Hakone is one of the most popular day trips from Tokyo. I personally think a day is enough to see the region and visit major attractions like the Open-Air Museum, Owakudani viewpoint, and Ashi Lake sightseeing cruise. Of course, you can consider staying overnight here for a relaxing onsen experience.
In this article, I will help you to find out how to spend one day in Hakone, and the Hakone Loop. Also known as the Round Course, the Hakone Loop is a great way to spend a day in the Hakone region.
Hakone Loop takes you to major sights like The Open Air Museum, Lake Ashi, Owakudani Valley, and Hakone Shrine. It is well-connected by various public transport modes. The Loop can be done clockwise or counterclockwise. Many visitors prefer exploring counterclockwise.
There are several ways to get to Hakone from Tokyo. You can take the shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station, then change to local trains to get to other destinations in the Hakone region. Yumoto Station is the transport hub and the starting point of Hakone region.
Another way is to take Romancecar from Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station. I recommend purchasing the Hakone Freepass, which allows you to use various local transport for free and discounts in many tourist spots.
As we planned to take the bullet train from Hakone to Kyoto after exploring Hakone, we took Romancecar limited express from Shinjuku Station to Odawara Station and stored our suitcases Odawara. We also bought Hakone Pass from Odawara Station.
We paid 1,200 yen for a Romance Car limited express ticket which has reserved seat options. There is also 901 yen deduct from Suica Card for a regular ticket. So in total, It cost 2,101 yen to get from Shinjuku Station to Odawara Station.
Once in the region, you can easily get around by public transportation, which include Hakone Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing cruise, and buses .
One-Day Hakone Itinerary From Tokyo
Start your day early in the morning, take the Romancecar train from Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station (1.5 hour). For a great day trip, I recommend arriving at the Hakone-Yumoto Station around 9 am – 9:30 am. In our case, we stopped at Odawara Station, then took local train to other destinations in Hakone.
From Hakone-Yumoto, you change to the Hakone Tozan train to get to Chokoku Omori Station in Gora to visit the The Hakone Open Air Museum (35 min train ride).
The Hakone Open Air Museum is one of the must-see in Hakone, especially if you are a fan of sculpture and installations. It is a huge area with beautifully landscaped gardens, lots of sculptures, and the art works of Pablo Picasso. Be sure to check out the stained glass tower which is really beautiful.
The Open Air Museum is a great place to visit for both adults and children. There are a few playgrounds and areas for kids to play and have fun like the Zig Zag World. It is open daily from 9am to 5pm. The entrance fee is 1,600 yen and 1,400 yen with Hakone Freepass.
You can spend 1 to 1.5 hours in the museum and then find your way to Owakudani. From Goza Station, take a cable car to Sōunzan Station, then change to the ropeway to get to Owakudani (25 mins ride).
Also known as the Great Boiling Valley, Owakudani is a famous tourist spot where you can have stunning views of Mt Fuji and try the iconic Kuro Tamago black egg. You can spend 0.5-1 hours here browsing the souvenir shops, eating the egg, checking the Hakone GeoMuseum, and enjoying the views. You can have lunch at one of the restaurants and cafes here too.
In the early afternoon 2-2:30 pm, you can head to Lake Ashi for a sightseeing cruise. This can be done by taking the Ropeway from Owakudani to Togendai Station, then get to the European-style pirate ship at Tōgendai Port. The port is directly linked to the ropeway station.
The sightseeing cruise runs daily from 9.30 am to 3.50 pm every 45 minutes. I will arrive at either Moto Hakone Port or Hakone Machi Port. The journey is around 45 mins, offering stunning views of Mt Fuji and its valley. I recommend stopping at the Moto Hakone Port as it is closer to Hakone shrine.
It is a 10 mins walk from Hakone Moto Hakone Port to Hakone shrine and Heiwa no Torii area. The Torii Gates of Peace is a great place to take photos, but it is alway crowded, so you need to queue to take it.
You can spend some time in the southern part of the Lake to enjoy the sunset, around 4-5pm take the bus from Motohakone to get to Hakone-Yumoto. It is proximity 45 mins ride. At Hakone-Yumoto Station, you can do some shopping, buy some souvenirs, before getting back to Tokyo.
There you have it, an easy full day trip guide to Hakone from Tokyo. On this day, you can see major sights on the region including the Open-Air Museum, Owakudani, Ashi Lake cruise, and Hakone shrine. You will also use various transport systems including train, cable car, ropeway, cruise, and bus.
You can consider staying a night to experience and relax Hakone’s famous onsen hot springs. You can check this article about the best areas to stay in Hakone for tourists.