Mt. Takao Day Trip From Shinjuku: Trains and Which Ticket to Buy

Take the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi, the last stop. Keio says the trip takes about one hour, and the adult fare is ¥430 as of October 2026. If you plan to ride the cable car or chairlift, buy Keio’s Takaosan Kippu (¥1,450 from Shinjuku with a round trip on the cable car or lift). It is cheaper than buying the train and the cable car separately. From Takaosanguchi Station, the cable car station is about a 5-minute walk.

This page covers the route, the tickets, the weekend reserved-seat train and a simple timeline. For the full fare math behind the Keio tickets, see our Keio one-day pass guide.

The route at a glance

Step	What to do
1	Go to the Keio Line platforms at Shinjuku (新宿). Keio’s gates are separate from JR’s.
2	Take a train bound for Takaosanguchi (高尾山口). If your train goes to Keio-Hachioji instead, change at Kitano (北野), where the Takao Line branches off. Follow the station signs.
3	Get off at the last stop, Takaosanguchi.
4	Walk about 5 minutes to Kiyotaki (清滝), the lower station of the Takao cable car, or start walking up from there.

Keio’s English Mt. Takao site describes the trip from Shinjuku as about an hour. The exact time depends on the train type and on whether you change trains, so check Keio’s timetable search on the day.

From the JR side: you can also take the JR Chuo Line to Takao (高尾) and change to the Keio Line for one stop to Takaosanguchi. Ukai Toriyama’s access page lists this route. It is useful if you are staying near a JR station, but Keio’s Takaosan Kippu only covers trips that start at a Keio or Inokashira station.

Which ticket should you buy?

Adult prices from Shinjuku, as of October 2026:

Your plan	Best ticket	Price
Train both ways, cable car or lift both ways	Takaosan Kippu (round trip + cable car/lift round trip)	¥1,450
Train both ways, cable car or lift one way, walk the other	Takaosan Kippu (one-way cable car/lift version)	¥1,090
Walk up and down, no cable car	Single tickets or IC card	¥430 each way (¥860)
Takao plus other Keio stops on the same day	Keio one-day pass (+ cable car separately)	¥1,000 + ¥490 per ride
Weekday Takao with the onsen and a meal	Takaosan Yuttari Kippu	¥3,450
You live outside Japan and want to book before you fly	Keio’s digital visitor sets on KKday / Klook	from ¥2,250 at launch

A few rules to know:

• Takaosan Kippu is sold at the ticket machines of every Keio and Inokashira station except Takaosanguchi, and as a QR ticket on Keio’s TAMa-GO E-TICKET site. It is not sold from December 31 to January 3. The price depends on the station you start from. Shinjuku and Shibuya are both ¥1,450.
• Keio’s discount tickets at machines are sold on the day of use only, during limited hours. If you don’t see the ticket on the screen, ask the station staff.
• Takaosan Yuttari Kippu adds entry to Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu (with a towel set) and a meal voucher. It is for adults only and sold on weekdays only. Keio does not sell it during Golden Week, the Obon holidays, the whole of November, December 30 to January 3, or on the onsen’s closed days. Keio’s fare table lists ¥3,450 from Shinjuku. More in our Gokurakuyu guide.
• The visitor sets (one-day pass + cable car round trip + Monkey Park entry, and a version with a meal at Ukai Toriyama) are for overseas visitors only. Our Keio one-day pass guide compares them in detail.

Keio lists the official sales pages for the visitor sets in its news release.

You can also book the Keio Line ticket for Mt. Takao on Klook.

The weekend reserved-seat train: Mt. TAKAO

On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays Keio runs the Mt. TAKAO reserved-seat train between Shinjuku and Takaosanguchi. You need a seat reservation ticket on top of your fare. The Takaosan Kippu counts as the fare. If you board without a seat ticket, Keio charges ¥1,000 on board and you may not get a seat.

Keio’s timetable as of October 2026:

Train	Leaves Shinjuku	Arrives Takaosanguchi
Mt. TAKAO 1	10:00	10:46
Mt. TAKAO 3	11:00	11:45

Train	Leaves Takaosanguchi	Arrives Shinjuku
Mt. TAKAO 2	14:15	15:09
Mt. TAKAO 4	15:15	16:07
Mt. TAKAO 6	16:15	17:09
Mt. TAKAO 8	17:15	18:09

Keio’s page also lists two Keio Liner trains to Takaosanguchi in the morning (Shinjuku 8:00 and 9:00). Seat tickets are sold on Keio’s ticketless app or website (membership needed) and at ticket machines.

Is it worth it? If you want a guaranteed seat on a busy weekend morning, yes. If you plan to be on the first cable car at 8:00, the reserved trains leave too late, and an ordinary train is the better choice.

A simple day plan

Time	What
8:00–9:00	Leave Shinjuku. Earlier is calmer, especially on weekends and in November.
9:00–9:30	Arrive at Takaosanguchi. Toilets and lockers before you start (lockers are inside Kiyotaki cable car station).
9:30	Cable car up (about 6 minutes), or start walking.
10:00–12:00	Monkey Park, Yakuoin Temple, summit. Takao Tozan Railway puts the walk from the cable car top to the summit at about 40 minutes.
12:00–13:00	Lunch on the mountain or bring your own.
13:00–14:30	Down by cable car or on foot.
Afternoon	Hot spring next to the station, or the free shuttle to Ukai Toriyama.

Choosing a trail: Trail 1 is paved, Trail 6 follows a stream and the Inariyama course runs along a ridge. See our trail comparison. For cable car and lift times, see the cable car and chairlift guide.

Takao Tozan Railway says ride times on the cable car and lift can’t be reserved, and waits get long in busy seasons. On a weekend or in November, aim for the 8:00 first cable car or walk up and ride down.

Going home

• The last cable car down depends on the month. In October and November it is 17:45 on weekdays and 18:00 on weekends and holidays, but it runs until 21:15 while the Takao Beer Mount is open (in 2026, until November 29). Check the operator’s site for your date.
• Keio’s discount tickets are valid on the day of purchase only, so use the return half the same day.
• If you want to visit somewhere else on the way back, Seiseki-Sakuragaoka is on the same line. See how to get to Seiseki-Sakuragaoka.

Checklist

• Cable car both ways? Buy the Takaosan Kippu (¥1,450 from Shinjuku).
• Walking both ways? Just tap your IC card.
• Weekday with a soak and a meal (not in November)? Consider the Yuttari Kippu.
• Weekend? Leave early, or reserve a Mt. TAKAO seat.
• Shoes with grip, water and a rain layer. Takao Tozan Railway’s hiking guide recommends all three.