Mount Fuji, Kamakura, Big Buddha, & Lake Ashi Day Trip

We had a wonderful day tour last Monday hosted by our guide George. From the start, George was incredibly engaging and so knowledgeable about Japanese culture - he brought everything to life with stories and context we would have missed on our own. What really stood out was how much time he spent with each person in the group, making sure every question was answered and everyone felt comfortable. George was a pleasure to travel with and listen to, and his great sense of humor kept the whole group laughing throughout the day. He was also very thoughtful, offering to capture photos for people in the group so everyone could be in the shot. It was a very wet day with poor visibility to clearly see Mt. Fuji, which of course no one can control, but even so it was absolutely a worthwhile trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We couldn't have asked for a better guide - thank you George!

The directions to the meeting point was not adequate & the picture of the meet up point sent to us was not current, making us miss our tour the previous day. Had to pay a penalty fee of $30 each ($60 total) + a service fee of $4.20 just to reschedule the same tour for the next day. We also spent way too much time sitting on the bus than touring the sites. At the sites, only about 15-30 minutes were spent, & to think we had the whole day (7am - 6pm). For the actual tour, we only spent about 2.5 hours, out of 11 hours. On a positive note, we are very impressed with our tour guide, Sachi, & bus driver, Yoshimura San.

It was a great experience and very good guide, Sachi, with and added bonus of learning some Spanish along the way as it is a bilingual tour. Sachi gave us a short Japanese lesson too, along the way

The day was wonderful. Early start but well worth it. It was all about Mt Fuji and we were very fortunate the weather did not disappoint. Sachi our tour guide made sure we had enough time at every stop. Our driver Toshimura San was great too.

The trip is long and tiring. It takes 10 hours including a few breaks for use of rest rooms or to get a coffee and a longer one for lunch., starting at 7 am. The point of departure (Inz. 2, Ginza) isn't very easy to locate for tourists new to Japan who can't read Japanese. The Great Buddha at Kamakura is impressive. A tour just focused on Kamakura and including the Hachimanji shrine would be preferable to get a better focus on the attractions of historic Kamakura. This tour focuses on giving tourists three chances to see Mt. Fuji. Since most of the year it's covered up by clouds, it is very hard to see, even trying at three different vantage points. The tour should warn tourists of the high probability of not seeing Mt. Fuji. It's not quite the same to receive photes if the mountsin as a consolation prize from the guide. The scenery is often beautiful. Lunch was on the whole only mediocre. The vegan option is rice with pumpkin curry. The non-vegetarian option was a kind of "cook your own hot pot" and the shrimps were especially good. The guide, Jorge/George, tries very hard in both English and Spanish to keep the tourists entertained and instructed. He should update/complete/ correct some of his information. The theory of differential use of brain hemispheres by Japanese to explain difficulty in learning English has been disproved. References to Buddhist and Shinto traditions could show more depth and understanding. The tour is best for those who are happy just to see the Great Buddha of Kamakura and views of Japan outside Tokyo even if they don't see Mt. Fuji. Also, they should be prepared for a mediocre lunch. Would they be willing to pay so much for the tour if that was made clear?

Jorge was incredible! Didn’t get to see Mt Fuji but tour was still amazing. Learned some niche facts about Japan and got to resurrect my high school Spanish education

The tour ride was a bit long but the sightseeing part was fantastic I need more time to explore the sights. The lunch could have been better but overall I enjoyed the tour.

Hit all the high points of a Mt Fuji tour. Pity the afernoon clouds came in, but a fantastic view in the morning from the lake. Well worth the time. Thanks Jose!

Great trip, Andy the guide was very informative and we had some amazing views of Fuji.

Very informative. Great stops!

Beru is super and made our day! Very prepared and funny guy!

The trip was really good interesting places the guide Ethan was kind and explained really well. Also helping with additional information throughout the while day!

Our Tour guide Jose was very knowledgeable about Japan and the culture!! Knows how to speak two languages at the same time he’s an awesome translator and tour guide!!

We had a great trip to base of MT. Fuji. It was an easy to see multiple areas around Mt. Fuji without being too restricted. Mostly a sightseeing adventure with photo spots. Meet spot information could be updated as references old store langur luckily photos provided helped to figure that out. Jose our guide did a great job in providing additional context on the areas as well as some general insight into Japanese culture.

Great experience taking this tour! Jose was great and responsive with this tour of Japan!

