5 Best Hiking Areas in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka’s hiking splits cleanly into two categories: an actual Fuji climb, a serious summer-only undertaking, and everything else, gentler trails and coastal walks that work most of the year. These 5 cover both.
5 hiking areas, at a glance
| Area | Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji’s Shizuoka trails (Fujinomiya, Subashiri, Gotemba) | Summit climb | Serious, permit required |
| Nanadaru Seven Waterfalls | Waterfall trail | Moderate |
| Jogasaki coast | Coastal lava-cliff trail | Easy-moderate |
| Chikurin-no-Komichi | Riverside bamboo path | Easy |
| Nihondaira / Yume Terrace | Plateau walk | Easy |
Mount Fuji, the Shizuoka side’s 3 trails
The Shizuoka side holds three of Fuji’s four trails: Fujinomiya (the shortest), Subashiri, and Gotemba (the longest and hardest, with a loose gravel “Great Sand Run” descent). This is a genuinely serious undertaking, not a casual hike, all three require registering through the Shizuoka FUJI NAVI app for a QR-code permit, the season only runs from July 10 to September 10, and a 2pm-3am gate closure means an overnight mountain hut reservation is mandatory rather than optional. Full 2026 rules and fees are in our main Shizuoka guide and travel tips , read those before booking anything.
Kawazu’s Nanadaru Seven Waterfalls, a genuinely moderate trail
On the Izu Peninsula, the Nanadaru Seven Waterfalls trail near Kawazu strings together seven falls through a lush valley, a proper hike rather than a stroll, and it pairs naturally with Kawazu’s early cherry blossoms if your trip lands in February.
Jogasaki coast, lava cliffs and a suspension bridge
The Jogasaki coast trail follows dramatic lava cliffs on the Izu Peninsula, easy to moderate depending on how far you walk, and crosses the Kadowaki suspension bridge partway along. It’s a good half-day option that doesn’t require the fitness a Fuji climb does.
Chikurin-no-Komichi and Nihondaira, the easy walks
For something gentler, Chikurin-no-Komichi, a bamboo-lined path along the Katsura River in Shuzenji, takes about twenty minutes and pairs with an onsen stay. The Nihondaira plateau, with the Yume Terrace observation deck, is an easy walk with genuine Fuji-and-Suruga-Bay views, and it connects by ropeway down to Kunozan Toshogu if you want to extend the outing.
Do I need hiking experience for the Fuji climb?
Some fitness, definitely, it’s a multi-hour ascent with real altitude gain, but no technical climbing skill. The permit process and gate closure matter more for most first-timers than the physical difficulty itself.
Which of these can I do without a car?
Nihondaira and Chikurin-no-Komichi are both reachable by train and local transit. Nanadaru and the Jogasaki coast are easier with a rental car , Izu’s rural transit is thin off the main line.
One concrete tip: if a Fuji climb is on your trip, book the FUJI NAVI permit and a mountain hut months ahead, not the week before, the short July-September window fills fast.