Things to do · Hakone · Japan
18 best things to do in Hakone
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Hakone are Hakone Open-Air Museum, Ōwakudani and Hakone Ropeway. Of the 18 picks below, 5 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Hakone Open-Air Museum
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- Pola Museum of Art
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone Open-Air Museum | Gōra | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ōwakudani | Ōwakudani | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Hakone Ropeway | Ōwakudani | 30–40 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise | Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi | 40 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Hakone Shrine | Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi | 1 hour | Free |
| Hakone Tozan Railway | Hakone-Yumoto | 40 minutes | Low cost |
| Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue | Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi | 1–3 hours | Free |
| Amazake-chaya teahouse | Old Tōkaidō | 30–45 minutes | Low cost |
| Hakone Checkpoint | Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Onshi Hakone Park | Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi | 45 minutes | Free |
| Pola Museum of Art | Sengokuhara | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Okada Museum of Art | Kowakudani | 1.5–2 hours | Expensive |
| Gōra Park | Gōra | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Sengokuhara susuki grassland | Sengokuhara | 1 hour | Free |
| Lalique Museum Hakone | Sengokuhara | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Tenzan onsen | Hakone-Yumoto | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Fujiya Hotel | Miyanoshita | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Mount Kintoki hike | Sengokuhara | 3–4 hours return | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Museum · Gōra
1.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. 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.
Climb the spiral stairs inside the Symphonic Sculpture tower for its stained glass and a view over the grounds, and finish at the footbath.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Kids
- Outdoors
Nature · Ōwakudani
2.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. 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.
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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Food
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Experience · Ōwakudani
3.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. The stretch over the volcanic vents is the most dramatic, and Mount Fuji is visible on clear days.
Ride in the morning, when visibility is usually better and queues at Sōunzan are shorter; the ropeway can suspend service in strong winds.
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Experience · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
4.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. The crossing takes about 25–40 minutes and passes the red torii of Hakone Shrine.
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
Religious site · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
5.Hakone Shrine
Traditionally founded in the 8th century, Hakone Shrine stands among tall cedars above Lake Ashi, reached by stone steps from the shore. Its vermilion Peace Torii rises from the water's edge, one of the most photographed views in Japan.
Arrive early in the morning, before the boats bring day trippers, to photograph the lakeside torii without a long queue.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
Experience · Hakone-Yumoto
6.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. In early summer the line is lined with hydrangeas, and trains cross a high iron bridge over the Hayakawa gorge.
Stand at the front or back window to watch the driver and conductor swap ends at each switchback.
- Time needed
- 40 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Historic site · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
7.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. By the lake, an avenue of tall cedars planted in the 17th century runs between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.
Walk the stone section downhill from Moto-Hakone towards Amazake-chaya; the stones are slippery after rain, so wear shoes with grip.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
- Nature
Historic site · Old Tōkaidō
8.Amazake-chaya teahouse
A thatched-roof teahouse on the old Tōkaidō road that has served travellers for centuries and is run by the same family over many generations. It serves amazake, a sweet, non-alcoholic fermented rice drink, with grilled mochi rice cakes.
Plan it as the rest stop on the old Tōkaidō walk, then catch the bus back to Moto-Hakone or Yumoto from the stop outside.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
1.Hakone Checkpoint
The Tokugawa shogunate controlled traffic on the Tōkaidō at this checkpoint on the shore of Lake Ashi. 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.
Climb the small lookout tower inside the compound for a view across Lake Ashi.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Park · Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
2.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.
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 · Sengokuhara
3.Pola Museum of Art
Set in beech forest in Sengokuhara, this glass-and-concrete museum houses a large private collection including Impressionists such as Monet and Renoir, Japanese Western-style paintings and ceramics. A forest walking trail runs beside the building.
Walk the forest trail after the galleries; it is especially beautiful in autumn and needs only about 20 minutes.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Nature
Gallery · Kowakudani
4.Okada Museum of Art
This museum displays Japanese, Chinese and Korean art, from ceramics to folding screens, across several floors. Its facade carries a huge mural of the wind and thunder gods, and outside is a long footbath where you can soak your feet with a drink.
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
Garden · Gōra
5.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.
Ride the cable car up to Kōen-kami station and walk down through the park to Gōra.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Rainy day
Nature · Sengokuhara
6.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. A path runs up through the grass from the main road, with views over the plateau.
Come in late afternoon in October or early November, when low sun lights the grass; the grassland is burned in early spring and looks bare until summer.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Museum · Sengokuhara
7.Lalique Museum Hakone
This museum shows the glass and jewellery of René Lalique, including car mascots and perfume bottles. Next to it, a restored Orient Express Pullman carriage with Lalique glass panels can be visited with afternoon tea.
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
8.Tenzan onsen
A large day-use hot-spring complex in Okuyumoto, a short bus ride from Hakone-Yumoto station, with outdoor baths built from rocks and wood along a forested riverside slope. It is a popular option for those not staying overnight in a ryokan.
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
Architecture · Miyanoshita
9.Fujiya Hotel
Opened in 1878, the Fujiya Hotel mixes Japanese temple-style roofs with Western interiors and has hosted many foreign visitors over its history. Non-guests can visit its café, bakery and historic dining room.
Stop for curry or pie in the café while waiting for the Tozan Railway at Miyanoshita station, about ten minutes' walk away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Food
- Rainy day
Nature · Sengokuhara
10.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. Small tea huts sit at the summit.
Climb on a clear winter or autumn morning for the best Fuji view, and carry water and layers.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Hakone Open-Air Museum, Pola Museum of Art, Okada Museum of Art and Lalique Museum Hakone |
| History | Hakone Shrine, Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue, Amazake-chaya teahouse and Hakone Checkpoint |
| Views | Ōwakudani, Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise and Hakone Tozan Railway |
| Outdoors and nature | Hakone Open-Air Museum, Ōwakudani, Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue and Onshi Hakone Park |
| Food and markets | Ōwakudani, Amazake-chaya teahouse and Fujiya Hotel |
| With children | Hakone Open-Air Museum, Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise and Hakone Tozan Railway |
| On a rainy day | Pola Museum of Art, Okada Museum of Art, Gōra Park and Lalique Museum Hakone |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Hakone?
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.
+What can you do for free in Hakone?
Hakone Shrine, Old Tōkaidō road and cedar avenue, Onshi Hakone Park, Sengokuhara susuki grassland and Mount Kintoki hike. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Hakone when it rains?
Head indoors to Pola Museum of Art, Okada Museum of Art, Gōra Park and Lalique Museum Hakone.