Title: One of the Best Tours in Japan! This tour was absolutely amazing! We got to see so many iconic places in one day. The views of Mount Fuji were unforgettable, and the Great Buddha in Kamakura was truly impressive. Lake Ashi was beautiful and relaxing. The guide was professional and welcoming, making the whole day enjoyable and stress-free. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone traveling to Japan!

Super wonderful guide - informative, knowledgeable, funny, has a lot of good stories to tell to introduce you to the Japanese culture! Highly recommend!

It was a really nice, meaningful and fun experience, I strongly recommend these experience for young adults, young families and seniors!! Thanks to George and Jou!

Fantastic day, even though we could see the top of Mt. Fuji.

Excellent day trip. Very enjoyable, and informative as well as entertaining!

This tour, led by Jorge and Kondo, surpassed our expectations in all senses. Jorge was always available to answer any question and share interesting historical and cultural facts about Japan. I would highly recommend to book this tour with them.

Takeuchi-san is lovely driver

This was a very fun trip with amazing information sharing and an extremely engaging host in Sachi. She explained important details thoroughly and more importantly was very attentive to the needs of my party. Our driver, Takeuchi San was patient and seemed to view us as his responsibility, even assuring that it was safe crossing the street. I will definitely recommend this tour to potential travelers.

Sochi & Takeuchi-San are the best! We had a wonderful time.

Great tour and day. Sachi and Takeuchi San were great. Very organized great communication and aesucatuonal.

Excellent use of our time. I recommend this tour to everyone. Great guide and bus tour. Naomi was very friendly, knowledgable and professional

The trip was great, melody our guide was exceptional, well informed and went extra mile providing the service. Driver otsukasanwas very good. Punctual and safe.

Melody was a fantastic bi-lingual guide, who made every one feel welcome, the tour was awesome and well worth it. Otsuka-san was great as well

The view of Mt. Fuji is highly subjective and depends on the weather. It’s a hit or a miss! The guides were excellent, punctual, and well-informed. However, it felt a bit rushed to visit everything and return by 5 pm, but it is understandable.

amazing views of mt Fuji and loved the Buddha experience as well. could have gone without the boat ride or had the boat ride a bit longer to experience the really cool boat we were on.

This trip has a lot of time on the bus but that can’t be helped given where you need to get to in order to see my Fuji. We had an excellent view from all three stops. Well organised tour with excellent tour guide.

This tour was as good as it could be given the weather- we couldn't see Mt Fuji! Instead we saw a giant bronze Buddha, a peaceful ferry ride in a lake surrounded by mountains and an UNESCO heritage springs of water from Mt Fuji. Melody our English/spanish guide was fantastic and informative. The one complaint I have was our pick up from out hotel he did not drop us off at the meeting point and we got lost trying to find it and almost missed the trip.

I booked this tour with viator, for the Mt Fuji, Kamakura, Big Buddha, & Lake Ashi trip. On the day of my tour, I went to the lobby and got the front desk to call for a taxi, and she told me the cab should be there in 5 minutes. The cab driver shows up fifteen minutes later. After he picks me and we proceed to Ginza Inz 2. About 20 minutes later he drops me off at the wrong location. So I go to the hotel where the cab driver stopped, and I ask the front desk for directions, on how to get to Ginza Inz 2 it was a short 10 minute walk. When I get to the location, I realized the tour bus was gone. I went back to the hotel, that I walked from to call a taxi back to my hotel. When I get back to my hotel, I called Amigo Tours Japan to try and reschedule my tour for another day, and the lady on the phone agrees to pick me up at my hotel on Thursday, but I had to pay a fee. Which I was willing to pay, when they arrive at my hotel, but the person on the phone wanted me to pay online. I told her my kindle wasn't working and I won't receive the email. I kept telling her to let me pay the fee when you pick me up at the hotel, but she wouldn't budge. So I gave her my email address and after a couples of minutes she hangs up on me. Minutes later I called Amigo Tours Japan back and I left a message to speak with a supervisor. A couple hours later I arrive back at my hotel, and ask did I receive any messages? The front desk gave me the phone number and I called back and left another message. Later I made my last attempt to call Amigo Tours Japan, but their line was disconnected. I didn't go to Mt. Fuji or the other attractions on this tour. If you want to go Mt. Fuji DON'T go with Amigo Tours Japan, go with someone else. It makes me wonder if this company is running a scam, they have had complaints about not showing up, or downgrading their service from a bus tour to going on a crowded train, so beware if you use them. Last but not least I have a bone to pick with Viator, For one. I didn't get my money back. Two, your company should be checking out these other places, before people go. And I'm thinking about contacting the Better Business Bureau.

