2 Ways to Travel from Tokyo to Karuizawa – Train, Highway Bus
You can enjoy the city vibes in Tokyo but some of the tourists would also like to experience the natural views of Japan.
Karuizawa is one of the most popular destinations for tourists to explore near the Tokyo area.
With its nature reserves like waterfalls and volcanoes, it attracts many people to visit there.
Here is our transport guide for you to plan your trip to Karuizawa from Tokyo.
1. JR Super Express
If you want to arrive in Karuizawa with the shortest time, and to have more time for sightseeing, JR Hokuriku Shinkansen is your best choice.
It takes around 60 to 70 minutes to travel from Tokyo to Karuizawa.
Shinkansen would call at Tokyo Station and Ueno Station, so you can directly arrive in Karuizawa with this train.
Estimated Travelling Time: around 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes
Fee (Single Trip): 6,020 yen (depart from Tokyo Station) / 5,810 yen (depart from Ueno Station)
Schedule: Every 20 to 60 minutes
Your Budget Choice: JR Pass!
Foreign visitors can purchase a great-value ticket, which is the JR Tokyo Wide Pass (15,000 yen).
With this ticket, you can enjoy unlimited rides on most of the JR railway in the area, including JR EAST Lines, Tokyo Monorail, Izu Kyuko Line, Fujikyu Railway Lines, Joshin Dentetsu Line, Saitama New Urban Transit (Ōmiya – the Railway Museum), and Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Line (Rinkai Line).
One more good news, this JR PASS covers the journey between Narita Airport, Haneda Airport and Tokyo city.
You can make good use of this JR PASS for your transportation.
2. Highway Bus
As it takes 3 hours to travel from Tokyo to Karuizawa by highway bus, we recommend you take the JR railway instead.
However, you can hop on the highway bus in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Shibuya.
It would be convenient for tourists whose accommodations are in these 3 places.
You can purchase your ticket directly from the website of Willer Express.
| Departing Station | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku | around 3.5 hours | 2,200 yen |
| Ikebukuro | around 3 hours | 2,200 yen |
| Shibuya | around 3 hours | 3,100 yen |
