Hakone

Introduction

If you want a proper hot spring trip near Tokyo, Hakone is a classic choice. It is a popular area for travelers because you can enjoy hot springs with beautiful nature views.

The key item for a Hakone trip is the Hakone Freepass. There is no 1-day pass, and only 2-day or 3-day passes are sold.

With this pass, you can use major Hakone transport freely, including the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, pirate sightseeing ship, and mountain buses, so your trip becomes much more efficient.

Hakone is both a hot spring town and an active volcanic area. This means some areas may be closed depending on volcanic activity, so you should check updates before you go.

In particular, it is a good idea to check transport operation updates and volcanic activity status in advance using the links below.

If you need more detailed information, the official Hakone tourism portal, Hakone Navi, is also helpful.

Three ways to get to Hakone

1. Using the Odakyu Line

   • This is the most common option. You can travel to Hakone from Shinjuku Station.
   • With the Hakone Freepass, local trains are included, but if you take the Romancecar limited express, you need an extra limited express ticket.

2. Using the Shinkansen

   • Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station to reach Odawara Station quickly.
   • If you are coming from Narita Airport, take the Narita Express, a limousine bus, or the 1,500-yen bus to Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, then take the Shinkansen to Odawara Station. (About 3,830 yen one way for a reserved seat)
   • From Haneda Airport, it is common to take the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa Station and transfer to the Shinkansen.

3. Using a limousine bus

   • From Haneda Airport, there is one limousine bus per day, departing at 14:30, so you can use it if it matches your schedule.

If you want to visit both Hakone and Kamakura in one day, travel time can be long with public transport only, so your schedule may feel tight. In that case, a bus tour can be a good choice, because you can see both Hakone and Kamakura efficiently as a day trip, depending on your route and timing.

Essential transport passes for Hakone

1) Hakone Freepass

• This pass includes one round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara Station plus 8 transport services in the Hakone area.
• The 8 transport services included in the Hakone Freepass are:
  1. Hakone Tozan Train (mountain railway)
  2. Hakone Tozan Cable Car
  3. Hakone Ropeway
  4. Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (pirate ship)
  5. Hakone Tozan Bus (designated area)
     • See the available bus routes
     • Note: Izuhakone Bus (route numbers Z, J, E, P, U, AT) is not included
  6. Hakone Tozan Bus: sightseeing loop bus
  7. Odakyu Highway Bus (designated section)
  8. Tokai Bus (designated area)

• The Hakone Freepass comes in two versions: one with the round trip between your Odakyu departure station and Odawara, and another that starts at Odawara Station and covers only the 8 Hakone transport services.
• If you buy online in advance, note that the exchange counter, Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center (Shinjuku West Exit), opens at 8:00 a.m.. If you leave earlier, you should exchange it the day before or use a ticket machine.

2) Hakone Kamakura Pass

• This is a combined pass that merges the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass and the Hakone Freepass.
• It is very useful if you plan to visit Hakone and Enoshima/Kamakura in one trip.
• However, if you travel directly from Enoshima to Hakone with this pass, it takes about 1 hour 25 minutes via Odakyu (Fujisawa → Sagami-Ono → Odawara).
  Using the JR Tokaido Line takes only 36 minutes, but an extra one-way fare of 590 yen applies.
• Unlimited rides on all Odakyu lines during the pass period
• Unlimited use of 8 Hakone transport services
• Unlimited rides on all Enoden lines

Hakone-Yumoto: the starting point of your trip

Many Hakone trips start from Hakone-Yumoto Station. When planning your route, it is common to build your itinerary clockwise or counterclockwise from this station.

1. Using the Hakone Freepass
   From Shinjuku Station, take an Odakyu Rapid Express or Express train to Odawara Station, then take the Hakone Tozan Train to Hakone-Yumoto Station. Total travel time is about 1 hour 50 minutes.

