Shimizu Cruise Port 清水港
Mt. Fuji's port, on your own clock. Where your ship docks, what fits your hours ashore, and how to be back aboard with an hour to spare.
Start with your arrival
Where you dock: Hinode Pier — walkable to the waterfront · Okitsu berth = shuttle only
105 calls in 2025 Fuji 3–4 days in 10 Weather by month What it costs
Plans assume Hinode Pier, the usual berth.
Which ships are in port next
Confirmed calls from the Shimizu Port cruise committee sheet (revised Oct 5, 2026). Tap a ship for its own guide, or a call for the plan that fits its hours.
| Date | Ship | In port | Guide or plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 15 | Celebrity Millennium | 07:00–18:00 | Ship guide → |
| Thu, Oct 15 | Asuka II | 09:00–17:00 | Plan this call → |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Navigator of the Seas | 07:00–18:00 | Ship guide → |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Viking Orionovernight | 08:00–13:00 (+1) | Ship guide → |
| Wed, Oct 21 | Seven Seas Explorer | 07:00–16:00 | Plan this call → |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Star Seeker | 08:00–17:00 | Ship guide → |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Westerdam | 08:00–17:00 | Ship guide → |
| Mon, Oct 26 | Norwegian Jade | 07:00–15:00 | Ship guide → |
Every call month by month, with a calendar you can subscribe to: the Shimizu cruise calendar. Looking further ahead? The 2027 season lists about 100 calls by two dozen ships.
What January brings to Shimizu
What February brings to Shimizu
What March brings to Shimizu
What April brings to Shimizu
What May brings to Shimizu
What June brings to Shimizu
What July brings to Shimizu
What August brings to Shimizu
What September brings to Shimizu
What October brings to Shimizu
What November brings to Shimizu
What December brings to Shimizu
What fits your hours in Shimizu
Every time is the round trip from the gangway, with the hour before all-aboard already set aside. Tap one to see what it actually is.
1 ferry25 min out by water bus, 15 backneeds 4–6h Miho no Matsubara三保松原
A World Heritage pine grove on a black-sand spit with the ukiyo-e view of Mt.
What you will see →
2 taxi~25 min by taxineeds 4–6h Nihondaira日本平
Nihondaira is the 300 m plateau between Shimizu port and Shizuoka city: a free 360° terrace, a ropeway…
What you will see →
3 walk~20–25 min on footneeds 2–3h Kashi-no-Ichi Fish Market清水魚市場 河岸の市
Japan's frozen-tuna capital, 20–25 minutes' walk from the cruise pier.
What you will see →
4 taxiTaxi + 5 min ropewayneeds 4–6h Kunozan Toshogu Shrine久能山東照宮
Ieyasu's original burial shrine, a National Treasure on a Pacific cliff.
What you will see →
5 walk~10 min on footneeds 2–3h Shimizu Sushi Yokocho清水すし横丁
A dozen sushi counters in one alley inside Dream Plaza, serving Suruga Bay catch — sakura shrimp and shirasu.
What you will see →
6 walk~10 min on footneeds 2–3h S-Pulse Dream Plaza & Sushi Yokochoエスパルスドリームプラザ
S-Pulse Dream Plaza is 10 minutes' walk from the Shimizu cruise pier: a full sushi alley, tea and…
What you will see →
7 train11 min by JR + 15 min walkneeds 4–6h Sunpu Castle Park駿府城公園
Ieyasu's childhood and retirement castle: moats and reconstructed turrets in central Shizuoka.
What you will see →
8 train11 min by JR + 5 min walkneeds 4–6h Shizuoka Oden (Aoba Yokocho)青葉おでん街
Shizuoka's dark-broth oden, skewers from about ¥100, at cramped stalls near Shizuoka Station.
What you will see →
9 walk~8 min on footneeds 2–3h Verkehr Museum (Port & Shipping)フェルケール博物館
A quiet museum of the port's shipping history: ¥400, 9:30–16:30, closed Mondays, five minutes from the pier.
What you will see →
10 train~50 min by JRneeds 8h Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha富士山本宮浅間大社
Head shrine of some 1,300 Sengen shrines and Fuji's traditional trailhead, with a snowmelt-fed sacred pond.
What you will see →Guided days with seats on the next calls
There is no tour desk at the pier. Shared cars with a guide come first — they are what passengers here actually book, priced per person — and tours with seats on the coming calls come before the ones that are filling up.
Mt. Fuji from Four Angles: the Short Car Tour
The Fuji tour that fits a normal call: four hours from the pier and back, per-person pricing, and seats on most cruise days.
From US$129 per person · max 8 Meets at the pier 5.0★ · 14 reviews · 4 hours Fits and has seats on 15 of 20 calls from 27 Oct Why it's on this list →
Mt. Fuji & Miho no Matsubara: The Guided Four Hours
A gentle guided walk: Miho's pine grove, Dream Plaza and the waterfront, with tea and a snack — no long drives.
From US$129 per person · max 10 Meets at the pier 5.0★ · 2 reviews · 4 hours Fits and has seats on 13 of 20 calls from 27 Oct Why it's on this list →
Private Shimizu Highlights by Jumbo Taxi
The one I'd book for a first call with 5–6 hours: Nihondaira, Kunozan and Miho — all three of Shimizu's big sights — in four hours, with the ropeway and the driving handled.
US$350 per person for 2 · US$699 per vehicle Meets at the pier 4.9★ · 156 reviews · 4 hours Fits and has seats on 12 of 20 calls from 27 Oct Why it's on this list →How far everything is from your berth
Hinode Pier is the dark pin. The numbers match the cards above; Shizuoka City's pins are 11 minutes away by train.
A local perspective
This is my second home water — I am in Shizuoka every month. My pick: a maguro bowl at Kashi-no-Ichi before the 11:30 rush, then Fuji from Nihondaira if the morning is clear. When the mountain shows itself, I still stop talking.
Every plan here banks 60 minutes before all-aboard. Treat the last water bus (16:35 from Miho) as a mini all-aboard of its own.
Getting back to your ship →
Local picks
Chosen because locals actually go — each with the walk, the price and the closed day.
Eat · picture menusKashi-no-Ichi Fish Market
Maguro bowls where the tuna lands
Eat · English OKShimizu Sushi Yokocho
A whole alley of sushi counters
Eat · the local dishShizuoka Oden (Aoba Yokocho)
Black-broth oden in lantern alleys
Take homeS-Pulse Dream Plaza & Sushi Yokocho
Green tea, wasabi, tuna snacks
Shimizu: what to know
Where do cruise ships dock in Shimizu?
At Hinode Pier, on the town side of the harbour, next to S-Pulse Dream Plaza — about 10 minutes on foot to the Dream Plaza sushi alley. On some two-ship days a ship is sent to Okitsu, a container berth about 4 km away that you cannot walk out of; the shuttle or a taxi is then mandatory. Check your berth the night before.
Which cruise ships call at Shimizu in 2026?
Celebrity Millennium, Diamond Princess, Norwegian Jade, Viking Venus and Orion, Windstar's Star Seeker, Navigator of the Seas, Royal Princess, Westerdam, Seabourn Encore and Silver Moon all call in 2026, alongside Japanese ships such as Asuka II, Asuka III, Mitsui Ocean Fuji and Mitsui Ocean Sakura. Shimizu took 105 calls in 2025, more than nine in ten international. Every confirmed date and time is on the 2026 schedule page, updated monthly from the port committee sheet.
How long do cruise ships stay in Shimizu?
Most calls run about 7–10 hours, typically arriving 07:00–08:00. A minority arrive at 13:00 for an afternoon call, and Viking stays overnight four times in 2026 (May and autumn), most recently Viking Orion on 18–19 October. Plan to be back on board at least 60 minutes before departure — every plan on this site is built on that rule.
Can you see Mount Fuji from Shimizu port?
On a clear day, yes — it rises over the bay about 45 km away. But the summit is fully visible only about 3–4 days in 10, and mornings (06:00–08:00) are clearest. Check the official Shizuoka live camera before paying for a view-based tour.
Is Shimizu cruise port walkable?
The waterfront is. From Hinode Pier, S-Pulse Dream Plaza, Sushi Yokocho and the Verkehr Museum are 8–12 minutes on foot. The Kashi-no-Ichi fish market is further than most guides say — about 20–25 minutes along the waterfront, next to JR Shimizu Station — or 5 minutes on the free cruise-day shuttle to the station.
How do you get from Shimizu port to Miho no Matsubara?
By the Miho Hagoromo Line water bus from Hinode, ¥1,000 per leg: about 25 minutes out (it calls at Ejiri first) and 15 minutes back on the direct leg. The Miho pier sells tickets on board, cash only, and the last boat back leaves Miho at 16:35. From the Miho pier it is a flat 20-minute walk to the pine grove.
How much is a taxi from Shimizu port to Nihondaira?
About ¥3,500 per car each way, 20–25 minutes. Taxis do not wait at the top, so agree a return pickup time with your driver before you get out. The ropeway down to Kunozan Toshogu is about ¥1,250 return.
Do you need a ship’s tour in Shimizu?
No — most of the port works independently on foot, by water bus or by short taxi. A guided tour earns its price for the Mt. Fuji foothills on a long call, or if walking is difficult. There is no tour desk at the pier, so anything guided is booked before you sail.
A guide for your ship
Each one decodes that ship's 2026 Shimizu calls — the arrival clock, the departure clock, and what fits between.
Celebrity MillenniumThe most frequent caller — always 07:00–08:00, the clearest Fuji hour. 
Diamond PrincessSeveral 13:00 arrivals — four usable hours, planned properly. 
Norwegian JadeSix autumn calls at 07:00; the departure time decides the day. 
Viking Venus & OrionOvernight calls — an evening ashore and two dawns.
Star Seeker224 guests, three autumn calls and nine more in 2027. 
Navigator of the SeasOne 07:00–18:00 transpacific stop, 17 October. 
Royal PrincessThe shortest big-ship day of autumn: 07:00–14:00. 
Carnival LuminosaHer 6 Oct call was cancelled — the 8-hour plan still holds. 
WesterdamAn autumn pair, then three calls in spring 2027.
Mitsui Ocean FujiAfternoon and evening clocks — a different kind of day. Freshly checked
Updated Oct 5 schedule · times measured on the ground · By Takumi Yamada, Shizuoka