Gotemba Premium Outlets from Tokyo, with Mt Fuji in the same day

Where it is and how long it takes

Gotemba sits about a hundred kilometres west of Tokyo, near the Gotemba interchange of the Tomei Expressway. By car the drive from central Tokyo usually takes an hour and a half to two hours, longer on weekend mornings and holiday afternoons. Highway buses leave from Shinjuku and Tokyo Station and are the cheapest way to go, at fixed times and with limited room for bags. A free shuttle runs from JR Gotemba station for those who come by train.

Opening hours and the best time to shop

The outlets usually open from 10:00 to 20:00 between March and November, and from 10:00 to 19:00 between December and February, with one closing day a year in February. Check the official site before you go, as hours change for holidays and events. Weekday mornings are the calmest. On weekends and during Japanese holidays the car parks fill by late morning and the queues for the most popular brands start early, so arriving at opening time pays off.

Tax-free shopping changes in November 2026

From 1 November 2026, Japan's tax-free shopping for visitors works as a refund rather than an exemption at the till. You pay the full price including 10 percent consumption tax, keep your receipts and register your purchases, and the tax is refunded after you complete the procedure at customs when you leave Japan, before check-in. Bring your passport when you shop, as it is still recorded at purchase. The details may still be adjusted, so look at the official guidance before your trip.

Combining the outlets with Mt Fuji

The most popular plan pairs the outlets with the Fuji Five Lakes. Leave Tokyo early, spend the morning at Lake Kawaguchiko, the Chureito Pagoda or Oshino Hakkai while the mountain is most often clear, then drive about forty minutes to Gotemba and shop through the afternoon. Lake Yamanaka is only about thirty minutes from the outlets, so a quieter lakeside lunch is easy to fit in. Fuji views from the outlets themselves are best in the morning and in the cold, dry months.

Or with Hakone

Hakone is just as close. Sengokuhara and Lake Ashi are about thirty to forty minutes from Gotemba, so you can spend the morning on the lake, at the Hakone shrine or in a museum, and shop in the afternoon. In late October and November the drive over the hills into Hakone is also one of the prettiest autumn routes near Tokyo.

Why a car, and the price

If you only want to shop and travel light, the highway bus is good value and we would tell you so. A car earns its place when the day includes Fuji or Hakone, when you shop for a family, or when the bags multiply. Everything you buy goes into the car, the chauffeur waits while you shop, and you are dropped at your hotel door rather than at a bus terminal. A ten hour day combining Mt Fuji or Hakone with Gotemba is from ¥157,500 for the Toyota Alphard, with up to four guests and room for three to four suitcases or a lot of shopping. Tolls, parking and fuel are included, and the chauffeur can speak English, Italian, Spanish, French or Japanese.

See the full Mt Fuji private tour, with prices and itinerary →