Free Day Trips from Tokyo by Train and Bus

The Ticket Rule

An IC card like Suica or PASMO pays the base fare across JR and private lines, and the cards work across each other's networks. On a limited express the IC card covers only the base fare and you buy the seat supplement separately. Day passes replace all that where several rides are involved: the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass is 1,640 yen for one day from Shinjuku, the 2-day Hakone Freepass is 7,100 yen from Shinjuku, the NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area is 3,000 yen, and the Kawagoe Discount Pass is 710 yen round trip from Ikebukuro. Choose a pass when the rides inside it cost more than the pass, and an IC card when you make only one round trip.

On JR East shinkansen an IC card works only for non-reserved seats after a one-time set-up, and many highway buses do not take IC cards at all, so carry some cash. The planning guide covers Suica and luggage in detail.

Which Tokyo Station You Leave From

The start point depends on the destination, not on what is closest to your hotel. The table below lists the stations the official route pages name and where each one goes. Shinjuku alone covers three different lines, so check which company runs the service before you go there.

What Free Means Here

Free covers the places that charge no admission at all: shrine grounds such as Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (open 6:00 to 20:00), Chureito Pagoda, Nara Park, the Kawagoe warehouse district streets, the Mount Takao trails and the Takao 599 Museum. What is paid is clearly marked on each site. Kotoku-in charges 300 yen for the Great Buddha, Toshogu in Nikko charges 1,600 yen, and the Hakone Ropeway costs 2,000 yen one way.

A day can mix the two, a free walk and one or two paid stops.

Kamakura and Enoshima

The JR Yokosuka Line reaches Kamakura from Tokyo Station in just under an hour for 1,040 yen, and the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku takes about one hour at the same fare. Only Shonan-Shinjuku trains bound for Zushi run through to Kamakura, about two per hour, and other trains need a change at Ofuna. From Shinjuku the Odakyu route to Enoshima takes 65 to 75 minutes with a change at Fujisawa for 650 yen.

Enoshima itself pairs with Kamakura on the Enoden, a 25-minute coastal ride for 260 yen with trains about every ten minutes. Free in town: the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu grounds. Paid: Kotoku-in at 300 yen and Hasedera at 400 yen.

Start early, because Kotoku-in stops entry 15 minutes before its 17:00 or 17:30 close. The full walk-through is further down this page.

Yokohama

Yokohama sits 20 to 30 minutes from Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku. The fare depends on the line you take. Once there, the walk along the Minato Mirai waterfront costs nothing, and the Chinatown streets are free to browse, with Motomachi-Chukagai station 8 minutes and 230 yen from Yokohama Station and Ishikawacho 7 minutes and 200 yen.

Tokyu Toyoko Line trains from Shibuya continue onto the Minatomirai Line toward Minatomirai and Motomachi-Chukagai, so one seat can carry you most of the way. For a paid stop, the CupNoodles Museum Yokohama costs 500 yen for adults and is free for high school age and younger, open 10:00 to 18:00 with last admission at 17:00, closed Tuesdays and over New Year. Sankeien Garden charges 900 yen, open 9:00 to 17:00 with entry until 16:30, reached by bus 8 or 148 from Yokohama Station in 30 to 35 minutes for 220 yen.

Kawagoe

The Tobu Tojo express from Ikebukuro reaches Kawagoe in 30 minutes for 490 yen, the fastest way in. From Seibu-Shinjuku the Seibu express takes 50 to 60 minutes for 600 yen, or about 45 minutes by limited express for 1,200 yen, and the JR Saikyo and Kawagoe Line from Shinjuku takes 55 minutes for 810 yen. Foreign tourists can use the Tobu Kawagoe Discount Pass at 710 yen round trip from Ikebukuro, or the Premium version with bus rides at 1,050 yen.

The warehouse district is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station, and the old streets cost nothing to walk. The Toki no Kane bell tower chimes four times a day at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00, so time your stroll to one of them. Kashiya Yokocho, the candy alley, is a 15 to 20 minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe near the festival museum.

Kitain temple charges 400 yen and opens 9:00 to 16:30, until 16:00 in winter. The Koedo Loop Bus day pass is 400 yen if the walking adds up.

Mount Takao

Keio limited express trains leave Shinjuku about every 20 minutes and reach Takaosanguchi in about 50 minutes for 430 yen, the cheapest ride of the five. The mountain is 599 m high with six numbered trails, and the trails themselves are free. Trail 1 (Omotesando) is 3.8 km and takes 110 minutes up and 90 down on foot, or 60 up and 50 down using the cable car or chair lift, which both cost 490 yen one way.

The cable car runs every 15 minutes with 135 passengers per car on Japan's steepest slope of 31.18 degrees. Hours: the chair lift runs 9:00 to 16:30 and the cable car 8:00 to 18:00 in April, May, July and August. The summit shows Mt Fuji on clear days, and an observation deck near the cable car top station overlooks Tokyo.

