How to Spend 2 Days in Kawaguchiko with Kids

Traveled in October 2025

Kawaguchiko is a lovely lakeside onsen resort town about 2 hours away from Tokyo. We really enjoyed this relaxing escape to nature away from hectic Tokyo in the middle of our Japan trip. There are plenty of outdoor activities here, and many of them revolve around catching a glimpse of the elusive Mount Fuji. One of the highlights though for families traveling here with young kids is Thomas Land! This was our kiddo’s favorite leg of the trip because he enjoyed Thomas Land and the experience of staying in a traditional Japanese hotel so much. If you’re looking for a quick nature escape from Tokyo that the whole family will enjoy, copy this family-friendly 2 day Kawaguchiko itinerary!

Kawaguchiko with Kids Itinerary

When to Go

One of the highlights of visiting Kawaguchiko is seeing Mount Fuji because you can literally see it from anywhere in the town – when it’s not hiding behind clouds. The best chances for clear views are typically during the colder months of December to February. The summer months (June to September) tend to have the least visibility. If you’re lucky with the weather, March to May is a gorgeous time to visit, since it often coincides with the cherry blossoms or pink moss, and there’s about a 50% chance of catching Mount Fuji on a clear day. October and November also offer a 50% chance of clear views, and by November, you can enjoy the stunning autumn foliage as well.

We visited in early October and were only able to see Mount Fuji for about 30 minutes the two days that we were there. Our friends visited the end of October and were lucky enough to have clear views of Mount Fuji the whole day. So it’s really just luck!

How to Get There

Kawaguchiko is about 2 hours away from Tokyo. When I’m traveling with our kiddo, I always try to find the quickest and most direct option to get from one place to another. Depending on where you’re staying in Tokyo, the direct option is either a bus or a train. Both of these options can book up quickly, especially the morning departures, so if there is a specific departure time you want then book online ahead of time.

• Kids under 6 do not need a ticket unless they need a seat, then they are charged the child fare (which is usually half of the adult fare).

From Tokyo Station

• Take the highway bus. Book tickets ahead of time on Japan Bus Online. Tickets are available 30 days in advance.

From Shinjuku Station

• Take the Limited Express Fuji Excursion train, which takes just under 2 hours. Book tickets ahead of time with Klook. Tickets are available 30 days in advance.

Where to Stay

While you can do Kawaguchiko as a long day trip from Tokyo, I would highly recommend staying over for at least one night. Not only does this give you more chances of seeing Mount Fuji, it also gives you the chance to experience the hospitality and relaxation of an onsen hotel. It’s also the best way to experience onsens if traveling with kids because you can book a room with an in-room onsen!

One of the bucket list things to do in Japan is to stay in a hotel with an onsen, and the Fuji Lakes area is one of the most atmospheric places to do this. Imagine soaking in an onsen while enjoying views of the lake or Mount Fuji…amazing! Public onsens in Japan do not allow bathing suits and many do not allow tattoos, so if you’re not comfortable with being nude around others or have a tattoo then book a room with a private onsen in the room.

Young kids have to be potty trained before they can go into an onsen, no swim diapers allowed. The water can also be quite hot, so that can be another concern for younger kids. Having an in room onsen might be a good option for families traveling with younger kids because you may be able to add cold water to the onsen water bath if you want your kids to try the onsen experience, which you would not be able to do in a public bath.

Hotel Konansou

We loved our stay here and I cannot say enough good things about Hotel Konansou for families! I was expecting to have to apologize for bringing a kid to an onsen hotel, but there were so many kid-friendly amenities here. From the potty seat, to the special kids meal and the high chairs and variety of kids’ utensils at the breakfast buffet, I felt that they really tried to make families feel welcome. It’s definitely not a cheap stay, but we felt it was worth it for the dinner and whole experience.

