2 Days 1 Night in Okutama – Mitake: an autumn escape without leaving Tokyo
Leave the city behind on a train costing just over a thousand yen: Hatonosu Gorge, a forest-fringed lake surrounded by fall colors, an overnight stay at a temple lodging on Mount Mitake, and a morning hike down to Nanayo Falls.
Aug 12, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 18 min read
Leave the city behind on a train costing just over a thousand yen: Hatonosu Gorge, a forest-fringed lake surrounded by fall colors, an overnight stay at a temple lodging on Mount Mitake, and a morning hike down to Nanayo Falls.
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If you search for “fall colors near Tokyo” this November, the results will almost certainly point you toward two familiar names: Hakone and Nikko. Both are undeniably beautiful—but that also means paying several thousand yen each way for the train, lining up for the ropeway, and getting the feeling that “all of Tokyo decided to escape together” on the exact day you chose. OlaChill already has two full day-trip guides to Hakone’s onsen, so this time we’re heading in a different direction—somewhere that even many people who have lived in Japan for years have never visited.
That direction is west. Keep heading west across the Tokyo map, past all the familiar neighborhoods, and you’ll reach a forested mountain area called Okutama. Technically, it’s still within Tokyo; you can tap your Suica to board the train just as you would on your daily commute. But open the window and you’ll see gorges, jade-green rivers, and hills blazing with red and gold foliage in late autumn. The train from Shinjuku all the way to the final station costs only a little over a thousand yen—less than lunch in Shibuya—and takes around two hours.
What I love most about this route isn’t the scenery, but the chance to spend the night in the mountains. Mount Mitake is home to a small settlement of pilgrimage lodgings (shukubo) clustered around a more-than-thousand-year-old shrine. You can enjoy a dinner of wild mountain vegetables, look out over the sea of lights across the Kanto Plain from nearly a thousand meters up, and wake before the morning mist has even lifted. Here’s the 2-day, 1-night itinerary I put together: affordable, manageable, and just right for an autumn weekend.
Why choose this route instead of Hakone?
The short answer: it’s cheaper, quieter, and more adventurous.
- Much cheaper: the entire trip is done by train on the JR Chuo–Ome Line (JR even nicknames this section the “Tokyo Adventure Line”). You can simply tap a regular IC card, with no special pass required. Total transportation costs for both days—including trains, local buses, and the cable car—usually come to around four or five thousand yen, less than a round-trip Romancecar ticket to Hakone.
- Much quieter: even on peak fall-color weekends, Okutama is only “mountain-town busy”—meaning there are people on the trails, but you can still take a photo of the suspension bridge without a dozen selfie sticks getting in the way.
- You can sleep in the mountains: a Hakone day trip ends when you head home, but at Mitake, the night in the mountains is the real highlight. Few places near Tokyo let you sleep in a temple lodging and eat a meal prepared by the priestly family themselves.
- It’s still Tokyo: it may sound a little funny, but for anyone using a commuter pass or wanting to brag about “escaping without leaving Tokyo,” this is a genuine bonus.
And if you’re still craving a Hakone-style onsen, don’t worry—I’ve included a hot-spring stop at the end to “officially close out” the trip.
Before you go
Transportation: easier than you think
From Shinjuku, take the JR Chuo Line toward Tachikawa, then transfer to the Ome Line. Most trains require a transfer at Tachikawa or Ome; on weekends, some services occasionally continue farther without a transfer, but schedules change often, so check Google Maps or the Yahoo!乗換案内 app right before your departure date. The total journey from Shinjuku to the Mitake–Okutama area takes around one and a half to two hours, with a one-way fare of roughly 1.100 yen.
One small detail that catches many people off guard: trains run infrequently on the deeper section of the Ome Line, with some time slots having only one train every 30–40 minutes. So don’t plan it like you would in central Tokyo, where you can just show up at the station and expect a train—take a screenshot of that day’s timetable in advance.
Fall-color season
The leaves change later here than in higher mountain areas such as Nikko. The best time is generally from early November to around late November, with Okutama Lake and Hatonosu Gorge usually reaching their peak around the middle of the month. On the summit of Mount Mitake, nearly a thousand meters above sea level, the leaves change about a week earlier than they do in the valleys below. If you visit in early December, there will still be patches of orange and yellow in the gorges, and the crowds will be even thinner.
What to bring
- Sneakers with good grip or lightweight hiking shoes—the second day includes a steep descent down metal stairs to the waterfall, and ballet flats will leave you in trouble.
- A warm jacket: late-autumn nights on Mount Mitake can drop close to 0 degrees, much colder than you might expect compared with central Tokyo.
- A few thousand yen in cash, preferably in smaller denominations: some small eateries and mountain lodgings still don’t accept cards.
- Your phone’s flashlight should be enough, but a headlamp is even better for an evening walk around the shrine settlement.
Day 1: Hatonosu Gorge and Okutama Lake
Morning: head straight to Hatonosu Station
Take an early train from Shinjuku—around 7–8 a.m. is ideal—and get off at Hatonosu Station (鳩ノ巣), a tiny station perched on a mountainside. The kind of station where you can hear the river as soon as you step onto the platform. It’s about a 5-minute walk from the station to Hatonosu Gorge (Hatonosu Keikoku), where the Tama River winds between enormous granite boulders. The water is a brilliant jade, while the forested cliffs on either side are filled with maple and oak leaves ranging from lemon yellow to deep crimson at peak season.
The most photogenic spot is the small suspension bridge spanning the gorge. Stand in the middle and look down, and you’ll understand why Tokyo residents call this “the secret valley two hours from Shinjuku by train.” A trail at the foot of the bridge leads down to the water’s edge—a perfect place to sit and enjoy a coffee you brought from home.
If your legs are still feeling good and the weather is clear, continue along the riverside trail toward Shiromaru Dam, part of the Otama Walking Trail. This section takes around 40–60 minutes, following the river and crossing several small bridges, with fallen leaves carpeting the path in autumn. You can board the train at Shiromaru Station and continue onward, or, if you want to save your energy for Day 2, simply return to Hatonosu Station.
Lunch: Okutama Station and a hot bowl of soba
From Hatonosu, it’s two more stops to Okutama Station, the line’s terminus and the “capital” of the entire area. The small wooden station has a charming mountain-lodge feel, with several local eateries and a tourist information center out front. Stop in for a free map—the staff are extremely helpful. For lunch, try soba or udon with Okutama wasabi. Wasabi is genuinely grown along the local streams and grated fresh at the table, with a fragrant heat completely different from the tube varieties sold in supermarkets. Salt-grilled stream fish such as yamame and iwana are also worth ordering.
Afternoon: Okutama Lake and its famous floating bridge
There’s a bus stop in front of the station. Take a bus toward Okutama Lake (Okutama-ko); the ride takes around 15–20 minutes and costs a few hundred yen. The lake is actually a reservoir behind Ogouchi Dam, an important source of Tokyo’s water supply, but the scenery feels anything but industrial. Deep blue water sits between mountain ranges, and in autumn the entire arc of mountains around the lake bursts into red and gold, reflected on the surface below.
A few worthwhile stops around the lake:
- Ogouchi Dam crest: walk across the top of the dam, with the lake on one side and a plunging valley on the other. There’s also a small museum about Tokyo’s water supply beside the dam, with free admission.
- Mugiyama Floating Bridge (麦山の浮橋): a bobbing bridge crossing one branch of the lake. Locals jokingly call it the “drum bridge” because it was once made from oil drums. It sways slightly as you walk, making it feel like a fun amusement-park ride, and it offers the area’s best view of fall colors reflected on the lake. Note: when the water level drops, the bridge may be temporarily closed, so ask at the station’s information center before taking the bus.
Around 15:00–15:30, take the bus back to Okutama Station, then board the train to Mitake Station (御嶽). It’s only a few stops and takes around 15 minutes.
Late afternoon: reach the mountain before the last cable car
This is the most important connection in the entire itinerary, so let me be very clear: the Mitake cable car has a final departure, usually around 18:00, and the schedule may change by season—you must check the official Mitake Tozan Railway website before your trip. Missing the last departure means an hour-long uphill walk in the dark.
From Mitake Station, take the small bus for around 10 minutes to Takimoto Cable Car Station, then ride the cable car uphill. It’s one of the steepest funicular railway routes in the Kanto region, with the car seeming to crawl straight up into the sky through red autumn foliage. After only about 6 minutes, you’ll be standing at an elevation of over 800 meters, enjoying crisp mountain air that feels completely different from the valley below. From the upper station, it’s another 20–25 minutes on a gently sloping village road to the cluster of temple lodgings. Be sure to tell your lodging your check-in and dinner times in advance—things run on their own rhythm in the mountains, and dinner is usually served early.
A night in the mountains: sleeping in a shukubo—the trip’s best-value experience
What is a shukubo, and why try it?
