Mount Fuji Japan

Gotemba Trail

The longest and emptiest way up Mount Fuji, starting low at 1,440 m with few huts, and coming down a long, fast slope of volcanic sand.

  • 18.9 km
  • 8 h 40 min up, 3 h 30 min down
  • strenuous
  • Best Jul–Sep

Photo: Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Gotemba Trail New 5th Station (1,440 m) to the summit, down by the Gotemba descent trail

Distance
18.9 km · 12 mi
Elevation gain
2,300 m · 7,546 ft
Highest point
3,776 m · 12,388 ft
Time
8 h 40 min up, 3 h 30 min down
Difficulty
Strenuous
Route
Loop

Elevation profile

Elevation from 1439 m to 3711 m over 9.5 km; lowest 1439 m, highest 3711 m.1,4002,6003,8000.0 km4.8 km9.5 km
Measured on the map: 9.5 km, about +2,257 m of climbing, 1,439–3,711 m. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); elevation: NASA SRTM via OpenTopoData.

Plan your trip

Best months: Jul–Sep

Permits & fees
2026 season rules (July 10 to September 10, 2026, now ended): a Shizuoka hiking fee of 4,000 yen per person per climb. You registered in advance in the Shizuoka FUJI NAVI app (or on site, about 30 minutes) and completed a short e-learning course on rules and manners with a quiz to get your entry pass. Entering between 2 pm and 3 am needed a mountain hut booking. The prefecture's page did not list a daily limit. Rules for 2027 had not been announced when we checked.
Getting there
Fujikyu Mobility climbing buses from Gotemba Station (JR Gotemba Line). This is the only trail without private car restrictions: there is a free parking lot for about 450 cars at the New 5th Station.
Good to know
  • There are few mountain huts and no first-aid center on this trail, so carry enough water, food and warm clothes.
  • Near the 8th Station you may need your hands to climb over piles of lava rock; watch for falling stones.
  • For the long sandy descent, the official site suggests gaiters, a mask and sunglasses. Toilets and huts on the descent may close from late August.

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Sources

Official figures where published; other numbers are measured on the map and approximate. Conditions and rules change — confirm with the official source before you go.