3 Days in Hakone: Mount Fuji Views, Onsen & Lake Ashi
A torii gate in Lake Ashi, a steaming volcanic valley by cable car and a ryokan soak facing Mount Fuji, under two hours from Tokyo.
A torii gate in Lake Ashi, a steaming volcanic valley by cable car and a ryokan soak facing Mount Fuji, under two hours from Tokyo.
The limited-express train is the easiest way in: no transfers, reserved seats, and the mountains close in as Tokyo falls away behind you.
🚄 ~85 min Romancecar 💵 ~$25 🕐 Morning departureMore than 100 sculptures scattered across a hillside park, plus an entire pavilion of Picasso ceramics and paintings.
🚃 one stop on the Hakone Tozan Railway 💵 ~$14 🕐 Allow 2-3 hoursA traditional inn with its own hot-spring bath is the whole point of Hakone: sink in before the kaiseki dinner arrives.
🚕 short taxi to most ryokans 💵 Included in stay 🕐 Before dinner, ~6 PMA cable car ride above a still-active volcanic valley, with sulfur vents hissing through the rock far below.
🚡 ~30 min ropeway, via a cable car transfer at Sounzan 💵 ~$25 round trip 🕐 Morning, clearest air for Fuji viewsLocal kuro-tamago are boiled in the hot springs until the shells turn black; tradition says each one adds seven years to your life. Ride the ropeway down to Togendai afterward for a sightseeing cruise across the lake, some boats styled like pirate ships.
⛴️ ~30 min lake cruise 💵 ~$4 for eggs, ~$10 cruise 🕐 Early afternoon crossingThe red torii gate standing right in the water is the postcard shot of the whole trip, quieter and more atmospheric as the light fades.
🚶 lakeside path from the pier 💵 Free 🕐 Late afternoon, before sunsetNo agenda, just hot mineral water and, on a clear day, a view toward Mount Fuji from the bath itself.
🚶 on-site at the ryokan 💵 Included in stay 🕐 Before checkoutA short stretch of the Hakone Old Road still runs beneath towering Edo-period cedars, planted centuries ago to shade feudal-era travelers.
🚶 ~30 min easy walk 💵 Free 🕐 Late morningRetrace the route back to Hakone-Yumoto and board the Romancecar for the ride back to Shinjuku.
🚄 ~85 min Romancecar 💵 ~$25 🕐 Afternoon departure, allow bufferIt covers nearly every train, cable car, ropeway ride, and the Lake Ashi cruise on one ticket, cheaper than paying leg by leg.
Most ryokans include a modesty towel with the room, no need to buy a second one at Owakudani.
A kaiseki dinner is usually included in the stay, so save eating out for casual lunches at station soba stands instead.
The cedar-lined Tokaido stretch sees a fraction of the crowds found at Owakudani or the torii gate.
Beyond the Picasso hall, the Symphonic Sculpture tower's stained-glass interior rarely gets the attention it deserves.
Arrive before the cruise boats start running for a nearly empty shot of the shrine gate standing in the lake.
Where to next
