How should you divide Shizuoka City and Atami?
Stay near Shizuoka Station for Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay views and ornate shrine architecture, or near Atami Station for historic villas, art and seaside walks. One or two nights suit one city; three or four allow a move from Shizuoka to Atami. Plan the order around museum closures, ropeway suspensions and your final departure.
What appeals: views and shrine, or villa and art?
Choose whether to add Kunozan Toshogu to Nihondaira views, or visit Kiunkaku, art and coast in Atami. Toshogu requires stairs after the ropeway; MOA requires escalators to the main building after the bus. Distinguish views/walks from paid interiors when comparing fees and closures.
Itineraries by trip length
Stay near Shizuoka Station for mountain views and castle history, or in Atami for separate villa, art and coast days. For both cities, set aside a hotel-moving day by train. Adjust sights and order for exhibitions and ropeway suspensions.
2 days / 1 night
In Atami, see Kiunkaku buildings/gardens and add a coastal walk or Kinomiya Shrine. Walks have slopes, so shorten sightseeing if arriving late or leaving the next morning.
3 days / 2 nights
Choose city art, Toshogu and Sunpu Castle in Shizuoka City, or Kiunkaku, MOA and Sun Beach in Atami. Stay consecutive nights in one city, dividing sights across days.
4 days / 3 nights
Compare Nihondaira/Toshogu followed by an Atami hotel move with consecutive Atami nights. Staying in Atami adds Kinomiya without intercity travel; moving hotels combines mountain views and the sea.
5 days / 4 nights
See both Shizuoka and Atami, adding a day for Kinomiya Shrine or city art. Shrine routes split one Shizuoka night and three Atami nights; art routes split two in each, changing the moving day too.
Where to stay
Shizuoka City · 静岡市
Shizuoka Station is convenient for meals and trains to your next city. For Nihondaira, choose a bus reaching the summit. Check your boarding point separately from services departing Higashi-Shizuoka Station.
Atami · 熱海
Stay near Atami Station for arriving and onward trains. Walks to Kiunkaku, Kinomiya Shrine and the coast have slopes, so check your hotel address and the uphill return. With large luggage, check storage at your booked hotel first. Prince Smart Inn Atami is about three minutes from the station and offers first-come lockers only before check-in, with no storage after check-out. These conditions do not apply to other hotels.
Prince Smart Inn Atami · プリンス スマート イン 熱海
Preparations to check separately
Choose opening days and final departures together
Check Kiunkaku’s Wednesday and MOA’s Thursday/display-change closures first. Public-holiday exceptions apply; city art and Sunpu Castle handle Monday closures differently. For a final morning departure, move coast, Kiunkaku or Sunpu sightseeing earlier, or omit it. Check date-specific stops and return services for buses/trains together.
Kiunkaku: admission and hoursMOA visitor informationShizuoka City Museum of Art: station accessSunpu Castle Park: fees and access
Check storage separately for large luggage
Hotel storage before check-in and after check-out can differ. Prince Smart Inn Atami lists first-come lockers before check-in on your stay date only, with no post-check-out storage. Before slope walks or intercity travel, check your booked hotel’s policy and other storage locations/fees. Storage costs are excluded from partial totals.
Transport, food and related guides
Japan transport guide
Use a bus from Shizuoka Station to Nihondaira and a train when moving your hotel base to Atami. Check rail and bus travel separately.
Japan transport guide →Rail pass guide
Check conventional-line coverage of the Mt. Fuji–Shizuoka mini pass. This route’s Kodama, Nihondaira bus and ropeway, and MOA bus cost extra; compare ordinary tickets.
Rail pass guide →Restaurants and reservations
In Shizuoka, combine a tea break with Nihondaira sightseeing. For the Shimizu fish market, plan separate travel towards Shimizu Station. In Atami, choose your lunch area before selecting fish dishes so they do not duplicate hotel dinner. Check prices and opening days on each restaurant’s booking page. Check your city and restaurant’s opening days, menu and reservation conditions. Meals are separate from route partial totals.
