Mt. Takao With Kids: Strollers and Routes by Age

Mt. Takao works well with kids if you use the cable car and stay on Trail 1. The one stretch the official accessibility map marks as usable with a stroller or wheelchair is the gently sloping, paved road from the cable car top station to Yakuoin Temple (about 1 km, 20 minutes). Below the cable car the road is very steep, and above the temple there are stairs. So bring a baby carrier if you want to reach the summit. Children under 6 ride the cable car free, and the Monkey Park is 3 minutes from the top station.

Where a stroller works

This comes from the Mt. Takao Accessibility Map (Hachioji Visitors & Convention Association), which shows Trail 1 in profile:

Section	Distance / time	Surface	Stroller?
Takaosanguchi Station → Kiyotaki (cable car)	About 5 min	Flat, paved	Yes
Foot → cable car top (walking)	About 2 km, 60 min	Very steep paved slope	No. The map warns that pushing a stroller up steep slopes is very dangerous
Cable car top → Yakuoin Temple	About 1 km, 20 min	Gentle paved slope	Yes, the only section marked for strollers and wheelchairs
Yakuoin → summit	About 800 m, 20 min	Stairs and steep sections	No
Alternative to the summit	About 1 km, 25 min	Gravel road used by emergency vehicles	Not marked for strollers

Between the cable car and the temple, the path splits at Joshinmon Gate. Take Onna-zaka, the gentle slope, not Otoko-zaka, which is 108 steps. The cable car’s Takaosan Station has an elevator, and staff will help wheelchair users board.

If you bring a stroller: the station office at Kiyotaki keeps strollers for ¥500 each, and may refuse when busy. Lockers inside Kiyotaki Station cost ¥400 to ¥900.

Routes by age

Age	Suggested route	Why
0–2 (carrier or stroller)	Cable car up → Monkey Park → Octopus Cedar → Onna-zaka → Yakuoin → cable car down	All on the stroller-friendly section
3–5	Cable car up → Trail 1 to the summit (carry them up the stairs if needed) → cable car down	Takao Tozan puts the walk from the cable car top to the summit at about 40 min
6–9	Cable car or lift up → summit → Trail 1 down on foot	Coming down the steep paved section is easier than going up
10+ and keen	Trail 6 up (stream and stepping stones) → Trail 1 or cable car down	Trail 6 is about 100 min up on the official map

For trail details, see our trail comparison. Avoid the Inariyama course with young children. It has no toilets and starts with steep, narrow stairs.

Cable car or chairlift with kids?

The cable car is easier. It’s enclosed and starts at 8:00. The chairlift has strict rules:

• Two seats per chair. Children aged 3 and over need their own seat.
• Pre-school children can’t ride without an adult.
• An adult can hold one infant aged 0–2 on the lap.
• The operator asks people who are afraid of heights not to ride.

Fares are the same on both (adult ¥490, child ¥250 one way). Children aged 6 to 11 pay the child fare. Under 6 ride free, one per paying passenger. A second young child needs a child ticket. See the cable car and chairlift guide.

Facilities for families

• Nursing room: inside Takao-san Sumika, next to the cable car’s top station. Ask the staff to use it.
• Toilets: Trail 1 has five toilet spots, including the cable car stations, the temple and the summit area (see the official map). The other main trails have few or none.
• Food: Sumika sells snacks such as tenguyaki (a tengu-shaped cake), and there are soba shops along Trail 1. Takao Tozan’s guide suggests bringing a packed lunch if you’ll be there at lunchtime. Benches fill up on holidays, so a waterproof mat helps.
• Monkey Park and Wild Plant Garden: 3 minutes from the top station. Admission is ¥600 for adults (junior high and up) and ¥300 for children aged 3 and up, rising to ¥700 / ¥350 during November 2026. See our Monkey Park guide.

Rainy day or tired legs: free stops at the bottom

• TAKAO 599 MUSEUM is about 4 minutes on foot from Takaosanguchi Station. It shows Mt. Takao’s plants and animals and is free. It opens 8:00–17:00 from April to November and 8:00–16:00 from December to March, with a few maintenance closures (for example December 3, 2026).
• Takao Visitor Center at the summit is free and has exhibits on the mountain’s nature.
• Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu, next to the station, is a hot spring. Children aged 4 to elementary school pay ¥550 on weekdays (¥650 on weekends and busy days), and children 3 and under are free. Under Tokyo’s rules, children aged 7 and over can’t enter the bath of the opposite sex, and the onsen may refuse children of 120 cm or taller even if they are younger. See our Gokurakuyu guide.

Family checklist

• Baby carrier if you want the summit. A stroller only works between the cable car top and the temple.
• Cable car rather than the lift for under-6s.
• Go on a weekday or early. The operator’s FAQ says Golden Week, the autumn leaves season and New Year are the busiest.
• Toilet stop at Kiyotaki or the top station before the summit walk.
• Spare clothes and a rain layer. The operator warns that mountain weather changes quickly.
• Planning a Tama family day as well? See Sanrio Puroland and parks with kids.