Mount Mitake is a sacred mountain, and its summit is home to Musashi-Mitake Shrine, whose history is believed to stretch back nearly two thousand years. Since the Edo period, priestly families known as oshi have opened their homes to pilgrims seeking a place to stay—that is the origin of the shukubo. Today, around twenty such lodgings remain around the shrine, most still run by descendants of the oshi families. At a shukubo, you sleep in a tatami room on a futon, bathe in a wooden or stone tub (heated water, not an onsen—there are no natural hot springs on the mountain), and enjoy a traditional mountain dinner featuring wild vegetables, tofu, homemade konnyaku, grilled fish, and sticky rice. Some lodgings also offer meditation under a waterfall or morning chanting if arranged in advance.
Accommodation suggestions by budget
- Budget (around 6.000–8.000 yen/person): some shukubo accept sudomari bookings, meaning accommodation only, with no meals. Bring snacks with you—there are practically no convenience stores on the mountain—or eat an early dinner at one of the restaurants in the shrine settlement. This option suits backpackers.
- Mid-range (around 10.000–15.000 yen/person, including 2 meals): this is the most common price range and, in my opinion, the best value. Dinner and breakfast at a shukubo are surprisingly delicious, and afterward you can simply roll into your futon. One frequently recommended name is Komadori Sanso (駒鳥山荘), a long-established lodging with a wooden veranda overlooking the valley. The owners speak English and are accustomed to welcoming international guests. Many other lodgings can be booked through Jalan, Rakuten Travel, or the Mitake village tourism website.
- More comfortable (from around 18.000 yen/person): some shukubo offer spacious ryokan-style rooms, more elaborate mountain kaiseki meals, and private baths. If you’re traveling with your parents or celebrating a special occasion, ask the lodging directly about its best room category—mountain lodgings rarely list every option online.
A hard-earned tip: mountain lodgings fill up early on fall-color weekends, so book at least 2–3 weeks ahead. If everything at the summit is sold out, Plan B is to stay at a rustic guesthouse in the valley near Mitake or Okutama Station and take the first cable car up the next morning. You can still keep to the Day 2 itinerary, but you’ll miss the evening in the mountains.
What is there to do in the mountains at night?
Something central Tokyo can never offer: silence. After dinner, put on a warm jacket and walk out to the small plaza at the foot of the shrine approach. From there, you can see the sea of lights across the Kanto Plain glittering in the distance. Look up, and the sky is dense with stars. On a clear autumn night, you may even see the Milky Way as a faint band of light. Go to bed a little early, because tomorrow morning offers a very good reason to wake before sunrise.
Day 2: the sacred shrine, Nanayo Falls, and the journey home
Early morning: Musashi-Mitake Shrine in the mist
Wake up around 6:00, and you may see the most beautiful moment of the entire trip: early sunlight filtering through ancient cedar trees, with mist still lingering in the valley below. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a sea of clouds (unkai) spread out beneath your feet. Climb the final stone steps to Musashi-Mitake Shrine, dedicated to Oinu-sama, the wolf deity believed to protect against theft and evil spirits. That’s why the shrine is famously dog-friendly—many Japanese visitors bring their pets all the way up to pray for their safety. From the shrine grounds, look east on a clear day and you may see Tokyo’s skyline, with even the Skytree faintly visible in the distance.
Return to your lodging for breakfast, check out, and leave your larger luggage there if they allow it—most places are happy to hold it for you. Then begin the more active part of Day 2.
Descending to Nanayo Falls
From the shrine settlement, follow the signs toward Nagaodaira, then turn onto the trail descending to Nanayo Falls (七代の滝). This section is short—around 30–40 minutes each way—but it’s the most challenging part of the trip. The trail is steep, with several sections of metal stairs that are almost vertical against the mountainside. Take it slowly, use the handrails, and you’ll be fine with proper shoes. If you have weak knees or are traveling with older people, however, consider skipping it. Wandering around the shrine is beautiful enough on its own.
At the bottom of the valley, the reward is a waterfall cascading in several tiers over moss-covered rocks. The name “Nanayo” (seven generations) is believed to refer to the connected tiers of the falls. In autumn, red and golden maple leaves collect on the wet stones around the base, while the cool air is thick with the scent of moss and water. It’s the kind of scenery where standing still for a minute genuinely feels like recharging your batteries.
