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Mt. Tsukuba

877m · Ibaraki

Fitness 2 · EasyDay tripTimetable checked 2026/05/16
Elevation877m
Fitness2/10
Walking3:34
Ascent763m
Mt. Tsukuba877 mIbaraki
100 Famous Mountains100 Mountains of KantoNew 100 Famous Mountains
🚃 Reachable by public transport · Day trip · Beginner · fine for beginners
Beginner
Stamina2/10
TechnicalB some steep climbs
Trail time 3h 34mestimatedDistance 5.48 kmmeasuredTotal ascent ↑763 mmeasuredHighest point 873 m
📍 Distance, ascent and trail time are for the route shown on the map.
Access ease Moderate
Gateway station Tsukuba Station  →  Trailhead Tsutsujigaoka
1 public-transport routes
🌸 Best season: Mar, Apr, May bk🏠 Toilets, Hot spring nearby
🔍 Find similar mountains →
“bk” = data from books (being replaced with our own measurements). Distance, ascent and trail time are measured/estimated from the map route.

Mt. Tsukuba (筑波山) is an 877m peak located in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Although it is the lowest of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, its beautiful twin peaks—Nantai-san and Nyotai-san—have long made it a revered sacred mountain. Celebrated in the classical Man’yōshū poetry anthology, its summit offers a sweeping 360-degree panorama of the Kanto Plain.
You can take a local bus from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express to the Mt. Tsukuba Shrine Entrance.

The most common way to climb Mt. Tsukuba is to take the bus from Tsukuba Station and start from Tsukuba Shrine.
After summiting both Nantai-san and Nyotai-san, you can descend to the Tsutsujigaoka bus stop.
Since a cable car and a ropeway run to the summit, you can enjoy the trails easily, regardless of your fitness level.

*Timetable last checked: May 16, 2026

How to access the trailheads

  1. [Outbound] Tsukuba Station → Tsukuba Shrine Entrance → Tsutsujigaoka
  2. [Return] Tsutsujigaoka → Tsukuba Shrine Entrance → Tsukuba Station

Hiking Course Details — Mt. Tsukuba

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Map & Recommended Route — Mt. Tsukuba

Watch the 3D flythrough — fly along the Mt. Tsukuba trail over 3D terrain, with color-coded gradients and course times at a glance.

Mt. Tsukuba — Reference Hiking Times

Standard pace; times rounded to 5 min
Segment Distance Ascent/Descent Forward Reverse
Tsukuba-jinjja-iriguchi Bus stop → Tsukuba Shrine 0.6 km +44 m / −0 m 0:15 0:10
Tsukuba Shrine → Miyawaki Station 0.1 km +28 m / −0 m 0:05 0:05
Miyawaki Station → Danjogawa Headwaters 1.2 km +315 m / −7 m 0:55 0:50
Danjogawa Headwaters → Summi of Mount Nantai-san 0.8 km +270 m / −0 m 0:45 0:45
Summi of Mount Nantai-san → Tsukuba-sancho station 0.3 km +0 m / −71 m 0:10 0:10
Tsukuba-sancho station → Nyotai-san station 0.6 km +78 m / −0 m 0:20 0:15
Nyotai-san station → Haha-no-botai-meguri 0.7 km +13 m / −151 m 0:30 0:30
Haha-no-botai-meguri → Benkei Chaya hut Ruins 0.1 km +3 m / −14 m 0:05 0:05
Benkei Chaya hut Ruins → Tsutsuji-ga-oka- Station 1.0 km +12 m / −206 m 0:35 0:40
Tsutsuji-ga-oka- Station → Tsutsuji-ga-oka Bus stop 0.1 km +0 m / −0 m 0:00 0:00
Total 5.5 km +763 m / −450 m 3:35 3:30

📥 Download GPX (reference route)

1. [Outbound] Tsukuba Station → Tsukuba Shrine Entrance

From the bus stop in front of Tsukuba Express Tsukuba Station (Tsukuba Center), board the “Mt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus” and get off at Tsukuba Shrine Entrance or the terminus Tsutsujigaoka
Travel time:
38 minutes to Mt. Tsukuba Shrine
60 minutes to Tsutsujigaoka
Fare: ¥770 to Tsukuba Shrine Entrance / ¥930 to Tsutsujigaoka

Bus TimetableBuses bound for Tsukuba Shrine Entrance

Weekday
Tsukuba Station Tsukuba Shrine Entrance Tsutsujigaoka
8:00 8:38 9:00
8:50 9:28 9:50
9:40 10:18 10:40
10:20 10:58 11:20
11:20 11:58 12:20
13:20 13:58 14:20
14:20 14:58 15:20
Sat/Sun/holidays
Tsukuba Station Tsukuba Shrine Entrance Tsutsujigaoka
7:30 8:08 8:30
7:55 8:33 8:55
8:25 9:03 9:25
8:55 9:33 9:55
9:25 10:03 10:25
9:55 10:33 10:55
10:25 11:03 11:25
11:00 11:38 12:00
12:00 12:38 13:00
13:00 13:38 14:00
13:50 14:28 14:50
14:20 14:58 15:20
14:50 15:28 15:50
15:20 15:58 16:20

Reference: [Bus guide to Mt. Tsukuba]

2. [Return] Tsutsujigaoka → Tsukuba Shrine Entrance → Tsukuba Station

From Tsutsujigaoka or Tsukuba Shrine Entrance, board the “Mt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus” and get off at Tsukuba Station
Travel time:
55 minutes from Tsutsujigaoka
40 minutes from Tsukuba Shrine Entrance
Fare: ¥930 from Tsutsujigaoka / ¥770 from Tsukuba Shrine Entrance

Bus TimetableMt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus

Weekday
Tsutsujigaoka Tsukuba Shrine Entrance Tsukuba Station
9:05 9:20 10:00
10:00 10:15 10:55
12:00 12:15 12:55
13:00 13:15 13:55
14:00 14:15 14:55
15:00 15:15 15:55
16:00 16:15 16:55
17:00 17:15 17:55
Sat/Sun/holidays
Tsutsujigaoka Tsukuba Shrine Entrance Tsukuba Station
8:45 9:00 9:40
9:15 9:30 10:10
9:55 10:10 10:50
10:45 11:00 11:40
11:45 12:00 12:40
12:45 13:00 13:40
13:15 13:30 14:10
13:45 14:00 14:40
14:15 14:30 15:10
14:45 15:00 15:40
15:15 15:30 16:10
15:45 16:00 16:40
16:15 16:30 17:10
16:45 17:00 17:40
17:15 17:30 18:10

Reference: [Bus guide to Mt. Tsukuba]

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