The hotel is about a 10 minute downhill walk from Kawaguchiko station. You can also call for a free shuttle on demand to and from the hotel. The Hotel Konansou is right on the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko. There are a variety of room types, some of which have in-room onsens. Even if you choose not to stay in a room with an in-room onsen, the shared onsen and rooftop footbath has views of Mount Fuji. We loved waking up to the view of the lake from our room.

Definitely spring for the breakfast and dinner – the kaiseki in-room dinner was amazing. Our kiddo didn’t eat all of his kids meal, so we had even more food to share.

If staying in a Japanese-style room, note that the futons are only 97cm wide, so not wide enough to share with kids. There is a small charge for kids bedding – it works out to just over $20 USD a night, so well worth it, in my opinion.

If you opt for the meal plan, they have a special menu for children and infants. There are also kids items that can be borrowed free of charge. Since availability can be limited, I recommend contacting the hotel to request these items after booking.

• Milk warmer
• Children’s hangers
• Bouncer
• Stroller
• Baby bed and baby chair in public baths

Shuhoukaku Kogetsu

We also considered Shuhoukaku Kogetsu for its amazing Mount Fuji view rooms. It is located on the other side of the lake, so they have rooms that directly face Mount Fuji. The lake and Mount Fuji views from the rooms and hotel are amazing! They have Japanese and Western style rooms, and rooms with in-room onsens. This is another hotel that includes a wonderful kaiseki dinner. We ultimately decided not to go with this hotel because it is further away from the train station and would have been less convenient with a kiddo.

This is a very popular hotel, so try to book right when room availability opens if you can plan ahead. Room availability opens a month at a time 4 months ahead on the first of the month at 9am Japan time.

How to Get Around

The town of Kawaguchiko is not very large, so it is very walkable. However, there is a tourist bus that travels around Lake Kawaguchi and stops at the different points of interest around the lake. The tourist bus is especially helpful for getting to sights at the other side of the lake, like Oishi Park, because it takes about 30 minutes on the bus to get there. However, this tourist bus can get VERY full. If the bus is already full, it may skip stops. So sometimes it is easiest to catch the bus at the first and last stations. There is a one day pass, but we only rode the bus once so it’s cheaper to just use your Suica card. Another option if you have more time is to rent a bike and bike around the lake. We didn’t have time for this but it’s a popular activity!

The other attractions in the area like Chureito Pagoda and Fuji-Q Highland Park are easily connected to Kawaguchiko station by train on the Fujikyu line.

Kawaguchiko with Kids Itinerary at a Glance

Day	Activity	Sleep In
1	Chureito Pagoda	Kawaguchiko
2	Thomas Land Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway Oishi Park	Kawaguchiko

Day 1: Chureito Pagoda

We took the morning bus from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko Station and arrived to Kawaguchiko right around lunchtime.

Hoto Fudo

Whenever we visit a new area of Japan, I always like to try some of their regional specialties. In Kawaguchiko, the regional specialty is a type of noodle soup called Hoto. It’s a hearty miso-based vegetable soup with thick noodles served in an iron pot. Soupy noodles is one thing our kiddo will reliably eat, and this flavorful soup was a big hit. The restaurant Hoto Fudo is on the corner directly across the street from Kawaguchiko Station. They have regular tables and Japanese tatami mat tables. It was our kiddo’s first time removing his shoes and sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce at a table, which was a novelty for him.

Chureito Pagoda

Since we had some time before we could check in, we dropped our luggage off at our hotel and then headed back to Kawaguchiko station to take the train to Chureito Pagoda.

• Cost: Free!
• Hours: open 24 hours

It was pretty overcast when we arrived in Kawaguchiko, and Mount Fuji was nowhere in sight. We were hoping the clouds would clear by the time we got to Chureito Pagoda, but no such luck. Rather than the iconic photos of Mount Fuji behind the striking red pagoda, our photos are just the red pagoda against a grey background.

