Itinerary · Japan
How Many Days in Shizuoka? A 2-Day Route and Transport
Shizuoka in 2 days: Sunpu Castle Park and Sengen Shrine on day 1; Nihondaira, Kunozan Toshogu and Miho no Matsubara on day 2. A third day adds Satta Pass.
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The big picture: 2 days for the highlights, 3 with Satta Pass
The Shizuoka guide recommends 2 to 3 days. This post follows the guide's own 2-day (1-night) route: Sunpu Castle Park and Shizuoka Sengen Shrine near Shizuoka Station on day 1, then Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu, linked by ropeway, and Miho no Matsubara in the afternoon of day 2.
With one more day you can add Satta Pass, pictured in Hiroshige's ukiyo-e prints, the Toro Archaeological Site, a Yayoi-period village from about 2,000 years ago, and the free Mt. Fuji observation lobby on the 21st floor of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Annex. If you travel in winter, note first that Nihondaira Ropeway is closed for equipment work from 1 to 21 December 2026.
Day 1: Airport bus, Sunpu Castle Park, Sengen Shrine, oden alley
From stop 3 at Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, the airport access bus takes about 50 minutes to JR Shizuoka Station and costs JPY 1,200 for adults (elementary school children JPY 600, preschoolers free). Seats are limited but no reservation is needed: take a numbered ticket when you board and pay when you get off. Transit IC cards and contactless credit cards are accepted. A new timetable started on 25 October 2026, so check the official timetable.
Sunpu Castle Park is about a 15-minute walk from Shizuoka Station. This is the site of the castle Tokugawa Ieyasu built and where he spent his final years; see the Higashi-gomon gate rebuilt with traditional methods in 1996, the Tatsumi-yagura turret rebuilt in 1989 and the Hitsujisaru-yagura turret. It is open 9:00-16:30 (entry until 16:00) and closed on Mondays (open on holidays) and 29 December-3 January; a combined ticket for the three facilities is JPY 360 for adults (JPY 120 for elementary and junior high students). Repair work runs at Higashi-gomon and Momijiyama Garden until 30 November 2026 (planned), but both stay open as usual.
Next is Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, where Ieyasu held his coming-of-age ceremony while a hostage. From Shizuoka Station it is about 8 minutes on the Abe Line or Miwa-Otani Line bus (get off at Akatorii Sengen-jinja Iriguchi). The 25 m tall main worship hall stands out, and a major restoration started in 2014 and is planned to take about 20 years. For dinner, try Shizuoka oden, simmered in a dark broth of beef tendon and rich soy sauce, at Aoba Oden-gai near Shizuoka Station.
Day 2 morning: Nihondaira, the ropeway and Kunozan Toshogu
From Shizuoka Station, take the Nihondaira Line bus to its last stop at Nihondaira Ropeway, about 45 minutes (JPY 710 one way for adults). The 307 m high hill of Nihondaira overlooks Mt Fuji, Suruga Bay, Miho no Matsubara and the Izu Peninsula. The Yume Terrace viewing facility is open 9:00-17:00 (Saturdays until 21:00), and from 1 October 2026 its third-floor observation floor costs JPY 100 for adults and high school students. The outdoor corridor, about 200 m around, is free. It is closed on the second Tuesday of each month and 26-31 December.
The Nihondaira Ropeway reaches Kunozan Toshogu in about 5 minutes. Adults pay JPY 1,250 return or JPY 700 one way; departures run 9:10-16:45 from Nihondaira Station and 9:30-17:00 from Kunozan Station. You cannot walk between the two. Kunozan Toshogu is where Ieyasu was first buried, and its main hall, ishi-no-ma and worship hall are National Treasures. It is open 9:00-17:00 every day; entry is JPY 700 for the shrine, JPY 600 for the museum or JPY 1,200 combined (high school and up). A set ticket for the ropeway return and the shrine is JPY 1,950 (JPY 2,300 with the museum, high school and up).
The grounds are all stone steps, and there are about 80 steps from the ropeway station to the shrine buildings, so wheelchairs cannot reach them. While the ropeway is closed from 1 to 21 December 2026, you can still visit by climbing the 1,159 stone steps from the foot of the mountain (about 20 minutes). By taxi, the foot of Mt Kuno is about 20 minutes from Shizuoka Station (about JPY 3,500, small car).
Day 2 afternoon: Higashi-Shizuoka, Shimizu and Miho no Matsubara
After the shrine, ride the ropeway back to Nihondaira and take the bus to Higashi-Shizuoka Station (check official information for the travel time). The JR Tokaido Line to Shimizu Station takes about 8 minutes. From Shimizu Station, the Miho Yamanote Line bus takes about 25 minutes to Miho Matsubara Iriguchi, then it is about a 15-minute walk. From the Sekai Isan Miho Matsubara stop, served on weekends and holidays only, it is about 5 minutes.
Miho no Matsubara is a coast lined with about 30,000 pine trees over about 5 km, listed in 2013 as part of the Mt Fuji World Cultural Heritage site. Entry is free, and the Kami-no-Michi, a pine-lined path of about 500 m, runs from the Hagoromo-no-Matsu pine to Miho Shrine. The Miho Shirube guidance center (9:00-16:30) explains its history. End the day with sakura shrimp, landed only in Suruga Bay, and shirasu, which you can try fresh and raw here at the source.