   Rapid Express timetable from Shinjuku Express timetable from Shinjuku Express timetable from Odawara

2. Using the Romancecar
   The Romancecar is a direct limited express train from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.

   • You need a separate limited express ticket.
   • Online booking: about 1,150 yen one way, and about 1,200 yen if purchased on site
   • Reservations open one month before the travel date at 10:00 a.m.
   • For observation seats, your booking is confirmed only after payment. For regular seats, you can reserve first and pay within 7 days.
   • The first row of the observation seats has an open view, but strong sunlight may come in.
   • If observation seats are hard to book, note that on the Hakone-bound train, right-side seats often offer better views of Mt. Fuji.
     On the return trip from Hakone to Tokyo, left-side seats are better for Mt. Fuji views.
   Romancecar online booking Romancecar timetable from Shinjuku Romancecar timetable from Hakone-Yumoto

Enjoy Hakone’s highlights 100%

As mentioned above, Hakone trips usually start from Hakone-Yumoto Station and follow either a clockwise or counterclockwise route.

One of the most popular spots recently is the “Hakone Shrine torii gate”, and it gets very crowded.

So if you want to visit early, it is better to go clockwise, take a bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station, and go to Motohakone Port first.

Using the image above, you can plan your route easily by checking the numbered stations and comparing counterclockwise and clockwise. (You can think of the mountain railway as the same as the cable car.)

1) Hakone-Yumoto Station

箱根湯本

If you stay overnight in Hakone, you can use the baggage delivery service at Hakone-Yumoto Station to send your luggage to your hotel or ryokan in advance.

• 900 yen to 1,600 yen / 100 yen discount with the Hakone Freepass

Counterclockwise

• Mountain railway toward Gora Station timetable

Clockwise

• Bus toward Motohakone Port / Hakone-machi Port
  • R Line: express bus, 2 buses on weekdays between 10:00–11:00 / 4 buses on weekends and holidays
    • Platform 2: R Line timetable
  • H Line: bus via Motohakone Port, arriving at Hakone-machi Port
    • Platform 2: H Line timetable
  • K Line: operates only to Motohakone Port
    • Platform 4: K Line timetable

2) Gora Station

強羅

Around Gora Station, you can visit Hakone Gora Park, Hakone Open-Air Museum, Hakone Museum of Photography, and the Hakone Museum of Art. These are good places to visit if you like art exhibitions and museums, or if you have extra time.

Hakone is also known for tofu dishes. In particular, the tofu katsu-ni at Tamura Ginkatsutei is a must-try.

Counterclockwise

• Cable car toward Sounzan Station timetable

Clockwise

• Mountain railway toward Hakone-Yumoto Station timetable

3) Sounzan Station

早雲山

Counterclockwise

• Ropeway toward Owakudani
  • Runs about every 1 minute
  • Service may be suspended due to weather or regular maintenance
  • Operating hours: Feb–Nov 09:00–17:00 / Dec–Jan 09:00–16:15

Clockwise

• Cable car toward Gora Station timetable

4) Owakudani Station

大涌谷

Kuro-tamago (黒たまご), said to add 7 years to your life, is the local specialty here. The black shell comes from boiling the eggs in sulfur-rich hot spring water.

They are not sold individually, and you can only buy a set of 4 (500 yen). If that feels like too many, it can be fun to ask nearby travelers and share a set. 😊

Excuse me... did you come here after seeing TourCast?
Then let’s share together!

Counterclockwise

• Ropeway toward Togendai

Clockwise

• Ropeway toward Sounzan

5) Togendai Port

桃源台

This is the boarding point for the Hakone pirate ship. Even with the Freepass, the special cabin costs an extra 600 yen.

