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Hakone is a volcanic area in southwestern Kanagawa, as little as 75 minutes from Shinjuku on the Odakyu Romancecar. Its 'seventeen springs' are spread across the valleys: Hakone-Yumoto by the station is the liveliest, Miyanoshita has the Fujiya Hotel, open since the Meiji era, Sengokuhara is a highland, and on clear days Lake Ashi frames Mt Fuji. One Hakone Freepass covers the mountain railway and ropeway up to steaming Owakudani and a pirate-ship cruise across the lake, so you can do the whole loop in a day. Stay a night if you want a ryokan room with its own open-air bath.

From Tokyo
As little as 75 min from Shinjuku by Romancecar
Ryokan in videos
77, 54 with in-room open-air baths

Featured videos

Routes
Sights
Season
Routes and sights

Routes

Hakone loop (one day)
The classic one-day loop: Tozan Railway from Yumoto to Gora, cable car to Sounzan, then the ropeway over Owakudani to Togendai, pirate ship to Moto-Hakone for Hakone Shrine, and the bus back to Yumoto. All covered by the Hakone Freepass.
Hakone-Yumoto onsen town → Hakone Tozan Railway → Gora & Gora Park → Hakone Ropeway & Sounzan → Owakudani → Lake Ashi & pirate ships → Hakone Shrine & lakeside torii
Lake Ashi half day
Centred on Moto-Hakone: the lakeside torii, the checkpoint and the Komagatake Ropeway. For an unhurried day. The Komagatake Ropeway isn't covered by the Hakone Freepass.
Lake Ashi & pirate ships → Hakone Shrine & lakeside torii → Moto-Hakone & Hakone Checkpoint → Komagatake Ropeway & Hakone Motomiya
Sengokuhara & museums
Three distinct museums — Open-Air, Glass Forest and Pola — plus the golden pampas fields from late September to late October.
Hakone Open-Air Museum → Hakone Glass Forest → Pola Museum of Art → Sengokuhara pampas grass
Old Tokaido hike
Walk the Edo-period stone road to Moto-Hakone with a break at Amazake-chaya. Wear good shoes; the stones are slippery when wet. A section in Hatajuku's Yamane area is closed for works from 17 Aug 2026 to 15 Jan 2027 (planned); detour via prefectural road 732.
Old Tokaido road & Amazake-chaya → Moto-Hakone & Hakone Checkpoint → Hakone Shrine & lakeside torii
Onsen-town stroll: Yumoto, Tonosawa, Miyanoshita
From the busy Yumoto shopping street to Tonosawa in the Hayakawa gorge (one stop, about 3 min, on the Tozan Railway), then on up the line to Miyanoshita and its historic hotel.
Hakone-Yumoto onsen town → Tonosawa → Miyanoshita & Fujiya Hotel

Sights

Hakone-Yumoto onsen town 箱根湯本
The gateway to Hakone and the Romancecar terminus (some trains stop short at Odawara). The shopping street by the station sells onsen manju and other snacks and souvenirs.
Tonosawa 塔ノ沢
The Hayakawa gorge just above Yumoto, lined with long-established ryokan; quieter than Yumoto.
Miyanoshita & Fujiya Hotel 宮ノ下
A hot-spring village that has welcomed foreign visitors since the Meiji era; the draw is the Fujiya Hotel, plus antique shops, old bakeries and Western-style buildings.
Hakone Tozan Railway 箱根登山電車
A mountain railway from Yumoto up to Gora that climbs by switchbacks; hydrangeas line the tracks in early summer.
Gora & Gora Park 強羅
The end of the Tozan line, where you change to the cable car for Sounzan. Gora Park, opened in 1914, was Japan's first French-style formal garden.
Hakone Open-Air Museum 彫刻の森美術館
An open-air sculpture museum opened in 1969: large sculptures on lawns, an 18 m stained-glass tower and a Picasso pavilion, plus a foot bath.
Hakone Ropeway & Sounzan 箱根ロープウェイ
Runs from Sounzan over Owakudani to Togendai on Lake Ashi; Mt Fuji is visible on clear days. It stops in bad weather, for scheduled maintenance, or when volcanic gas levels rise.
Owakudani 大涌谷
A volcanic valley venting sulphur steam; eggs boiled black in the hot springs are the local specialty. The volcanic alert is currently at level 1. The Owakudani nature trail is open only on guided tours booked online (¥800); people with asthma or heart conditions should stay away.
Lake Ashi & pirate ships 芦ノ湖
A lake inside the Hakone volcano's caldera, formed about 3,000 years ago when a collapse of Mt Kami dammed the Haya River. Pirate ships run from Togendai to Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi (about 25–40 min); Mt Fuji reflects in the water on clear days.
Hakone Shrine & lakeside torii 箱根神社
The red 'Peace Torii' standing in the lake; the approach from the torii to the main hall runs between cedars over 600 years old.
Moto-Hakone & Hakone Checkpoint 箱根関所
A reconstruction of the Edo-period checkpoint showing how travelers were inspected; Onshi-Hakone Park next to it overlooks the lake.
Old Tokaido road & Amazake-chaya 旧東海道
An Edo-period stone-paved road you can walk from Hatajuku to Moto-Hakone; the Amazake-chaya teahouse on the way has been run by the same family for 13 generations since the Edo period, and Hatajuku is home to yosegi marquetry. A section of path in Hatajuku's Yamane area is closed for works from 17 Aug 2026 to 15 Jan 2027 (planned); detour via prefectural road 732.
Komagatake Ropeway & Hakone Motomiya 駒ヶ岳
A ropeway from the lakeshore to the summit of Mt Komagatake, home to Hakone Motomiya shrine, with views to Sagami Bay and Mt Fuji.
Sengokuhara pampas grass 仙石原
A highland at about 650 m where the pampas-grass fields turn gold from late September to late October; home to many museums.
Hakone Glass Forest 箱根ガラスの森美術館
A museum of Venetian glass; the crystal arches in its garden sparkle in the sun.
Pola Museum of Art ポーラ美術館
A museum in the forest with Impressionist and other Western paintings, and a woodland trail outside.
Kowakudani & Yunessun 小涌谷
Home to Yunessun, a swimsuit hot-spring theme park, and more; good for all ages and families.
Side trip: Odawara 小田原
The gateway city to Hakone, with Odawara Castle and old fish-cake shops; the shinkansen stops here. Not part of Hakone, but often combined with it.

