Mt. Fuji Tour: Lake Kawaguchi, Shrine & Healing Village Review

Okay, so you’re likely planning a trip to Japan and, clearly, Mount Fuji is calling your name, right? Seeing that iconic peak up close is, like, basically a must-do for anyone hitting up Japan, but sorting through all the tour options can feel just a bit overwhelming. Worry not! I went on one of those popular day tours hitting Lake Kawaguchi, Arakura Sengen Shrine, plus Iyashi no Sato Healing Village and I’m going to tell you just about everything you should maybe know. My aim here is just to give you a lowdown based on my experience, covering what’s worth it, things that are not as amazing, plus some little tips to assist you plan your Fuji adventure.

First stop, pretty much always Lake Kawaguchi

Okay, so Lake Kawaguchi? Very likely it’s gonna be your first stop on just about any Mount Fuji tour, and honestly, for good reason. Picture this: a pretty, serene lake mirroring Fuji’s majestic form on a, you know, clear day. Stunning! The lake offers, like, super incredible views, plus it’s got that classic postcard vibe everybody is looking for. I was there in, you know, late spring, plus the blossoms made the whole view feel especially magical, right? Many tours usually provide a little bit of time just by the lake; it’s enough to take pictures, breathe in the fresh air, plus just soak up the gorgeous setting. One very important thing to bear in mind, really, is the weather is so unpredictable. Fuji’s visibility can actually be a bit touch-and-go. Apparently, some days it is out in full glory, other days? Not a chance! This part’s, just a little bit of a gamble, but, I mean, that’s kind of travel, right?

Arakura Sengen Shrine: that picture-perfect pagoda view

After that pretty lakeside break, the tour will typically roll on to Arakura Sengen Shrine. I guess if you’ve looked at a Mount Fuji travel guide, you’ve seen this view before: that red pagoda sitting just above town with Fuji looming in the background. As a matter of fact, it’s really as wonderful as the photographs suggest. What you should know, really, is that getting to the, sort of, prime photo spot takes a bit of effort. The staircase up to the pagoda is, you know, surprisingly steep. However, at the end of the day, it’s super manageable if you take breaks, plus seriously, worth it! At the end of the day, up there, with a view, just feels pretty spectacular. So too is the Chureito Pagoda something special; apart from the incredible view, the shrine also has, like, small gardens plus little details to discover. Give yourself time to have a look all-around. Even with crowds (plus trust me, it tends to be crowded), that spot provides a sense of calm. I’d, arguably, say it’s the highlight of the entire trip, too.

Iyashi no Sato Healing Village: a look at traditional Japan

Okay, so next up? The Iyashi no Sato Healing Village. So, it’s more or less a reconstructed traditional village situated on the shores of Lake Saiko. Way back in the day, it was destroyed by a typhoon, however they actually rebuilt it as a living museum, highlighting local crafts plus customary life. Is that fascinating? Definitely a pretty neat idea. Wander between the thatched-roof houses plus you’ll find pottery workshops, textile displays, tea rooms, just too it’s very good for looking around. It is rather touristy, yet the village does provide a certain look at Japan’s past. What’s fun, honestly, is dressing up in samurai armor or a kimono for photos! I, basically, rented samurai armor (hey, you gotta do it for the ‘gram, right?), plus wandered around feeling sort of ridiculous plus sort of awesome all at the same time. The food at Iyashi no Sato really has a lot of local specialties. Arguably, try the Hoto noodles, that is a regional dish sort of like a hearty miso-based stew together with thick noodles plus vegetables. Just really warm as well as filling, mainly on a colder day, right? Very likely, bear in mind that shops actually accept credit cards (some simply accept cash). That’s arguably a valuable consideration, when you intend buying gifts and things.

Choosing Your Mt. Fuji Tour: Some things you might wanna think about

Okay, that can feel a little overwhelming together with loads of Mount Fuji tour choices obtainable. Do they include this, are they including that, so too do they have all these locations or only two? Before going too far, a bit, think just a little about your priorities: namely, What things are most crucial for your experiences, like your specific interests, together with just how fast or, like, relaxed do you prefer to travel. The price ranges really seem to differ based on what’s actually included. For instance, some offer you included lunches, even though others simply handle transportation. A more affordable tour is apparently super attractive. However, actually, assess when the extra conveniences may save you both effort plus cash eventually, at the end of the day. Reading lots of reviews happens to be super invaluable, that’s been said, though think about whether you’d like just a tiny bit more breathing room. As a matter of fact, choose something just a bit smaller sized. So then, actually, if you’re simply very interested in traditional crafts, right? Actually, then spending additional time around Iyashi no Sato (perhaps together with even skipping another site) really can possibly add too, your enjoyment, so too would picking one with that focus happen too, actually, that may work. Don’t be concerned so that you can assess tour details, look through itineraries carefully and only a little so that you could find something suiting.

Useful tips For your personal Mt. Fuji Trip

Right then, now, if you’re gonna go on just a Mount Fuji tour there is likely something which I did not fully know well beforehand: The climate can change a ton up in this area; apparently, bring extra clothing. This could sound incredibly clear to just anyone, however, seriously, the climate difference when it comes to Tokyo or perhaps another urban place, so too does a number of wind on just higher elevation can readily take you as something just a bit sudden if not planned appropriately, really, then consider something to add too. You can very frequently discover Mount Fuji being, a little covered by way of clouds even throughout or otherwise on seemingly pretty stunning or normally warm morning. Just keep on being hopeful but anticipate very little by ensuring the option can work under all those types situations also, just when viewing becomes something more possible (this part, too, I did not learn until immediately getting here!) that the, slightly, less clear months usually could see it showing better while typically clear days you mostly may discover clouds hanging near to it also. Remember something; if you actually are concerned specifically when considering obtaining photos, or viewing itself and/or either! Make a little investigation! You usually could probably find, too it’s, somewhat easy just to be capable of taking a look at close-by cameras which mostly do broadcast live on line to get just a, mostly, really, quick assessment of such viewing for particular situations at different periods throughout specific morning and afternoons or periods. If planning at all a more full season, next anticipate something in advance; a couple particular sorts plus colours are visible, at varying particular periods annually too.

#MtFuji #LakeKawaguchi #JapanTravel #TravelReview “`