Counterclockwise

• Pirate ship toward Hakone-machi / Motohakone Port timetable

  • How to read the timetable:
    無印 - for Motohakone Port via Hakone-machi Port
    ■ - for Hakone-machi Port via Motohakone Port
    □ - ends at Hakone-machi Port

Clockwise

• Ropeway toward Owakudani

6) Hakone-machi Port / Motohakone Port

箱根町港 / 元箱根港

Even with the Freepass, the pirate ship special cabin requires an extra 600 yen.

Counterclockwise

• If you get off the ship from Togendai, it is most convenient to disembark at Motohakone Port to reach the Hakone Shrine torii gate.

• From Motohakone Port, Hakone Shrine and the torii gate are about 1 km away, so you can walk or take a bus.

  • Take the W Line bus from Platform 7, and get off at Hakone Shrine stop
  • Only 5 buses per day, so you must check the timetable. See the yellow section on the second page
    • Platform 7: W Line timetable

• How to get from Motohakone Port to Hakone-Yumoto Station

  1. By bus

     • R Line: express bus, runs only between 13:00–17:00, via Hakone-machi Port
       • Platform 2: R Line timetable
     • H Line: to Hakone-Yumoto Station and toward Odawara
       • Platform 1: H Line timetable
     • K Line: operates only to Hakone-Yumoto Station
       • Platform 4: K Line timetable

  2. Walk to Hakone-machi Port via the Cedar Avenue
     You can walk along the only cedar tree avenue on the Tokaido route with a 400-year history.
     After walking, take a bus from Hakone-machi Port to Hakone-Yumoto Station

     • R Line: express service from 13:00–17:00
       • Platform 2: R Line timetable
     • H Line: via Motohakone Port, to Hakone-Yumoto Station and toward Odawara
       • Platform 1: H Line timetable

Clockwise

• Board the pirate ship to Togendai
  • Departs from Hakone-machi Port / Departs from Motohakone Port
  • Hakone-machi Port departures: 無印 means bound for Togendai Port
  • Motohakone Port departures: 無印 means bound for Togendai / ● means bound for Hakone-machi Port

Hakone day-use onsen guide

日帰り温泉

Day-use onsen are run either as dedicated hot spring facilities, or as ryokan baths that are opened to non-staying guests only during hours when there are no overnight guests.
They are a good option if you want to enjoy a hot spring even for a short time. If you come all the way to Hakone, we recommend trying an onsen. A Hakone hot spring is a perfect way to recover from travel fatigue. ♨️

1) Tenseien day-use onsen

• Adults 2,730 yen / Children 1,320 yen / Infants 990 yen (late-night fee extra, plus 50 yen onsen tax for junior high school age and above)
• The admission fee includes towels and a yukata, so you can visit without preparing anything.
• Separate outdoor baths for men and women. You can also rest in the relaxation room (recliners) after changing into a yukata.
• Private bath: 60 minutes 2,200 yen (admission fee not included), reservation required at entry
• If you buy a weekday bath ticket online, you may also stay overnight in the relaxation room at a cheaper price, but it is not recommended for sensitive travelers
• 100 yen if you take the orange A-course shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station (you must say “Tenseien” when you board)
• About a 12-minute walk

2) Yunessun

This is an onsen theme park located in the forest area of Hakone Kowakien. It is recommended for travelers who do not want the cost of a ryokan stay but still want to enjoy hot springs.
It includes Yunessun (YUNESSUN), a swimsuit onsen area, and Morinoyu (森の湯), a traditional onsen with separate baths for men and women.

• Passport (Yunessun + Morinoyu): Adults 3,500 yen / Children 1,800 yen
• Yunessun only: Adults 2,200 yen / Children 1,400 yen
• Morinoyu only: Adults 1,500 yen / Children 1,000 yen
• If you do not bring a swimsuit, you can rent one (1,200–1,500 yen)
• Hakone-Yumoto Station → take the Platform 2: H Line bus and get off at “Kowakien (小涌園)” (about 20 minutes)
• Gora Station → take the Platform 1: S・M・G Line bus and get off at “Kowakien” (about 8 minutes)