Izu Peninsula’s location 150km west of Tokyo makes it a popular place to visit all year round as an accessible central spot. After hearing about the beautiful beaches and hot springs surrounding the mountainous center of the peninsula you’ll want to whizz over to Izu as fast as possible so here’s a guide on the best ways to get there and how to get around once you’re there.
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Getting to Izu
Getting to Izu
The most speedy option for getting to Izu is via one of Japan’s greatest inventions: the shinkansen, or bullet train as its known in English. With both Atami Station (northeastern Izu) and Mishima Station (northern Izu) found on the JR Tokaido Line, you can jump on a shinkansen from Tokyo and arrive on the peninsula in less than 50 minutes for around 4,400 yen. Kyoto is approximately 2.5 hours from Mishima Station, and Hiroshima around 4.5 hours away. While this is the fastest option, naturally it is also the most expensive. If you’re planning on travelling big distances around Japan, be sure to take a look at the handy JR pass which offers unlimited travel on almost all JR lines around the country including the shinkansen (excluding the fastest Nozomi bullet trains).
If you’d rather save your yen for surfing lessons, you can either catch the limited express or enjoy a more adventurous travel to your destination with local trains or a bus. Making your way to Izu via local trains is sure to take you a little longer and involve transfers but you’re sure to pay less than one third of the price of a shinkansen ticket, making it the cheapest option at around 1,250 to 1,550 yen. Alternatively, take a direct bus from Tokyo to Izu for around 2,500 yen which will take around 2.5 hours. -
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Travelling Around Izu by Train
With the bullet train bringing you to Atami or Mishima in the north of Izu, making your way around the rest of the peninsula and, most importantly, down to the beautiful beaches the region is loved for involves catching smaller trains or buses to get around. If you’re using a JR pass, be sure to take the JR Ito line to Ito in the east of the region. To visit the central area of Izu, the Izu Hakone line travels directly from Mishima to Shuzenji Station.
One of the peninsula’s main train lines is the Izu Kyuko line which takes you down to the very bottom of the peninsula including Shimoda, passing by several popular spots along the way including Komuroyama Tsutsuji Park, Omuroyama volcano, and Kawazu Nanadaru waterfalls. The Izu Kyuko trains can be paid for per journey, or by purchasing a one-day pass for 1,200 yen or a two-day pass for 2,000 yen. Certain JR passes, such as the JR Tokyo Wide Pass and the JR East Tohoku Area Pass also include the Izu Kyuko within the price so be sure to check this if you decide to buy a JR Pass.- Komuroyama Park
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- Shizuoka Pref. Itoushi Kawana 1260-1
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- 0557451444
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- [Chair lift]9:30-16:00
View AllNasubi no Hana Hotel
635-135 Ike, Ito Atami Shizuoka
- Kawazu Nanadaru Waterfalls
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- Shizuoka Pref. Kamogunkawaduchou Nashimoto
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- 0558320290
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- 9:00-16:00
View AllVILLA KAWAZU - Mori -
賀茂郡河津町梨本 376番地 Izu
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Travelling Around Izu by Bus
Travelling Around Izu by Bus
While the train is the easiest way to get around the east coast and centre of Izu, railways are scarce elsewhere on the peninsula notably the west coast. Local buses, however, will take you to the majority of the other spots around Izu. If you plan to visit several places off the beaten (railway) track and don’t fancy working out the buses, it’s recommended to hire a car to give you the freedom to create your own unique itinerary. For this you’ll need an international or Japanese driver’s license.