Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals
Climb Mount Fuji
Still to do
Climb through the night up Japan's sacred volcano to watch the sun rise from 3,776 metres.
The adventure
You start at the Fifth Station in the afternoon, the trail zigzagging up loose volcanic rock, and it soon becomes clear that Fuji is not a pretty walk but a long, steep slog. By dusk you're in a mountain hut, eating curry and trying to sleep for a few hours.
Around 2am you set off again in a line of head torches snaking up the mountain in the dark. The air is thin and cold, and progress is slow. Then, at the top, the sky starts to glow, and the sun comes up out of a sea of cloud. The Japanese call it goraiko, the arrival of the light, and people cheer. Walking around the crater rim afterwards, with Japan laid out below, you understand why Fuji is sacred.
Why it’s epic
- Sunrise from the summit, known as goraiko.
- Walking the crater rim at 3,776 metres.
- Mountain huts on the way up.
What it is
Japan's highest mountain, at 3,776 metres, is a sacred volcano and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most climbers go overnight to watch sunrise from the summit.
How to do it
Take a bus to the Fifth Station, usually on the Yoshida Trail, climb in the afternoon, rest in a mountain hut and set off for the summit in the early hours.
Top tip
Book a mountain hut so you can sleep for a few hours; it makes the summit push much easier.
Need to know
- The official season is roughly July to early September; outside it, the mountain is dangerous.
- The Yoshida Trail now has a daily climber limit and an entry fee, so book ahead.
- Bring warm layers: the summit can be near freezing even in August.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- Overnight
- Best time to go
- Early July to early September
- Fly into
- HND airport
The climb itself is cheap; huts and getting to Japan are the costs.
Make it happen
Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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