Yakuoin temple near the summit is where visitors pray to tengu mountain gods. The Takao 599 Museum, 4 minutes on foot from Takaosanguchi, is free and opens 8:00 to 17:00 from April to November and 8:00 to 16:00 from December to March. Weekends get crowded, especially in November.

Getting There: Two Routes

From Tokyo Station take the JR Yokosuka Line, just under an hour for 1,040 yen, straight to Kamakura Station. From Shinjuku the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line takes about one hour at the same 1,040 yen, but only trains bound for Zushi run through, about two per hour, so other departures mean a change at Ofuna. The Odakyu option reverses the geography: the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass from Shinjuku costs 1,640 yen for adults and 430 yen for children for one day, covers one Odakyu round trip Shinjuku-Fujisawa, unlimited Enoden rides on the whole Fujisawa-Kamakura line and unlimited Odakyu rides between Fujisawa and Enoshima.

Use the Freepass when Enoden rides and the island both feature in your day, since the Enoden alone is 260 yen each way.

Morning: The Great Buddha and Hasedera

Start at Kotoku-in, the Great Buddha, before the crowds build. Admission is 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for children aged 6 to 12, with children under 6 free. Opening is 8:00 to 17:30 from April to September and 8:00 to 17:00 from October to March, and entry stops 15 minutes before closing. Going inside the statue costs an extra 50 yen and runs 8:00 to 16:30 all year, entry until 10 minutes before closing, so that part has its own earlier cutoff.

Hasedera is a five-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoden. It charges 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for elementary school children. Admission runs 8:00 to 16:30 with closing at 17:00, and from April to June 8:00 to 17:00 with closing at 17:30. The two temples sit close enough to visit in one morning, and the Noriorikun Enoden day pass at 800 yen for adults gives a discount at Hasedera as well as at the Enoshima Sea Candle and the Enoshima Aquarium.

Afternoon: The Enoden to Enoshima and Back to Kamakura

The Enoden from Kamakura to Enoshima takes 25 minutes for 260 yen, with trains about every ten minutes. Cross the bridge and the island's seafront walk is free. The paid set on the island is a 1,100 yen combined ticket for the garden, observation tower, caves and escalators, and the Iwaya Caves alone cost 500 yen. Odakyu also sells an Enoshima Sky View Ticket at 1,100 yen.

Ride the Enoden back to Kamakura for the late afternoon. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is open 6:00 to 20:00 and is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Kamakura Station, and the shrine grounds cost nothing. The treasure hall inside is open 9:00 to 16:00 for 200 yen, and the Shinen peony garden, which opens only in spring and winter, costs 500 yen. If you started the day at Enoshima instead, Odakyu reaches Katase-Enoshima from Shinjuku in 65 to 75 minutes for 650 yen, or the Romancecar runs directly in 60 minutes every one or two hours on weekends and holidays for 1,400 yen total, 1,350 yen as an e-ticket. Engakuji in Kita-Kamakura charges 500 yen with admission ending 30 minutes before closing.

If You Would Rather Not Plan It

A booked coach removes the timetable work. The Kamakura and Enoshima day tour at $78 adds a guide, the driver and the Enoden ride over 10 hours, with the meeting point at Tokyo Station or Shinjuku depending on the option. Be clear on what the price does not cover: the Great Buddha admission of 300 yen is paid separately, and lunch, drinks and personal purchases are not included either.

For a bigger swing, the tour that pairs Kamakura's Big Buddha with Mt Fuji and Lake Ashi costs $59.50, though again the Big Buddha ticket and the Lake Ashi cruise are only in the Full Tour options, not the Basic one.

Hakone on Your Own

The Odakyu Romancecar runs from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes. All seats are reserved and the limited express surcharge is 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for children, on top of the regular fare. Buying on Odakyu's EMot online service saves 50 yen. The Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku costs 7,100 yen for two days or 7,500 yen for three, and it includes the Shinjuku-Odawara round trip plus the Tozan train, Tozan cable car, Hakone Ropeway, Sightseeing Cruise and designated buses. Note that the purchase date counts as day one.

The classic loop works like this: Tozan train from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora (35 minutes), cable car to Sounzan, ropeway over Owakudani to Togendai, then the cruise across Lake Ashi for 25 to 35 minutes to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone. Hakone Shrine is a 5 to 10 minute walk from Moto-Hakone pier.

Paid extras if you skip the pass: the ropeway is 2,000 yen one way and the cruise 1,700 yen one way. The ropeway stops in winds of 30 m/s or more and closes for scheduled maintenance, so check that morning. Substitute buses run for pass holders when a section is shut.

If planning this loop feels like too much, the Mt Fuji, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi Day Tour from Tokyo at $76 includes a one-way ropeway fare.

