Best Day Trips from Tokyo: Complete Guide to Nearby Destinations
- Last Updated On August 29, 2026
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One of our favourite things to do when visiting Tokyo is leave.
Don’t take it the wrong way! We love Tokyo and one of the many great things about it is how easy it is to access some of the best day trips in Japan.
We normally recommend spending at least 5 days in Tokyo, but if you have the time it’s always worth staying a bit longer so you can explore some of these iconic day trips.
Whether you’re on a classic golden triangle trip or just spending a week in Japan’s capital, we’ve compiled our best day trips from Tokyo.
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Best Day Trips From Tokyo at a Glance
| Destination | Travel Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Yokohama | ~30–40 mins from central Tokyo | Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel, largest Chinatown in Japan |
| Kamakura | ~60 mins from central Tokyo | Beach, the Great Buddha, seaside train crossing |
| Nikko | ~120 mins from central Tokyo | Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, autumn foliage |
| Mt. Fuji | ~120 mins from Shinjuku | Iconic views, photography, onsens |
| Hakone | ~90 mins from central Tokyo | Lake Ashi views of Fuji, Hakone Shrine, pirate boat cruise |
Yokohama
A visit to Yokohama city has become one of our favourite day trips to do when in Tokyo. It’s a great way to get the feel of a different Japanese city without having to travel too far. Ideal if your time in Japan is short and you’re only planning to base yourself in Tokyo.
Whilst Yokohama is often overshadowed by its capital neighbour, it has its own charm and history which make it worth the visit.
There’s the iconic Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel in Cosmo World on the harbourside, which if you time well, you can see sunset views of Fuji on a clear day.
Yokohama is also home to the largest Chinatown in Japan! Something we didn’t realise till we were walking the streets, jaws dropped at just how vast it was. By far one of our favourite attractions with so much incredible food!
Getting to Yokohama From Tokyo
Travel Time: ~30-40 minutes from central Tokyo
From Tabata, Ueno, Tokyo, Akihabara, or Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, take the Keihin-Tōhoku Line directly to Sakuragichō Station in Yokohama. These Tokyo stations all sit on the JR Yamanote Line making them easy to access from all across Tokyo, especially with a Suica card.
The short travel time, theme park, and fun shopping malls make it ideal for families or couples looking for a quick detour from Tokyo.
Check out our Yokohama Day Trip Guide From Tokyo. 👈
Kamakura
Kamakura is actually somewhere we’ve visited twice now, each via a different method of transport. Our first trip was the classic train route that we’d suggest to anyone staying in Tokyo. The second was by car, or Kei van to be precise, as part of our two month Japan road trip.
It’s somewhere we enjoy visiting when we’re in the area and fancy a beach break. Though that’s just what we expected on our first visit; Kamakura turned out to offer much more.
As well as the iconic seaside train crossing, Kamakura also has incredible shopping streets, temples, and even a giant 11m tall bronze Buddha statue. Conveniently known as The Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Getting to Kamakura From Tokyo
Travel Time: ~60 minutes from central Tokyo
From either Tokyo or Shinagawa Station, take the JR Yokosuka Line to Kamakura Station. From there you can catch another train towards Enoshima on the historic Enoden Line, this is the train that goes through the iconic seaside crossing.
Alternatively, you can take the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line from Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, or Shibuya to Kamakura Station. Meaning you have plenty of options from some of the most central parts of Tokyo. It’s reasons like this, we usually recommend staying in either Shinjuku or Shibuya.
Kamakura makes for a great family day trip to the beach if you’re wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Just don’t forget to explore the temples and shopping streets near Kamakura station before you hit the beach.
Check out our Kamakura Day Trip Guide From Tokyo. 👈
Nikko
Our day trip from Tokyo to Nikko didn’t go as planned from the offset. Entirely our fault.
Poor planning on our side, not accounting for the travel time or just how popular Nikko would be, made the trip a bit sour in our memories.
Nikko is a scenic mountain town north of Tokyo and is home to the incredible mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, located in Toshogu Shrine. Tokugawa was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the very shogunate that the Disney+ show Shogun is based on! Unfortunately, due to our poor timing, we didn’t have time to visit the shrine.
