Bullet Train Tours in Japan: the 9 Best Rides

1.Mt Fuji & Hakone Cruise, Drum Show Bullet Train 1 Day from Tokyo

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,413 reviews · from $149Our pick

Travel from Tokyo to Mt Fuji’s 5th Station, Lake Ashi, and Mt Komagatake on a guided coach tour, then return by non-reserved Shinkansen. Expect a full, weather-sensitive day with a short cruise, ropeway ride, Japanese lunch option, and wadaiko drum performance.

“We had the bad luck to have our one tour day on our week to Tokyo be the one day that week with poor weather. It was drizzling a light mist in Shinjuku when we found the hotel to meet up (inside the hotel), and we had a nice bus ride through the countryside. It was great to see the forests so different from my home in California, and the villages with little farm plots in between the houses. We got up to the mountain, and it was actually a bit clear, the sun came out and we saw a bit of blue sky, but it was still too cloudy…”

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2.Tokyo Mt Fuji 5th St & Hakone Cruise Bus Tour w/Bullet Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,024 reviews · 10 hours · from $154

Spend 10 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Lisa, Kazu, Yuta, or Aya, visiting Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station and Hakone’s ropeway and Lake Ashi. The coach includes Wi-Fi, lunch is available, and a Shinkansen ride returns you to Tokyo.

“hero and lionson (guide and driver) were awesome!!! great views great lunch! this was worth every penny”

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3.Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour w/ Return by Bullet Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,278 reviews · 11 hours · from $117

Spend 11 hours visiting Mt. Fuji's 5th Station, Owakudani, and Lake Ashi with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. Expect a long coach ride, a Japanese lunch if selected, scenic cable cars, a pirate ship cruise, and a non-reserved Shinkansen seat back from Odawara.

“The day trip was a great value for the money. Our guide, Hide-san, was a wonderful guide and has the perfect personality for that type of job--he was cheerful, pleasant, and generally fun to interact with and listen to. Tanaka-san, the drive, also did a great job of safely taking us to each destination. We were very happy with the service of them both. The day is packed with activities, between Mt. Fuji and Hakone, and Hide-san kept the bus rides in-between interesting with facts, trivia, and even a brief song. If anything, there was almost too much to do but it is a great value for the money. Fortunately,…”

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4.Osaka/Kyoto: Hiroshima Miyajima Bus Tour & Shinkansen Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 919 reviews · 12 hours · from $277

Spend 12 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Joe, Kane, Azusa, or Hiro, traveling from Osaka or Kyoto by Shinkansen to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Museum, and Itsukushima Shrine, with okonomiyaki lunch, ferries, buses, and return train tickets included.

“Love our guide so had some personal stories to tell and loved the lunch. I had a wonderful time.”

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5.From Tokyo 1-Day Kyoto English-guided Tour by Bullet Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 376 reviews · from $452

Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen, with staff guiding you at both stations. Enjoy a hotel lunch, then visit Fushimi Inari, Sanjusangen-do, and Kiyomizu-dera with an English-speaking guide. It is a practical first taste of Kyoto, but the day is long and the temple visits are short.

“Experiencing to ride on the bullet train was awsome however the Temple just overrun with visitors. Could hardly find pace to walk on the sidewalks. I guess this is just too popular an attraction.”

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6.Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Trip From Tokyo with Bullet Train Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 368 reviews · from $97Best value

Leave Shinjuku at 8:30 a.m. for Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station, steaming Owakudani, the Hakone Ropeway, and a pirate-style cruise on Lake Ashi. Choose a coach or non-reserved Shinkansen return, and add a Japanese lunch. Guides such as Happy, Yuka, and Rino are known for lively commentary.

“Worth every penny. Great trip and highly recommend. Tour guide was excellent throughout the whole trip”

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7.Full Day Hiroshima and Miyajima Tour by Bullet Train from Kyoto

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 120 reviews · from $399

Travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima by reserved Shinkansen, cross to Miyajima for Itsukushima Shrine and free time, then visit the Peace Memorial Museum, Atomic Bomb Dome, and memorials with an English-speaking guide. Lunch is on your own, and you return to Kyoto around 9pm.

“Great day with our very informative guide Masako! She was knowledgeable, attentive, energetic and made sure the tour moved along and all of us were accounted for. She speaks excellent English and very easy to talk to. The museum was vRead more”

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8.Full Day Hiroshima and Miyajima Tour by Bullet Train from Osaka

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 117 reviews · from $397

Travel from Osaka to Hiroshima by Shinkansen, then visit Miyajima’s Itsukushima Shrine, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the Peace Memorial Museum. English-speaking guides lead the Hiroshima portion. Lunch is your choice and expense, and the day ends at Osaka Station around 9 pm.

“Hiro was an excellent tour guide! She gave a lot of information and kept the tour interesting. All the transportation was nicely escorted.”

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9.Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip by Bullet Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 83 reviews · 8 hours - 690 minutes · from $104

Travel from Osaka to Hiroshima by Shinkansen, then continue by coach and ferry to Miyajima. You’ll visit Itsukushima Shrine, meet roaming deer, and explore Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park with a bilingual English and Spanish guide. Guides have included Ángeles, Cesar, Alex, and Astrid.

“Our guide was Caesar with Amigo tours. He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful with any of our needs. We saw as much as you can in an 8 hour time frame. perfect trip.”

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