Hakone-Yumoto
TransportThe gateway, with onsen hotels.
Hakone town guide
Things To Do In Hakone
Hot springs and traditional inns in the mountains, a volcanic valley of steaming vents, a lake with a pirate ship and Mount Fuji across the water when the weather allows.
8
Hostels in the city
9.5
Average, from 2,252 reviews
1.5 h
From Shinjuku
Black eggs
At Owakudani
Winter
Clearest Fuji views
Hot springs and Fuji
Hakone is a mountain resort in the national park near Mount Fuji, and it has been famous for its hot springs for centuries. Staying a night in a ryokan, a traditional inn, with an onsen bath and a multi-course dinner, is one of the essential Japanese experiences.
A loop of train, cable car, ropeway and boat circles the area, past a volcanic valley, a lake and an open-air sculpture museum.
Hakone is an hour and a half from Tokyo. One or two nights is right.
Where to stay
Hakone-Yumoto, at the bottom of the valley, is the gateway, with the train from Tokyo and onsen hotels. Gora, halfway up, is central for the loop and the Open-Air Museum. Moto-Hakone, on Lake Ashi, has the best views of Fuji on clear days.
Gora
CentralHalfway up the loop, near the Open-Air Museum.
Lake Ashi
ViewsMoto-Hakone, with Fuji views on clear days.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Hakone
Hakone, in the mountains south-west of Tokyo, is famous for hot springs, onsen, and views of Mount Fuji.
The classic Hakone loop links its sights by a chain of transport: the Hakone Tozan railway climbs switchbacks from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora; a cable car rises to Sounzan; the ropeway crosses Owakudani, a volcanic valley of sulphur vents, where eggs boiled black in the springs are said to add years to your life; and a replica pirate ship sails across Lake Ashi to Moto-Hakone. The ropeway and Owakudani close when volcanic gas levels rise; check before you go.
The Hakone Open-Air Museum has sculptures in a hillside park, a Picasso pavilion and a footbath. The red torii of Hakone Shrine stands in the lake, and the old Tokaido road, lined with ancient cedars, is a short walk away.
Soak in an onsen: day-use baths in Hakone-Yumoto are open to visitors, and many ryokan, traditional inns, have their own baths. Fuji is clearest on winter mornings.
Free things
Free things to do in Hakone
The Hakone Shrine grounds and its lakeside torii are free, and so is the walk along the old Tokaido cedar avenue. Fuji views from Lake Ashi cost nothing on a clear day.
Hakone-Yumoto's streets of shops and the river walks are free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Hakone
Hakone's food centres on its inns: kaiseki dinners at ryokan, and soba and tofu restaurants in the villages. Owakudani's black eggs, kuro-tamago, are the souvenir snack.
Try yuba, tofu skin, and onsen manju, steamed buns, in Hakone-Yumoto. A meal is €8 to €20.
Nightlife
Going out in Hakone
Hakone has no nightlife to speak of; evenings are spent in the onsen and over dinner at the inns.
A beer is €4 to €6.
Getting around
Getting around Hakone
The Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes; regular trains take longer. The Hakone Freepass covers the return from Shinjuku and all the loop's trains, cable car, ropeway, boats and buses for two or three days.
Buses run between the villages and the lake. Mount Fuji's Kawaguchiko area is about an hour and a half by bus.
Costs
What Hakone costs
Hakone is expensive, especially ryokan. Dorms start around €25 and a careful day is €50 to €75.
The Hakone Freepass is about €35 to €40 from Shinjuku and pays off if you do the loop. The Open-Air Museum is about €12, and a day-use onsen €8 to €15.
Since July 2026, the international tourist tax added to flights out of Japan is ¥3,000.
The currency is the yen (JPY); prices here are euro equivalents. Cards and IC cards work widely in cities, but carry cash: small restaurants, temples and rural places are often cash-only. Convenience store ATMs (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) take foreign cards.
Safety
Staying safe in Hakone
Hakone is safe. Owakudani and the ropeway close when volcanic gas rises; follow the signs and check before you travel.
At onsen, wash before entering the bath, and do not wear swimwear. Many baths do not admit people with tattoos; look for tattoo-friendly baths or book a private bath.
Emergency: 110 police, 119 ambulance and fire.
Day trips from Hakone
Fuji, the hot-spring coast and a castle town.
Mount Fuji
Climb in summer, views all year from the Five Lakes.
Izu peninsula
Coast and hot springs.
Odawara
A castle town.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The autumn leaves turn the valleys red in November.
November
Autumn leaves
Hakone
Red valleys.
November
Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu
Hakone-Yumoto
A feudal lord procession.
Hostels
Where to stay in Hakone
The top-rated places to stay in Hakone right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
Autumn and winter give the clearest Fuji views.
Jan
Clear Fuji
Feb
Clear Fuji
Mar
Blossom
Apr
Golden Week
May
Green
Jun
Rainy
Jul
Summer
Aug
Obon
Sep
Good
Oct
Good
Nov
Autumn leaves
Dec
Clear Fuji
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Cooler than Tokyo.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in yen locally; these are euro equivalents. Ryokan stays cost far more.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Hakone travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is the Hakone Freepass worth it?
If you do the loop, yes; it covers the return from Shinjuku and all the loop transport for two or three days.
Can I see Fuji?
On clear days, best on winter mornings; clouds often hide it in summer.
Can I use onsen with tattoos?
Many baths do not admit tattoos; look for tattoo-friendly baths or book a private bath.
Is Owakudani open?
It closes when volcanic gas rises; check before you go.
How many days do you need?
One or two.
When is the best time to visit?
Autumn for colour, or winter for clear Fuji views.
How do I get there?
By the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku, about 85 minutes.
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