The tour was very fun and the locations were beautiful! Guide Akane was very kind and informed us in both english anda and spanish and driver Yo was very smooth

We had such an amazing experience today with Waku-san and Melody! They were both incredibly kind, welcoming, and informative throughout the entire tour. We visited Lake Ashinoko, Kotoku-in, Nigori-Ike Pond, and the Fuji Kawaguchiko area, and learned so much about each location along the way. Everything was well organized and they made the whole experience fun and memorable. It was such a beautiful way to experience more of Japan and its culture. Thank you Waku-san and Melody for such a wonderful day — highly recommend! 🇯🇵✨

What a Great trip Even though we were not able to see the Mt Fuji Summit.. our Guide (Jorge) and Driver (Nesu) were amazing.. Jorge kept it light and was very funny and informative and Nesu kept us on time and safe.. Would highly recommend!!!

Jorge was an excellent guide. From the moment we met up until we departed at the end of the day, he kept us engaged with his knowledge for the sites on the excursion and Japanese culture, in general. I was so impressed by him speaking and telling stories in English, Spanish, and Portuguese-as well as Japanese! He managed our expectations throughout the day and made us laugh and feel at ease. Nesu was our driver and did a great job behind the wheel. Highly recommend Jorge and this tour! 5 stars!!!!!

George was our guide and was very engaging, knowledgeable, funny and took the time to engage with the whole group as well as each party individually. His planning got us to all of the sites with enough time to get the most out of it and still return us to the pick-up point early enough to carry out of evening plans. Nesu-san(?) the driver was an excellent driver and I definitely was impressed with his control over the coach and navigation of Japanese roads.

We had an incredible experience on our Mount Fuji, Kamakura, Big Buddha, and Lake Ashi day trip! A huge thank you to our guide, Jorge, and our driver, Marc, for making the day seamless and memorable. Jorge was phenomenal—engaging, energetic, and constantly keeping us on our toes in the best way. He is exceptionally informative, sharing fascinating insights at every stop while remaining warm, pleasant, and patient throughout the journey. His meeting instructions were clear and precise, which made navigating a busy itinerary completely stress-free. Behind the wheel, Marc provided smooth, safe, and comfortable driving all day long. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting—Jorge and Marc make a fantastic team!

Jorge Nesu is an amazing tour guide! Very funny and knowledgeable. Beautiful scenery.

It was a great tour even though we couldn’t see see Mt Fuji that day. Nesu San and Jorge were great . Jorge was very engaging and entertaining as our guide. He provided a lot of info about the Japanese culture and etiquette throughout the trip . Kept us entertained.

Jorge was great! Very informative about the area and answered all questions. Naisu, the bus driver, drove amazing! Would book this tour again

Mac is an exceptional guide. Anyone can run a tour on a sunny day, but Mac proved his value when the clouds completely obscured Mount Fuji. He didn't miss a beat. He completely shifted the focus of the day and systematically made every other stop on the tour significantly better than we expected. He brought great energy, deep local context, and eliminated all friction. Highly recommended.

Jorge was very nice and exhaustive in his explanations of both our tour and the customs and traditions of Japanese culture. Otsuka-san drove impeccably, I who suffer the coach didn't feel bad even once.

Hashimoto and Jorge did a great job making sure we got to see each of the locations listed in the trip. Jorge is a very talented guide and is able to translate between a handful of languages including English. Addtionally, Jorge provided many tips and cultural experiences so we could better understand Japan and the culture. He made sure to communicate clearly, answer any questions, and do his best to make sure we had a good time.

Great tourist guides, all very kind and the experience was really nice

Amigo Tours was great! We saw Mt. Fugi. I suggest you skip the lunch included. After lunch we discovered that we missed out on the great lunch offerings in the town.

Wonderful experience with a great atmosphere.

Unfortunately there was too much cloud so we could not see Mt Fuji at all. The big Buddha & lake ferry trip was awesome. The Obon festival & rain event caused chaos on the highways so our bus journey back took 2hrs longer than expected. The tour guides were delightful & very helpful.