Day tour
Private guided hidden gems tour by local English speaking driver
From US$226.54
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Aokigahara forest: trails, lava caves and how to visit
Day tour
Private guided hidden gems tour by local English speaking driver
From US$226.54
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See dates on Viator
Aokigahara Forest
Photo: Google Maps- Type
- National forest
- Address
- Narusawa, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0300
- Time to spend
- The scheduled Aokigahara Jukai nature guide tour can be joined on the day without a reservation and lasts 1 hour.10The reserved Aokigahara nature guide tour needs advance booking, follows a course matched to your schedule and lasts 1 to 3 hours.10The guided hike in the Sea of Trees listed by the National Parks of Japan takes about 3 hours.11
- Google rating
- 4.4 (1,638 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026
- On the map
- Open in Google Maps
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Tuesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Wednesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Thursday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Friday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Saturday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Sunday | 00:00–24:00 |
Sea of Trees on old lava
What Aokigahara forest is
Covers 30 km² of lava4
Aokigahara (Aokigahara Jukai) covers 30 square kilometres of lava from the Jōgan eruption of 864, and it has been left largely untouched by activities such as logging4. It’s in Shoji, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture5, and its western edge is popular with tourists and school trips2.
The forest’s darker reputation has reached the cinema. Wikipedia says director Jason Zada took on the 2016 horror film The Forest because Aokigahara’s ‘suicide forest’ is a real place6. Filming wasn’t allowed in Aokigahara, so the stand-in was a forest near Tara Mountain in Serbia6. On the ground, it’s a place to walk quietly and stick to the trails.
Green Line bus or car
How do you get to Aokigahara from Kawaguchiko?
Take the Green Line sightseeing bus from Kawaguchiko Station: it loops around Lake Saiko and through Aokigahara Jukai Forest7. Driving from the station takes 30–40 minutes5, depending on traffic.
Caves about 30 min by bus3
| Route | Stop or parking | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Line bus to Fugaku Wind Cave | Stop 51 | About 30 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station | mlit.go.jp (official); mtfuji-cave.com (operator) |
| Bus to Naruzawa Ice Cave | Ice Cave stop | About 30 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station | mtfuji-cave.com (operator) |
| Green Line bus to Saiko Bat Cave | Stop 45, Saiko Komoriana | 34 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station | mlit.go.jp (official); yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) |
| Car from Kawaguchiko Station to the forest | – | 30–40 minutes, depending on traffic | Japan National Tourism Organization (japan.travel) (official) |
| Car from the Kawaguchiko interchange to the caves | Free parking at Fugaku Wind Cave for 150 cars | 20 minutes | mtfuji-cave.com (operator); yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) |
mlit.go.jp (official); mtfuji-cave.com (operator); yamanashi-kankou.jp (official); Japan National Tourism Organization (japan.travel) (official)
The Green Line connects the Saiko, Aokigahara Forest and Narusawa Ice Cave areas8, so one bus line covers the forest and its caves. For timetables and the other loops, see the guide to the Green Line and other sightseeing bus loops.
Official guides and hikes
Guided walks and what they cost
Nature guide tour ¥50010
The cheapest way to see Aokigahara with someone who knows it is the official nature guide tour. There are two versions, plus longer courses:
- Scheduled tour: you can join on the day without a reservation, and it lasts 1 hour10.
- Reserved tour: it needs advance booking, follows a course matched to your schedule and lasts 1 to 3 hours10.
- Longer options: guided cave-and-forest courses, and a guided hike of about 3 hours11 with Fujisantozan School Goriki, listed by the National Parks of Japan.
Guided walks and cave entry
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Aokigahara nature guide tour | ¥500 per person, 1 hour | – |
| Guided Wind Cave, Ice Cave and forest course | ¥2,500 per person, 2 hours | – |
| Taster course: one cave and a forest walk | ¥1,500 per person, 1 hour | – |
| Fujisantozan School Goriki guided hike | ¥12,100, about 3 hours | – |
| Wind Cave and Ice Cave entry, large groups | ¥250 (groups of 15 or more) | ¥100 (groups of 15 or more) |
yamanashi-kankou.jp (official); japan.travel (official); mtfuji-cave.com (operator)
If you’d rather have a driver handle the logistics, this private tour starts in Kawaguchiko and lists the Saiko Bat Cave among its stops.
