Famous for its steaming onsen and volcanic valleys, Hakone is a popular day trip from Tokyo, and thanks to the Hakone Loop, it’s easy to visit the area’s highlights in one day. The circuit links a mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, a sightseeing boat and buses into one surprisingly slick itinerary.
If the weather plays ball, you will also get your best chance of seeing Mount Fuji. Here is how to do the loop, what to expect at each stop and whether the Hakone Freepass is worth it.
(Wondering whether Hakone is worth the trip at all? I have written a separate, honest take on that — read it here before you commit.)
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Getting to Hakone from Tokyo
Hakone-Yumoto is the area’s main transport hub, but most people doing the loop start from Gora. This is the departure point for the cable car and ropeway to Owakudani.
Journey time from Tokyo to Gora is between 90 minutes and two hours, depending on your route. I spent a day in Yokohama en route, which was a great choice.
Fastest: Shinkansen from Tokyo Station
The Hikari and Kodama shinkansen trains from Tokyo Station reach Odawara in 35 minutes and are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Cheaper and slower main-line trains from Shinjuku Station also ply this route, including the Odakyu Line (Rapid Express), which is included in the Hakone Free Pass (more information here).
At Odawara Station, transfer to the private Hakone Tozan Railway for the final leg to Gora. The line also serves Hakone-Yumoto.
This is Japan’s oldest mountain railway, dating back to 1919. During the 40-minute journey, the train climbs more than 500 metres via a series of switchbacks, with great views of the surrounding valleys.
As it occasionally suspends services during severe weather, check the railway website before travelling.
Most Comfortable: The Romancecar from Shinjuku
If you value comfort over speed, the Romancecar provides a direct limited express service from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 90 minutes. Named for its panoramic windows and plush seats, it requires a reservation and is not covered by the JR Pass.
From Hakone-Yumoto, pick up the Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora.
Least Effort: An Organised Tour
If you would rather hand the logistics to someone else, a guided day tour is a solid option. This 10-hour excursion includes a return transfer by bus and shinkansen, plus tickets for the Hakone Ropeway and Lake Ashi cruise.
Buy the Hakone Freepass before you start
The Hakone Freepass covers return transport on the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and free use of all the transport on the loop itself: trains, cable car, ropeway, boat and buses.
It comes in two-day and three-day versions. Depending on how many stops you make, it will almost certainly save you money as well as the hassle of buying individual tickets at every stop. Simply flash your pass each time you board or disembark.
I bought mine at the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centre at Odawara Station, but you can also buy it at Shinjuku or online before you travel if you want to skip the queue.
My 1-Day Hakone Itinerary
Like many people, I did the Hakone Circuit in an anti-clockwise direction, starting at Gora. But the beauty of the loop is that you can travel in either direction, starting at the point most convenient to you.
To maximise my chances of seeing Fuji, I stayed three nights at the Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa near Gora, giving myself two full days. This was the right choice.
I managed my sightseeing on day one when the weather was reasonable and caught a glimpse of Fuji. But the following day, the rain came down hard, and it would have been a miserable day to be outside.
Owakudani: Where the Earth Lets Off Steam
After breakfast, I took the cable car from Gora to Sounzan, the starting point for the Hakone Ropeway, which soars through the volcanic valley to Owakudani. Sadly, the ropeway was out of action when I visited — it shuts down in bad weather — and I had to use the replacement bus instead.
Owakudani is Hakone’s volcanic heart. Great clouds of sulphuric steam billow from fumaroles — cracks in the earth’s crust — and the bare, scorched landscape gives you a real sense of the geological forces that have shaped this region over thousands of years.
This is also one of the best spots to catch Mount Fuji. I was lucky: Fujisan showed its face, if only fleetingly.
Local vendors sell the valley’s famous black eggs, cooked in the sulphur-rich springs until the shells turn ebony. Local tradition holds that eating one adds seven years to your life.
Lake Ashi: The Pirate Ship Cruise
From Owakudani, the ropeway continues down to Togendai on the northern shore of Lake Ashi (Ashinoko).
Here, something pleasantly absurd awaits: your sightseeing boat is not a sightseeing boat. It is a full-scale replica pirate ship, complete with rigging, multiple decks and mock cannon ports.
The 30-minute crossing from Togendai to Moto-Hakone offers some of the region’s best views: forested mountains rising from the shoreline and, in clear weather, Mount Fuji appearing to float above the lake’s western shore.
Hakone Checkpoint: Where Samurai Stood Guard
I recommend getting off one stop early at Hakonemachi-ko rather than riding to the final stop. From here it is a short walk to one of the day’s highlights: the Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho).
Dating from 1619, this was one of the most important checkpoints controlling arms entering Edo (as Tokyo was then known) and women trying to leave. It has been lovingly restored and uses mannequins to bring the place to life, including, memorably, a whinnying horse.
Onshi Hakone Park: The Imperial View
A short walk from the checkpoint brings you to Onshi Hakone Park, where Japan’s imperial family once retreated from the summer heat. Climb the stone steps to the observation deck — built on the site of the former imperial villa — for an uninterrupted view over Lake Ashi and the ancient cedars that march up the surrounding mountains. mountains. On clear days, you can see the perfect cone of Mount Fuji rising in the distance.
The deck is also one of the best spots to see the distinctive red torii gate of Hakone Shrine at the lake’s edge.
Moto-Hakone: Coffee and Cake By The Lake
Moto-Hakone is a pleasant 15-minute stroll along the lakeshore from the park. Grab a window table at Bakery and Table — the views over Ashinoko from here are worth a stop on their own. By this point in the day, you will have earned coffee and cake.
Hakone Open Air Museum: Art in the Mountains
The final stop is perfect if you like art.
Take the Hakone Tozan bus from Moto-Hakone to Kowakidani Station (expect queues), then hop one stop on the train to Chokoku no Mori Station. The Hakone Open Air Museum is a few minutes’ walk away, and has around 120 works by modern and contemporary sculptors across its grounds, plus a Picasso pavilion.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.