Photo: Alpsdake / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) The Afternoon Plan (13:00 Arrival Special)
Docking after lunch? Here is the four-hour version of Shimizu — no wasted minute.
Designed for a 13:00–20:00 call (a common Diamond Princess pattern). Back on board by 19:00.
Docking after lunch? Here is the four-hour version of Shimizu — no wasted minute.
Designed for a 13:00–20:00 call (a common Diamond Princess pattern). Back on board by 19:00.
Most guides pretend every ship docks at 7 a.m. Yours might not. This is the honest four-hour plan for afternoon arrivals — built around the Water Bus, which beats every road option at this hour.
Afternoon calls compress everything, so skip anything with a mountain road. This plan stays within 20 minutes of the ship at all times.
Stay: about 1.5 hours
A World Heritage pine grove on a black-sand spit, tied to the celestial-robe legend of Hagoromo. On a clear afternoon Mt. Fuji rises across the bay; even without the mountain, the 30,000-tree grove and the God's Road approach are worth the crossing. The Mihoshirube visitor center has excellent English exhibits.
Stay: about 1 hour
An early dinner counter-side: Suruga Bay specialties like sakura shrimp and fresh shirasu that you will not see at home. Order the local set, not the safe set.
The harbor faces west toward the Fuji foothills — on a clear evening this is the best free view of the call. You are steps from the gangway with 90 minutes of margin.
About 4 hours. Designed for a 13:00–20:00 call (a common Diamond Princess pattern). Back on board by 19:00.
Yes — this is a self-guided plan for independent cruise passengers, with transport and timings laid out step by step so you get back on board with margin.
You can do this plan independently — that's what the timeline above is for. But if you'd rather have a licensed guide watch the clock for you, these cover the same ground with port pickup.
Private Sightseeing Tour from Shimizu Port (Van/Taxi)Check availability →All Shimizu Ports-of-Call Tours on ViatorCheck availability →These are booked through our partner Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We link only cruise-friendly operators with port pickup.
Be back on board at least 60 minutes before departure. Every itinerary on this site is designed around your all-aboard time, not around opening hours.
Mt. Fuji is clearly visible roughly 3–4 days out of 10, best in early morning. Check the official live camera before you commit to a view-based plan — and see our Plan B.
See which cruises call at Shimizu in 2026, and when — times verified against the official port schedule. Note: if your ship docks at Okitsu Pier, walking out is not permitted — plan transport ahead.