Main building of Mitsumine Shrine in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture

Escape from Urban Tokyo by Hiking this Sacred Mountain

Chichibu Hiking Day Trip Itinerary

Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō) can often be too much of an urban jungle for some. Those who long to be with nature again will be happy to know that there are easily accessible hiking options from Tokyo. Chichibu (秩父) in Saitama Prefecture (埼玉県, Saitama-ken) is one of these locations, connected via a direct Limited Express Laview train from Ikebukuro.

Our One Day Chichibu Hiking Day Trip itinerary makes it easy for you to figure out how to hop out to Chichibu for a hike into a lush jungle, escaping the concrete jungle that is Tokyo.

Ultimate Chichibu Hiking Day Trip Itinerary from Tokyo

An Easy Ride Into Natural Serenity

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Our day trip itinerary guides you through the ins-and-outs of getting to Chichibu (秩父), as well as to the start of the hiking route.

The general gist is that you'll start off at Ikebukuro Station, hop on the Seibu Limited Express Laview train to Seibu-Chichibu Station. From there, hop onto the local bus to Ōwa bus stop, where the hiking route begins. The hiking route takes around 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the top, and is recommended for beginner-intermediate level of climbers. The path is clearly marked and defined, but the inclines require a large amount of stamina.

Once you reach the top, you can get lunch at the shopping street, and check out the Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社, Mitsumine-jinja). Then you'll hop on the bus back to Seibu-Chichibu Station, where you can soak in the onsen and have dinner before catching the Seibu Limited Express Laview back to Ikebukuro,

Itinerary Details

Starting Time

Start off from Ikebukuro

Recommended Time:

08:30

池袋駅

Ikebukuro Station

JR山手線

JR Yamanote Line

埼京線

JR Saikyo Line

東武東上線

Tobu Tojo Line

西武池袋線

Seibu Ikebukuro Line

丸の内線

Marunouchi Line

湘南新宿ライン

JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line

Take the Laview to Seibu-Chichibu Station

Est.

08:30

1h 17m

The fastest and most comfortable way to get between Tokyo and Chichibu is by riding on the Laview Limited Express train from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo to Seibu-Chichibu Station.

The Laview is a paid reserved seats-only Limited Express train with reclinable seats and almost full-height windows. It's a very comfortable ride with great views outside the train windows.

Limited Express Laview

Towards Seibu-Chichibu Station

Ikebukuro Station

Seibu-Chichibu Station

Recommended Time:

08:30

1h 17m

¥1,696

Take the bus to Ōwa

Est.

09:55

55 mins

Before boarding the bus, we recommend stocking up on some water and snacks for the hike at Seibu-Chichibu Station. Onigiri (rice balls) is generally a good snack option that is filling, easy to carry, and easy to keep.

The bus departs Seibu-Chichibu Station at 9.10am, 10.20am, and 11.30am on weekdays, and 8.30am, 9.10am, and 10.20am on weekends (timetable). We recommend catching the 10.20am bus at latest to ensure you have ample time to enjoy the hike up.

35 mins

Recommended Time:

10:20

Seibu-Chichibu Station

Ōwa

River stream at the base of the Mitsumine Shrine hiking route

Est.

11:00

3 hours

Hiking Mount Mitsumine (三峰山山登り)

Hiking up Mount Mitsumine

Not just a regular hiking route, this route is also a pilgrimage route for those climbing up to Mitsumine Shrine at the top. As such, when you first get off the bus and walk to the start of the hiking route, you will be greeted by a large torii (鳥居) gate that also makes for a great pre-hike photo spot. Following down that path, you will find this beautiful red wooden bridge that crosses the river to the start of the hike.

Waraji Katsudon at Oshimaya in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture

Est.

14:00

1 hour

Ōshimaya (大島屋)

Grab some Waraji Katsudon at Oshimaya

A Chichibu specialty, Waraji Katsudon (草鞋カツ丼) is a dish where a bowl of rice is topped with tonkatsu (カツ丼, Pork cutlet rice bowl) drenched in sauce. Waraji (草鞋, Straw sandals) is actually the name of traditional Japanese straw slippers – since the pork cutlets dipped in sauce resembled these slippers in shape and color, they were named Waraji Katsu.

Est.

15:00

1 hour

Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社)

Check out the beautiful architecture of Mitsumine Jinja

One of the most important Shinto (神道, Shintō) sites in Chichibu, the Mitsumine Shrine's entrance features a rare mitsu-torii (三ツ鳥居, a triple torii gate) as opposed to the usual double torii (鳥居). Rather than usual koma inu (狛犬, Lion-dogs) that guard the entrance to the shrine, the shrine is guarded by two stone okami (狼, Ōkami, Wolf) instead. One of the rare shrines that worship Japanese wolves, you can find many wolf motifs around the shrine, including at the shrine gift shop. These wolves are thought to be guardians against misfortune.

Head back to Seibu-Chichibu Station

Est.

16:00

1.5 hours

The bus departs Mitsumine-Jinja bus stop (located at the public parking lot just below the shopping street) at every 30 minute mark of each hour from 12.30pm to 4.30pm (timetable). Make sure to catch the last bus by 4.30pm or you will have to call a taxi to get down.

1.5 hours

Recommended Time:

16:30

Mitsumine Shrine

Seibu-Chichibu Station

Exterior of Matsuri no Yu in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture

Credit: Kaze315 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Est.

17:30

1 hour

Matsuri no Yu (祭の湯)

Take a soak at the Matsuri-no-yu

Matsuri-no-yu is a modern super sento (スーパ銭湯, Sūpa Sentō, Super Public Bath) facility that features a variety of outdoor and indoor baths. The outdoor baths consist of a seasonal bath (that changes theme with the seasons), a rock bath, a lying down bath, and a private tub bath. The indoor baths consist of a silk bath (a milky bath good for the skin), a carbonated bath, jacuzzi baths and a sauna.

Cream puff at Matsuri no Utage in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture

Est.

18:30

1 hour

Matsuri no Utage (呑喰処祭の宴)

Grab dinner and get some gelato

After your bath at Matsuri no Yu (祭の湯), grab dinner at Matsuri-no-utage, a food court located in the same building as Matsuri-no-yu. This food court serves up a variety of local specialties, and although the standard of food is quite average, its convenience after a long day makes for an enticing dinner location.

Take the Laview back to Ikebukuro

Est.

19:30

1h 17m

The fastest and most comfortable way to get between Tokyo and Chichibu is by riding on the Laview Limited Express train from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo to Seibu-Chichibu Station.

The Laview is a paid reserved seats-only Limited Express train with reclinable seats and almost full-height windows. It's a very comfortable ride with great views outside the train windows.

Limited Express Laview

Towards Ikebukuro Station

Seibu-Chichibu Station

Ikebukuro Station

1h 17m

¥1,696

End off at Ikebukuro

Est.

21:00

池袋駅

Ikebukuro Station

JR山手線

JR Yamanote Line

埼京線

JR Saikyo Line

東武東上線

Tobu Tojo Line

西武池袋線

Seibu Ikebukuro Line

丸の内線

Marunouchi Line

湘南新宿ライン

JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line

Originally seen in

Ultimate One Day Chichibu Hiking Itinerary

Exploring the Mountains in this Remote Town

Due to changing circumstances, readers are advised to do their own additional research. All information on this site is purely for reference only.

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