Travel guide · Japan
Hakone travel guide
Hot-spring ryokan, volcanic valleys and Mount Fuji over Lake Ashi
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Quercus acuta, CC0
Quick answer
Hakone is a mountain hot-spring area about 80 km south-west of Tokyo, set inside the caldera of an old volcano in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. A classic loop by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and sightseeing boat links the onsen town of Hakone-Yumoto, the sculpture-filled Hakone Open-Air Museum, the steaming sulphur vents of Ōwakudani and Lake Ashi, where the red torii of Hakone Shrine stands in the water and Mount Fuji appears on clear days. Most visitors stay a night in a ryokan with its own baths and a multi-course dinner. Plan 2 days for a first visit; the best months are April and October–December.
Key facts
- Country
- Japan
- Best time to visit
- April and October–December
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Main airports
- HND, NRT
- Mid-range daily budget
- $200–$380 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Onsen and ryokan, Lake Ashi, Ōwakudani black eggs and Hakone Shrine torii
Why visit Hakone
- Hundreds of ryokan and hotels draw on Hakone's hot springs, many with private outdoor baths, making it the easiest onsen escape from Tokyo.
- A single loop by Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway and Lake Ashi boat links most sights and is covered by the Hakone Freepass.
- The Hakone Open-Air Museum sets large sculptures, a Picasso pavilion and climbable art for children across hillside lawns.
- On clear days, Mount Fuji rises above Lake Ashi and Ōwakudani, especially on crisp winter mornings.
- Hakone keeps traces of the Edo-period Tōkaidō road, with a stone-paved path, a 17th-century cedar avenue and a rebuilt samurai checkpoint.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 18 things to do.
Museum · Gōra
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Opened in 1969, Japan's first open-air art museum spreads more than a hundred modern sculptures, by artists including Henry Moore and Rodin, across landscaped hillsides.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Kids
- Outdoors
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Nature · Ōwakudani
Ōwakudani
This volcanic valley, formed by an eruption around 3,000 years ago, hisses with sulphur vents and hot springs on the slopes of Mount Kami.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Food
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Experience · Ōwakudani
Hakone Ropeway
The ropeway's gondolas glide from Sōunzan over the steaming Ōwakudani valley to Tōgendai on the shore of Lake Ashi, a ride of roughly half an hour with a change at Ōwakudani.
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Experience · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise
Mock pirate ships sail across Lake Ashi, a lake inside the Hakone caldera, between Tōgendai at the northern end and Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi in the south.
- Time needed
- 40 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Iconic
- Couples
Religious site · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
Hakone Shrine
Traditionally founded in the 8th century, Hakone Shrine stands among tall cedars above Lake Ashi, reached by stone steps from the shore.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
Experience · Hakone-Yumoto
Hakone Tozan Railway
Japan's best-known mountain railway climbs from Hakone-Yumoto to Gōra on steep gradients, reversing direction at three switchbacks as it zigzags up the forested valley.
- Time needed
- 40 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Where to stay
Hakone-Yumoto is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget and food lovers
Hakone-Yumoto
The gateway onsen town by the station, with souvenir streets and riverside ryokan
$$$ · Best for couples and quiet stays
Tōnosawa
Small riverside onsen hamlet one stop up the Tozan line
$$$$ · Best for couples, culture and luxury
Miyanoshita
Historic hot-spring village around the 1878 Fujiya Hotel
$$$ · Best for families and culture
Kowakudani
Resort hotels and the Okada Museum on a plateau between Miyanoshita and Lake Ashi
What to eat
- Black eggs — Eggs boiled in Ōwakudani's hot springs, where sulphur and iron turn the shells black.
- Yuba-don — A rice bowl topped with fresh tofu skin (yuba) simmered in a soy-dashi broth and bound with egg, a Hakone speciality that reflects the area's soft spring water.
- Hakone tofu — Tofu made with Hakone's spring water is prized for its smooth texture and served cold with soy and ginger, simmered in hot pot or as part of ryokan dinners.