If you’re there just for Mount Fuji, then it’s not worth the visit if it’s a cloudy day. It wasn’t a complete bust for us though – our kiddo actually really enjoyed climbing up all those steps to the pagoda so it was a great way to burn his energy. And the Thomas-themed train parked right outside the train station was another fun little detour to explore. It was a great way to get him even more excited for visiting Thomas Land.

There are many fruit stands selling locally grown seasonal fruit along the hike up to the pagoda. I found the prices to be slightly cheaper than the vendors in Kawaguchiko. If your kid is like mine, then fruit is a must at every meal. It was grape season when we visited, and our little fruit fiend definitely enjoyed the sweet locally grown grapes.

Relax at the Onsen Hotel

We skipped actually soaking in an onsen this time around since we had our kiddo with us. But luckily, our hotel had a hot spring foot bath on the roof that we could all enjoy together. It was a great intro to hot springs for our kiddo, who’s always up for splashing around in water. And the perfect way to unwind after climbing all those stairs, before sitting down to our amazing in-room kaiseki dinner.

The kaiseki dinner is a highlight of any Japan visit and definitely something worth splurging on. It’s a food experience you can’t really find outside of Japan. This was our fancy splurge meal of the trip since many nice restaurants in Japan don’t welcome kids. The best part was that our kiddo got his very own kids kaiseki dinner, complete with dessert! And since it was served in our room, when our kiddo finished eating he could just play with his toys while we finished our meal. I never realized until I became a parent what a luxury it is to eat a leisurely meal while it’s still hot!

We stayed in a Japanese-style tatami mat room. So after dinner, an attendant comes to set up our futons for bed. The futons were a bit rough on my husband’s back, but our kiddo loved the slumber party with mom and dad.

Day 2: Panoramic Ropeway, Thomas Land, Oishi Park

Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway

TL;DR: only worth it if Mount Fuji is visible.

• Cost: 1000 yen roundtrip for adults and kids 12 and older, 500 yen roundtrip for kids 6-11 years old, free for kids under 6 years old
• Hours: 8:30-17:00 (Last descent 17:20) most of the year, except July 20th – August 31st 8:30-18:00 (Last 18:20)

The Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway is a cable car that takes you up to an observation deck with amazing views of Mount Fuji (when it’s not obscured by clouds). The Panoramic Ropeway was just a couple minutes walk from our hotel. We were going to skip this because it was cloudy, but we had some time before Thomas Land opened and it seemed like the skies were clearing so we went for it.

At the top, there is a little cafe and store, a viewing deck, and a swing (not free) where you can get a cute photo while swinging with Mount Fuji in the back. Since all of these activities are centered around Mount Fuji, I don’t think it’s worth the trip up if Mount Fuji isn’t visible. Our kiddo enjoyed the cable car ride, but we did not spend much time up here since Mount Fuji wasn’t visible.

Thomas Land

Thomas Land was THE highlight of the trip for our kiddo. It’s a must do when visiting Kawaguchiko with kids, especially with toddlers. Our kid loves trains, especially Thomas the Train. Even better, there were no lines, and he could go on all of the rides! Plus they had toy trains to play with in the gift shop. And there were plenty of cute Thomas-themed photo ops all throughout the park. If you’re usually overstimulated as a parent at theme parks, trust me when I say that Thomas Land will be a successful theme park day.

• Cost: entrance to the theme park is free, but rides cost 500 yen per ride or a Thomas Land all inclusive pass is available.
• Hours: generally 9:00 – 17:00, though hours can vary throughout the year

Get all the details on how to have the best day ever at Thomas Land here, including how to get there, ticket strategies, rides, and food options.

Kawaguchiko Creamery

There are signs for soft serve ice cream all over Kawaguchiko, so we definitely got some ice cream cravings. But rather than going for the artificially flavored generic soft serve, we went with Kawaguchiko Creamery and it was definitely the right decision. Kawaguchiko Creamery is about a block away from Kawaguchiko Station, next to the famous Mt. Fuji Lawson. Their soft serve is made from milk from free range cows raised at the foot of Mount Fuji. And it seems happy cows make happy ice cream because that soft serve was so creamy and milky and delicious.