Kawaguchiko and the Fuji Five Lakes on Your Own

Fujikyu's highway bus from Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station takes about 1 hour 45 minutes and fares start at 2,200 yen, or 2,000 yen booked online. Reservations open one month before travel. By rail, the JR Chuo Line limited express from Shinjuku to Otsuki takes 70 minutes for 2,430 yen, then the Fujikyu Railway to Kawaguchiko takes 55 minutes for 1,170 yen. A direct limited express between Shinjuku and Kawaguchiko takes about two hours, runs a few times a day and needs a seat reservation. The JR Tokyo Wide Pass at 16,000 yen for three days covers the whole Tokyo-Kawaguchiko journey except panorama seats.

Chureito Pagoda is free and sits nearly 400 steps above Arakura Sengen Shrine. Shimo-Yoshida Station is 10 minutes and 310 yen from Kawaguchiko, then a ten minute walk to the shrine and five more to the pagoda. Plan 30 to 45 minutes there, more when the viewing deck has a queue.

Around the lake, the red loop bus runs every 15 minutes and the green Saiko line every 30 minutes. The Saiko Motosuko bus pass costs 1,500 yen for one day. The Mt Fuji Panoramic Ropeway costs 1,000 yen round trip and departs every 5 to 10 minutes, with 15 minutes by bus from Kawaguchiko Station. The bus to the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station takes 50 minutes for 2,000 yen one way.

Prefer a coach that links the viewpoints for you? The Mt Fuji, Chureito Pagoda, Lake Kawaguchi and Oshino Hakkai Day Tour from Tokyo costs $82.

Nikko on Your Own

Tobu limited express trains from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko take about 2 hours and cost 2,850 to 3,540 yen one way depending on train and season. The earliest Spacia X leaves Asakusa at 7:50 and arrives at 9:39. Cheaper but slower: express and local trains cost 1,400 yen and take over 2.5 hours with transfers. The JR route via the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and the Nikko Line takes about 2 hours for about 5,500 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass.

The NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area costs 3,000 yen for adults and 1,500 yen for children, valid two consecutive calendar days, and includes one Asakusa-Nikko round trip by express or local train. A limited express needs a separate 1,450 to 2,140 yen supplement each way. Both passes are sold only to non-Japanese passport holders and neither covers shrine entry fees.

From the stations, the bus to the shrines takes about 10 minutes for 350 yen one way or 600 yen for a day pass. Toshogu admission is 1,600 yen for adults, open 9:00 to 17:00 from April to October with last entry 30 minutes before closing, and it has no closing days. Smaller fees: Shinkyo Bridge costs 300 yen and the Rinno-ji Sanbutsudo 400 yen.

If the train times put you off, the Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Waterfall Day Tour from Tokyo at $110 includes the Toshogu ticket.

The Planning Steps

Each step below exists because of how the fares and timetables actually work. Follow them in order and the day usually runs itself.

1. Pick by travel time. Kamakura is just under an hour from Tokyo Station for 1,040 yen, while Hakone, Kawaguchiko and Nikko all sit near two hours each way. Match the destination to the daylight you have.

2. Check whether a pass beats single tickets. The Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass costs 1,640 yen from Shinjuku and covers the round trip plus unlimited Enoden rides, where a single Enoden ride alone is 260 yen. Do the same arithmetic for Hakone, Nikko and Kawagoe before you buy anything.

3. Reserve the limited express seat early. The Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto has all reserved seats and adds a 1,200 yen surcharge, and the direct Shinjuku-Kawaguchiko limited express requires a reservation and runs only a few times a day.

4. Start early. Toshogu closes at 17:00 from April to October with last entry 30 minutes before, and the earliest Spacia X from Asakusa leaves at 7:50 to get you there by 9:39.

5. Check the ropeway or weather that morning. The Hakone Ropeway stops in winds of 30 m/s or more and for maintenance, and the cruise can be suspended in heavy fog or strong wind. Chureito needs clear weather for the view.

6. Carry cash. Small sights and buses do not all take cards, and many highway buses do not accept IC cards at all.

7. Check the last train back. The day gets long fast when the outbound leg is two hours, so confirm the return departure before you settle in at the far end.

• Pick by travel time: about 1 hour to Kamakura, about 2 hours to Hakone, Kawaguchiko or Nikko.
• Compare a pass against single tickets before buying.
• Reserve limited express seats: Romancecar surcharge 1,200 yen, all seats reserved.
• Start early: the first Spacia X leaves Asakusa at 7:50.
• Check the ropeway and weather that morning: winds of 30 m/s or more stop the Hakone Ropeway.
• Carry cash: many highway buses take no IC card.
• Confirm the last train home before the day starts.

The Passes Compared

The table below lines up the passes that matter for do-it-yourself day trips from Tokyo. Figures come from the Odakyu, Tobu and JR East pass pages. The Tokyo Wide Pass runs for three consecutive days.