If you head to the airport this day, remember that seats on the bus from Shizuoka Station to the airport are limited, and you cannot board when it is full. If that happens, take the JR Tokaido Line to Kanaya, Shimada or Fujieda Station and catch the airport bus there. The airport-Shimada Station bus takes about 25 minutes and costs JPY 600 for adults, but there are only a few buses, so check the timetable.
Stretching it to 3 days: Satta Pass, Toro and the observation lobby
Satta Pass is the pass shown in the Yui print of Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido. From the viewing deck you see Mt Fuji and Suruga Bay, with the expressway, national road and JR line running below. It is about a 45-50 minute hike from JR Okitsu Station or about 50 minutes on foot from JR Yui Station; check official information for getting to the station. Watch for wild animals, including bears, on the trails, and check Shizuoka City's official website for the latest sightings and trail closures.
If you stay in the city, see the reconstructed pit dwellings, raised storehouse and rice paddies at the Toro Archaeological Site, a Yayoi-period village from about 2,000 years ago, and try hands-on activities such as fire-making at the neighboring Shizuoka City Toro Museum. Check official information for hours, fees and access. The Mt. Fuji observation lobby on the 21st floor of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Annex, 110 m high in the city center, is free, and on clear days you can see Mt Fuji beyond the city and Sunpu Castle.
To cross the sea, a ferry across Suruga Bay (Shimizu Port to Toi Port in Izu, about 90 minutes) leaves from near JR Shimizu Station, with views of Mt Fuji from the deck. Check official information for schedules and fares.
Where to stay, getting around and budget
For a 2-day trip, the area around Shizuoka Station is the easiest base. The airport bus, route buses and JR all stop here, and the day 2 bus to Nihondaira leaves from here too. If Mt Fuji views, the port and seafood are your focus, there is also the Shimizu and Miho area with Shimizu Port and Miho no Matsubara.
Getting around mostly means route buses, the JR Tokaido Line and Nihondaira Ropeway; transit IC cards work on route buses and the airport bus. By taxi, Nihondaira Ropeway is about 30 minutes from Shizuoka Station (about JPY 4,200, small car). A booked flat-fare taxi (standard car) from the airport to the Shizuoka Station area costs JPY 11,500 (Shimizu Station area JPY 14,500), with expressway tolls extra.
According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey (2025), foreign leisure travellers visiting Shizuoka Prefecture spent an average of about ¥44,000 per person per visit (excluding travel between prefectures). This is the average for all of Shizuoka Prefecture, not just this city, and actual costs vary widely with itinerary and accommodation.
- Transport: airport bus JPY 1,200 (to Shizuoka Station), bus from Shizuoka Station to Nihondaira Ropeway JPY 710 one way, ropeway JPY 1,250 return
- Entry: Kunozan Toshogu shrine JPY 700, Sunpu Castle Park combined ticket JPY 360, Miho no Matsubara free, Yume Terrace observation floor JPY 100 (from 1 October 2026; outdoor corridor free)
- Set ticket: ropeway return + shrine JPY 1,950, or JPY 2,300 with the museum (high school and up)
- Hotels and food: costs vary by date, so check booking sites
When to go: December to February for snow-capped Mt Fuji
The guide recommends December to February. Japan Meteorological Agency normals for Shizuoka station (1991-2020) give December an average high of about 14°C, low of about 5°C and about 81 mm of rain; January about 12°C and 2°C with about 80 mm; and February about 13°C and 3°C with about 105 mm, so these months get less rain and are mild. Official sources describe winter as the season when snow-capped Mt Fuji looks beautiful over Suruga Bay. Mornings and evenings are chilly, though.
In winter, also check closing days. Nihondaira Ropeway is closed from 1 to 21 December 2026, Yume Terrace from 26 to 31 December, and the paid facilities in Sunpu Castle Park from 29 December to 3 January.
March to October get about 187-297 mm of rain a month, and July and August are hot with average highs of about 30-31°C. November has an average high of about 19°C and about 134 mm of rain. If you want to pick tea yourself, May is the best time.
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FAQ
Are 2 days enough for Shizuoka?
The guide recommends 2 to 3 days. Sunpu Castle Park, Nihondaira, Kunozan Toshogu and Miho no Matsubara fit into 2 days; plan 3 days if you also want Satta Pass or the Toro Archaeological Site.
Can I walk from Nihondaira to Kunozan Toshogu?
No. You cannot walk between the two; they are linked by ropeway (about 5 minutes). While the ropeway is closed from 1 to 21 December 2026, you can still visit by climbing the 1,159 stone steps from the foot of the mountain.
What should I know about the airport bus?
Seats are limited but no reservation is needed; take a numbered ticket when you board and pay when you get off. Going to the airport, you cannot board at Shizuoka Station when the bus is full, so take the JR Tokaido Line to Kanaya, Shimada or Fujieda Station and catch the airport bus there. A new timetable started on 25 October 2026.
When is the best season to see Mt Fuji from Miho no Matsubara?
Official sources describe winter as the season when snow-capped Mt Fuji looks beautiful over Suruga Bay. The guide also recommends December to February, which get less rain and are mild.
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ⓘ Photo credits
- JR East Yamanote Line E235 series train · Rsa / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lake Kinrin · Tzu-hsun, Hsu / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Airport rail platform (Hong Kong Airport Station) · MNXANL / CC BY-SA 4.0