Hakone with kids

Best things to do with kids

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

Experience · Ōwakudani

2.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

3.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

Experience · Hakone-Yumoto

4.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

5.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

Garden · Gōra

6.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

Rainy-day ideas

• Gōra Park — Ride the cable car up to Kōen-kami station and walk down through the park to Gōra.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Children aged 6–11 pay reduced fares on the Freepass and most transport; under-6s usually ride free with an adult.
• Many ryokan offer family rooms on tatami and private baths, which suit young children unused to communal bathing.
• Send luggage ahead from Hakone-Yumoto station so you can handle prams and children on crowded trains.
• Hakone Kowakien Yunessun in Kowakudani has swimsuit baths that families can use together.
• Pack warm layers even in summer; Ōwakudani and the lake can be cool and windy.

Day trips for families

• Odawara Castle (About 20 minutes by train) — The reconstructed keep of the Hōjō clan's castle has a museum and a top-floor view to the sea, set in a park with cherry trees and moats.
• 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.
• Gotemba Premium Outlets (About 30–45 minutes by bus) — A large outlet mall at the foot of Mount Fuji with Japanese and international brands, and Fuji views from the walkways on clear days.
• 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).

When to go with children

The best months overall are April and October–December. August and November are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask