Hakone Travel Guide the Best Itinerary and Tourist Spots

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Hakone, the best choice for day trips and hot spring vacations

If you were to travel to Hakone, what would you think of the first time? Is it a different hot spring hotel? Private bath? Traditional hot spring hotel? Or in addition to hot springs or hot springs?

In fact, besides being a very popular hot spring spot, Hakone is also a hotspot for local Japanese people, especially those from Kanto. Basically, when it comes to long vacations, everyone will go to Hakone with family and friends to stay in a traditional hot spring hotel to relax and relieve the pressure of work.

The Hakone area is very vast. In addition to hot springs, there are also different scenic spots, art galleries, and different tourist experiences in the entire area. There are some unique attractions in Hakone, such as water torii, mountain tram, glass art museum and so on. So if you go to Hakone, you must not miss these unique experiences!

In addition, in fact, Hakone is also in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is around Mt. If you have enough time, it is very worthwhile to go to two different hot spring areas in the same vacation!

Things to do in the Hakone area

Overall, in addition to different hot spring hotels in Hakone, there are actually more than ten different attractions that are worth visiting, including some Hakone-limited transportation experiences, art galleries, Owakudani Hot Springs, pirate ships, etc. Since different types of attractions are located in different areas of Hakone, and it takes a lot of time to travel to different attractions by different means of transportation, it is highly recommended to plan the order of visiting different attractions before departure.

Recommended sightseeing courses in the Hakone area

Geographically, Hakone is located near Tokyo, about an hour away by rail. So in simple terms, there are 3 different itinerary plans to choose from when traveling to Hakone:

Hakone 1-day round-trip hot spring experience sightseeing
2-Day Hakone Onsen Experience Sightseeing Itinerary
3-Day Hakone Hot Springs, In-Depth Tour of Attractions

The above 3 different itineraries can all experience hot springs in Hakone. Which one you choose depends on how long you plan to stay in Japan and whether there are other areas you want to visit. To put it simply, there are relatively few scenic spots that can be visited for one-day round-trip hot spring experience sightseeing, and there are not many hotels that accept day travelers to experience, so if you can arrange it in time, it is more recommended to choose to stay in Hakone for one night .

On the other hand, if you like shopping and visiting different attractions, staying in Hakone for 2 nights is also a good choice. Because you can fully enjoy the hot spring experience in Hakone, and you can also visit different scenic spots in Hakone slowly, without having to rush to the next trip.
Also, you can go to Gotemba Outlet from Hakone, or use theFuji Hakone Tour PackageGoing to the Kawaguchiko area is a trip worth considering. .

Preparations before departure for Hakone

Transportation to Hakone

To go to Hakone, you must first start from Shinjuku, Tokyo! The Odakyu Electric Railway is the best means of transportation.

Appearance of Hakone Kotsu Romance Express — Odakyu Electric Railway trains are divided into two types, one is a more comfortable romantic express train, and the other is an ordinary train

The difference between the Romancecar and ordinary trams is that the Romancecar provides a "view car" at the front of the train, which means you can experience the same scenery as the cab!

As long as you take the Romance Express train, you can experience the same scenery!

How to reserve Romancecar

Hakone Kotsu Romancecar Reservation Method

If you want to take the Romantic Limited Express "Observation Car" on your trip to Hakone, you must book a seat online before departure in order to successfully experience this special car!

In addition, it is very important that the seats of all Romantic Express trains are reserved seats, so tickets must be marked on the spot in advance or booked online.

Reserve a seat on the Romance Express, "Observation Car"

Odakyu Limited Express Romancecar Timetable

Luggage Storage Arrangements

In the usual travel itinerary, after arriving in a region, you usually go to the hotel to check in the room, store your luggage and then start the sightseeing trip. However, there are many hot spring hotels in Hakone that are far away from the main station. It is a waste of time to go to the hot spring hotel to store luggage when you arrive.

Therefore, Odakyu Electric Railway cooperates with the local area to provide "hot spring hotel luggage delivery service" for all passengers who need to leave their luggage. As long as passengers pay according to the size and quantity of luggage, the shipping company will send your luggage directly to the place you want to check in. Spa hotel.