Lava caves under the forest
Fugaku Wind Cave, Naruzawa Ice Cave and Saiko Bat Cave
Yes, Aokigahara has both an ice cave and a wind cave, reached by designated trails2 through the forest. The Saiko Bat Cave is the third lava cave, at the Saiko Nature Center.
Wind Cave averages 3°C inside23
| Cave | What you find | Visit time | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fugaku Wind Cave | Gently sloping lateral cave, easy to tour, 201 m long | About 15 minutes | Averages 3°C inside, even in summer |
| Naruzawa Ice Cave | Two-tunnel lava cave with icicles and ice pillars | About 15 minutes; 30–40 at busy times | A 91 cm ceiling in one passage; wet, slippery steps |
| Saiko Bat Cave | Natural monument, over 350 m long, the largest lava cave at the foot of Mt. Fuji | – | Helmet required: you may bump your head |
mtfuji-cave.com (operator); yamanashi-kankou.jp (official)
Fugaku Wind Cave is at 2068-1 Saiko Aokigahara, Fujikawaguchiko (phone 0555-85-230012). Naruzawa Ice Cave (Narusawa Ice Cave) is at 8533 Narusawa Village12. Pack a warm layer even in August, when Kawaguchiko’s daily high averages 28.1 °C13.
Opening hours and seasons
Google Maps lists the forest itself as open Monday to Sunday, 00:00–24:0014. The Wind Cave and Ice Cave keep these hours:
| Dates | Fugaku Wind Cave and Naruzawa Ice Cave |
|---|---|
| 1–15 March12 | 9:00–16:3012 |
| 16 March to 31 July12 | 9:00–17:0012 |
| 1 August to 15 October12 | 9:00–17:3012 |
| 16 October to 15 November12 | 9:00–17:0012 |
| 16 November to 15 February12 | 9:00–16:3012 |
| 16–28 February12 | 9:00–16:0012 |
Hours may change with the weather and conditions inside the caves12. The Saiko Nature Center opens 9:00 to 17:00, with Bat Cave entry until 16:309 (checked October 2026).
- Cave open to visitors April to November
- Opens late in the month March
- Shut while bats hibernate December to February
Access, families and health
Who Aokigahara suits: children, older visitors and wheelchair users
The forest paths are gentler than the caves, which have steep, wet stairs. Yamanashi’s tourism board even sets out a family forest walk.
Cave stairs climb a steep 21 m16
- Families: that walk, from Saiko Nature Center via the Bat Cave, takes about 2 hours 30 minutes1. The path to the Bat Cave is covered in wood chips1, so it’s soft and easy underfoot.
- Toilets: there are none inside the forest1, so use the Saiko Nature Center’s first. It has a wheelchair-accessible toilet9.
- Older visitors: the return staircase in the caves climbs a steep 21 m16, so take it slowly.
- Health: the cave operator warns the caves can be harmful to visitors with physical limitations such as heart conditions16.
- Wheelchair users: a guided private tour of the forest and Wind Cave takes groups of up to six people17. Its transport and trails suit manual wheelchairs, not battery-powered ones17.
Nearby places to add to the day
Each of these has its own page with hours and access, so you can plan the drive or bus from there:
- Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba, a village of traditional thatched-roof houses on the shore of Lake Saiko19: see the thatched houses of Nenba.
- Oishi Park: the Mt Fuji lakeside park visiting guide.
- Itchiku Kubota Art Museum: the kimono art museum near Lake Kawaguchi.
- Kawaguchi Asama Shrine: how to reach this Fuji shrine.
- Fuji-Q Highland: the Fuji-Q Highland roller coasters and rides.
- Fuji Shibazakura Festival: what the Fuji Shibazakura Festival is and how to visit.
Questions people ask
What is the most haunted forest in Japan?
No ranking exists in our sources, but Japanese folklore says yurei (tormented ghosts) haunt Aokigahara.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 24 sources · last checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
- mlit.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization (japan.travel) (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- mlit.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Fujikyu Bus (operator) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
- data.jma.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
- japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
- mtfuji-cave.com (operator) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 20 October 2026
- Updated: new sections: What the Sea of Trees is; Fugaku Wind Cave, Naruzawa Ice Cave and Saiko Bat Cave; Guided walks and what they cost; …, 7 sections removed, 19 sourced facts added, 5 removed; Updated: new sections: What Aokigahara forest is; Who Aokigahara suits: children, older visitors and wheelchair users; Nearby places to add to the day; …, 4 sections removed, 2 sourced facts added, 8 removed.
- First written
