One day 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

      Climb the spiral stairs inside the Symphonic Sculpture tower for its stained glass and a view over the grounds, and finish at the footbath. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Gōra Park

      Ride the cable car up to Kōen-kami station and walk down through the park to Gōra. Allow 1 hour.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Black eggs

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

   4. Afternoon

      Ōwakudani

      Visitors with asthma or heart conditions should take care, as volcanic gas levels can be high; access is sometimes restricted when the volcanic alert level rises, so check before travelling. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Hakone Ropeway

      Ride in the morning, when visibility is usually better and queues at Sōunzan are shorter; the ropeway can suspend service in strong winds. Allow 30–40 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Private outdoor bath

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

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 5–6 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Hakone
• 3 days in Hakone

Questions travellers ask