Direct "Red Arrow" limited express trains require about 80 minutes to get from Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station to Seibu Chichibu Station. Seat reservations are mandatory. The one way fare is 1700 yen. Alternatively, the journey takes about 20 minutes longer and requires a transfer of trains at Hanno Station along the way, but costs only 800 yen if done by express trains. Note that several discount tickets are available for visitors to Chichibu.
Take a local JR train or shinkansen from Tokyo to Kumagaya (35 minutes, around 3500 yen by shinkansen or 70 minutes, 1170 yen by local train from Tokyo Station) and transfer to the Chichibu Railway for Chichibu (70 minutes, around 950 yen). The JR section of the journey is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and JR Tokyo Wide Pass, but the Chichibu Railway section is not.
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Chichibu covers a relatively large area comprised of a natural basin where the town center lies, surrounded by forested mountainous. The largest concentration of attractions is located around the town center, within walking distance of the two main railway stations, Chichibu Station and Seibu-Chichibu Station. Mitsumine Shrine can be reached by bus in a little over an hour. Alternatively, a rental car can provide comfort and flexibility. Multiple outlets can be found in central Chichibu.
Inside the Seibu-Chichibu Station complex, travelers can find the "Matsuri no Yu", a modern public bath with a variety of different indoor and outdoor baths themed after the Edo Period, as well as a variety of shops and food options.
Various discount tickets are available for visiting Chichibu:
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