- Soba — Buckwheat noodles served cold with dipping sauce or in hot broth, sometimes with grated yam (tororo); Hakone-Yumoto has several long-established soba shops, including Hatsuhana.
- Kaiseki dinner — A seasonal multi-course meal of small dishes — sashimi, grilled fish, simmered vegetables, tofu and rice — served in your room or a private dining room at most ryokan.
- Onsen manju — Small steamed buns filled with sweet red-bean paste, sold warm in hot-spring towns all over Japan and a classic Hakone souvenir.
When to go
The best times to visit Hakone are October to early December, for autumn colour, golden silver grass and clear Mount Fuji views, and late March to May for blossom and fresh greenery. Winter is cold but clear and ideal for outdoor onsen. June and July bring the rainy season and mist that hides Fuji, though the hydrangeas are a consolation. Avoid Golden Week, Obon and autumn weekends if you can.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Cherry blossoms from the lower valley upwards through April, azaleas and green forests in May, with very crowded Golden Week holidays. |
| Summer | June–August | Rainy season and hydrangeas in June and July, then humid, often cloudy weather; cooler than Tokyo but Fuji is rarely visible. |
| Autumn | September–November | Golden silver grass in Sengokuhara, autumn leaves in November and clearer skies; weekends are busy. |
| Winter | December–February | Crisp, cold and often clear, with the best chances of seeing Mount Fuji and the most atmospheric outdoor baths. |
Getting there and around
From Haneda Airport, take a train to Shinagawa and the shinkansen to Odawara, then the Hakone Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto; allow about 1.5–2 hours. From Narita, allow about 3 hours via Tokyo. Odakyu Romancecar trains from Shinjuku reach Hakone-Yumoto directly in about 85 minutes.
Hakone's sights are linked by a famous loop of transport: the Tozan Railway from Hakone-Yumoto to Gōra, the cable car to Sōunzan, the ropeway over Ōwakudani to Lake Ashi, and sightseeing boats across the lake, with buses back to Yumoto. The Hakone Freepass covers most of it.
Plan your days
A long day trip from Tokyo can cover the main loop, but one or two nights in a ryokan is the real point of Hakone. Two days lets you split the loop, add a museum or two and soak without rushing; a third adds the old Tōkaidō walk or the Sengokuhara museums.
Practical information
- Currency
- JPY
- Language
- Japanese
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 100 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Emergency number
- 110 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance)
- Tipping
- Tipping is not customary in Japan.
Hakone is an active volcanic area: volcanic gas at Ōwakudani can affect people with asthma or heart conditions, and access can be restricted when the alert level rises, so check official updates. Paths are slippery after rain, and typhoons can disrupt transport in late summer.
Flights to Hakone
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Hakone?
A long day trip from Tokyo can cover the main loop, but one or two nights in a ryokan is the real point of Hakone. Two days lets you split the loop, add a museum or two and soak without rushing; a third adds the old Tōkaidō walk or the Sengokuhara museums. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Hakone?
The best times to visit Hakone are October to early December, for autumn colour, golden silver grass and clear Mount Fuji views, and late March to May for blossom and fresh greenery. Winter is cold but clear and ideal for outdoor onsen. June and July bring the rainy season and mist that hides Fuji, though the hydrangeas are a consolation. Avoid Golden Week, Obon and autumn weekends if you can.
+What is Hakone known for?
Onsen and ryokan, Lake Ashi, Ōwakudani black eggs, Hakone Shrine torii, Mount Fuji views, Hakone Open-Air Museum and Hakone Tozan Railway. Hundreds of ryokan and hotels draw on Hakone's hot springs, many with private outdoor baths, making it the easiest onsen escape from Tokyo.
+Is Hakone expensive?
Hakone is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $200–$380 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Hakone?
No. Trains, the cable car, ropeway, boats and buses reach all the main sights. Use the luggage delivery service at Hakone-Yumoto station to send bags to your ryokan and travel the loop light.