The classic Mt Fuji day trip from Tokyo. Hot spring resorts, open-air museums and Japan's most iconic view.
Hakone is Japan's most popular mountain resort and day trip from Tokyo — a beautiful mountain town famous for the hakone loop sightseeing route, mount fuji views, hot spring baths and lake ashi. This hakone travel guide covers everything for exploring hakone: hakone yumoto station, gora station, hakone open air museum, hakone shrine, hakone ropeway, hakone sightseeing cruise, pola museum, lalique museum and the complete hakone free pass itinerary.
Visiting hakone is highly recommend for every Japan trip — natural beauty, mount fuji views, private onsen ryokan, manicured gardens and world-class art museums all within 90 minutes of tokyo station.
Hakone's must-visit spots are all connected by the hakone loop — use the hakone free pass for unlimited rides on the hakone tozan line, hakone ropeway, pirate ship sightseeing cruise and hakone tozan bus. Hakone loop route: shinjuku station → odakyu romance car → hakone yumoto station → hakone tozan line scenic train → gora station → hakone tozan cable car → hakone ropeway → owakudani station → lake ashi → pirate ship sightseeing cruise → moto hakone port → hakone shrine → hakone tozan bus → hakone yumoto station. The hakone free pass (hakone freepass) covers unlimited rides on all hakone loop transport plus discounts at hakone open air museum, pola museum and lalique museum.
Click any spot on the map to learn more
Ivan Shirokov
Author
"Hakone is where Tokyo residents go to exhale. A ryokan with an outdoor onsen, Mt Fuji appearing through the mist — it's the Japan you imagined before you came."
Exploring hakone reveals something beautiful at every stop — from the scenic train on the hakone tozan line and volcanic valley views at owakudani station to the pirate ship sightseeing cruise and peaceful walk through hakone shrine's cedar avenue. Mount hakone and the volcanic valley around owakudani station offer hiking nature trails with alpine plants. Hakone sightseeing is best done over two days — day 1 for the main hakone loop including hakone open air museum and owakudani station volcanic valley; day 2 for hakone shrine, botanical garden and private onsen relaxation. Best tours of hakone from tokyo station cover hakone yumoto station, hakone ropeway, owakudani station and lake ashi in a single day trip.
Hakone open air museum is hakone's most visited attraction — a world-class open air museum near gora station with 120 sculptures in beautiful manicured gardens with views of mount fuji. The open air museum includes a venetian glass museum exhibition hall alongside the outdoor sculpture manicured gardens. Plan 2 hours at hakone open air museum. Pola museum of art is another outstanding hakone museum — impressionist and modern art in natural beauty forest near gora station, accessible by shuttle bus from gora station. The lalique museum in hakone machi is dedicated to art deco jewellery and glass — a unique exhibition hall with Lalique's most beautiful works, near moto hakone port and lake ashi.
Hakone ropeway is the most dramatic part of the hakone loop — a cable car running from sounzan to togendai over owakudani volcanic valley with spectacular views of mt fuji on clear days. The hakone ropeway stops at owakudani station — hakone's famous volcanic valley where visitors can take a nature trail past fumaroles and alpine plants unique to the volcanic environment. Views of mt fuji from hakone ropeway are best on clear winter mornings — the cable car takes about 25 minutes from sounzan to togendai, stopping at owakudani station.
Lake ashi — also written lake ashinoko — is hakone's most iconic lake, famous for mount fuji views, hakone shrine's floating torii gate and the pirate ship sightseeing cruise. The pirate ship sightseeing cruise crosses lake ashinoko from togendai to moto hakone port near hakone shrine — about 30-40 minutes with views of mount fuji and the floating torii gate, covered by the hakone free pass. Hakone shrine is reached from moto hakone port by a peaceful walk through the cedar avenue old tokaido highway. Onshi hakone park near hakone shrine is a beautiful manicured garden with views of mount fuji and lake ashinoko — free to enter.
Hakone botanical garden at gora park is one of hakone's most beautiful manicured gardens — near gora station with seasonal flower displays and a hot spring foot bath, just 5 minutes walk from gora station on the hakone tozan line. The hakone tozan line is Japan's steepest mountain railway — a scenic train climbing from hakone yumoto station to gora station through beautiful forest and seasonal flower displays, switching back three times over 40 minutes. In June and July, the hakone tozan line passes through thousands of hydrangea seasonal flowers — one of hakone's most beautiful nature trail displays. The hakone tozan train stops at chokoku-no-mori station — a short walk from hakone open air museum — before reaching gora station.
Day Trip
Tokyo to Hakone — the perfect day trip
Fuji views, volcanic valleys and hot springs — Japan's most rewarding day trip from Tokyo.
Nature
Owakudani — volcanic valley and black eggs
Bubbling sulfur vents, dramatic views and the legendary black eggs.
