Mt Takao, a nice way to escape the city for a day

So what do you do when your plans to go to Fuji Q theme park are thrown off course? Look up suggestions for day trips from Tokyo online, discuss with your friend which places she has already visited and see what you are left with. That was how we wound up on train to Mt Takao, a 50 minute trip from Shinjuku on the Keio line. Takaosanguchi station is at the base of the mountain.

You can get a 20% discount if you buy your cable car ticket for the mountain at the same time you purchase your round trip train ticket from Shinjuku or Shibuya train station.  You can choose if you want to get the cable car one way or return. It is 480 yen one way or 930 yen return for cable car. 390 yen each way for the train trip.

Using Trail 1, walking from the bottom to the summit takes 90 minutes or you take the cable car which drops you halfway up. We chose to get the cable car up and walk back down. Trail 1 is an easy paved path, there are other more advanced trails that take you past other features such as suspension bridges and waterfalls. You can see views of Tokyo from the observation area near the cable car station.

Along Trail 1 we stopped at the Yakuoin temple and checked out the statues of the long nosed mountain gods. The temple was a bit unusual with a different style of statues and fountains then I  had seen at other places. You can spot the long nosed goblin statues along the hiking trails as well.

The view from the summit was pretty clouded over but we could see glimpses of some of the mountain ranges, apparently you can see Mt Fuji on clear days.  It is also supposed to be a good place to see cherry blossoms a couple of weeks after they have disappeared around Tokyo.

I wouldn't bother with the monkey park, it was pretty sad really. The guide was super friendly and enthusiastic but it was really just a bunch of cranky monkeys fighting over a spot on their dusty hill. You do get entry to a flower garden with the same ticket to the monkey park but nothing was in bloom when we went through. Entry ticket is 480 yen.

All in all it was a nice day trip adventure and I wouldn't mind heading back to check out the beer garden with the all you can eat buffet that runs from late June to early October.