A step-by-step guide on how to plan and maximize your Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park Adventure
June 12, 2024
I am such a huge amusement park junkie, specifically of roller coasters. I LOVE THEM. That adrenaline rush is the best kind there is. Kind of ironic because I’m the type of person who hates driving above 100km/hr because I’m always worried about crashing or not being able to brake in time. I guess there’s logic behind why I like roller coasters then, because it gives me that adrenaline rush and that speed, without having to worry that my safety is in my own hands. Instead, I can trust the restraints and the engineers to ensure my safety, leaving me to freely enjoy the ride. And well, if you are a bit leery of how safe a ride is, then the best place to try is definitely an amusement park in Japan, where they take their safety standards to incredible levels!
And if you’re a roller coaster junkie? Well Fuji-Q is the best place to be – at least in Asia. They’ve got a 4th dimension coaster Eejanaika (one of only three in the world), the steepest roller coaster (until it got dethroned by half a degree last 2019) Takabisha, and the King of Coasters Fujiyama. Do-dodonpa was also well known for having one of the fastest acceleration coasters, but it’s been closed down (it seems forever), following complaints by a guest that he injured his spine from the ride. Such a shame.
Ah, but you aren’t reading this guide to figure out whether you should go, but instead on how to maximize your time WHEN you go. So let’s get to it!
How to Determine WHEN to go to Fuji-Q Highlands Amusement Park
Fuji-Q has a reputation for its roller coasters, but also for its terrible queues, hence its nickname Fuji-Queue. So pro-tip, before you go, check the dates when you’re thinking of going on this site: https://fujiq.info/pre_calendar.php
On this site, you can see the forecasted congestion for the month, based on the queues during the same day in previous years. It isn’t 100% accurate but it gives a good idea if what to expect. The lower the letter (e.g. A/B/C) – the more ideal the day to go, since they take into account not just wait times, but also the weather. Keep in mind given the nature of the roller coaster rides at Fuji-Q, even a little wind or rain could result in them stopping roller coaster operations. So, you want to make sure the weather is just right! Plus, one of the biggest appeal of Fuji-Q is its impeccable view of Mt. Fuji! I swear, I didn’t find Fujiyama that impressive, but the unparalleled view of Mt. Fuji as we went shrieking down the coaster? Unbeatable.
The other thing to check would be the business operating hours and the scheduled ride closures on that particular day. After all, there’s no point going if the ride you’re looking forward to is closed right? Here’s the link where you can find this information: https://www.fujiq.jp/en/schedule/index.html . Note that additional ride closures could occur on the day itself, but well, nothing much you can do about that
So for me, the best time to lock in a date when to go would be ~30 days before your trip – as the weather forecast during this time would be more accurate AND that’s the earliest you can book bus tickets anyway.
How to book tickets to Fuji-Q Highlands Amusement Park
Quick note: The really interesting thing about Fuji-Q is they actually have multiple options for you. You can enter Fuji-Q for free if you don’t plan to ride any rides – perfect if you brought a yaya and your kids, so you don’t have to pay for your yaya! Then once you’re there, if you realize you want to try a few rides, then you can just a ticket for that specific ride there. But honestly, if you plan to ride the 3 major roller coasters, then just get the one day pass, because you’ll easily recoup the cost already WITHOUT having to figure out the ticket vending machine at each ride.
For a full list of options you can consider, check out the website where they lay it out: https://www.fujiq.jp/en/ticket/detail.html#2
Price of each ride and restrictions:
- Official Website: https://www.fujiq.jp/en/ticket/attraction.html
- Collated Site: https://fujiq.info/en/attrs.php
So ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way, where can we buy? Easy answer: Klook. I am a HUGE fan of Klook. In fact, wherever I go, I usually check out Klook first to see how much they sell admissions at, then compare vs the actual site. In this case, Klook was the way to go, because not only is it cheaper BUT it also had a promo (at that time, although that promo doesn’t seem to be available now) where if you buy 2 tickets, you’d get both tickets at 50% off, so it was essentially Buy 1 Free 1. I was buying 5 tickets though, so I thought my 5th ticket would be full price, but no, the 50% off was applied to all 5 tickets. Yaay!
