MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hakone

Onsen town with Fuji views and lake cruises

Hakone is a mountain resort area in Kanagawa Prefecture about 90 minutes from Shinjuku by train. It's inside an old volcanic crater and has hot springs, a lake, art museums and the steaming valley of Owakudani. Most visitors follow a loop that uses a mountain railway, a cable car, a ropeway and a pirate-ship style boat on Lake Ashi. Mount Fuji is visible across the water on clear days. Many people come for a day trip while a night in an onsen ryokan lets you enjoy the baths and the quiet evening.

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Town in Japan

$$$

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 8.5

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	9

Read details

3/5

English is moderately available – signage at attractions and stations is often bilingual and staff at hotels and major sights can usually assist. Smaller shops and remote inns may have limited English, so a translation app helps.

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Last update: 20 Oct 2026

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Hakone Summary

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Excellent for hot springs and Mount Fuji views. Relax in traditional onsen, ride scenic ropeways and pirate boats on Lake Ashi and visit museums surrounded by forested mountains.

Place score

8.6

Best at:

Hot springs

Spotless

Geothermal

Romantic

Cosy towns

Personal score

Suited for

👶 6

Families

🧓 7

Seniors

❤️ 9

Couples

🛡️ 8

Travel Beginners

Japan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	100 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type A Type A: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Japanese Yen (JPY) £1 ≈ JP¥210
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities, with some shops still preferring cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations in rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not customary in Japan and can be considered rude. Excellent service is the norm, and tipping is unnecessary in most places.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is legal and commonly accepted, particularly during festivals and events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places but allowed in designated outdoor areas. Some restaurants may have smoking sections.

New Year (January)	One of the most important holidays, expect crowded temples and high prices. Plan ahead.
Golden Week (April-May)	The busiest travel time, expect high demand for accommodation and transport.
Obon (August)	A time to honour ancestors, many businesses close, and transport can be crowded.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire & Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, JapanTaxi, DiDi
Other:	Japan is a country of respect, so understanding local customs and etiquette is important. Public transport is efficient, but can be crowded during peak hours.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Hakone, Japan

☀️

Jan

🌤️

Feb

🌦️

Mar

🌦️

Apr

🌦️

May

🌦️

Jun

⛈️

Jul

🌦️

Aug

🌦️

Sep

⛈️

Oct

🌤️

Nov

☀️

Dec

High season:	April - May, Oct. - Nov.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - March, June - Aug., Dec.
Crowdedness:	8 (Very crowded)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Hakone Ekiden university relay race on 2 and 3 January, roads closed along the route and hotels book out

Ropeway and Owakudani can close at short notice due to volcanic gas or strong wind

Weekends and Japanese holidays fill the Romancecar trains from Tokyo, reserve seats ahead

Don't miss

♨️ Soak in relaxing waters of Hakone Onsen hot springs
🖼️ Explore stunning sculptures at Hakone Open-Air Museum
🚠 Take a scenic ride on the Hakone Ropeway
🌋 Visit the volcanic Owakudani Valley and try black eggs
🚤 Cruise on Lake Ashi with views of Mount Fuji
⛩️ Stroll through peaceful Hakone Shrine and giant torii

You've been here?

Why travel to Hakone?

The famous draw is the sightseeing loop. A mountain railway takes about 40 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora and has three switchbacks on the way. A cable car continues to Sounzan in about 9 minutes and a ropeway crosses over Owakudani to Lake Ashi in about 26 minutes. Pirate-style ships then cross the lake in 25 to 40 minutes. The whole loop takes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours depending on stops. Owakudani is a steaming volcanic valley where eggs are boiled in sulphur springs until their shells turn black. Legend says each egg adds seven years to your life. The ropeway can stop in strong wind or when volcanic activity rises, so check the status page before you go. Lake Ashi gives the classic view of Mount Fuji, best in the morning and in clear weather. Hakone Shrine is by the water with a lakeside torii gate a short walk from Moto-Hakone port. The area also has art museums in Sengokuhara and a long list of onsen. Staying one night lets you use a ryokan bath and see the lake without the day-trip rush.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Hakone Shrine
2 Odawara Castle
3 Hakone checkpoint
4 Okada Museum of Art
5 Narukawa Museum of Art

