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Lake Ashi and the Hakone Shrine torii with Mt. Fuji beyond

Hakone guide

A mountain hot-spring resort close to Tokyo. You can make a full loop by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and a boat across Lake Ashi. Mt. Fuji appears on clear days.

Things to see 10 classics

Classics 10 places

"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.

By interest
By how you get there
By distance
  • 1

    Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine

    A lake ringed by mountains, with a red torii gate standing in the water and Hakone Shrine among the cedars. Mt. Fuji shows on clear days.

    • Views
    • Temples, shrines & churches
    • Nature

    about 2 hrPartly paidWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Bus · About 50 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ Bus to Motohakone-ko, then about 10 minutes on foot ・ 7.8km

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  • 2

    Owakudani

    A volcanic valley of rising white steam, known for black eggs boiled in the hot springs. It is closed on days when volcanic gas is strong.

    • Nature
    • Views
    • Food & markets

    about 60 minFreeWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Ropeway · About 80 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora, cable car to Sounzan, then the ropeway ・ 7.7km

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  • 3

    The Hakone Open-Air Museum

    An outdoor museum with sculptures spread across wide lawns against the mountains. There is a Picasso pavilion and a foot bath.

    • Museums
    • With kids

    about 2 hrPaid entryWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Train · About 40 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ Hakone Tozan Railway to Chokoku-no-Mori, then about 2 minutes on foot ・ 4.9km

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  • 4

    Hakone-Yumoto hot-spring town

    The hot-spring town at the entrance to Hakone. Souvenir and sweet-bun shops line the street by the station, and there are day-use baths.

    • Hot springs
    • Shopping & strolling
    • Food & markets

    about 1.5 hrPartly paidFine on a rainy day

    Walk · About 3 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ 100m

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  • 5

    Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho)

    The checkpoint where travelers on the Tokaido road were inspected in the Edo period, rebuilt as it was. On the shore of Lake Ashi.

    • History & buildings

    about 60 minPaid entryPartly step-free

    Bus · About 45 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ Bus bound for Hakonemachi to Hakone Sekisho-ato ・ 8.4km

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  • 6

    Pola Museum of Art

    A museum of glass and light set in the forest. It shows Impressionists such as Monet and Renoir, and has a walking trail through the woods.

    • Museums
    • Nature

    about 2 hrPaid entryFine on a rainy dayWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Train · About 65 min from Hakone-Yumoto ・ Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora, then about 15 minutes by bus ・ 7.9km

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ClassicsHidden gems

Suggested routes

Times assume a 9:00 start. Travel times are estimated from distance and vary with waiting and crowds.

  • The Hakone loop by train, cable car, ropeway and boat

    Leave 9:00 → until about 17:53 (about 9 hr)

    1. 9:00Hakone-Yumoto

    2. about 40 min by transport

      9:40The Hakone Open-Air Museumstay about 2 hr

    3. about 12 min on foot

      11:52Hakone Gora Parkstay about 60 min

    4. about 15 min by transport

      13:07Owakudanistay about 60 min

    5. about 25 min by transport

      14:32Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrinestay about 2 hr

    6. about 21 min on foot

      16:53Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho)stay about 60 min

    Return to Hakone-Yumoto by bus from Motohakone or Hakonemachi. On days the ropeway is stopped, go around by bus.

    Plan this route

  • Sengokuhara: museums and the pampas grass field

    Leave 9:00 → until about 15:34 (about 6.5 hr)

    1. 9:00Hakone-Yumoto

    2. about 35 min by transport

      9:35Hakone Venetian Glass Museumstay about 1.5 hr

    3. about 19 min on foot

      11:24Pola Museum of Artstay about 2 hr

    4. about 15 min by transport

      13:39Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlandsstay about 60 min

    5. about 10 min on foot

      14:49Sengokuhara pampas grass fieldstay about 45 min

    This route is by bus. Some sections have few buses, so check the times first.

    Plan this route

When to go

Values are for Odawara; Lake Ashi and the uplands are several degrees cooler. June–October is rainy; November leaves and clear winter days give the best Mt. Fuji views.

Point at a month to see its temperature and precipitation.

Temperature (line: average; band: low to high)

Precipitation (mm)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Typical seasons

Cherry blossoms (Odawara to Lake Ashi)

Hydrangeas (Tozan Railway)

Hakone Daimyo Procession

Autumn leaves (Gora, Lake Ashi)

Show as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High (℃)10.611.314.118.922.825.22930.627.222.217.413
Avg (℃)5.36.19.21418.221.325.226.42317.812.67.8
Low (℃)0.61.34.49.213.818222319.614.18.33.1
Rain (mm)83.789.5175.6181.7182.2219.3216167.2248.7238.7119.574.7

Temperature and precipitation are Japan Meteorological Agency normals (1991–2020, Odawara). Seasons are typical timings and can shift by a week or two each year. JMA data

Main ways to get around

  • Hakone Tozan Railway and Cable Car

    About 40 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora, zigzagging up steep slopes on switchbacks. From Gora, the cable car takes about 10 minutes to Sounzan.

  • Hakone Ropeway

    From Sounzan over Owakudani to Togendai on Lake Ashi. It can stop for volcanic gas or strong wind, in which case substitute buses cover the route.

  • Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (Lake Ashi)

    Pirate-ship-style boats linking Togendai with Hakonemachi and Motohakone ports. A one-way trip takes about 25–40 minutes.

  • Hakone Tozan Bus and Izuhakone Bus

    From Hakone-Yumoto, about 40 minutes to Motohakone and Hakonemachi and 30 minutes to Sengokuhara. Roads are busy on holidays. Each company accepts different passes.

  • Odakyu Romancecar

    About 1 hour 30 minutes direct from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. All seats reserved. If you come by Shinkansen, change at Odawara to the Hakone Tozan Railway.

Getting to Hakone-Yumoto

“Classics” and “Hidden gems” are our editors' picks, not a measured popularity ranking. Travel times are estimates. Please check prices, opening hours and operating days with the official sources before you go.

Photo and data credits

Lake Ashi and the Hakone Shrine torii with Mt. Fuji beyond Charlie fong (CC BY-SA 4.0) / The red torii of Hakone Shrine standing at the edge of Lake Ashi Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France (CC BY 2.0) / Steaming vents of Owakudani below Mt. Kanmuri そらみみ (CC BY-SA 3.0) / A dome-shaped wooden structure on the lawn of the Open-Air Museum Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0) / A bridge and ryokan in Hakone-Yumoto with cherry blossoms Quercus acuta (CC BY-SA 4.0) / The restored Hakone Checkpoint on the shore of Lake Ashi Steph Gray from London, United Kingdom (CC BY-SA 2.0) / The glass entrance of the Pola Museum of Art in the forest 663highland (CC BY 2.5). Cropped and resized.

Local food

Regional dishes handed down in Kanagawa. Many are home and community cooking, so not every dish is served at restaurants.

See all regional dishes of Kanagawa (23)

“Find places serving it” opens a map app search for the dish name and the place name. The results are not chosen or recommended by this site. Please check with the shop whether it serves the dish.

Source: “Our Regional Cuisines” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), edited by this site (imported 2026-11-15) https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/index.html. Names, areas and ingredients are as written on the source pages; descriptions are excerpts of the original text. No photos are used. This page is not made or endorsed by the ministry.

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