The Rock Garden loop (if you still have the energy)
From the base of the falls, instead of climbing back the way you came, follow the metal stairs uphill toward Tengu Rock, then join the Rock Garden trail. This valley stretches for around one and a half kilometers, with lush green moss-covered rocks on both sides, small streams weaving between your feet, and occasional wooden bridges. At the end is Ayahiro Falls, where the shrine still holds waterfall meditation rites (taki-gyo) for practitioners. The full loop from the shrine down to Nanayo Falls, through the Rock Garden, up to Ayahiro Falls, and back to the shrine settlement takes around 2–2 and a half hours at a relaxed pace. It’s one of the most popular hiking routes near Tokyo, and autumn is when it looks its best.
Afternoon: descend the mountain and “close out” the trip
Have a light lunch at one of the restaurants in the shrine settlement—soba, curry rice, or charcoal-grilled dango. Mountain restaurants usually close early, around mid-afternoon. Then stroll back to the cable car station, ride down the mountain, and take the bus to Mitake Station.
On the way home, here are two ways to finish the trip, depending on your preferences:
- Onsen style: travel back toward Okutama Station and soak at Moegi no Yu, a public hot-spring bath near the station with outdoor baths overlooking the forested mountains. It’s a slight detour, but after two days of climbing, it’s absolutely worth it. Be sure to check the opening hours and regular closing days on the official website before you go.
- Sake style: get off at Sawai Station—just one stop from Mitake toward Tokyo—and walk a few minutes to Ozawa Shuzo, a more-than-three-hundred-year-old brewery that produces the Sawanoi brand. Its tasting garden sits on a gorge-side cliff overlooking the Tama River. A chilled cup of sake, some artisanal tofu, fall leaves overhead, and the river below your feet—I can’t think of a better way to bring this autumn trip to a close.
From here, board the train, sleep for a while, and you’ll be back in Shinjuku—still in time for dinner in the city.
Estimated cost for the whole trip
Per person, assuming a mid-range budget:
- Round-trip train from Shinjuku to the Okutama/Mitake area: around 2.200 yen
- Local buses (2–3 rides): around 1.000 yen
- Round-trip cable car: around 1.200 yen
- Shukubo with 2 meals: around 10.000–15.000 yen
- Lunch for 2 days + snacks and incidentals: around 3.000–4.000 yen
The total comes to around 17.000–23.000 yen for the full 2-day, 1-night trip—roughly the same as, or even cheaper than, a “full-option” Hakone day trip, while giving you an entire night in the mountains. These figures are estimates for planning purposes; fares and room rates vary by season, so check the official websites when booking.
Frequently asked questions
Can people who aren’t used to hiking manage this itinerary?
Yes, with one small adjustment. All of Day 1 and the shrine portion of Day 2 involve village roads and gentle trails, so anyone who can manage 8.000–10.000 steps a day should be fine. The descent to Nanayo Falls and the Rock Garden includes steep metal stairs, so if you’d rather avoid them, replace that section with a stroll through the herb garden and scenic viewpoints around the shrine settlement. The trip will still feel complete.
Is it okay to go alone?
Absolutely. It’s an ideal solo route: the trails are clearly signposted, with many signs in English; there are always other people around on weekends; and shukubo are used to welcoming solo travelers. Just remember two rules: don’t hike after dark, and always keep track of the final cable car departure.
If I can’t stay overnight, can I do this as a day trip?
Yes, but you’ll need to choose one of two options: either Hatonosu and Okutama Lake, or Mount Mitake and the waterfalls. Trying to fit both into one day turns it into a rushed checklist, leaving you exhausted without really enjoying anything. If you only have one day and enjoy physical activity, I’d choose Mitake; if you prefer a relaxed day of photography, choose the lake.
Can children and older people visit Mount Mitake?
Yes. The cable car handles the steepest part of the climb, and the road from the upper station to the shrine settlement is gently sloping concrete, with only a few steeper sections that are manageable at a slow pace. Many Japanese families bring grandparents and young children to the shrine on weekends. The Nanayo Falls section is the only part unsuitable for people with limited mobility.
What needs to be booked in advance?
Only your accommodation absolutely needs to be booked ahead, and the earlier the better during fall-color season. Trains, buses, and the cable car do not require reservations—just tap your IC card or buy a ticket on the spot. Dinner is included by default when you book a shukubo stay with meals; if you are vegetarian or have any allergies, tell the lodging when you book so they can prepare accordingly.
Is it worth visiting at other times of year?
Definitely. In summer, Hatonosu Gorge and the Tama River are popular places for Tokyo residents to escape the heat—the temperature is several degrees cooler than in the city. Early spring brings late-blooming cherry blossoms around the lake, while winter is extremely quiet, with the clearest skies and best long-distance views from the summit. Shukubo remain open year-round, so this itinerary can almost be reused in all four seasons—but autumn is still its most beautiful version.
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