🎡Places for activities

1 Hakone Open-Air Museum
2 Hakone Kowakien Yunessun
3 Owakudani
4 Gōra Park
5 Hakone Tozan Cable Car
6 Hakone Ropeway
7 Onsen (Bathhouse)
8 Hakone-Machi Pirate Ship Ferry Port

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Lake Ashi
2 Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
3 Mt. Fuji
4 Botanical Gardens of Wetlands
5 Onshi Hakone Park
6 Ubako
7 Mount Koma Station
8 Mount Takanosuyama

🛍️Shopping

1 Bakery & Table
2 Gotemba Premium Outlets

🍽️Eat & Drink

1 Hatsuhana Soba Honten
Hatsuhana specialises in jinenjo soba, buckwheat noodles enriched with natural mountain yam and egg rather than water. It is at 635 Yumoto on the main street of Hakone-Yumoto, about seven minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
2 Yuba Don Naokichi
Naokichi serves yuba-don, tofu skin and egg cooked in hot dashi over rice, using Hakone’s spring water. It is at 696 Yumoto beside the Hayakawa River, about five minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
3 Tamura Ginkatsutei
Tamura Ginkatsutei is known for tofu katsu-ni: a fried tofu patty layered with pork and simmered in dashi in an individual clay pot. It is at 1300-739 Gora, around five minutes on foot from Gora Station.
4 Gora Brewery & Grill
Gora Brewery & Grill pairs house-brewed craft beer with wood-fired dishes using Hakone and Kanagawa ingredients. It is in Gora, near Gora Park and a short walk from Gora Station.
5 Kuro Tamago-kan
Kuro Tamago-kan sells Owakudani’s black eggs, hard-boiled in volcanic hot-spring water that darkens the shells with mineral deposits. It is at 1251 Sengokuhara beside Owakudani Station on the Hakone Ropeway.
6 Waku Waku Kitchen & Cafe
Waku Waku Kitchen & Cafe serves light meals, drinks and snacks such as black curry bread near the volcanic valley. It is inside Kuro Tamago-kan at Owakudani, directly beside the Hakone Ropeway station.
7 Bakery & Table Hakone
Bakery & Table serves breads, sandwiches, café meals and sweets, with a lakeside footbath terrace. It is at Moto-Hakone on Lake Ashi’s south shore, beside the sightseeing-boat pier and a short walk from Hakone Shrine.
8 Amimoto Oba
Amimoto Oba serves wakasagi, Lake Ashi’s small smelt, prepared as tempura, fry or rice-bowl dishes. It is in Moto-Hakone near Lake Ashi’s lakeside promenade and the Hakone Shrine approach.
9 Soba Kihinkan
Soba Kihinkan serves handmade soba and Japanese dishes in the former Taisho-era Imperial Villa annex, overlooking a garden. It is at Hakone Kowakien near Yunessun, a short bus ride from Kowakidani Station.
10 Hyoseki
Hyoseki serves seasonal kaiseki built around local ingredients in a historic more-than-century-old building. It is at Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f in Sengokuhara, near the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum and the highland art-museum area.

🎈Events

Hakone Daimonji Festival
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Festival
Winter Illuminations
Hakone Marathon
Hakone Ekiden Relay Race (January)
Lake Ashi Summer Fireworks (August)
Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu Parade (November)
Hakone Shrine Setsubun Festival (February)
Cherry Blossom Viewing (March-April)
Autumn Foliage Festival (November)
Hakone Gora Summer Festival (August)
Owakudani Black Egg Festival (April)
Hakone Art Festival (various dates)

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Buy the Hakone Free Pass online or at Odakyu's Shinjuku service centre.
Do the loop counterclockwise so you reach Owakudani in the morning before clouds hide Mount Fuji.
The Romancecar needs a reserved-seat ticket of JP¥1,200 (£5.69) one way from Shinjuku on top of the pass.
Check the ropeway status before you go since strong wind or volcanic activity can suspend it.

