After spending a few days in Shizuoka City, Japan, and visiting the major attractions, you may be doing a quick search on other possible day trip ideas in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Justin and I understand. We know that you want to maximize your time and experience as much as possible during your limited travel time.
So, where are the best day trips to take from Shizuoka by train?
We’re here to share with you our 7 recommended day trip destinations from Shizuoka City, all are under 2 hours and accessible by local, limited express, or Shinkansen (high speed bullet train). The travel information provided departs from Shizuoka Station, but feel free to depart from any train station.
We traveled through the Shizuoka area in 6 days and had a memorable time seeing Mount Fuji at various cities, visiting castles, enjoying green tea, and more. So, we hope you continue reading our post to help you plan for your next trip to Shizuoka.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. Appreciate the support.
Helpful Tips on Traveling through Shizuoka Prefecture by Train
- We recommend using the West Japan Railway Company Route Maps and Timetable website to plan the train schedule. You can add your starting and ending stations, filter your train requirements such as local train, Shinkansen, or limited express train, and change the dates and times of departure. The information that we mentioned in each destination is from the JR website.
- If you have limited time in Shizuoka and want to use a convenient train pass, consider using the Japan Railways Mount Fuji Shizuoka Area Pass. It’s a 3-day pass and covers local trains and buses in Shizuoka Prefecture. We used this pass for the first half of our trip and loved the convenience.
- As a heads up, you’ll need to arrive in Shizuoka area to activate the pass. If you’re coming from Tokyo to Shizuoka, you can see bus and train options in the blog post that we wrote.
- Or, you can use the All Japan JR Pass (which covers JR trains) or your IC card to travel around.
Hamamatsu
Hamamatsu City is one of the best places to visit as a day trip from Shizuoka. We loved visiting this memorable city for its castle, history, good eats, and unique landmarks.
Taking the train from Shizuoka to Hamamatsu requires 1 hour 12 minutes when taking the local train or less than 30 minutes by Shinkansen. So the travel time isn’t too long.
Hamamatsu Castle 浜松城 is the most important historical landmark in the city. As the castle area for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the former Shogun, this 3 story castle is worth a visit to learn more about Ieyasu’s life and see old artifacts.
Hamamatsu Castle is one of the top attractions to visit in Hamamatsu
Other cool places to check out include the natural Nakatajima Sand Dunes 中田島砂丘 and beautiful Hamamatsu Flower Park はままつフラワーパーク. You may need two separate days if you want to see both attractions, as they’re not located near each other in the city. Bus travel will require some time.
Yet, the most important part about this visit is eating the local food – unagi (eel in Japanese). We love eating unagi, and we often eat at Matsumian, an unagi restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (as we lived there for 8 years).
Hamamatsu’s unagi is well worth trying as the eel is mouthwatering and grilled to perfection. There are several dozen unagi shops around Hamamatsu Station, so you can choose any place.
As a heads up, an unagi meal can be a pricer meal starting at 3,800+ yen. Yet it’s so delicious and recommended to try at least once! We loved the unagi experience so much that we took the train from Shimizu to Hamamatsu to eat it two days in a row for lunch.
Justin and I love the unagi (grilled eel) in Hamamatsu!
Time required from Hamamatsu Station to Shizuoka Station:
1 hour 12 minutes (local train, no transfers) – Cost: 1,340 yen Adults, 670 yen Children
20 to 28 minutes (Shinkansen Hikari or Kodama, no transfers)
Cost: [Reserved seats] 3,630 yen Adults, 1,810 yen Children; [Non-reserved seats] 2,330 yen Adults, 1,160 yen Children
Fujinomiya
Fujinomiya City, located near gorgeous Mount Fuji, has one of the best views of Mount Fuji on a clear day. Even if the day of your visit is overcast and rainy (which is what we had), you’ll still have a fun time exploring the area.
Taking the train from Shizuoka Station to Fujinomiya Station doesn’t require too much time – at least 1 hour by local train.
We loved spending the day in Fujinomiya. We recommend learning about how Mount Fuji formed and its cultural significance at the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center 静岡県富士山世界遺産センター. The building’s architecture stands out as the exhibits follow a spiral path.
Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre is worth a visit for a chance to see Mount Fuji and to learn about the mountain’s history and cultural influence
Then wander through one of the most important Sengen shrines in the country at Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine 富士山本宮浅間大社. This is the main Sengen shrine out of 1300 of them.
If you still have time, check out the Shiraito Falls 白糸の滝 and Otodome Waterfall 音止めの滝. These waterfalls are next to each other. Shiraito Falls has gorgeous cascades. The significance of the waterfall is that the water comes from melted snow and rain from Mount Fuji.
Shiraito Waterfall is a beautiful spot to visit in Fujinomiya
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Fujinomiya Station:
59 minutes (local train with 1 transfer at Fuji Station) – Cost: 860 yen Adults, 430 yen Children
41 minutes (Limited Express Fujikawa, no transfer)
Cost: [Reserved Seats] 2,150 yen Adults, 1,070 yen Children; [Non-reserved Seats] 1,620 yen Adults, 810 yen Children
Kakegawa
Kakegawa is a historical castle city with Kakegawa Castle as the main attraction.
The train ride from Shizuoka Station to Kakegawa Station is only 45 minutes by local train or 14 minutes by Shinkansen. So, it’s a quick train ride to see the castle.
Kakegawa Castle 掛川城 is highly recommended. Even though this 3 level castle is on the smaller side, it’s perched on a hill. So, the white exterior stands out. Yet, there are pretty views of the area on the top level of the castle. We liked the neighboring palace area with tatami mats, as you can wander through the rooms to look at armour and gorgeous kimonos.
Kakegawa Castle is easy to get to as a day trip from Shizuoka City.
Besides the castle, Kakegawa is a top producer of green teas. So, if you’re a matcha or green tea lover, check out the tea plantations in the area.
Or, you can visit one of the Kimakura Cafes, originally from Kakegawa, to get your matcha and dessert fix.
Life Of Doing Tip: If you don’t want to travel far from Shizuoka City, head to the dessert shop, Japanese Tea Kimakura Saryo 日本茶きみくら茶寮 ASTY静岡店, at Asty Mall in Shizuoka Station. It’s the same brand as the Kimakura Cafes mentioned above. We ate here twice in two days since the matcha parfait was delicious! Read more about the places we ate in Shizuoka City in the blog post here.
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Kakegawa Station:
45 minutes (local train, no transfer) – Cost: 860 yen Adults, 430 yen Children
14 minutes (Shinkansen, no transfer) – Cost: 3,150 yen Adults, 1,570 yen Children
Shimada
You may have never heard of Shimada City in this prefecture, yet it’s famous for growing sencha (a type of green tea) in the Makinohara Plateau. It’s the largest tea farming region in the area.
It takes about 30 minutes by local train to visit Shimada area from Shizuoka.
We recommend visiting the Tea Museum ふじのくに茶の都ミュージアム, located in the Kanaya area, to learn more about the history of tea and Japanese green tea, and how tea leaves are processed. We loved seeing the wall of different types of Japanese tea. Signs are English and Japanese. You also receive a welcome drink of a local green tea.
The Tea Museum Shizuoka is a fun place to visit for those who love drinking tea
One of the coolest parts about this place is taking interactive classes. Learn how to whisk ceremonial matcha, blend your own tea, or enjoy a tea tasting. It’s better to visit this museum earlier in the day so you can attend more interactive classes.
If you have time, take a stroll around the small Japanese garden with the small pond. Also, visit the souvenir shop to try tea infused desserts and snacks or to buy loose leaf teas. We bought two sencha packs and loved our choices.
Tea plantations surround the museum, so take photos of the plantations located behind the museum. Please do not enter plantations on private property.
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Kanaya Station:
31 minutes (local train, no transfer)- Cost: 590 yen Adults, 290 yen Children
Gotemba
Gotemba is another city that has beautiful views of Mount Fuji. Visitors can climb Fuji from this area. Or, visitors can spend the day shopping or hanging out at the local onsen (hot springs).
Gotemba Station is farther from Shizuoka Station. You’ll need over 1.5 hours by train – the longest route that we’ve mentioned in this post.
We had the chance to visit Gotemba to visit the Gotemba Premium Outlet 御殿場プレミアム・アウトレット. It’s the largest outlet shopping mall in Japan with over 300 stores, yet we didn’t go shopping. We wanted to see an incredible view of Fuji from the mall. So we visited various areas of the outlet to see snowcapped Mount Fuji.