Restaurants and reservations →Region name
Shizuoka Prefecture · 静岡県
What to see in Shizuoka City and Atami
Choose station-side exhibitions and parks in Shizuoka City, or historic residence, art and coast in Atami. On intercity days, plan train travel and sightseeing separately.
Shizuoka Station north side and city art museum
For an indoor exhibition after your train, the city art museum is near Shizuoka Station’s north side. Official guidance gives about three minutes via the underground passage to Aoi Tower’s third floor. Fees vary by exhibition; 1,600 yen applies to Renoir same-day general admission on 22 September–15 November 2026.
Shizuoka City Museum of Art: opening calendarShizuoka City Museum of Art: Renoir fees
Sunpu Castle Park and station area
Walk about 15 minutes from the station to Sunpu Castle Park for castle history. Park walks differ from paid interiors at Higashigomon/Tatsumi Yagura. Exhibition admission closes at 16:00; if arriving late, choose what remains available between outdoor walks and displays.
Sunpu Castle Park: fees and accessSunpu Castle Park: visiting areas
Nihondaira views and Kunozan Toshogu
Choose Yume Terrace for views; add Kunozan Toshogu by ropeway for shrine architecture. About 80 steps remain after alighting. From October 2026, terrace building admission is paid while the outdoor walkway is free. Do not use the shrine connection unchanged during the planned 1–21 December ropeway suspension.
Nihondaira Yume Terrace: visiting informationShizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway: visiting informationShizutetsu: December Nihondaira Ropeway suspension
Below Atami Station: Kiunkaku and Sun Beach
Choose Kiunkaku and Sun Beach for a historic residence/garden followed by the sea. Each is listed about 20 minutes on foot from Atami Station; allow an uphill return and boarding time. Sun Beach sightseeing covers sand and coast walks, excluding water park, rentals and parking.
Official Kiunkaku tourism guidance: about 20 minutes on foot from the stationSun Beach: seasonal use and station accessAtami City: Sun Beach, promenade and seasonal swimming facilities
Atami: Kinomiya Shrine and MOA
Choose Kinomiya for the large camphor tree and grounds, or MOA for art. The shrine is officially about 18 minutes on foot from the station; MOA is a separate bus destination from stand 8. After the MOA bus, allow about 10 more minutes by escalator to the main building. Check closing days and your return bus before visiting.
Official shrine access and worship hoursMOA visitor informationMOA: Art Street and escalator access
Directions from your hotel or station
Shizuoka and Atami stations are in different cities. Add waiting, transfers and stop-to-sight walks to bus ride times, and choose returns for the same travel date. Confirm walking start/end points, then adjust for your hotel address and on-site access guidance. Map estimates exclude waits and sightseeing.
| Section | Travel method | Official access and search |
|---|---|---|
| Shizuoka Station → city art museum | Use the north-exit underground passage to reach Aoi Tower’s third floor in about three minutes. | Different from the prefectural art museum |
| Shizuoka Station → Sunpu Castle Park | Walk about 15 minutes to the park, then find your paid exhibition entrance | Distinguish park access from exhibition entry |
| Shizuoka Station → Nihondaira → Shizuoka Station | Take a bus to the Nihondaira Ropeway terminus for views and the ropeway, then return from the same terminus. | Weekday return timetable. Use your date’s weekend/public-holiday table; return fares are excluded from partial totals |
| Atami Station → Kiunkaku and Sun Beach | Walk about 20 minutes to each; allow extra time for walking between them and sightseeing. | Official Kiunkaku walking guidance; allow the uphill return |
| Atami Station → Kinomiya Shrine | Walk about 1.6 km or 18 minutes, according to official guidance. | Check separate routes and fares if using buses |
| Atami Station → MOA → Atami Station | Take the MOA bus from stand 8 to the terminus, then use the escalators to the main building. Return on a station-bound bus. | M-marked services do not run on museum closing days; check both directions |
| Shizuoka Station → Atami Station | Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama. Buy a ticket for your destination and seat type. | Distinguish conventional-rail and Shinkansen fares/pass coverage |
Weekday return timetableShizuoka City Museum of Art: opening calendarSunpu Castle Park: fees and accessOfficial Kiunkaku tourism guidance: about 20 minutes on foot from the stationSun Beach: seasonal use and station accessOfficial shrine access and worship hoursMOA visitor informationJR Central: date-specific Kodama route and fare search
Food in Shizuoka City and Atami
Decide whether to eat on your return to the station or stay near your sights. Menus and opening days vary by restaurant; meals cost extra.