Oishi Park

Oishi Park is one of the few places in the area that is worth a visit even if Mount Fuji is not visible. This park is located on the north side of the lake. It has beautiful views of the lake with Mount Fuji in the background. One of the highlights is the “Flowers Road,” a path lined with seasonal blooms that frame the lake and Mount Fuji perfectly. Even if Mount Fuji is not visible, the views along the flower-lined path are still gorgeous and definitely worth a stroll.

• Cost: Free!
• Hours: Oishi Park is open 24 hours. Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center is open from 9:00 – 17:00, though it may close earlier in the winter.

I love food souvenirs, and the Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center is a great place to find some food souvenirs that are unique to the region. The prices are pretty similar at all the stores in the area. So to save some money it’s best to do all your souvenir shopping in one place to qualify for the tax-free amount. The Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center also has a cafe serving the popular colorful soft serve ice cream.

Other Activities in Kawaguchiko with Kids

• Fuji Safari Park: this safari park has 70 species of animals that roam around freely in the safari park area. I’m not sure how they get away with this from a safety perspective, but you can drive your own car through the safari area. Or you can ride a Jungle bus, which is a caged bus where you can actually feed animals through the cage. Considering they have lions and bears here, this is definitely an experience you are not likely to find in the U.S. It’s easier to get here by car, though there are train/bus options from Kawaguchiko that take longer.
• Maple Corridor (early-mid November): the maple corridor is popular autumn leaves path in Kawaguchiko where you can enjoy the brilliant red fall colors. The path is lined with maple trees that all turn red and gold in the fall. It’s like the fall equivalent of cherry blossom viewing. The Maple Corridor is closest to the Ichika Kubota Art Museum stop on the tourist sightseeing bus.
• Fuji Shibazakura (Pink Moss) Festival (mid April-late May): the highlight of this spring festival is the fields of pink, white, and purple moss fields blooming in front of a lake with Mount Fuji in the background. While the views are the main attraction, they also have other activities like foot baths and food stalls. The festival is held at Fuji Motosuko Resort. During festival season, there is a direct shuttle bus that runs from Kawaguchiko Station to the festival grounds. Tickets for the shuttle bus usually include festival admission as well.
• Fruit picking: Japanese fruit has a reputation for being especially sweet. So fruit picking can be a fun (and tasty) activity to try it right at the source. There are many farms in the Kawaguchiko area offering seasonal fruit picking. These farms usually have an all-you-can-eat ticket that allows you to eat as much fruit as you can pick while on site. Since the fruits are seasonal, most of the fruit picking experiences are offered during the summer months. The Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center partners with some local farms to offer cherry or blueberry picking experiences.

Practicalities

• Grocery Store: there is a small grocery store on the main road down from Kawaguchiko Station to the lake, just up the hill from the Lawson’s on the corner. It has fruit, milk, and snacks to get you through the day with your little one. The fruit they carry will be whatever is in season, so don’t expect a ton of variety. But you can bet it will be sweet since it’s in season!

• Local specialties: we found a lot of shine muscat grape flavored snacks. Blueberry products are another local specialty. The local Kitkat flavor is the blueberry cheesecake. The prices were consistent in the stores in Kawaguchiko. But I did see a lower price at a Mega Don Quijote in Nagoya. If you’re set on trying the flavor, just buy them here.