I was very excited for my Sumikkogurashi toy with a Mount Fuji and wombats to see Mount Fuji from Gotemba Premium Outlets
Life Of Doing Tip: You may be tempted to go to Kawaguchiko or Hakone from Gotemba. These areas look close on Google Maps. However, it’s not recommended as the local bus is very slow and doesn’t run frequently. You’ll end up spending more time on the bus to travel. So, it’s best to visit these two places on a separate trip. We did not visit Gotemba on our recent Shizuoka trip.
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Gotemba Station:
1 hour 39 minutes (local train, 1 transfer at Numazu Station) – Cost: 1,340 yen Adults, 670 yen Children
1 hour 28 minutes (Shinkansen to Mishima + local trains, 2 transfers at Mishima and Numazu Station)
Cost: 3,810 yen Adults, 1,900 yen Children
Mishima
Mishima City neighbors the Hakone area, so you tend to see Mishima on Mount Fuji/Hakone itineraries. Yet, it’s located in Shizuoka Prefecture.
It only takes one hour by local train or less than 25 minutes by Shinkansen to travel between Shizuoka Station and Mishima Station.
The Mishima Skywalk 三島スカイウォークis the most popular landmark in the city. It’s a 400-meter pedestrian-only suspension bridge where you get incredible views of Mount Fuji, Izu Peninsula, and Suruga Bay. You could also take a zipline parallel to the Skywalk for an adventure.
Another highly popular place to visit is the Mishima Taisha Shrine 三嶋大社, located near Mishima Station.
Unfortunately, we haven’t had a chance to visit Mishima. Yet, this city is on our travel bucket list.
Life Of Doing Tip: We recommend visiting Hakone in a separate trip or a specific Hakone and Mishima multi-day trip. Hakone’s bus system to the outer areas is very slow and doesn’t operate frequently.
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Mishima Station:
1 hour 2 minutes (local train, no transfer) – Cost: 990 yen Adults, 490 yen Children
16 to 24 minutes (Shinkansen Hikari or Kodama train)
Cost: [Reserved seats] 3,280 yen Adults, 1,630 yen Children; [Non-reserved seats] 1,980 yen Adults; 980 yen Children
Atami
The last recommendation as a place to visit from Shizuoka is Atami City. It’s a coastal area with hot springs (onsens), public beaches, and lots of different attractions to visit.
You need at least 1 hour 16 minutes from Shizuoka Station to Atami Station or a 36 minute Shinkansen ride.
We haven’t been to Atami yet, but it looks like a perfect destination to relax for the day or longer. We heard that it’s a more affordable destination for hot springs compared to the neighboring Hakone, and is less busy with tourists.
Other fun places to visit include Kinomiya Shrine 來宮神社, Atami Castle 熱海城, or take the Atami Ropeway to visit the Hihokan – Adult Museum Atami 熱海秘宝館 (optional). This adult museum is for visitors 18+ years due to the spiciness of the exhibits.
One of the famous foods to try is the Atami Pudding. The Atami Pudding Shop has two locations in the city and requires at least 30 minutes of waiting in line, so it must be delicious!
Time required from Shizuoka Station to Atami Station:
1 hour 16 minutes (local train, no transfer) – Cost: 1340 yen Adult, 670 yen Children
36 minutes (Shinkansen Kodama, no transfer)
Cost: [Reserved seats] 3,630 yen Adults, 1,810 yen Children; [Non-reserved seats] 3,100 yen Adults, 1,550 yen Children
Final Thoughts
Which of these places do you want to visit on a short visit from Shizuoka City? Whether you’re taking the local train, limited express, or Shinkansen, you can arrive in many areas of Shizuoka in 2 hours or less. We loved our time in Fujinomiya, Hamamatsu, Shimada, Gotemba, and Kakegawa, and wouldn’t hesitate to visit again.
Check our our other blog posts on Shizuoka below:
- 12 Fun Things to Do in Shizuoka City, Japan
- 5 Delicious Places to Eat at Shimizu Fish Market
- 7 Must Try Places to Eat in Shizuoka, Japan
- Shizuoka Marathon 2025 Race Review
Like this post? Save it to your Japan travel board on Pinterest.
