2 days in Hakone

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hakone Open-Air Museum and Gōra Park

   Hakone Open-Air Museum, Gōra Park, Ōwakudani and Hakone Ropeway, then Private outdoor bath in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hakone Open-Air Museum

      The Picasso Pavilion displays ceramics and other works by Picasso, children can climb inside the crocheted Woods of Net installation, and a natural hot-spring footbath lets you rest your feet halfway round.

   2. Late morning

      Gōra Park

      Opened in 1914, this French-style formal garden on the slope above Gōra station has fountains, rose beds and a tropical greenhouse, plus craft workshops where visitors can try glass-blowing or pottery.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Black eggs

      Shops beside the volcanic vents at Ōwakudani, reached by the Hakone Ropeway.

   4. Afternoon

      Ōwakudani

      Eggs boiled in the hot springs turn black (kuro-tamago) and are said to add years to your life, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears beyond the steam.

   5. Late afternoon

      Hakone Ropeway

      The stretch over the volcanic vents is the most dramatic, and Mount Fuji is visible on clear days.

   6. Evening

      Private outdoor bath

      Book a room with its own rotenburo (outdoor bath) in Gōra or Sengokuhara and soak under the stars.

2. Day 2: Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise and Hakone Shrine

   Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise, Hakone Shrine, Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue and Hakone Checkpoint, then Dawn at Lake Ashi in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise

      The crossing takes about 25–40 minutes and passes the red torii of Hakone Shrine.

   2. Late morning

      Hakone Shrine

      Its vermilion Peace Torii rises from the water's edge, one of the most photographed views in Japan.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Yuba-don

      Restaurants in Hakone-Yumoto and around Gōra and Miyanoshita.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue

      By the lake, an avenue of tall cedars planted in the 17th century runs between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.

   5. Late afternoon

      Hakone Checkpoint

      The guardhouses and gates have been reconstructed using traditional techniques, with mannequins of officials and a small museum on the strict controls on weapons and travellers.

   6. Evening

      Dawn at Lake Ashi

      Walk to the shrine's lakeside torii or Onshi Hakone Park early in the morning for mist on the water and Fuji views.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Pola Museum of Art (Sengokuhara): Walk the forest trail after the galleries; it is especially beautiful in autumn and needs only about 20 minutes.
• Swap in Okada Museum of Art (Kowakudani): Even without visiting the galleries, the footbath café in front of the mural is a pleasant stop.
• Swap in Lalique Museum Hakone (Sengokuhara): Reserve the Orient Express carriage tea when you arrive, as places are limited.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–11 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Train. The Hakone Tozan Railway climbs from Hakone-Yumoto to Gōra in about 40 minutes, stopping at Tōnosawa, Miyanoshita and Chōkoku-no-Mori for the Open-Air Museum.

More or fewer days

• One day in Hakone
• 3 days in Hakone

Questions travellers ask