THE CLASSIC LOOP
Crossing the mountain,
Come down to the lake.
Hakone is a long trip to and from the attractions. Stay in Gora on the first day, take the cable car and ropeway over Owakudani on the second day, and take a boat to Togendai, so the road becomes a circle. Lastly, we stop at Tonosawa Ryokan to enjoy hot springs and two meals. This is why we separated one night at the Gora Hotel and one night at the valley ryokan.
2 NIGHTS · 3 DAYS
Schedule to follow
I leave my luggage in Gora and start walking from the art museum.
- 0107:30 Arrive at Shinjuku Station · Confirm Hakone Free Pass and Romancecar reserved seat
- 02Around 08:00 Romancecar → Hakone Yumoto · Approximately 80 minutes · One-way limited express ticket excluding free pass ¥1,200
- 03Hakone Tozan Train → Gora · Approximately 40 minutes · If crowded, carrier may consider delivery service to Yumoto Station
- 0411:00 Leave luggage at Gora Hotel → Walk to Tamura Kinkatsu-tei
- 0511:20 Tofu Katsuni set meal lunch · Switches to the museum café if the wait exceeds 60 minutes
- 0613:00 Forest of Sculpture Art Museum · Adult on-site ticket ¥2,000, online ticket ¥1,800 · 16:30 Entry closes
- 0715:40 Gora Park walk · Free pass holders must recheck on-site for admission benefits
- 0817:00 Hotel check-in · Hot spring and Gora dinner · WPÜ pre-book dinner operating days
Going over the volcano and down to the lake
- 0107:30 Breakfast · 08:40 Check-out · Large luggage delivered to ryokan or stored at Yumoto
- 02Gora → Sounzan Cable Car · Sounzan → Owakudani Ropeway
- 0309:30 Detour immediately when Owakudani view and black eggs, strong winds, and volcanic gases are controlled.
- 0410:40 Owakudani → Togendai Ropeway · Approximately 30 minutes including transfers for the entire section
- 0511:20 Togendai → MotoHakone pirate ship · Approximately 25–35 minutes · Includes free pass for standard cabin
- 0612:10 Bakery & Table Hakone Lunch · Waiting at the window is limited to 30 minutes
- 0713:30 Hakone Shrine and Torii of Peace · If there is a long wait for filming, priority is given to viewing the main shrine.
- 0814:50 Bus → Hakone Yumoto · Tonosawa · Weekend congestion, 30-60 minutes to spare
- 09Check-in at ryokan by 16:30, hot springs, kaiseki dinner around 18:00
After a morning in the valley, we finish in Yumoto.
- 0107:30 Breakfast at the ryokan, hot springs, 10:00 check-out
- 02Tonosawa → Hakone Yumoto · 1 stop by train or bus
- 0310:20 Walk along the Hayakawa River and Yumoto Shopping Street · Leave your suitcase at the station.
- 0411:00 Hatsuhana Soba Main Store · Zaru soba lunch with natural yam
- 0512:20 Return to Hakone Yumoto Station · Confirm souvenirs and reserved seats
- 06Around 13:00 Romancecar → Shinjuku · Approximately 80 minutes
- 07For international flights, reserve at least 3 hours to travel to the airport after arriving in Shinjuku.
- 08When the ropeway or cruise ship is not in service, you can get down directly by Yumoto Bus and extend the shopping district schedule.
EAT ALONG THE ROUTE
From tofu to soba,
Eat at the transfer point.
Operating hours and prices are confirmed as of September 2026. In mountainous areas, changes occur frequently due to weather, regular inspections, and material depletion. If dinner at the ryokan is included on the second day, order lightly Bakery & Table and black eggs.
DAY 1 · Lunch
Tamura Kinkatsutei Main Store
- movement line
- Approximately 2-3 minutes walk from Gora Station · After leaving luggage at the hotel, before going to the museum
- menu
- Tofu Katsuni set meal made with minced pork between tofu and boiled in egg broth
- budget
- Representative set meal approx. ¥1,870 · Top set meal approx. ¥3,135
- sales
- Mon-Thurs-Sun 11:00–14:30 reception, 17:00–19:00 reception · Tuesday lunch only · Closed on Wednesday
Because it is Gora's signature menu, a line forms even before it opens. To adhere to museum stay times, enter at 11:00 and check the official information on the day for the end of on-site registration and temporary closure.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 2 · Snack
Owakudani Kurotamagokan
- movement line
- In front of Owakudani Ropeway Station / After visiting the observatory, before going down to Togendai
- menu
- Kurotamago, whose skin is blackened by boiling it in hot spring water.
