Budget · Hakone · Japan
Hakone on a budget
What a trip to Hakone really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Hakone is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $70–$120 per person per day on a tight budget, $200–$380 mid-range and $500–$1,300 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in February.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $70–$120 a day
- Mid-range
- $200–$380 a day
- Luxury
- $500–$1,300 a day
- Local currency
- JPY
- Free sights
- 5
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $70–$120 | $210–$360 | $350–$600 | $490–$840 |
| Mid-range | $200–$380 | $600–$1,140 | $1,000–$1,900 | $1,400–$2,660 |
| Luxury | $500–$1,300 | $1,500–$3,900 | $2,500–$6,500 | $3,500–$9,100 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Hakone, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Bowl of soba or yuba-don | about ¥1,200–¥2,000 |
| Bag of black eggs at Ōwakudani | about ¥500 |
| Day-use onsen entry | about ¥1,000–¥2,000 |
| Museum ticket | about ¥1,500–¥2,800 |
| Ryokan with dinner and breakfast | about ¥20,000–¥60,000 per person |
| Coffee in a café | about ¥500–¥900 |
Money-saving tips
- The Hakone Freepass usually pays for itself if you ride the full loop of train, cable car, ropeway and boat.
- Stay mid-week; ryokan rates jump on Saturday nights and holidays.
- Business hotels and guesthouses in Hakone-Yumoto cost far less than ryokan, and day-use onsen give you the bathing experience.
- Many sights, such as Hakone Shrine, the old Tōkaidō and Onshi Hakone Park, are free.
- Convenience stores in Yumoto and Gōra sell inexpensive lunches for the loop.
Free things to do
- Hakone Shrine — Traditionally founded in the 8th century, Hakone Shrine stands among tall cedars above Lake Ashi, reached by stone steps from the shore.
- Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue — Sections of the Edo-period highway between Edo and Kyoto survive as a stone-paved path through the forest between Hatajuku and Moto-Hakone.
- Onshi Hakone Park — Built on the site of a former imperial villa on a small peninsula in Lake Ashi, this park has walking paths through the woods and a lakeside observation building with views of Mount Fuji across the water on clear days.
- Sengokuhara susuki grassland — A slope of Japanese silver grass (susuki) on the side of Mount Daigatake turns golden and sways in the wind each autumn.
- Mount Kintoki hike — Mount Kintoki (1,212 m), on the northern rim of the Hakone caldera, is a steep half-day hike from the Sengokuhara side with one of the best views of Mount Fuji in the area.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget and food lovers
Hakone-Yumoto
The gateway onsen town by the station, with souvenir streets and riverside ryokan
Eating well for less
- Black eggs — Shops beside the volcanic vents at Ōwakudani, reached by the Hakone Ropeway.
- Odawara kamaboko — Shops in Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara, and the Suzuhiro kamaboko complex near Kazamatsuri station on the Hakone Tozan Line.
Getting around for less
Hakone Freepass
A two- or three-day pass from Odakyu covering the Tozan Railway, cable car, ropeway, Lake Ashi sightseeing boats and most local buses, with optional return travel from Shinjuku or Odawara.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Hakone cost?
About $1,000–$1,900 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $350–$600 on a tight budget.
+Is Hakone expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. The Hakone Freepass usually pays for itself if you ride the full loop of train, cable car, ropeway and boat.
+How much money do I need per day in Hakone?
Roughly $70–$120 on a budget and $200–$380 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Hakone?
Usually in February.