Rail

  • Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto: Odakyu Romancecar, as little as about 75 min (varies by train)
  • Tokyo Station → Odawara: shinkansen, about 33–35 min, then the Hakone Tozan Railway
  • The Hakone Freepass (2 or 3 days) covers the Tozan Railway, cable car, ropeway, pirate ships and buses on designated sections, plus a round trip on the Odakyu line from your starting station to Odawara. The Romancecar needs a separate limited-express ticket; Izuhakone buses and the Komagatake Ropeway are not included
  • Narita Airport → Shinjuku: Narita Express (N'EX), about 85 min, then change to the Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto
  • Haneda Airport → Yokohama: Keikyu Line, about 30 min; Yokohama → Odawara: JR Tokaido Line, about 50–60 min; then the Hakone Tozan Line, about 15 min, to Hakone-Yumoto
  • From Osaka: Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara, about 2–3 hr from Shin-Osaka (usually with one change at Nagoya), or as little as about 70 min from Nagoya; then the Hakone Tozan Railway

Bus & ferry

  • Shinjuku: the Odakyu Highway Bus runs from Shinjuku South Exit (Busta Shinjuku) via Gotemba and Sengoku to Hakone Togendai (Lake Ashi) in about 2 hr 25 min; reserved seats can be booked. It does not stop at Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Haneda Airport: the Odakyu/Keikyu highway bus runs via Yokohama Station (YCAT) to Gotemba Station in about 130–145 min. Since April 2026 it no longer continues into Hakone, so change at Gotemba for a bus to Sengoku and Togendai
  • Narita Airport: Airport Limousine bus to Busta Shinjuku, about 120 min, then the Odakyu Highway Bus via Gotemba to Togendai

By car

  • Tokyo IC → Tomei Expressway → Atsugi IC → Odawara-Atsugi Road → exit at Hakone-guchi IC onto Route 1: about 70 min
  • For Sengokuhara: Tokyo IC via the Tomei Expressway to Gotemba IC, about 70 min, then about 25 min to Sengokuhara
  • Parking: Hakone-machi Port on Lake Ashi (24 h, free, about 200 spaces) and the Hatcho lot in Motohakone (free); the lots at Togendai Station, Sounzan Station and Gora Park are paid
  • The Owakudani car park closes at 16:20 (16:00 in Dec–Jan), and the road up to Owakudani is closed 17:00–9:00

Licences, ETC cards and expressway passes: Driving in Japan →

Getting around

  • Hakone Tozan Railway: Hakone-Yumoto → Gora, 8.9 km in about 40 min, climbing with three switchbacks
  • Hakone Tozan Cable Car: Gora → Sounzan, about 10 min
  • Hakone Ropeway: Sounzan → Owakudani → Ubako → Togendai, about 10 min per section with cars roughly every minute; it stops in strong wind, thunder or high volcanic gas. From Togendai the pirate ship takes about 25–40 min to Motohakone or Hakone-machi
  • Hakone Tozan Bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station: Line H via Miyanoshita and Kowakien to Motohakone Port takes about 40 min, Line R (express via the Hakone Shindo road) about 30 min, and Line T runs via Sengoku to Togendai. The Hakone Freepass covers these buses
  • The Hakone Town Tourist Information Center is a 1-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, open 9:00–17:45, with help in English, Chinese and Korean (Chinese- and Korean-speaking staff are not there every day)

Winter

  • Hakone's mountain roads often see snow and ice in winter, so use winter tires or carry chains; Route 1's Hakone Shindo bypass can be closed for snow clearing in heavy snow
  • The Hakone Ropeway runs shorter hours in December–January: 9:00–16:15

Luggage

  • Hakone Carry Service: drop bags at the counter inside Hakone-Yumoto Station 8:30–12:00 and collect them at a partner inn from 15:00; on checkout day leave them at the front desk by 10:00 and pick them up at Hakone-Yumoto Station 13:30–18:30 (partner accommodations only)
  • Odakyu Travel Center Hakone-Yumoto at the station offers temporary luggage storage (9:00–19:00, open every day)

From international airports

  • Shizuoka Airport FSZ (nearest international airport)
    • Seoul Incheon · Jeju Air · 14 a week
    • Busan · Air Busan · 3 a week (more flights announced)
    • Hanoi · Vietjet · 3 a week

Winter 2026 (25 Oct 2026 – 27 Mar 2027) schedule, checked 2026-11-09; sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Flights change often, so check with the airline before booking.

Map

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Transport & itinerary videos

Which trains, which pass, how to plan two days.

Ryokan facilities (in-room bath, private bath, family stays, dinner style) are compiled from the descriptions of stay videos and may be wrong or out of date. Check with the ryokan or the booking site before you book.

Before you bathe, read the basic onsen etiquette; ways to bathe if you have tattoos are on the same page. Onsen etiquette & tattoos →

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