What we did visit though was the stunning Kegon Falls viewpoint. A snaking mountain pass road followed by a cable car brought us to a mountaintop viewpoint that gave sprawling views over Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls. If you’re planning a day trip from Tokyo in autumn, this is the place to come.
Part of our poor planning meant that we missed most of the autumn foliage, had no time to visit the shrine, and travelled two stops in the wrong direction on the local bus. So whilst our day trip might not have been great, we have seen the potential and will be back at some point to give it another shot!
Getting to Nikko From Tokyo
Travel Time: ~120 minutes from central Tokyo
From Asakusa Station you need to catch the Tobu Limited Express to Nikko, this is the fastest train that takes roughly 2 hours. Don’t make the same mistake we did and assume you’ll be able to get tickets for the first train on the day. Book the limited express ticket in advance.
We had to take the local train which cost less but took an extra hour, gave us less time in Nikko, and left us feeling very unprepared.
A trip to Nikko is ideal for couples, we think the extended travel time and further buses you have to take once in Nikko could make it a bit difficult with younger children.
Mt. Fuji
It’s safe to say Mt. Fuji is our most visited place on this list.
We’ve day tripped from Tokyo by train, bus and car. We’ve road tripped around the Fuji five lakes area, and we’ve even spent 10 days staying in Fuji Kawaguchiko as part of Sarah’s birthday.
As a keen photographer, this place is a dream, with every season giving us more and more reasons to come back.
The best way to day trip to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo is to aim for Fuji Kawaguchiko and possibly Fuji town if you have the time. We often recommend turning this day trip into at least a one night stay so you get to experience a sunset and sunrise around Japan’s icon.
Obviously the main attraction is Mt. Fuji itself but there are other activities you can enjoy if you get a low visibility day. Our first visit to Fuji was completely rained off for two days so we just enjoyed the local onsens and went for a sake tasting instead.
Getting to Mt. Fuji From Tokyo
Travel Time: ~120 minutes from Shinjuku
The cheapest and most efficient way to get to Mt. Fuji is by taking the coach from the bus station in Shinjuku (Busta Shinjuku). Make sure you book online in advance and don’t forget the return trip! The bus will drop you off at Fuji Kawaguchiko Station where you can change to the local bus lines depending on what part of Fuji you want to explore.
Fuji is one of the few sights in Japan that lives up to the hype, and we’d put it near the top of anyone’s itinerary.
Hakone
We haven’t actually visited Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo. Our two visits here have been entirely when we were driving around Japan, but we know it’s absolutely doable using public transport from Tokyo since our friends did it on their Japan trip.
Hakone is another great opportunity to see Mt. Fuji from a different perspective. The main area to visit in Hakone that we recommend to first time visitors is Moto-Hakone, this is the lake side town that offers stunning views of Fuji-san as well as a pirate boat cruise on Lake Ashi.
Hakone is also home to, believe it or not, Hakone Shrine. This shrine features an iconic red torii gate sat in the lake and has become so popular with tourists that people are queuing for over an hour to take a picture.
We refuse to put ourselves through that suffering and instead prefer to take a stroll around the shrine before heading to the lake side to enjoy the local cafes and lakeside views of Fuji.
Getting to Hakone From Tokyo
Travel Time: ~90 minutes from central Tokyo
We’ve only done Hakone by car so far, but we’ve mapped out exactly how we’d do it by train next time we’re in Tokyo.
Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station (30 minutes). Alternatively you can take the Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station, which is cheaper but takes an extra 50 minutes.
Then catch the Hakone Tozan Bus (Route K) from Odawara Station to Moto-Hakone. The bus takes around 50 to 60 minutes. There is the option to catch another train from Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto and then get on the bus there. It’s an extra step but could save time depending on the bus schedule.
This route takes you to what we think is one of the most scenic parts of Hakone, Lake Ashi. It’s great for couples and families alike with stunning views of Mt. Fuji and the option to rent a pedalo on the lake.
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Hi! We’re Mark & Sarah.
We’ve been travelling the world together for the past 4 years. Exploring destinations such as Europe, South America, South East Asia, Japan and Australia. Now we’re sharing everything we’ve learned on our travels, to help you get out there and have your own adventures!
