Mt. Fuji 5 Lakes in 6 Days by Camper — Stops, Photos, Hot Springs
The Fuji 5 Lakes loop is the most-booked first-timer route in our fleet. It’s close to Tokyo (under 2 hours from our base in Edogawa), every lake has at least one onsen that welcomes camper guests, and you can watch the same mountain change shape five different ways across six days.
Here’s the route we hand to customers, with the parking, photo spots, and onsens that have actually let our vans stay overnight.
The 6-day loop
- Day 1: Tokyo → Kawaguchiko (~110 km, 2 h)
- Day 2: Kawaguchiko → Yamanakako (~25 km)
- Day 3: Yamanakako → Saiko (~25 km)
- Day 4: Saiko → Shojiko (~10 km)
- Day 5: Shojiko → Motosuko (~10 km)
- Day 6: Motosuko → Hakone → Tokyo (~150 km)
Total kilometres: about 330. Total expressway tolls: roughly ¥4,500 with the ETC card. Fuel for the trip in a Honda Shuttle: ~¥6,500. In a Honda Stepwagon: ~¥9,000.
Day 1 — Tokyo to Kawaguchiko
Pick-up at our Edogawa base in the morning. Aim to leave by 10:00 to avoid the Chuo Expressway slowing down at the Sasago tunnels.
- Route: Shuto C2 → Chuo Expressway → Kawaguchiko IC
- Tolls: ¥2,800 ETC
- Stop for lunch at Dangozaka SA — they do a passable hoto noodle
- Arrive Kawaguchiko around 13:00
Where to park / sleep:
- Michi-no-Eki Katsuyama (north shore, free, fills by 17:00 on weekends)
- Lake Kawaguchi Camping Resort (¥3,500/night, has a coin shower)
- Asahigaoka parking — free, the view from the bench at sunrise is the postcard one
Onsen that take camper guests:
- Fuji-no-Yu in Funatsu — ¥900, parking for vans, last entry 22:00
- Yurari at the foot of the mountain — bigger, ¥1,400, towels rentable
Day 2 — Kawaguchiko to Yamanakako
A short driving day, on purpose. Spend the morning on Kawaguchiko’s north shore.
- 05:15 sunrise from Asahigaoka — Diamond Fuji visible mid-November and late January
- Oishi Park lavender (mid-June to mid-July) — free parking
- Kachi Kachi Yama ropeway (¥1,100 return) — the bench at the top is the photo
- Drive to Yamanakako via Route 138 — 25 km, 40 min
Yamanakako overnight:
- Michi-no-Eki Yamanakako — free, has a hot spring (Benifuji-no-Yu) attached. ¥800. The single best free overnight in the 5 Lakes area.
Day 3 — Yamanakako to Saiko
Yamanakako is the highest of the lakes (980m). Mornings are cold even in July — start the day in the onsen.
- Long Beach (east shore) — best sunrise reflection of Mt. Fuji
- Hananomiyako Park (¥600) — flower fields with Fuji as the backdrop
- Drive to Saiko: 25 km, 50 min, mostly Route 139
Saiko overnight:
- Saiko Camping Village — ¥2,500/night, RV-friendly, has a bath
- Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba parking (free until 17:00, ¥500 after)
Saiko is the quietest of the five lakes. The bat cave (¥350) is a 10-minute novelty — skip it unless you’re with kids.
Day 4 — Saiko to Shojiko
The drive between Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko is the most beautiful 20 km of road in the area. Don’t rush it. Aokigahara forest is to the south — daylight only, stay on the marked trails.
- Aokigahara ice cave (¥350) — small, cold, 15 minutes to walk through
- Lake Shoji is the smallest of the 5 lakes — you can drive its circumference in 10 minutes
Shojiko overnight:
- Shojiko campsite (¥1,500) — quiet, water available
- Michi-no-Eki Shimobe Onsen (28 km south) — free, has an onsen (¥600), good if you want to bathe and sleep nearby
Day 5 — Shojiko to Motosuko
Motosuko is on the back of the ¥1,000 note. The view from the north shore is exactly the engraving.
- Nakanokura Pass viewpoint — the ¥1,000-note photo. Roadside parking for 2 vans only, arrive before 07:00 in autumn
- Honbozasu lookout — better light in the afternoon
- Late lunch at Hoto Fudo in Kawaguchiko (it’s a 25 km detour but worth it once) — they have proper RV-size parking
Motosuko overnight:
- Koan Motosuko campsite — ¥1,500, lake-edge, very popular weekends
- Michi-no-Eki Asagiri Kogen (15 km south) — free, the Fuji view from here is wider than from the lakes themselves
Day 6 — Motosuko, Hakone, back to Tokyo
Hakone is touristy but the road through it (Route 138 / 1) is part of the experience, and the onsen are excellent.
- Drive Motosuko → Hakone via Route 139 / 138: ~70 km, 90 min, no tolls
- Lunch in Gora
- Optional: Owakudani (parking ¥500, the black eggs are worth it once)
- Tenzan Onsen in Hakone — ¥1,400, accepts camper guests, parking lot fits a Stepwagon
- Hakone → Tokyo via Tomei + Shuto: ~80 km, ¥2,400 tolls
- Return the van by 18:00
What it costs (Stepwagon, two people)
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Stepwagon, 5 nights @ ¥11,800 | ¥59,000 |
| Fuel, ~330 km @ 11 km/L, ¥175/L | ~¥5,300 |
| Expressway tolls | ~¥5,200 |
| Campsite fees (2 of 5 nights) | ~¥5,000 |
| Onsen entries (¥800–1,400 × 4) | ~¥4,400 |
| Total (excl. food) | ~¥79,000 |
Two people, six days, all transport and accommodation. A bus-and-hotel version of the same trip runs ¥120k+ before flexibility.
Which van for the 5 Lakes loop?
For a couple, the Honda Shuttle (Black) is plenty — 22 km/L on the highway, easy parking at every viewpoint, and the bed is comfortable for a 5-night trip. If you want to stand up to change clothes or you’ll cook inside on rainy mornings, step up to the Honda Stepwagon (White) — same loop, ¥10k more, much more living space.
Message us with your dates and we’ll send the printable route PDF with the current onsen list (a few have changed their van-friendly policy in 2026).