took a break at the Hotel Regina Kawaguchiko for lunch. Those that had chosen the lunch option with their tour got a chance to experience a traditional and delicious Japanese bento-style lunch, composed of an array of small dishes, including sashimi, shrimp, chicken, scallops, grilled fish, and more, arranged delicately in lacquered boxes. Along with the many small dishes, we also had rice and miso soup, and sherbet for desert. Vegetarian options were also available.

After lunch we took about a 70-minute drive to Hakone, favorite hot spring destination for Tokyoites. Arriving in Hakone, we passed the Hakone Open-Air Museum, home to a Picasso gallery and Gora flowers. Our destination in Hakone, however, was a cruise on the waters of Lake Ashi. Weekends can be quite crowded, but on weekdays it can almost seem like you have the whole area to yourself. The boats on Lake Ashi had three levels, with the highest an open-air observatory. Everyone immediately wanted to go up top and take in the scenery around them! From the boat, the mountains of Hakone and Lake Ashi surrounded us in amazing scenery. From the boat, I was able to take a nice picture of the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine. Disembarking from our lakeside cruise, we could see some of Hakone's beautiful gardens as we headed towards our next destination, the Mt. Komagatake Ropeway.

As we rode up the Mt. Komagatake Ropeway to the mountain's peak, Lake Ashi below slowly dwindled to the size of a pool, and the clouds at the bottom of Mt. Komagatake were like strands of cotton candy. Komagatake Shrine lay at the top of the mountain, with a gigantic stone enshrined before it, said to be in the shape of a horse. The simple cord tied around the stone was enough to give the entire area a serene and peaceful feeling.

Returning from the top of Mt. Komagatake, night had already started to fall. We all took another short break while preparing for the journey back to Tokyo. The group diverged at that point, with some tour guests taking an optional one-night stay in Hakone, and some traveling to nearby Odawara Station to ride Japan's famous Shinkansen bullet train back to Tokyo. The Shinkansen option in particular was popular with people who wanted to experience Japan's legendary train, or just those who wanted to cut the 90-minute ride back to Tokyo in half.

With us the entire trip was our delightful guide, Emiko. Whether impressing us with her encyclopedic knowledge of Japan, singing to us in Japanese, or teaching us Japanese characters or how to fold an origami Mt. Fuji, she made the bus ride a fun time for all, and really made everyone feel welcome with her warm hospitality.

Day Trips from Tokyo
	Without Lunch	With Lunch
Return by Bus	JPY 11,000	JPY 13,000
Return by Bullet Train	JPY 14,000	JPY 16,000
Round Trip Bullet train	Not available	JPY 18,000