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Major city · Japan

Hakone箱根

Go for one night in an onsen ryokan and ride the loop; skip the day trip from Tokyo if you want Fuji — clouds win most afternoons.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
JPY
Best months
Oct–Feb for Fuji views; Apr–May and Nov for walking
avoid Golden Week, Obon (mid-Aug), weekends year-round
Airports
HND · NRT
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.

Hakone is a mountain valley of hot springs, a ropeway over sulphur vents and a lake, 85–90 minutes from Shinjuku. It works as one overnight in a ryokan with dinner included, or as a long day trip on the loop. Fuji shows on clear mornings, mostly October to February. Crowds and prices are high on weekends and in autumn.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hakone, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or soft drink¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealSoba noodles¥900–1,600 (≈ US$7–11)
  • BeerHakone beer, glass¥700–1,000 (≈ US$5–7)
  • Museum or sight ticketOnsen day entry¥500–1,500 (≈ US$4–11)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person¥4,000 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedWestern-style hotel double room, a night, per room¥22,000 (≈ US$150)
  • High-end bedWestern-style hotel double room, a night, per room¥50,000 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ¥6,000 (≈ US$45) · Mid ¥11,000 (≈ US$75) · High ¥20,000 (≈ US$140)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Onsen ryokan with dinnerOwakudani sulphur vents and black eggsLake Ashi and the pirate shipsHakone Open Air MuseumFuji views on clear days
Airports
HND Haneda (Direct Odakyu bus to Hakone-Yumoto, about 2 h, ¥2,000) · NRT Narita (No direct link; 2.5–4 h via Shinjuku or Tokyo)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hakone: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

−3°C

6 rd

Feb

7°C

−3°C

7 rd

Mar

10°C

0°C

11 rd

Apr

15°C

5°C

11 rd

May

19°C

10°C

11 rd

Jun

22°C

14°C

14 rd

Jul

26°C

18°C

14 rd

Aug

27°C

19°C

11 rd

Sep

23°C

16°C

13 rd

Oct

18°C

10°C

10 rd

Nov

13°C

4°C

8 rd

Dec

8°C

−1°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The loop runs Odawara → Hakone-Yumoto (train) → Gora (mountain railway) → Sounzan (cablecar) → Togendai (ropeway via Owakudani) → Moto-Hakone (sightseeing ship) → Hakone-Yumoto (bus). The Odakyu Hakone Free Pass covers all of it; a 2-day pass from Shinjuku is ¥6,100, from Odawara ¥5,000, 3-day +¥400. Buses are the only link to Sengokuhara and the lake's north side. The ropeway closes in strong wind — replacement buses run.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Odawara

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Hakone-Tozan Line from Hakone-Yumoto, about 15 min

Castle and the start of the Tokaido line; useful on the way in or out.

Yokohamacaution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Hakone-Tozan to Odawara, then JR Tokaido Line

A half day at best; better as a stop between Hakone and Tokyo.

Kamakura

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Odawara, then JR to Kamakura

Do it as a separate base, not a return day from Hakone.

Tokyogo

Door to door: About 2 h

Odakyu Romancecar from Hakone-Yumoto to Shinjuku, 85–90 min, ¥2,330 (≈ US$16)

The standard way in and out; reserve seats on weekends.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Hakone-Yumoto

Valley floor at the railhead; most ryokan, easiest with bags, 5 min walk from the station.

Gora / Sounzan

Upper end of the mountain railway; close to the Open Air Museum and the cablecar.

Sengokuhara

Plateau with museums and grass fields; bus-only, quiet, cooler in summer.

Moto-Hakone / Hakone-machi

Lake shore, shrine torii in the water, Fuji views from the shore on clear days.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥6,000–10,000 (≈ US$45–70) excl. bed
Mid
¥10,000–16,000 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
High
¥16,000 (≈ US$110)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Ryokan room with dinner and breakfast2 × 1 night × ¥20,000¥40,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ¥11,000¥22,000
Odakyu Hakone Free Pass, 2 days from Odawara2 × ¥5,000¥10,000
Romancecar surcharge, each way2 × ¥1,110¥2,220
Onsen day entry, mid-range bath2 × ¥1,000¥2,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ¥2,500¥5,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge¥8,120
Trip total≈ ¥44,670 per person per day, bed included¥89,340≈ US$650

Priced per person, two sharing; weekend and autumn rates higher

2026 estimate in yen; travel to Hakone and the Free Pass excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Soba noodles¥900–1,600 (≈ US$7–11)
Black eggs at Owakudani, 5¥500 (≈ US$4)
Coffee or soft drink¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
Hakone beer, glass¥700–1,000 (≈ US$5–7)
Onsen day entry¥500–1,500 (≈ US$4–11)
Museum entry (Open Air, Pola)¥1,600–1,800 (≈ US$11–13)
Bus ride on the loop without a pass¥300–1,000 (≈ US$3–7)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe. The real risks are mountain weather, slippery stone steps at the shrine and sulphur fumes at Owakudani; ropeway and bus closures are the usual disruption.
  • Ryokan dinner is served at a fixed hour and check-in has a curfew: arrive the day after you land, not the same day.
  • The ropeway stops for wind and inspections; check Hakone Navi before you commit to the loop.
  • Weekend and autumn rates at ryokan roughly double; book weeks ahead.
  • Last buses to the far side of the lake leave around 20:00.
  • Owakudani is an active volcanic vent: stay on the marked paths and heed closures.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Hakone箱根

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ここまでお願いしますTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Embassy

No embassies in Hakone; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Yokohama and Osaka. US citizens: American Citizen Services, Tokyo.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Hakone-Yumoto → Gora, mountain railway: about ¥460 (≈ US$4), 40 min
  • Togendai → Moto-Hakone, sightseeing ship: about ¥1,200 (≈ US$9), 30 min
  • Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto, Romancecar: ¥2,330 (≈ US$16), 85–90 min

Say or show

  • すみません — Excuse me / Sorry (sumimasen)
  • ありがとうございます — Thank you (arigatō gozaimasu)
  • 大人一枚お願いします — One adult, please (otona ichimai onegaishimasu)
  • ロープウェイは動いていますか？ — Is the ropeway running? (rōpuwei wa ugoite imasu ka)
  • いくらですか？ — How much is it? (ikura desu ka)
  • トイレはどこですか？ — Where is the toilet? (toire wa doko desu ka)

Ryokan check-in is usually 15:00 and dinner 18:00–19:00; tell the inn if you will be late.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hakone. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Feb for Fuji views; Apr–May and Nov for walking · avoid Golden Week, Obon (mid-Aug), weekends year-round · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HND and NRT: last Odakyu bus and Romancecar departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Hakone-Yumoto, Gora and Sounzan, Sengokuhara, Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Open Air Museum, Pola, Owakudani, Hakone Jinja, the sightseeing ships) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Ropeway closure and wind fixtures so the loop page can go green or red on the day.

Meanwhile

Back to Japan

Sources