Klook link: https://www.klook.com/activity/95879-fujiq-highland-admission-ticket/
I chose the One Day Pass, because at that time, we weren’t sure yet which day we planned to go to Fuji-Q. But if you already know when you plan to go, a good option to buy could also be the Fuji Liner 1 Day Pass. This includes a One Day Pass, as well as round trip bus tickets from Shinjuku to Fuji-Q and back. The only downside of this is I don’t think you can choose the specific time you can go and come back. So if you want more flexibility, I’ll also walk you through how to book a bus ticket.
Once you’ve booked via Klook, make sure you have the app downloaded. On the mobile app, go to Accounts > Bookings > Fuji-Q Highland Ticket > See Voucher. These vouchers are what you will scan at Fuji-Q. Make sure you have your app, and internet ready. They won’t accept screenshots, so it will need to be scanned directly from the Klook app.
How to book a Bus Ticket to and from Fuji-Q Highlands
Ok, first off, why a bus ticket? Because the bus is THE fastest, most comfortable AND cheapest way to get to Fuji-Q from Tokyo. If you have a JR-Pass, you might opt to take the train instead, but the train takes longer honestly, and you aren’t guaranteed seats. On the other hand, the bus ride is super smooth (takes roughly 1hr 40mins) vs taking the train would take around 2hr 20mins. Plus, you have guaranteed seats on the bus, there’s free wifi, and there are even charging ports for your phone. The only tough thing here is booking the bus ticket. Thankfully, you’ve got me and I’ll walk you through each step.
First off, go to this Highway Bus link (don’t worry, it’s legit. This is what we used also): https://www.highwaybus.com/gp/inbound/index?lang=EN
Next, search by keyword and type: Fuji-Q
From there, you’ll see this Shinjuku . Fujigoko . Mt. Fuji 5th Station Line route. Press the “Select as Destination” button
The next part is pretty self-explanatory. Choose where you’ll be departing from – I chose Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, while Arriving At should be set to Fuji-Q Highland. Select the date and the number of adults, then choose the specific time you want to book. Remember the trip takes 1hr 40mins, and it’s best you’re there once the amusement park opens because that’s when there is the least amount of crowds. In fact, the amusement park is open 30 minutes BEFORE its officially announced business operating hours, as a perk for people who stay in their partner hotels. But guess what, if you arrive early, you get to go in too! So for me, best to take the earliest possible bus!
Next, make sure to book the trip back as well. Don’t think you can book on-the-day because the tickets get sold out super quickly. I was worried about booking a ticket back because I didn’t know if I’d enjoy the amusement park, or what if all the rides closed or the weather became really shitty etc etc. Well, in the end, we didn’t manage to buy a bus ticket back because every single time was already full. So we had to take the train back and it was painful and so ridiculously long and tiring. #Regrets
When should you book your bus ticket? Exactly ONE MONTH before the date of departure, which is when the schedule opens up. Don’t delay. Tickets run out fast (especially for the nice time schedules)
What to Bring to Fuji-Q Highlands Amusement Park
Surprisingly, there weren’t any water refill stations aside from the one we found in the “food court” equivalent. So I’d say bring ~2 water bottles so you don’t run out. You can also bring some snacks to munch on, but Fuji-Q has tons of food stalls and the prices are actually quite reasonable and food quality is pretty good. There also wasn’t a ton of queues (although that might be because we went during the low season).
Obviously for roller coasters, best to wear shorts/pants and not skirts and dresses. Certain rides will require you to take off your shoes, so if you aren’t comfortable being barefoot, you may want to wear socks. If you plan to ride the water rides (which will guarantee soak you), do bring a change of clothes as well.
Don’t wear too much jewelry or accessories, because for certain roller coaster rides, they will ask you to take them all off – e.g. earrings, hair ties etc.
