Awesome little hike. Taking the ropeway let's you have the experience of hiking a whole mountain without the commitment. Do be mindful that the ropeway stops service at 4:30 and it's over 5km to descend from the station if you miss it
We did it! Ropeway to the top and a 1 hour hike to the summit. It's steep but worth it. Bring plenty of water and comfort items... I think I got overheated. However it was a highlight of my trip!
Strongly recommended! Absolutely fantastic 360 degree view! Going to counter around 10am is suggested. It gets crowded later. I did the walking from the ropeway base to the bus stop during my return trip. It took me around 6-7 minutes.
I walked up to the observation deck and did the loop in the counterclockwise direction. It is mostly stairs on the way up. A little more pathway on the way down. The trail goes by many shrines and other points of interest that will help break up the climb. The recommendation is to allow 3 hours for the round trip. It took me about 2 1/2 with 30 min spent at the summit. Very pretty day and well maintained trail.
There are three trails and a ropeway. The Daishoin Route is the shortest and goes by Daisho-ji, while the Omoto Route is the most challenging. Overall it should take two to three hours.
All three routes (and the peak) are well-maintained, but the trails are wild and have a lot of steep, uneven steps. Bring your own water and use the bathroom beforehand, as there are extremely few of either on the trails.
The views at the peak are spectacular.
