For couples · Hakone · Japan
Romantic things to do in Hakone
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hakone is Tokyo's classic romantic escape: a ryokan with a private open-air bath, a kaiseki dinner in yukata and Mount Fuji over the lake at dawn. Couples tend to stay in Tōnosawa.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 5
- Area for couples
- Tōnosawa
- Best months
- December
Romantic ideas
1.Private outdoor bath
Book a room with its own rotenburo (outdoor bath) in Gōra or Sengokuhara and soak under the stars.
2.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.
3.Old Tōkaidō walk
Walk the cedar avenue and stone road together, stopping for amazake at the thatched teahouse.
4.Tea in the Orient Express
Take afternoon tea in the Pullman carriage at the Lalique Museum.
5.Footbath at the Okada Museum
Soak your feet with a drink in front of the giant wind and thunder god mural.
Sights couples love
Experience · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise
Sit on the left side heading south from Tōgendai for the best view of Mount Fuji, and on the open upper deck for photographs of the shrine's torii.
- Time needed
- 40 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Iconic
- Couples
Park · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
Onshi Hakone Park
Visit between the Hakone Checkpoint and Moto-Hakone, walking via the cedar avenue, and come in winter for the clearest Fuji views.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Couples
Gallery · Kowakudani
Okada Museum of Art
Even without visiting the galleries, the footbath café in front of the mural is a pleasant stop.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Museum · Sengokuhara
Lalique Museum Hakone
Reserve the Orient Express carriage tea when you arrive, as places are limited.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Experience · Hakone-Yumoto
Tenzan onsen
Bring your own towel to save on hire, and check the tattoo policy before you go.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Rainy day
- Nature
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for couples and quiet stays
Tōnosawa
Tōnosawa clusters a handful of ryokan in a steep, wooded gorge just above Yumoto, where the Hakone Tozan Railway begins its climb. It is quieter than Yumoto while staying close to its restaurants, and many inns overlook the river from their baths.
- Good
- Peaceful riverside setting; Close to Yumoto's station
- Watch out
- Very few restaurants of its own; Steep paths and stairs
- Nearby
- Hakone-Yumoto, Hakone Tozan Railway
Romantic day trips
- Kamakura (About 1–1.5 hours by train) — Japan's medieval capital has the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine and dozens of Zen temples in wooded hills near the sea.
- Lake Kawaguchi and Fuji Five Lakes (About 1.5–2 hours by bus) — The lakes on the northern side of Mount Fuji give close-up views of the volcano, with lakeside walks, the Chūreitō Pagoda viewpoint and ropeways.
- Atami (About 40–60 minutes by train) — A seaside onsen resort at the top of the Izu Peninsula with a sandy beach, the MOA Museum of Art on the hillside and summer fireworks over the bay.
- Enoshima (About 1–1.5 hours by train) — A small island connected to the mainland by a bridge, with shrines, caves, a lighthouse observation tower and seafood stalls selling shirasu (whitebait).
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Yuba-don, Hakone tofu and Soba. Lunch spots along the loop get busy at midday on weekends; eat early or late.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Hakone romantic?
Hakone is Tokyo's classic romantic escape: a ryokan with a private open-air bath, a kaiseki dinner in yukata and Mount Fuji over the lake at dawn.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Hakone?
Private outdoor bath: Book a room with its own rotenburo (outdoor bath) in Gōra or Sengokuhara and soak under the stars.
+Where should couples stay in Hakone?
Tōnosawa: Small riverside onsen hamlet one stop up the Tozan line.