Coming Soon
Scenic
Lake Ashi cruise and Mt Fuji views
The pirate ship cruise on Lake Ashi with the perfect Fuji backdrop on a clear day.
Hakone offers excellent options to stay in hakone — from traditional japanese style rooms ryokan with private onsen to budget hotels near hakone yumoto station and luxury resorts on lake ashi. Stay in hakone yumoto for budget-friendly japanese style rooms with hot spring baths access — hakone yumoto station connects to all hakone loop transport. Hakone yumoto is a beautiful hot spring town with japanese style rooms, hot spring baths and local restaurants within short walk of hakone yumoto station. Private onsen ryokan near lake ashi offer the most beautiful overnight stay in hakone — wake up to views of mt fuji over lake ashinoko and hakone shrine's floating torii gate. An overnight stay in hakone is highly recommend for the full hot spring baths experience.
Ryokan
Best ryokan in Hakone
Stay in a traditional Japanese inn with private onsen — the quintessential Hakone experience.
Budget
Hakone-Yumoto hotels — best value
Affordable hotels at the Hakone gateway with easy train access to the whole area.
Coming Soon
Luxury
Luxury hotels in Hakone
Private onsen suites, kaiseki dinners and impeccable service with Mt Fuji as your backdrop.
Coming Soon
Hakone is one of Japan's top hot spring destinations — the hakone area's volcanic activity produces natural hot spring baths enjoyed for centuries. Private onsen at hakone ryokan near gora station and hakone yumoto station are the most exclusive experience — japanese style rooms with private onsen baths are highly recommend for an overnight stay in hakone. Hakone yuryo is a popular public hot spring baths facility near hakone yumoto station — perfect for day trip visitors wanting to experience hakone's natural hot spring baths. Hot spring baths vary across the hakone area — hakone yumoto station area springs tend to be clear, while volcanic areas near owakudani station offer sulfurous hot spring baths with different natural beauty and mineral properties.
Onsen
Hakone onsen guide — best bathhouses
Public vs private, indoor vs outdoor — where to soak in Hakone without booking a ryokan.
Coming Soon
Day Onsen
Day onsen in Hakone — no overnight required
You can enjoy Hakone hot springs without staying overnight. Best day-use onsen picks.
Coming Soon
Experience
Hakone Ropeway — tips and best views
The complete guide to the ropeway — when to go, queues, passes and where to photograph Fuji.
Coming SoonThe odakyu romance car limited express train from shinjuku station takes 85 minutes direct to hakone yumoto station — the most comfortable way to reach hakone. The hakone free pass from shinjuku station includes the odakyu romance car and all hakone loop transport. Alternatively, take the limited express train or JR pass shinkansen from tokyo station to odawara station — then transfer to the hakone tozan railway to hakone yumoto station (15 minutes). Hakone tozan bus is the main public transportation network around hakone area — routes connect hakone yumoto station, gora station, lake ashi, moto hakone port and hakone shrine. The hakone freepass covers unlimited rides on all hakone tozan bus routes. Each bus stop on the hakone tozan bus route has timetables in English — a shuttle bus also connects pola museum from gora station.
From Tokyo
Tokyo to Hakone — how to get there
Romancecar, Shinkansen or highway bus — all options compared with prices and journey times.
Coming Soon
Pass
Hakone Free Pass — is it worth it?
The Hakone Free Pass covers trains, buses, ropeways and boats. How much can you save?
Coming Soon
Transport
Getting around Hakone without a car
Tozan Railway, ropeway, cable car, pirate ship — the full Hakone Loop explained.
Coming Soon
The hakone loop is hakone's circular sightseeing route — hakone tozan line scenic train from hakone yumoto station to gora station, hakone tozan cable car, hakone ropeway cable car over volcanic valley, pirate ship sightseeing cruise across lake ashinoko and hakone tozan bus back to hakone yumoto station. The hakone free pass covers unlimited rides on the entire hakone loop.
Hakone is highly recommend as a day trip from tokyo — 85 minutes from shinjuku station by odakyu romance car to hakone yumoto station. A day trip gives enough time for the hakone loop, hakone open air museum and hakone shrine. An overnight stay in hakone is even better for the full hot spring baths experience.
The hakone free pass (hakone freepass) covers unlimited rides on all hakone loop transport — hakone tozan line scenic train, hakone ropeway cable car, pirate ship sightseeing cruise on lake ashinoko and hakone tozan bus. Buy the hakone free pass at shinjuku station or odawara station.
Clear winter and autumn days offer the best views of mount fuji from hakone ropeway, lake ashi and hakone shrine. Spring brings beautiful cherry blossoms at hakone shrine, gora park botanical garden and onshi hakone park. June and July hydrangeas along the hakone tozan line scenic train route are spectacular.
