Hakone travel guide

Split Hakone into a hot-spring day and a mountain day.

The Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku costs 7,100 yen for 2 days or 7,500 yen for 3 days for adults; the Romancecar costs extra.

The ropeway costs 2,000 yen one way and the sightseeing cruise 3,000 yen return for adults; if you have the pass, don't buy them again.

Four black eggs cost 500 yen. Day one is the Yumoto hot springs; the next day, go from Sounzan to the lake. If the ropeway stops because of volcanic gas or wind, take the bus to the lake and shrine only.

Don't put the valley into your departure morning. The travel center is to the right of the ticket gates, 9:00 to 19:00, and accepts luggage until 17:30. The shrine's amulet counter opens at 8:15, and the nature trail contribution is 800 yen.

Visa and entry requirements for Japan

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Visa information and exemptions (short-term stay) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
• Visit Japan Web (online immigration and customs registration) (Digital Agency, Government of Japan)

With 2 nights: on day one, travel from Shinjuku via Odawara and the Hakone Tozan Railway to Yumoto, and enjoy the hot spring and dinner at your inn. On day two, go via Gora, the cable car and the ropeway to Owakudani, then take the sightseeing cruise from Togendai. See Hakone Shrine and the Peace Torii at Motohakone and return to Yumoto. Leave for Odawara on the morning of day three. If you arrive on the afternoon of day two, move the mountain to day three and just enjoy the hot spring that night.

With 4 nights: days one and two in Tokyo, move to Hakone on day three for the mountain, day four for the hot springs, and leave on the morning of day five. Don't put Owakudani into your departure morning, and don't tack a train to Shinjuku straight onto a meal.

Prices in Hakone, per Hakone Navi from 1 October 2025.

There are no flights to Hakone-Yumoto. Airport trains to Shinjuku run on their own timetables; from Shinjuku go to Odawara, then take the Tozan Railway. The Romancecar is a reserved-seat limited express and costs extra on top of the pass. Check on the timetable which trains terminate at Yumoto. Coming from Kansai, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara and change to the Tozan Railway.

The travel center at Yumoto Station is to the right of the ticket gates, open 9:00 to 19:00 with no regular closing day. It accepts luggage from 9:00 to 17:30 for collection by 18:00; check the price when you drop off. On your mountain day, leave your suitcase and go up light. Freepass ticket machines sell same-day passes, and station counters sell them from a month before your travel date. Izuhakone buses are not covered by the pass.

If you arrive early on day one, have soba for lunch near Yumoto Station; check closing times and days at the shop. Check prices on the shop's menu. On day two, also eat lunch in Gora or Yumoto before the mountain. Four black eggs from Owakudani Kurotamagokan are a 500 yen snack, not a meal; the notice at the door takes priority for sales times, and the spot guide says until 16:20.

If you are hungry before the cruise, look briefly for an open restaurant at Togendai or Motohakone. Dinner is the course meal at your inn in Yumoto or Gora; mention allergies and vegetarian needs when you book. Courses are long, so don't plan a train afterwards. Yuba (tofu skin) often features in mountain set meals, so choose a lunch place that has it on the menu.

If you have allergic asthma, bronchial, respiratory or heart conditions, a pacemaker or feel unwell, you cannot ride from Sounzan toward Ubako. Pregnant women, infants and older people should judge for themselves whether to ride. In that case, go by bus to Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine only. The shrine's amulet counter is open 8:15 to 17:00 and the treasure hall 9:00 to 16:00, about 10 minutes' walk from the entrance bus stop. The weekend reserved-seat bus is an extra 500 yen for adults (not on weekdays), bookable until 20 minutes before departure.

The Owakudani nature trail requires an 800 yen contribution and has limited tour slots. Adding it makes the boat connection tight, so check the timetable first. Mount Fuji is visible on some days and hidden by cloud on others. Recheck entry and stay requirements for Japan before you travel.

Checklist

• Check the 7,100 yen 2-day Shinjuku price against the purchase screen
• Put the mountain and the hot springs on different days
• Check gas and wind operating status in the morning
• Recheck entry requirements on the official sources

• 2 nights: Yumoto hot springs on day one, the ropeway and lake on day two, leave on the morning of day three.
• Combining with Tokyo: move to Hakone after two days in Tokyo and compare the 7,500 yen 3-day pass.
• Can't stay long on the mountain: skip the ropeway and take the bus to the lake and shrine.