Best Rides at Fuji-Q Highlands Amusement Park
Before I walk you through the game plan, let me lay out the rides we tried at Fuji-Q and my assessment of them. This way you can get an idea of what you may or may not want to prioritize.
Eejanaika: 4th Dimension Hypercoaster
Damn, this was SO good. Unlike normal coasters, a 4th dimension coaster moves not just the car, but the position of each individual rider itself, because riders spin independently of the track! Implication? Riders turn upside down a total of 14 times during the 1,153m run. CRAZY.
Super extreme thrill. This was by far my favorite, and was really just such a thrilling experience. My only gripe is that it all happened so fast. I barely had time to get my bearings and bam! It’s over.
Takabisha – 121 degree free fall making it the 2nd steepest roller coaster in the world!
This roller coaster is STEEP. It was actually what caught my eye first because the drop just looks crazy. Look at that!
It actually held the title of the steepest roller coaster from 2011 to 2019, and only lost it by over just half a degree. It’s actually pretty cool as you wait in line because there are these diagrams and equations that show how they made this happen. Of course it’s all in Japanese and I have no idea what I’m reading so who knows if it’s actually legit.
The ride starts in darkness and in a blast as we raced to 100km/hr in just 2 seconds. Crazy! You actually have no idea when the infamous lift-hill will be, so there’s that anticipation deep in your soul, just wondering when will it happen.
And when it does happen, as you make your way up that steep hill, you have a wondrous view of Mt. Fuji. Damn.
The reason why it isn’t ranked 1st though is it actually wasn’t as extreme as I expected. Surprisingly quite chill, but very fun! And at 2 minutes long, this relatively long roller coaster ride was definitely worth the 90 minute queue.
Fujiyama – “The King of Coasters”
I kid you not! That’s the name. Built in 1996, Fujiyama held 5 world records at one point in time! Not only was it considered the tallest complete circuit coaster, but it was also the fastest for a fair number of years.
But, compared to modern coasters nowadays, it wasn’t really that impressive. What really impressed me was the majestic views of Mt. Fuji in multiple parts of the ride. So beautiful. I’m so thankful it was cloudless and not so sunny on the day we went, because this was such a treat!
Zokkon – Motorcycle Roller Coaster
This is the newest ride at Fuji-Q, and while it doesn’t hold any world records, it’s a pretty fun coaster ride (but also the one with the longest queue consistently, probably because it’s new).
Despite looking relatively tame, it’s actually quite thrilling. The seat forces you to mimic how you would ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle going down the highway at top speed. This plus the sudden acceleration, sharp turns, and backing (at one point, you ride backwards) AND coupled with a super energetic majestic music, made me feel like Top Gun swooping in to rescue a country in distress. Very fun indeed!
Fujiyama – King of Coasters Sky Deck / Slider / Walk
Definitely do this last, and only if there’s a nice clear view of Mt. Fuji. But outside Fuji-Q proper, you can actually ride up this tower and see Mt. Fuji from the sky deck. This will give you the BEST view of Mt. Fuji bar none.
And if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you can also take advantage of the slider, where you’ll be given a cloth to sit on, a helmet to protect your head, then off you go, sliding down a chute to the bottom.
There’s also a Sky Walk where you can actually walk beside the tracks of Fujiyama. Very very cool!
Despair Fortress – Impossible Games
If you’re with a group (minimum 2 and maximum 3 players per group), and you’re fond of challenging thinking and (mild) physical games, then Despair Fortress might be for you. We played in 2 teams, and we (my husband and I) lost at Level 2… Our friends’ group made it to Level 3 then lost there. Overall, pretty fun experience! Just be prepared for some running, some jumping, and even some crawling. No group gets the same challenges, so you’ll just have to join to find out what’s in store for you!
Attack on Titan THE RIDE Wall Maria Final Recapture Operation
By the time we went Fuji-Q, I had just finished the entire Attack on Titan series. Good although not that excellent (especially the last season), but still, after binge-watching it for a good 2 weeks, I was feeling pretty emotionally invested with the characters. So when I heard there was an Attack on Titan ride, I was all for it!
This ride actually shares the same infrastructure as Fuji Airways and… well it’s a novelty but that’s the best thing I can say about it. Even the feel of it feels jerky. Plus you don’t really feel relevant, there’s no storyline, you literally seem like a tag-along to Levi.
Naruto World
This is less a ride and more just installations. You get to walk through the streets of Konoha and see all these famous characters “live” – by live I mean their status haha. I tried my hand at beating Tsunade at arm wrestling, and took a photo with happy Jiraiya. So cute. Naruto formed such a huge part of my childhood that I found being here quite nostalgic!
Other rides I wanted to try but was closed on-the day
- Nagashimasuka (water ride – feels like you’re being flushed down the toilet supposedly)
- Tentekomai (pilot a plane)
- Labyrinth of Fear (actually in no world would I do this, but if you love haunted houses – this is supposedly one of the best. It’s a haunted hospital that’s 1km long, and you walk your way through it. Damn way too scary for me)
What to expect when you go to Fuji-Q
Make sure to be at the Shinjuku Bus Terminal on time – just Google Maps it and you’ll find it easily. The bus terminal departure area is located on the 4th floor, and there’s a board as soon as you enter where you’ll see which area/gate your bus will be at
To get on the bus, simply show the QR Code which would’ve been sent to your email if you booked through highwaybus.com. And then we were off! I actually napped for a good 1.5 hours, and woke up once we were closer to Fuji-Q and were getting the most unbelievable views of Mt. Fuji! Pro tip: Sit on the left side of the bus!
Once there, just follow the signs.
At first, I was feeling really confused because it felt like we were already inside Fuji-Q, but we hadn’t scanned our tickets yet! Apparently this was just the shops. There are A LOT of shops. Josh was quite sad we didn’t have any time to check these stores out.
Finally, we got to the entrance proper, there are booths on the side where you scan the Klook ticket and you’ll receive a physical ticket in exchange.
You then use this physical ticket to enter the gate. THIS is the really cool part though. When you scan your ticket, they’ll take a photo of your face and that’s all you need moving forward. All rides have a face scanner, so you no longer need to keep your ticket. Your face is enough. SO COOL.
Now, if you make it here early enough, I suggest to start with Zokkon, which is relatively near the entrance, but has the longest queue. But if you get here the first 30minutes of the day, the queue is still pretty manageable. Otherwise, if you aren’t really looking to maximize, you can start with Fujiyama, which is the first roller coaster you’ll see when you enter the amusement park. Having said that, Fujiyama traditionally has the fastest queue amongst the roller coasters, so you can opt to keep this for last
So if I could redo this, I would probably go as follows. Start with Zokkon, then pass through Naruto World to get to Eejanaika. From here, rush to Takabisha. After Takabisha, Tentekomai is right beside it so you should check that out.
You can then grab a bite to eat as the food hall is right beside Takabisha.
Otherwise, continue to Fujiyama. From there, check out Naruto World, then go to either Despair Fortress or the Labyrinth of Fear. Lastly, check out Nagashimasuka – leave the water ride for last so you won’t be shivering cold the whole time.
Lastly, make sure to head over to Fujiyama Sky Deck around 30mins before the sky deck closes so you have time to snap a photo with Mt. Fuji. Do note that the sky deck is OUTSIDE Fuji-Q Amusement Park proper. So run run run if you need to.
Pro tip: While in line, you can plan out your strategy by checking out real time waiting times here: realtime wait time | 富士急ハイランド wait info (fujiq.info)
Sadly, Fuji-Q does not give out a hard copy map, and they’ll tell you to check out the map on their app. However, none of us seem to be able to download the app so we had to make do without. Ohwell. After awhile, you kind of get a better sense of where things are!
Once done, time to check out all the souvenir shops! Make sure to be back at the bus stop for your ride back home, and that’s a wrap!