- budget
- Latest information ¥500 per bag of 4 · Sales quantity and price are given priority on site
- sales
- Concession stand 09:00–16:15 · Egg sales 09:00–16:20 · Changes depending on season and weather
Since it is a boiled egg, it is a light snack before dinner at a ryokan. Volcanic gases and weather may be controlled or sold out. Please dispose of the eaten shells at a designated location.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 2 · Lunch
Bakery & Table Hakone
- movement line
- Right in front of Moto Hakone Port, before getting off the pirate ship and walking to Hakone Shrine
- menu
- Rice flour curry donuts, Hakone Danish, sandwiches and seasonal brunch
- budget
- Bread and drinks approx. ¥1,000–2,000 · 3rd floor meal approx. ¥2,000–3,000
- sales
- Bakery 09:00–17:00 · 2nd floor cafe 09:00–17:00, last order 16:30 · Temporary closure possible
There may be a long wait for lake view seats. If your schedule is priority, it is more efficient to choose bread on the first floor and eat briefly, and wait for a window seat on the second floor only on rainy days.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 3 · Lunch
Hatsuhana Soba Main Store
- movement line
- Approximately 5–10 minutes walk from Hakone Yumoto Station along the Hayakawa River. Last meal before returning home.
- menu
- Seiro soba and Yamakake soba made with natural yam and eggs
- budget
- Approximately ¥1,000–2,000 per person
- sales
- 10:00–19:00 · Closed on Wednesdays, if it is a public holiday, alternative closing days are possible
It features soft noodles kneaded with natural yam and eggs instead of water. Please arrive at least 90 minutes before your return train, and check whether the branch in front of the station is open if there is a long wait.
Check the latest information ↗WEATHER FIRST
Before the table,
View driving status.
The basic ropeway service is 09:00–17:00 from February to November and 09:00–16:15 from December to January. It takes about 45 minutes from Sounzan to Togendai via Owakudani and Ubako. But it can be stopped by strong winds, lightning, volcanic gases and inspections. Check the official status in the morning and make sure you don't stay too long in Owakudani to catch the 11th hour boat.
When the ropeway or cruise ship stops, take the bus from Gora to Hakone-machi/MotoHakone, or change your entire itinerary to a Yumoto walk. Forcing a taxi to connect a section that is not in service increases both costs and waiting times.
ONE PASS
Free pass and
Limited express tickets are different.
The Hakone Free Pass from Shinjuku is ¥7,100 for a 2-day pass and ¥7,500 for a 3-day pass. This itinerary is a 3-day ticket. All seats on the Romancecar are reserved, and the free pass does not include limited express fares, so a separate one-way fee of ¥1,200 from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto is charged. The required transportation fee, including the round-trip Romancecar, is ¥9,900 per adult.
WHERE TO STAY
Two hot spring ryokans,
Gora Hotel Two
Recommendation Conclusion
For DAY 1, WPÜ is better for 1 minute to the station and travel efficiency, and Yutowa is better for the convenience of a lounge and two meals. DAY 2 is Yamanochaya for a quiet bamboo forest and in-room hot springs, and Fukuzumiro for the history of a cultural property wooden inn and relatively low prices. Choose one Gora and one Tonosawa.
Yamanochaya
Approximately 10 minutes walk from Tonosawa Station · Bamboo forest across Hayakawa Suspension Bridge
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥90,000–180,000+ / 1 night, breakfast and dinner included
- breakfast
- Japanese-style breakfast · Check rooms and dining locations by plan and room
- Dinner
- Check-in is recommended by 17:00 to prepare seasonal kaiseki and dinner.
- parking
- Free parking available · Advance contact recommended as access road and number of vehicles are limited.
- Advantages
- The hotel has 15 rooms, its own water source, and an open-air bath overlooking the valley and bamboo forest, creating a strong sense of silence within the hotel.
- Cons
- The price is high and there is a suspension bridge and stairs, making it difficult to enter for travelers with large suitcases or walking difficulties.
