Mount Takao Hike in One Day
Tokyo's own mountain: cable car up, tengu statues at Yakuoin, a Fuji view from the summit with tororo soba, a forest-stream descent and an onsen at the station.
Last updated 2026-09-03 · 1-day self-guided plan
Mount Takao
Cable car, temple, summit, stream and hot spring
For anyone who wants a real mountain, a temple and a hot spring in one day, an hour from Shinjuku, without carrying anything heavier than water.
1Takaosanguchi and the cable car
The Keio Line from Shinjuku reaches Takaosanguchi in about 50 minutes; be on a train by 7:30 to arrive around 8:30, before the school groups. Walk five minutes up the valley to the lower station, where the cable car, one of the steepest in Japan, and an open two-seat chairlift both climb the first half of the mountain. Take the lift up if it is a fine day; the view opens behind you.
45 MinutesCost: ¥500–1,000- 2
Yakuoin Temple
From the upper station follow the paved Trail 1 for about 20 minutes, past the monkey park and the Takosugi octopus cedar, to Yakuoin. The temple has stood here for over a thousand years and is guarded by long-nosed tengu statues, the mountain goblins of Japanese legend. Climb through the vermilion gates to the main hall, where the fire ritual is held on some mornings and the smell of incense follows you up.
1 HourCost: Free - 3
Summit and tororo soba
Another 20 minutes of stairs and shaded path from the temple reaches the summit at 599 metres, around 11:00. The western viewing platform looks straight at Mt Fuji on clear days, best from November to February when the air is dry. Lunch on top is tororo soba, buckwheat noodles with grated mountain yam, at one of the huts, or unpack what you brought at the picnic tables.
1 HourCost: ¥1,000–1,500 
4Trail 6 down the stream valley
Take Trail 6 down from the summit: an unpaved path that drops through cedar forest along a stream, with stepping stones through the water in the lower section and the small Biwa waterfall where ascetics train. It takes about 90 minutes to the foot of the mountain and is quieter and cooler than Trail 1. In wet weather or after rain, use Inariyama Trail instead, since the stream section floods.
1.5–2 HoursCost: Free- 5
Keio Takaosan Onsen
The trail ends a few minutes from Takaosanguchi station, and the hot spring is built directly beside it. Outdoor baths of cloudy mineral water and a cypress-wood tub sit under the trees, with a restaurant and a resting room for the beer afterwards. Towels rent at the desk. Trains back to Shinjuku leave every few minutes into the evening.
1.5 HoursCost: ¥1,000–1,500
Day 1 Estimated Cost
- Food¥2,000–4,000
- Transport¥900–1,500
- Cable car & onsen¥1,500–2,500
Tips
Keio Line from Shinjuku, direct to Takaosanguchi on the semi-special express: a discount ticket at Keio Shinjuku bundles the return fare with the cable car or lift.
Trail 1 is paved but Trail 6 is roots, rock and stepping stones: proper trainers or light hiking shoes, and a change of socks for the onsen.
Eat soba at the summit and bring a litre of water per person; there are vending machines near the temple but nothing on Trail 6.
Fuji shows from the summit only in the morning before the haze rises, and best in the cold months; the autumn maples around the cable car peak in late November.