Shizuoka City: oden and kuro hanpen
Shizuoka oden simmers ingredients in a dark broth made with beef tendon and rich soy sauce, served with dashi powder and aonori. Kuro hanpen is a fish cake made from ground mackerel, sardines and other fish. Aoba Oden Street/Aoba Yokocho is officially about 15 minutes on foot from Shizuoka Station; check each shop’s hours. This is not a nearby stop on an Atami sightseeing day.
Atami: dried fish and onsen manju
Consider dried fish for meals or gifts in Atami. Tourism material from Japan’s transport ministry introduces dried fish from Atami and Ajiro. Onsen manju are steamed buns, suited to a snack separate from meals. If hotel dinner is included, choose lunch without duplicating it. Check fish type, preparation and price with the shop.
Partial costs and pass coverage
Routes A and B visit different cities and use different transport. Do not use one route’s amount as the other’s budget even for the same trip length.
Nihondaira return buses
Choose both the Shizuoka Station-to-summit bus and the station-bound return. The checked outward fare is 710 yen; the return fare is separate. Route costs include only the outward leg, not complete return transport.
Weekday outward timetableWeekday return timetableShizutetsu: section fare search (outward checked, return unconfirmed)
Mt. Fuji–Shizuoka mini pass
The official map covers conventional Tokaido Line travel from Atami to Toyohashi, excluding Shinkansen. It cannot replace this route’s Kodama fare; Nihondaira/MOA buses and the ropeway are excluded too. Check duration, eligibility and actual sections, then compare ordinary fares. Three consecutive days of validity do not cover the entire five-day route.
Ropeway suspension: 1–21 December 2026
Nihondaira Ropeway plans suspension for equipment works. During this period, the ropeway route to and from Kunozan Toshogu is unavailable. Even for terrace views alone, check buses and terrace opening separately.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to change hotels to see both Shizuoka City and Atami?
One Shizuoka night followed by two Atami nights covers both cities in four days. Five-day options split one/three nights or two nights in each city. For one city without hotel changes, choose two nights in Shizuoka or Atami. On the Atami moving day, take a Kodama stopping there and check whether you can reach Kiunkaku before last admission.
JR Central: basic eastbound timetableJR Central: date-specific Kodama route and fare searchKiunkaku: admission and hoursKiunkaku: access
Official sources and check dates
- Official hotel access ·
- Luggage-storage FAQ ·
- Nihondaira Yume Terrace: visiting information ·
- Shizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway: visiting information ·
- Shizutetsu: December Nihondaira Ropeway suspension ·
- Kiunkaku: admission and hours ·
- Kiunkaku: access ·
- Official shrine access and worship hours ·
- Sun Beach: seasonal use and station access ·
- Official English Atami port tourism guide ·
- Shizuoka City Museum of Art: Renoir fees ·
- Shizuoka City Museum of Art: station access ·
- Shizuoka City Museum of Art: opening calendar ·
- Sunpu Castle Park: fees and access ·
- Sunpu Castle Park: visiting areas ·
- Official Kiunkaku tourism guidance: about 20 minutes on foot from the station ·
- MOA visitor information ·
- Weekday outward timetable ·
- Weekday return timetable ·
- JR Central: basic eastbound timetable ·
- Official facility and transport information ·
- JR Central: date-specific Kodama route and fare search ·
- MOA: Art Street and escalator access ·
- Shizutetsu: section fare search (outward checked, return unconfirmed) ·
- JR Central/West: Mt. Fuji–Shizuoka mini pass coverage ·
- Shizuoka City: oden streets, food and station walks ·
- Atami City: Sun Beach, promenade and seasonal swimming facilities ·