Fuji Shibazakura Festival

I am planning to go to the shibazakura festival near Fujisan for the next golden week. I am not sure if is bettere to buy the ticket asap or wait a couple of day before. Any advices? Do you think the first week of may will be a good period to see the flowers?

What ticket do you mean?
I didn't buy anything in advance when I went there last May.

Yes, the first week of May is usually a good time to go. You can see photos from last year when I visited here: http://zoomingjapan.com/travel/golden-week-2013/

I mean train tickets!
So the beginning of May is a very good time? :-) I am happy to hear this.
I want to buy in advance because during Golden Week trains wil be very crowded...
How long I need from Kawaguchi St. to reach Chureito Pagoda?

I tell you information about the train ticket to Kawaguchiko.
Express trains direct from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko depart to 8:14 Saturday and holidays. However, 56 of the seat of this train is a reserved seat, seat of the others are free seating. It will be that reservation of seats will start from 10:00 of one month prior to the operation date, they become sold out quickly.
Means of another, is to book one month before the seat of the express Azusa or Kaiji to Otsuki Station. This means, can not you avoid the congestion between Kawaguchiko from Otsuki.
I recommend the highway bus as an alternative. You can not expect the operation of the timetable as expected because of road congestion, but you can grab a seat with certainty. Reservations are from a month ago.
http://transportation.fujikyu.co.jp/english/gettinghere/01.html
In order to go to Chureito from Kawaguchiko Station, there is a need to go to Shimoyoshida Station from there to ride for 14 minutes to Fuji Kyuko line, then, is a 10-minute walk from Shimoyoshida Station.
http://www.fujiyoshida.net/forms/info/info.aspx?info_id=2271

Thanks a lot! I was considering the bus, but there are in the morning 2 direct trains... if I will be in time to reserve a seat for one of them... :-)

Thanks a lot! I was considering the bus, but there are in the morning 2 direct trains... if I will be in time to reserve a seat for one of them... :-)

Hello! We have the JR pass and wanted to go to the festival. Can you suggest the best and most economical way of doing this.

Thank you,
Navyaa

@Navyaa

For reply to you, I will vary depending on your starting point. Sure thing is that it is not possible to use the Japan Rail Pass, you go only up way there.
From Tokyo, take the JR Chuo line to Otsuki, Transfer to Fuji Kyuko line, go to Kawaguchiko Station, where you transfer to bus.
From Kansai(Kyoto,Osaka), take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shinfuji, you can transfer to the bus.
http://www.shibazakura.jp/eng/access/index.html

Hi! I am highly interested in this festival but will only be arriving in Tokyo on 2 June. I realized that the festival ends at 1 June. However, if I were to make my way there on 2june, will there still be flowers to see? Or will it just be a wasted trip? Please advise! Thank you!

@Maggie

I do not think you worth going there on June 2. Shibazakura season is up in May.

Early June is the season of roses. That time early in order to see the hydrangea.

In Tokyo, it would it be to see a rose, I guess that there are a lot such as Shinjuku Gyoen and Kyu-Furukawa Gardens.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3034_001.html
https://www.gotokyo.org/en/kanko/kita/event/springrosefes.html

Fuji shibazakura festival is amazing.I hope you will definitely enjoy it.it is an entirely different experience.enjoy the festival and make this event memorable throughout the life.

I'm in the same place as Maggie - I would only be able to visit on May 30, is it worth it then? I won't be on a JR pass so I need to be mindful of my expenses.

- is it still worthwhile visiting the festival if it is raining (light rain) without the view of Mt Fuji ?

- I assume I cannot reserve the combination ticket (JPY1,900) in advance including the shuttle bus between Kawaguchi-ko and the festival venue ?
I intend to go there on 10 May (Saturday) and know it will be crowded but that is the only day that I can make it, hence my concern if the shuttle buses will be full etc.

- how many hours is recommended to spend at the festival site ?

Thank you.

@zoomingjapan

Thanks for sharing the link to your amazing photos of your GW travels last year.

I was thinking of going to the Chichibu Shibazakura Festival in Saitama just after GW, but the best of the blooms will be over, I imagine. After seeing your photos, Mt. Fuji looks doable and should be perfect timing.

Well, we visited today. Being the first day back after Golden Week, it was still pretty crowed. According to one of the staff I spoke to, it won't be this crowded again on weekdays, but weekends will continue to be busy as the blossoms reach their peak. The flowers would typically be at their best about now, but everything is late this year, so the middle of May and on is the best time to go, apparently. The buses to and from the festival site from Kawaguchiko Station were very full, and some people were having to stand on the way back.