Generally speaking, as long as you register before 12:30 noon, your luggage will be delivered to your designated hot spring hotel around 15:00 pm. That is, just after you have visited different scenery, you can check in the room to enjoy the hot spring time, so that you can save more time to visit different attractions.

Generally speaking, as long as you register before 12:30 noon, your luggage will be delivered to your designated hot spring hotel around 15:00 pm

You can also use the delivery service when you leave the hot spring hotel. As long as you register before 10:00 in the morning, you can pick up your luggage at Hakone Yumoto Station at 13:30 in the afternoon!

Checked Baggage Service Charges

In Hakone Yumoto, the charge for "Hot Spring Hotel Luggage Checking Service" is about ¥800-¥1500, and the charge is calculated according to the volume of the luggage. Although it seems that the shipping fee is a bit expensive, if you calculate the exchange fee and time to go to the hot spring hotel in advance, the fee is actually very reasonable.

Things to pay attention to when sending luggage: Because the consignment service companies have signed contracts with different hot spring hotels, the luggage check service can only send luggage to the designated hot spring hotel. If your friend also lives in Hakone, you can’t Send your luggage to your friend's house

Details: Hakone-Yumoto Station Facilities Hakone "Onsen Ryokan Baggage Delivery Service"

Choose the right transportation package

Traveling to Hakone, there are a total of 3 suitable transportation packages to choose from. One is "Hakone Free Pass", the other is "Hakone Kamakura Free Pass", and the other is "Fuji Hakone Free Pass". The choice of which one depends on how long you have stayed in Hakone and whether you will travel outside of Hakone. Will go to Kawaguchiko, or Kamakura and other areas.

If you plan to stay in Hakone and will not go to other areas, the "Hakone Free Pass" will be the most suitable transportation package option. If you will go to other places on the same trip, using "Hakone Kamakura Free Pass" or "Fuji Hakone Free Pass" may be more suitable for your itinerary.

For detailed transportation package introduction, please refer to: Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko, Hakone area transportation package selection recommendation

Facts about the Hakone area

Characteristics of the Hakone area

After introducing the transportation methods to Hakone and luggage arrangements, it is time to understand the characteristics of the Hakone area.

Simply put, Hakone can be divided into 3 parts. The first part is Hakone-Yumoto Station on the right side of the Hakone area, the second part is Gora Station in the middle of the Hakone area, and the third part is the part of "Motohakone, Togendai, and Owakudani" on the left side of the Hakone area.

Itinerary suggestions for the Hakone Freepass transportation package

Hakone's scenic spots are scattered throughout the Hakone area, and it takes a lot of time to reach different scenic spots. Therefore, when planning the itinerary, be sure to put the scenic spots in the same direction in the same itinerary, otherwise you will go to the left first, then to the right, and then waste a lot of time on transportation.

Time required to visit attractions

Generally speaking, each attraction in Hakone needs to spend 1 hour - 1.5 hours to visit, plus half an hour of traffic time. In a simple calculation, it is probably possible to see one scenic spot in the morning, and then watch another scenic spot in the afternoon. This budget has not yet calculated the waiting time. For example, if a Hakone pirate sightseeing boat just left, it may take another hour to arrive at the next sightseeing boat.

Therefore, when planning different attractions, it is recommended not to arrange a very tight itinerary. Generally speaking, arranging 2-3 attractions a day is the most suitable, except that you don’t have to worry about disappointment due to travel delays, and more importantly, Hakone is a place worthy of your relaxation, not a place to chase and jump.

Travel itinerary planning for the Hakone area

In the following sections, different itinerary plans will be introduced for you. Whether you are going for a 1-day round-trip hot spring experience sightseeing, a 2-day Hakone hot spring experience sightseeing trip, or a 3-day Hakone hot spring and scenic spot in-depth tour, we will recommend some scenic spots that are most suitable for the corresponding travel time.