Fukuzumiro
Approximately 5 minutes on foot from Tonosawa Station, a registered tangible cultural property ryokan along the Hayakawa River
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥45,000–90,000+ / 1 night, breakfast and dinner included
- breakfast
- Check your reservation plan for Japanese breakfast and in-room meals.
- Dinner
- Seasonal Japanese course · Check-in by 17:00 recommended
- parking
- Free parking available · Space is limited, so check in advance when using a car
- Advantages
- Established in 1890, the wooden building, each room has a different riverside view, and the historical atmosphere of the hot springs is distinct.
- Cons
- Because it is an old wooden structure, soundproofing, stairs, and shared bathrooms are not as comfortable as modern hotels, and bathroom conditions are different for each room.
WPÜ HOTEL HAKONE
Approximately 1 minute walk from Gora Station · Priority on hiking tram and restaurant routes on the first day
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥23,000–36,000 / 1 night
- breakfast
- 07:30–09:30 · Check the reservation screen to see whether breakfast is included and additional fees.
- Dinner
- Hotel restaurant operation · Check operating days and availability for dinner courses
- parking
- Free 10 cars · No reservations, first-come, first-served basis
- Advantages
- It's right in front of the station and has a hot spring, lounge, and restaurant, so it's easy to get around and have dinner even if you arrive late.
- Cons
- Parking fills up quickly, some rooms require use of a public hot spring without a bathtub, and weekend rates rise significantly.
Hakone Yutowa
Approximately 5 minutes walk from Gora Station / Between Gora Park and Sculpture Forest
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥38,000–65,000+ / 1 night, depending on meal conditions
- breakfast
- Japanese/Western buffet 07:00–09:00 · Last admission 08:30
- Dinner
- 90-minute buffet and free flow plan available. Check whether dinner is included.
- parking
- Free 42 cars · Approximately 150m from the main building
- Advantages
- There is a plan that includes a spacious lounge, foot bath garden, hot spring, and meals, so it is good to extend your stay in Gora.
- Cons
- The building is divided into several buildings, so depending on the room, it takes a long time to get to the restaurant and public bath, and there is no open-air public bath.
Rate criteria · Approximate range of 2 people per room per night searchable in September 2026. Prices increase significantly depending on weekends, fall foliage season, room open-air bath, and meal level. On the reservation screen, double-check the two meals included, bathing tax, child-friendly rooms, and cancellation conditions.
BUDGET GUIDE
Estimated cost per person
This is the cost per person for a two-person trip and excludes flights, accommodation in Tokyo, and shopping. Breakfast and dinner at Tonosawa Ryokan are included in the accommodation fee. Yamanochaya higher-end rooms and fall foliage season weekends make the biggest difference to your overall budget.
GOOD
Advantages of this schedule
- Connect the mountain tram, cable car, ropeway, and boat without going back.
- Experience Gora Hotel and Hot Spring Ryokan once each
- Separate the art museum on the first day and focus on mountain transportation on the second day.
CHECK
Things to know
- Even on a clear day, Mt. Fuji may not be visible due to clouds.
- Ropeways and cruise ships may be suspended due to strong winds, fog, or inspections.
- Weekend MotoHakone-Yumoto buses face heavy road congestion
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Please check again before departure.
Odakyu · Hakone Free Pass period/section/fee ↗Odakyu · Romancecar travel time / reserved seat limited express fare ↗Hakone Nabi · Mountain transportation real-time operation status ↗Hakone Ropeway · Hours by section · Operating hours by season ↗Information on Hakone pirate ship, port, travel time, and suspension of service ↗Sculpture Forest Art Museum · Operating hours · Admission fee ↗Tamura Kinkatsutei · Business days and reception hours ↗Owakudani Kurotamagokan · Store operation information ↗Fukuzumiro · Room, hot spring, meal information ↗Hakone Yutowa · Meal, parking, check-in information ↗PHOTO CREDITS · Lake Ashi·Mt.Fuji·Hakone Shrine: Go2Japan introduction image · Forest of Sculpture Art Museum: Expedia introduction image · Owakudani: GetYourGuide introduction image · Pirate ship: Jalan user image · Food and room photos are images from the official gallery or travel/reservation introduction page of each store/accommodation and have been resized for editing.
English edition of our Korean guide. Times and prices retain the source review date; they are not live booking quotes. Check eligibility for visitor fares and plan international flights separately.