Mount Takao Adventure : Discover Nature and Tradition in Tokyo

When you think of Tokyo you probably don’t think of mountains and green landscapes. However, Tokyo prefecture is in fact home to many beautiful hiking trails and mountains. Mount Takao is beloved by the residents of Tokyo as the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Metropolis full of nature and tranquility. Mount Takao is a sacred site in Japan which has a rich history spanning over 1,200 years, perfectly blending culture and religion together. If you love nature, hiking and want to get off the beaten tourist path on an easy day trip in Tokyo, then this tour is for you! Make your Tokyo trip unique by visiting this hidden gem!

Located in Hachioji in Tokyo prefecture, Mount Takao or Takaosan as it’s often referred to is a forgotten gem that won’t disappoint. Takao is just a stones throw away from the bustling centre of Tokyo where you can reach the town and base of the mountain within 60 minutes by train from Shinjuku station.

On this tour, you will have the opportunity to see one of Japan’s and Tokyo’s top mountains. In fact, Takao receives more visitors than Mount Fuji annually due to its easy accessibility from the city centre, and due to its comfortable trails and conditions. You will learn all about Takao’s forna and flora at a local nature centre, ride a picturesque cable car to the half way point up the mountain, and explore the many famous landmarks and attractions of Takao including a monkey park and garden, suspension bridge, ancient Cedar Tree avenue and Takao’s temple. You will finish the tour at the summit, taking in spectacular views of Tokyo, the surrounding mountainous landscape and even Mount Fuji on clear days! Once you return to the base of the mountain, you will take the train back to Shinjuku.

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Climb one of Japan’s most popular mountains!

•  See and feed Japanese Snow Monkeys, walk across a suspension bridge and marvel at ancient Cedar trees!
  
• Try the traditional Japanese snack of Dango freshly made on the mountain!
  
• Visit one of Tokyo’s most sacred temples and learn all about mountain worship!

• The opportunity to escape the metropolis of Tokyo’s city centre and experience being immersed in nature for the day!
  

DESCRIPTION

The tour will begin at Shinjuku Station where you will meet your tour guide. You will meet directly outside of Shinjuku station’s Keio Department Store next to the Keio Line entrance. Once everybody has arrived, you will officially start the tour and your tour guide will escort you to the train! The train journey will take approximately 60 minutes.

For our first destination, we will make a short stop at Takao’s 599 Museum and Nature Centre. Despite being small, the centre is an informative way to be introduced to the wildlife, plants and animals that live on Mount Takao. Your guide will paint a picture of the beauty and significance of Takao’s nature providing useful context before we begin our ascension up the mountain. Takao 599 is also home to its own great cafe, a perfect stop forma coffee, tea or light snack before we move onto our next destination!

Once you have visited the Takao 599 museum, it’s time to move to your next destination and ride the Mount Takao cable car! You will not be hiking up the entire mountain during this tour, and instead you will be taking the beloved cable car to a half way point on the mountain. The ride takes approximately 7 minutes one way, and during the ride you can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding trees and nature.

Once you reach the halfway point on Takao, it will be time to start your hike! If you were to hike straight to the top of the summit it will take you approximately 45 minutes. However, there are many wonders and historical landmarks to enjoy along the trail. We will enjoy a leisurely pace to visit many of the notable attractions. For our first destination, we will visit Mount Takao’s Monkey Park and Wildflower Garden! The park offers visitors the opportunity to observe and learn about the native Japanese Macaques or ’Snow Monkeys’ as they are also referred to. The park is home to around 70 monkeys living in a semi natural environment on the mountain, and you will learn about their social structures and playful behaviour! You will also have the chance to feed the monkeys during your visit! The wildflower garden features over 500 species of plants that grow naturally on Mount Takao, and the landscape changes depending on the season.

For your next destination, we will veer off the main trail to visit Takao’s suspension bridge! The walk to the bridge offers stunning views of the landscape and Takao below. Once we reach the bridge, it is a very popular activity to try walking across it and if you’re feeling brave, to test just how good the suspension is! It is also a very popular photography spot, so why not take a nice photo to mark your time on Takao!

After the Suspension Bridge, we will continue on with our hike! We will pass under a beautiful wooden Torii gate and walk through a beautiful ancient Cedar tree avenue where these towering trees are believed to be highly sacred. Your tour guide will provide you with an overview of their history and significance as you enjoy the picturesque views and peaceful atmosphere. We will also take this time to stop for a quick refreshment break, and your tour guide will purchase some freshly made Dango for you to try! Dango is a traditional Japanese snack and is sweet glutinous rice dumplings served on a skewer. It is a popular snack especially for hikers as it provides a lot of energy!

Once we have rested, we will continue our exploration and hike! Our next destination will Takao Temple. Takao Temple or Yakuoin Temple as its also known is a beautiful Buddhist temple with a long and fascinating history. The temple was founded in 744 AD during the Nara period by Emperor Shomu. It is dedicated to Izuna Daigongen, a Deity associated with mountain protection and worship. The most famous of the temple’s features are the Tengu statues! These are mythical creatures which are believed to be protectors of the mountain and punish wrongdoers! The temple is also very popular for pilgrimages and visitors will often see people coming here to pray for safety, health and good fortune.

After the temple, we will make our way to our final destination, the summit! The final walk gets a little steep in parts, but the effort will be worth it once you reach the top! The views from the summit provide stunning panoramic views of Tokyo, the surrounding nature and on clear days you can even see Mount Fuji! At the summit you will enjoy free time and your lunch break to relax, rest, take photos and enjoy some of the freshly prepared noodle dishes from the summit cafe. We also highly recommend packing a picnic and enjoying that at the top of Takao! Once we have enjoyed the amazing views and rested, we will make our way back to the cable car station to return to the base of the mountain and get our return train back to Shinjuku.

MEETUP POINT

Outside the Happy Lemon Keio Shinjuku Store @ 09:20am

You will meet your tour guide outside of the Happy Lemon Keio Store. The store is located inside the Keio Department Store, so look for the store front signage to ensure you are in the correct location. The Happy Lemon store is directly outside of the station entrance. Please look out for the tour guide with a ’Snow Monkey Resorts’ tag. Once everybody has met, we will enter Shinjuku station together to begin the tour.

NOTES

Included

• Return Train Tickets from Shinjuku Station to Takaosanguchi Station

• Round Trip on Cable Car

• Admission fees for Monkey Park and monkey food

• Traditional Dango snack

• Local English speaking guide 

Excluded

• Trains and transport before and after the tour

• Food and drink

OTHER INFORMATION

• Please book this tour as far in advance as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements. It is advised you book this tour no later than 7 days in advance of your chosen tour date.

• Please note that timings may be subject to change depending on public transport conditions on the day of the tour.

• This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or rain coat if necessary.

• There will be free time during the rest/ lunch break portion of the tour for guests to enjoy the locations at their own pace. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide on the day of the tour. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.

• Due to this being a walking tour, it is advised that you do not bring any luggage or large bags with you on the tour. It is advised that you check if your hotel can store your luggage for you until after the tour, or you store your luggage at lockers at a suitable location such as selected train stations with appropriate storage. For example, many stations in Tokyo will have lockers, especially the larger train stations such as Ikebukuro, Ueno, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo.