Hakone Tozan RailwayOwakudaniBlack eggsLake Ashi cruiseHakone Shrine and the Peace ToriiOld cedar avenueHakone CheckpointHakone Open-Air Museum
Tour lengths
Choose how long you'd like
One quote per private group of up to six, in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR.
Half day
Railway, ropeway and cruise, from Hakone-Yumoto to Lake Ashi.
Free quote
Full day
The Open-Air Museum, Owakudani, the lake and Hakone Shrine.
Free quote
Two days
The full loop, then the POLA Museum of Art and a day-use hot spring.
Free quote
From your guide
What I point out on the way
I spent nine years in Brisbane, from junior high to the end of university, and I guide in English or Japanese. I check our food stops with each shop before the day.
Sho's note
Hakone Ropeway
Between Sounzan and Owakudani it passes about 130 metres above the valley, with Mt Fuji and Lake Ashi in view. It stops for wind, lightning, typhoons and volcanic gas.
Sho's note
Black eggs
Boiled in a hot-spring pool until the shells turn black. Four cost 500 yen, and people say each one adds seven years to your life.
Sho's note
Old cedar avenue
About 500 metres of cedars, more than 400 trees, said to have been planted in 1618. They shaded travellers in summer and kept off cold winds in winter.
The Hakone Tozan Railway opened in 1919. It climbs a gradient of 80 per mille, the steepest for an adhesion railway, and changes direction at three switchbacks on the way up.
Owakudani formed about 3,000 years ago, when the north side of Mt Kami collapsed. The collapse dammed the Haya River and made Lake Ashi. The valley was once called Big Hell, and it was renamed after the Meiji emperor's visit in 1873.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Owakudani safe to visit?
Hakone is an active volcano, and the alert level is 1. I check the official updates on the morning. People with asthma, heart or breathing conditions, or pacemakers are advised by Kanagawa Prefecture not to visit Owakudani.
Can I use a hot spring with a tattoo?
It depends on the place. Hakone Yuryo, a day-use spa near Hakone-Yumoto, lifted its tattoo restriction on 1 April 2025, and a private bath is another option.
Free quote
Planning a day in Hakone
Tell me your dates, how many of you there are and anything you can't eat. I'll send back a route and a free quote.
