Minamitsuru District

Seeing Mount Fuji depends on luck. A week in advance, we closely followed the visibility forecasts and finally decided to book a tour five days later, on the day with the best visibility of the entire week. However, after payment, we couldn't reach the required number of participants, and we were worried every day that it would affect our planned itinerary. We finally managed to form a group the day before the activity – quite a close call! Our group consisted of only four adults and one child, so we traveled in a small vehicle, not a large tour bus, and there was no tour guide, only the driver. The driver spoke English and Cantonese, making communication easy. Because we couldn't talk while driving, he didn't introduce the various attractions along the way, only informing us of the later meeting time upon arrival. The day before the activity, a cold front hit Tokyo, and it snowed, so all the attractions were covered in snow – a pleasant surprise, a bonus! At our first stop, Hirano no Hama, there was no reflection of Mount Fuji because the lake was frozen over. Our second stop was on the other side of Lake Yamanaka. The swan boats were out of service due to strong winds, so we could only take small boats. Bicycles were also unavailable due to icy roads, so we opted for a walk. Luckily, we encountered a swan by the lake that we could feed and take photos with. Our third stop was Oshino Hakkai, which was very crowded, and you might have to wait a while to get a photo at the popular spots. Our fourth stop, Oishi Park, was a bit desolate, as none of the flowers were in bloom. We could only browse the shops, eat ice cream, and take some photos.

Although the weather wasn't great, the thoughtful tour guide (Vera) made up for the disappointment of not seeing the full view of Mount Fuji, and the kind driver also helped soothe the children's emotions. Perhaps because of the bad weather and fewer tourists, the cable car and boat trip, which I expected to be rushed, went surprisingly smoothly, and we even saw two different views of Mount Fuji. I recommend that parents with young children take all their essentials off the bus: stroller/carrier/diapers/water bottle. We didn't hear this clearly and only took the water bottle when we got off at the first stop, only to find the bus wouldn't appear again until the last stop after the entire trip. Fortunately, the child cooperated throughout the trip and got through safely.

We were able to visit a few places in comfort without having to rush for transport. Lunch was provided and it was very delicious. The driver drove safely from destination to destination. The guide was informative and shared a lot about the history of fuji mountain but felt that she could have given us time for toilet break when we reached the first destination(as I was travelling with my elderly parents, they really needed toilet after a 2h bus ride).

The tour guide was very enthusiastic and explained everything very clearly. The weather was great, and we saw a very beautiful view of Mount Fuji. I would definitely join another tour like this next time.