Hakone one-day tour, one-day round-trip hot spring experience sightseeing itinerary

If it is a one-day trip back and forth to Hakone, that is, departing from Shinjuku, Tokyo to Hakone Yumoto Station in the morning, the most worthwhile attractions include Hakone Owakudani and the Hakone Pirate Sightseeing Boat. Because in Owakudani, Hakone, it is the best way for you to experience the characteristics of a hot spring area, what would a real hot spring egg be like? Then on the Hakone Pirate Sightseeing Ship, you can see the form of Mount Fuji from the Hakone area.

Although you can only go to 2 scenic spots in one day, in fact, you will also use different means of transportation on the way, so that you can experience the most and most worthwhile trips in the shortest time.

First depart from Hakone-Yumoto Station
Take the Hakone Tozan Bus to Hakone-machi Port, the entrance of the Hakone Pirate Cruise
Transfer to Hakone Pirate Cruise to Togendai Port
Take the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani
Experience the environment of natural hot springs in Owakudani
Continue to Sounzan by Hakone Ropeway
Transfer from Sounzan to Hakone Tozan Ropeway, Hakone Tozan Railway
Successfully complete the tour around Hakone and return to Hakone Yumoto
Return to Tokyo by Odakyu Electric Railway

Hakone two-day tour, a sightseeing itinerary that matches the Hakone hot spring experience

Because you can stay in Hakone for one night, if you depart for Hakone from Shinjuku, Tokyo in the morning, you will not return to Tokyo until the evening of the second day. That is, you have 2 days to go to different attractions in Hakone. Basically, it is enough for you to experience the Hakone pirate sightseeing ship, experience the natural hot spring environment in Owakudani, and other art galleries and museums you like.

However, it is worth noting that when you are planning different scenic spots, you should pay attention to the location of different scenic spots, otherwise you will waste a lot of time on transportation. Therefore, the general scenic spot planning will be: put Hakone Pirate Sightseeing Boat and Owakudani together, put Glass Forest Art Museum, Sculpture Forest Art Museum, and attractions near Gora Station together, and finally go shopping at Hakone Yumoto Station and return to Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Hakone three-day tour, experience Hakone hot springs and Hakone scenic spots at the same time

If you can arrange a 3-day stay in Hakone, basically you can not only experience the Hakone Pirate Sightseeing Cruise, Hakone Owakudani, but also choose your favorite art museum to visit, and take all the transportation in Hakone once.

On the third day, you can consider going to Gotemba Outlet, or go to the Kawaguchiko area to see Mount Fuji from another angle. As long as you purchase the Fuji-Hakone Tour Pass before departure, you will not need to pay extra for the transportation in Hakone, the transportation to Gotemba Outlet, and the transportation to Kawaguchiko within 3 days!

Hakone can take a pirate ship to enjoy Mount Fuji and the Hakone Shrine — In Hakone, Mt. Fuji can be seen from either the sightseeing boat or the empty cable car

Take a cable car to see Mount Fuji in Hakone — In Hakone, Mt. Fuji can be seen from either the sightseeing boat or the empty cable car

3-day sample itinerary in Hakone hot springs and scenic spots

Hakone Day 1 Itinerary – Hakone Port, Owakudani Area

Morning

First, depart from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and take the Romance Express to Hakone Yumoto Station. After arriving at Hakone-Yumoto Station, arrange to send your luggage to the Luggage Onsen Hotel at the Luggage Delivery Service Center at Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Then take the Hakone Tozan Bus Line H to Moto-Hakone Port, visit the water torii and pay homage to the Hakone Shrine.

noon

After visiting the Hakone Shrine and the Torii on the Water, walk slowly to the Hakone Port, take the Hakone Pirate Sightseeing Boat across Lake Ashi, and take pictures with the majestic Mount Fuji on the way!

Hakone Sightseeing Pirate Ship Schedule

After disembarking from the pirate ship, you will first arrive at Togendai. Then transfer to the Hakone Ropeway to visit Owakudani, and eat a black hot spring egg unique to Owakudani.
After taking photos in Owakudani, take the cable car to Sounzan Station, and then transfer to the cable car to Gora.
There are many restaurants in Gora, and it's a great spot for lunch.

afternoon

Hakone Gora Attractions: Gora Park, Hakone Museum of Art
After lunch, you can also visit Gora Park and participate in the glass making experience for free with the Hakone Free Pass. Or go to the Hakone Art Museum, but pay attention to the closing time~

The time required to go around Hakone from Hakone-Yumoto Station — Departing from Hakone-machi Port to Hakone-Yumoto, you can experience different types of transportation

night

Stay at the hot spring hotel that you have booked before departure, put on a yukata, and enjoy traditional Japanese hot spring cuisine. After dinner, soak in the private hot spring in the room, completing the first day of Hakone travel itinerary.

Hakone Onsen Hotel Comparison Report, how to choose the best hot spring hotel and private bath?

Hakone attractions opening hours and information

Aerial Tram Operating Hours: 09:00 – 17:00 (March – November) / 09:00 – 16:15 (December – February)
Gora Park Opening Hours: 09:00 – 17:00
Hakone Museum of Art Opening Hours: 0930- 1630 (April – November) / 0930- 1600 (December – March), closed on Thursdays

Hakone Day 2 Itinerary – Hakone Sengoku/Gora Museum and Art Museum Easy Tour

On the second day of the itinerary, because you have a whole day, it is recommended to visit different art galleries and museums in Hakone. There are many art galleries that cannot be missed when traveling in Hakone.

Museums Worth Visiting in Hakone

Hakone Little Prince Museum
Hakone Glass Forest Museum
Hakone Sculpture Forest Museum
POLA Art Museum (Poly Art Museum)
Hakone・Ashinoko Narukawa Museum of Art
Hakone Lalique Museum
Hakone Gora Park
Hakone Checkpoint Ruins

One of the attractions in Hakone, the Glass Forest Museum — At the Hakone Glass Museum, you can enjoy a well-designed Japanese-Western garden

Recommended Art Museum Itinerary Direction

Depart from the hot spring hotel accommodation in Hakone in the morning, and take transportation to Gora Station.

Then take the mountain tram to the following different attractions

Gora Park
Hakone Museum of Art
Hakone Sculpture Forest Museum
POLA Art Museum (you need to get off the bus and then transfer to the bus)

Transportation to various museums in Hakone

To go to the Hakone Little Prince Museum/Hakone Glass Forest Art Museum/Hakone Lalique Art Museum, you need to take the mountaineering bus T line at Hakone Yumoto Station to Sengoku Station.
To go to Hakone Sekisho Station (Hakone Sekisho Site), Motohakone Port (Hakone・Ashi Lake Narukawa Art Museum), you need to take the mountaineering bus line H at Hakone Yumoto Station to Hakone Sekisho Station.

Museum opening hours

The closing time of most of the art galleries and museums above is around 17:00. It is recommended to choose one or two scenic spots to visit every day, and to stay in each scenic spot for about 1-2 hours. It is recommended to select a few art galleries for concentrated visits before departure.

Hakone Day 3 Itinerary – Shopping at Gotemba Outlet / Heading to Mt. Fuji area

3 different directions of the itinerary on the third day

Continue to visit the endless Hakone attractions on the 2nd day
Shopping at Gotemba GOTEMBA PREMIUM OUTLET
Travel to the Lake Kawaguchi area to see Mt. Fuji up close

Recommended mode of transportation

To go shopping at Gotemba GOTEMBA PREMIUM OUTLET, first take the T line in Hakone Yumoto to "Kiga Sakashita", and then transfer to the G line to Gotemba Station. It takes about 1 hour and 12 minutes.
In the evening, take the original route back to Hakone Yumoto, and then transfer to the Romance Express train back to Shinjuku, Tokyo.
To go to the Kawaguchiko area to see Mount Fuji up close, first take the mountaineering bus to Gotemba Station, and then transfer to the Fujikyu Highway Bus to Kawaguchiko Station.
There are many specialty restaurants near Kawaguchiko Station, selling souvenirs limited to the Mt. Fuji area. It is worth arranging a 1-day trip to Kawaguchiko.