Photo by Sho: AKAO Forest, Atami
Kanagawa · Private tour

Hakone by mountain train, ropeway and boat

A loop through the hot-spring mountains: up the railway's switchbacks, over the volcanic valley of Owakudani and across Lake Ashi to the shrine. Up to six people.

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LengthsHalf day · Full day · Two days
GroupPrivate, up to 6 guests
LanguageEnglish (Japanese on request)
Meeting pointHakone-Yumoto Station. The tourist information centre is a minute's walk from the station and has English-speaking staff.
Overview

One loop, five ways to travel

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. Hydrangea season along the line starts around mid-June.

Owakudani formed about 3,000 years ago, when the north side of Mt Kami, Hakone's highest peak at 1,438 metres, collapsed. The same collapse dammed the Haya River and made Lake Ashi. The valley was once called Big Hell, and it got its present name after the Meiji emperor's visit in 1873.

Hakone Shrine was founded in 757. Its red Peace Torii stands at the edge of Lake Ashi, built in 1952 to mark the San Francisco Peace Treaty.

Highlights

  • Ride the Hakone Tozan Railway up its three switchbacks
  • Cross the valley at Owakudani by ropeway, about 130 metres above the ground
  • Eat a black egg boiled in the hot springs
  • Cruise across Lake Ashi to Moto-Hakone
  • Walk to Hakone Shrine and the Peace Torii on the lake
  • Walk the old cedar avenue, said to have been planted in 1618
Routes

Pick the length that suits your day

Half day (3 to 4 hours)

Railway, cable car, ropeway and cruise, from Hakone-Yumoto to Lake Ashi.

  1. Hakone Tozan RailwayHakone-Yumoto to Gora, 8.9 km in about 40 minutes.
  2. Cable car and ropewayGora to Sounzan, then over the valley to Owakudani.
  3. Owakudaniblack eggs (500 yen for four) and the volcanic valley.
  4. Ropeway to Togendai, then the cruise to Moto-Hakone port (about 25 to 40 minutes).

We finish at Moto-Hakone port, with buses back to Hakone-Yumoto.

Full day (7 to 8 hours)

Art in the morning, the volcano at lunch, the lake and shrine in the afternoon.

  1. Hakone Open-Air Museumtwo minutes from Chokoku-no-Mori Station, opened in 1969, with a hot-spring footbath and a Picasso gallery.
  2. Cable car and ropeway to Owakudanilunch and a look around.
  3. Ropeway to Togendai and the cruise to Hakone-machi port.
  4. Hakone Checkpointset up in 1619 and rebuilt in 2007 with Edo-period carpentry and stonework, five minutes from the port.
  5. Onshi-Hakone Park, the cedar avenue and Hakone Shrine.

The Hakone Freepass covers every ride on this loop. From Shinjuku, the two-day pass is 7,100 yen.

Two days

The full loop on day one, then art and a hot spring on day two.

  1. Day 1the full-day loop. We finish at Hakone-Yumoto in the evening.
  2. Day 2the railway up to Gora for the POLA Museum of Art, then lunch in Hakone-Yumoto. In the afternoon, a day-use hot spring, or on to the Mt Fuji area.

The two-day Freepass covers both days. Big bags can go ahead to your hotel with the Hakone Carry Service (1,500 yen a bag). Drop them at Hakone-Yumoto Station between 8:30 am and noon, and they arrive from 3 pm.

Details

Before you book

Included

  • Sho as your private guide for the length you book, in English (or Japanese, if you prefer)
  • A route planned for your group before the day
  • Food stops checked ahead for any allergies you tell me about

Not included

  • Transport: the Hakone Freepass (two days, 7,100 yen from Shinjuku or 6,000 yen from around Hakone), or single tickets
  • Without the Freepass: ropeway 2,000 yen one way, cruise 1,700 yen from Togendai to Moto-Hakone
  • Entry, if we go in: Hakone Open-Air Museum (2,000 yen, 1,800 yen online), POLA Museum of Art (2,200 yen), Hakone Checkpoint (500 yen)
  • Food, drinks and hot-spring entry

Good to know

  • Hakone is an active volcano. The alert level is 1, and I check the Japan Meteorological Agency and Kanagawa Prefecture updates on the morning of the tour.
  • Kanagawa Prefecture advises people with asthma or other breathing or heart conditions, and people with pacemakers, not to visit Owakudani because of the volcanic gas. Please tell me when you book.
  • The ropeway stops for strong wind, lightning, typhoons and volcanic gas. If it's closed, we take the bus to Owakudani or switch to the lakeside route.
  • Tattoo rules at hot springs differ from place to place. Hakone Yuryo, a day-use spa near Hakone-Yumoto, lifted its tattoo restriction on 1 April 2025, and a private bath (kashikiri) is another option.
  • Rain plan: the POLA Museum of Art, the Hakone Geo Museum and the lakeside lookout at Onshi-Hakone Park.
  • I look after the day itself. Train tickets, hotels and any entry tickets you want to book ahead are yours to arrange. I'll tell you exactly where and when to meet me.
  • We get around by train, bus and on foot, the same way people here do. I don't drive guests, and I'll show you how the ticket machines work as we go.
Your guide

I'm Sho, and I'll be your guide

Sho, your guide

In January 2011, in my last year of junior high, I left Japan for Brisbane. I stayed until I'd finished university in March 2020. That's nine years of Australian school, uni and part-time jobs.

I speak English and Japanese without any trouble, and I don't get shy around people from other cultures. What I care about most on the day is simple: that you're having a good time.

I'm based in Yokohama. I've been photographing planes since 2009. Since moving back to Japan in 2020, photography has taken me to airports and towns all over the country. Every area I guide is somewhere I've been myself.

I have a serious kiwi fruit allergy (anaphylaxis) and react to some fruit in the rose family. So I check our food stops with the restaurants before the day. If there's anything you can't eat, tell me when you first get in touch.

  • Nine years in Brisbane, from junior high to the end of university
  • Comfortable in English and Japanese
  • Has been to every area on this site
  • Checks food stops ahead of the day
Pricing

Quotes in six currencies

Free quote

Quotes are provided in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR, so you can skip the hassle of currency conversion. Other currencies are quoted in USD. Each quote covers your whole group of up to six people. When you send an enquiry, please include your preferred dates and the kinds of experiences you'd like.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Why are the eggs black?

They're boiled in a hot-spring pool, and minerals in the water stick to tiny holes in the shell. People say each one adds seven years to your life.

Is the Hakone Freepass worth it?

For the loop from Shinjuku, yes. As single tickets, the return train fare plus the railway, cable car, ropeway and cruise come to 7,130 yen. That's already more than the 7,100-yen two-day pass. The Romancecar express fee is extra either way.

Can we walk the Owakudani nature trail?

Only in a timed slot you book yourself online: four times a day, about 40 minutes, 800 yen, with a helmet. The staff there are safety marshals, not guides, and the explanations are in Japanese only.

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Planning a day in Hakone

Tell me your date, how many of you there are and anything you can't eat. I'll send back a route and a free quote.

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