Packing Essentials for Kids in Japan

• Layers of clothing:
  • Light rain jacket: it’s helpful to keep a packable rain jacket that doesn’t take up too much space in your everyday bag. We didn’t want to bother with carrying multiple umbrellas so a rain jacket was clutch on the sprinkly days.
  • Comfortable walking shoes: everyone does a lot more walking in Japan than usual. Make sure kids have comfortable shoes that are easy on and off!
  • Sun hat
  • Socks: part of Japanese culture is taking shoes off indoors, so you will find yourself removing your shoes much more than usual. Make sure to pack the good socks without holes!
  • Japan is a shopping mecca (if it feels overwhelming, follow my curated Japan shopping guide for moms!). If you forget to pack anything, you can probably find what you need at Muji or Uniqlo at a good price!
• Snacks and hydration:
  • Favorite snacks: Japan is a snack paradise, so I’m sure your kiddo will eventually find something that they like at the convenience stores. But bring some favorite snacks from home to tide you over until you figure out which Japanese snacks your kids love.
  • Water bottle: tap water is generally safe to drink in Japan, though we still prefer bottled water to avoid stomach upset as a result of the difference in mineral content.

• Entertainment options for downtime:
  • Screens will usually keep kids occupied, and while our kiddo gets a lot more screen time than usual when traveling, we don’t like to rely solely on screens for entertainment because there are usually more massive meltdowns when we try to turn it off.
  • We bring one new book (search and find books or lift the flap books are great!), Water Wow coloring books, sticker books, and drawing pads for travel days.
  • We usually make a toy store one of our first stops and get a small toy for our kid to play with during the trip. This also doubles as a souvenir, because whenever he plays with the toy at home he remembers where he got it. In Japan, he picked out some Tomica Thomas Trains that he loved.

• Kids supplies for daily living:
  • Sleep essentials: bring anything that your kid needs to sleep well to encourage good sleep while traveling. For us, that is a sound machine.
  • Medications: it goes without saying to pack any prescription medications your kid is taking. I also bring over-the-counter kids medications like Children’s Tylenol, just in case. I’m okay with buying Japanese OTC meds for myself and winging it with the translation, but I prefer using the kids’ OTC meds we’re familiar with because I am sure about the dosing and ingredients.
  • If you forgot anything, look for these stores in Japan that sell all kinds of kids goods: Nishimatsuya, Babies “R” Us, Akachan Honpo
• Travel Stroller: If your kid is not used to walking a lot at home it can be helpful to bring a stroller. But keep in mind that Japan is not as stroller friendly as the US. There are many stairs in train stations and elevators are small and require a longer walk to find. Many restaurants and stores are small and can’t always accommodate a stroller. While we did use our stroller, we folded it up and carried it quite a bit during train transfers to avoid having to take the long way around. If you do bring a stroller, bringing a smaller travel stroller is key. We love our Babyzen Yoyo. The Gb Pockit strollers also pack up amazingly small.
• Hip Seat Carrier: A better alternative to a stroller if your kid is still small enough to carry is a hip seat carrier. We loved using ours during our trip to Switzerland because it’s one less thing to carry through train stations. The hip seat is clutch because it’s more comfortable to sit in for longer periods. We loved our version that had straps and could be worn in the front or back. It’s especially helpful for crowded places like Japan where maneuvering a stroller can be tricky.
• Power plug adapters: Japan uses two pronged plugs similar to the US, except the prongs are the same length. Most 2 pronged chargers will work fine without adapters. If you have any chargers that have 3 prongs, then you’ll need an adapter.

Reality Check of Visiting Kawaguchiko with Kids

I wish we could have spent more time in this area! These few days outdoors gave our kiddo a nice break to explore and burn off some energy. One more day would have been perfect for more rest. The second day was long, and didn’t leave room for nap time. Our kiddo fell asleep on the bus to Oishi Park, but it wasn’t long enough for a full nap. The bus was super crowded and we barely got on. So I had to carry him rather than keeping him in the stroller. I was hoping he would nap in the stroller at the park, but he woke up and was just cranky the whole time. So rather than enjoying the views, I was feeling guilty for trying to squeeze in one more thing rather than just letting him nap at the hotel.

There are definitely moments like these when traveling with little kids where things don’t work out as you imagine. Every time, I say that next time we’ll do less but we always fall into the trap of trying to maximize like we did pre-kid. But after we come home, our kid only remembers all the things we did and not the cranky times. That vacation amnesia works!