How to travel to Hakone

Most visitors come from Tokyo on the Odakyu line from Shinjuku. The Romancecar limited express reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 90 minutes with no change and reserved seats. Regular Odakyu express trains cost about JP¥1,270 (£6.02) and take 90 minutes or more, so pick the right branch before boarding. The Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Odawara in about 30 minutes from Tokyo. From there a local Odakyu train takes about 15 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto, which makes sense with a rail pass. A highway bus runs from Shinjuku to Togendai on Lake Ashi in about 2 hours 15 minutes for roughly JP¥2,240 (£10.62). A car works but weekend traffic is heavy.

Access summary

From Haneda (HND): Train plus Odawara–Hakone bus, about 1.5–2 hours.
From central Tokyo (Shinjuku): Romancecar or trains via Odawara, roughly 1.5 hours.
From Osaka/Kyoto: Shinkansen to Odawara, then Hakone Tozan line or bus.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Hakone

Most visitors stay in one of four areas. Hakone-Yumoto is the gateway with shops and easy train access and suits a short stay. Gora is higher in the hills with onsen hotels, art museums and the cable car. Sengokuhara is quieter and has more museums. The lakeside around Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi has Fuji views and a more resort feel. Many ryokan include dinner and breakfast and some have private baths in the room. Many public baths restrict visible tattoos so ask before booking. Rooms get tight and prices rise at weekends and during autumn foliage and Golden Week. A weekday night is the quieter and cheaper option and Odawara is a fallback base if the mountain is full.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka -Kyoritsu Resort

8.9

Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori ORIX HOTELS & RESORTS

9.1

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone Suimeisou Hotel

9.0

Dormy Inn Express Fujisan Gotemba Hot Springs

9.0

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

8.9

The Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko

8.8

Hakone Kowakudani Onsen Ryokan Mizunoto -Kyoritsu Resort

9.0

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Hakone

The Hakone Free Pass is the simplest way to cover the area.

Hakone Free Pass:
It gives unlimited rides on the Hakone Tozan Railway, the cable car, the ropeway, the Lake Ashi cruise and designated buses. The 2-day pass costs JP¥7,100 (£33.66) from Shinjuku and includes a return ticket between Shinjuku and Odawara. It doesn't cover the Romancecar, which needs its own reserved-seat ticket.

Buses and walking:
Buses fill the gaps between the stations and the lake ports, including routes to Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi. Services can be infrequent outside the main loop so check the timetable. Gora and Sengokuhara are walkable but hilly.

By car:
A car gives more freedom for out-of-the-way sights though weekend traffic on the mountain roads is slow and parking is limited.

Food in Hakone

Kuro-tamago, the black eggs of Owakudani, are the signature snack. Soba is common and often comes with grated mountain yam on top. Tofu and yuba, the smooth skin that forms on soy milk, are made with local spring water and appear in set meals. Lake Ashi supplies wakasagi, a small fish that's usually deep-fried.

Odawara next door is known for kamaboko fish cakes and Hakone-Yumoto shops sell onsen manju (sweet buns with red bean filling steamed in spring water) as well as dried fish and pickles. Many ryokan serve multi-course kaiseki dinners. Vegetarians should ask about the stock since fish broth is common.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-45 %

Daily expenses in the region are around 45% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-20 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to JPY) is 20% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is considerably cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£57	£121	£289
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£35	£81	£155
🍝 Food per day	£17	£32	£96
🚕 Transportation per day	£6	£8	£38

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£12
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£4.90
🍟 Fast food combo	£3.70
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£7
☕ Cappuccino	£2.10
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.30

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£1.40
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£24
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.85

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£32
🤧 Cold medication	£8
💇 Basic haircut	£10.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Hakone is very safe with low crime and calm streets in the evening. Owakudani sits on an active volcano and areas near the vents can close when gas levels rise, so follow staff signs. Fog and rain make mountain roads and paths slippery.

Health & Medical

Medical care is good in Odawara and the larger towns though English is limited at smaller clinics. Pharmacies are easy to find in Hakone-Yumoto. Sulphur gas at Owakudani can bother people with asthma or heart conditions.

Accessibility

Hakone is hilly and many sights are far apart. The railway, cable car, ropeway and cruise have steps at some stations and piers. Roads are steep and Gora and Sengokuhara have slopes, so taxis and buses help.

Tap water

Tap water in Hakone is safe to drink like in the rest of Japan. Vending machines and convenience stores sell bottled water and cold drinks in the main towns. Mountain weather changes quickly so carry a refillable bottle and a light jacket.