Mt. Takao

A 600-meter peak that is easily accessible by a combination of cable car and hiking, giving a little taste of nature in Tokyo. It is popular in the autumn to see the changing color of the leaves, however springtime is also nice because you can see many beautiful cherry blossoms. Just outside of the station a large map indicates hiking trails in the area. The first part of the main trail is steep, this can be avoided with a cable car or chairlift ride (6 min/¥470, ¥900 round trip). Once you get off the cable car, there are shops selling food and souvenirs. There is also Monkey Park, where for ¥400 (children ¥200) you can watch a demonstration (in Japanese) and learn about Japanese Macaques in this zoo-like exhibit. There is also a beer garden with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink course for ¥4300, a welcome reward on the return trip after a couple hours of hiking (open June to October). From there, it is about a 50-minute walk to the peak (高尾山頂 Takao-san Itadaki). However, there are many lesser traveled routes also available that may take longer but are more scenic. On the main route (Path 1) there are shrines and more food vendors. The entire path is paved, although there are steep stairs in places. At the top of the mountain there is a visitor center, restaurant, and viewing platform where Mount Fuji is visible. Mt.Takao Magazine is a good English source for the mountain and surrounding areas.