Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo 2026: Itinerary, Transport and Freepass Guide
Hakone is close to Tokyo. The hard part is the number of vehicles you ride in a single day: train, mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing boat and bus. This guide covers 4 things:
- Getting there: 3 ways to go from Shinjuku, the pass, the bus or a private car, with fares, travel times and transfers side by side
- Private car: 3 day trip routes with pick-up and drop-off in Tokyo's 23 wards
- Sights: opening hours for Owakudani, Lake Ashi, the Hakone Checkpoint and Hakone Shrine
- Where to stay and how to choose: why Shinjuku makes early starts easy, and which option fits your group and the season
- There are 3 ways to do a Hakone day trip from Tokyo: the Romancecar plus Hakone Freepass loop, the highway bus straight to Lake Ashi, or a private car
- From Shinjuku, the Hakone Freepass only comes as a 2-day or 3-day pass, JPY 7,100 for a 2-day adult pass
- In winter, the Hakone Ropeway closes at 16:15 in December and January
- The highway bus from Shinjuku to Togendai takes about 2 hours 25 minutes and costs JPY 2,560, and does not stop at Hakone-Yumoto
- If you would rather skip the transfers, we have mapped out 3 private car day trip routes with pickup and drop-off in Tokyo's 23 wards
Hakone day trip options compared: Freepass, highway bus or private car
| Option | Getting there | Where you go | Tickets you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Romancecar + Hakone Freepass | Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, 75 min or more (official) | Gora, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Checkpoint, Hakone Shrine | Hakone Freepass (2-day adult JPY 7,100) + Romancecar limited express ticket |
| B: Highway bus to Lake Ashi | Busta Shinjuku to Hakone Togendai, about 2 h 25 min | Lake Ashi, Hakone Checkpoint, Hakone Shrine | Highway bus (adult one way JPY 2,560) + sightseeing boat |
| C: Private car | Board at your hotel in Tokyo's 23 wards, no transfers | Your choice; see the 3 routes below | No train or bus tickets; buy ropeway or boat tickets only if you ride them |
The number of transfers differs a lot. A means train, mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, boat and bus; B is just bus and boat; C has none. The pass in A is the 2-day pass; there is no 1-day version on the official pages. The 3 boat legs in B are Togendai to Hakone-machi, Hakone-machi to Moto-Hakone, and Moto-Hakone back to Togendai.
- A suits first-timers who want both Owakudani and Lake Ashi.
- B has the fewest transfers and works if you mainly want the lake, the checkpoint and the shrine. You skip Owakudani, and the bus can run late.
- C suits families with older parents or small kids who would rather not change vehicles six times, and you pick your own stops.
Option A: Romancecar and the Hakone Freepass loop
This is the classic loop. Take the Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, switch to the Hakone Tozan Railway up to Gora, then ride the cable car to Sounzan. Next, take the ropeway via Owakudani to Togendai, cross Lake Ashi by sightseeing boat to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone, and catch a bus back to Hakone-Yumoto.
| Leg | Transport | Official time | Adult one-way (JPY) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto | Romancecar (all seats reserved) | 75 min or more | Fare 1,270 + limited express 1,200 |
| Hakone-Yumoto → Gora | Hakone Tozan Railway | About 40 min | 460 |
| Gora → Sounzan | Hakone Tozan Cable Car | About 10 min | 430 |
| Sounzan → Owakudani → Togendai | Hakone Ropeway | About 10 min per section | 2,000 (flat) |
| Togendai → Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone | Hakone Sightseeing Cruise | About 25–40 min | 1,700 |
Railway and cable car fares are from the Hakone Navi fare table, which is marked "revised October 1, 2022".
Hakone Freepass price and coverage
From Shinjuku, the Hakone Freepass costs JPY 7,100 for adults and JPY 1,600 for children (2 days), or JPY 7,500 and JPY 1,850 (3 days). These prices have applied since October 1, 2025.
It covers a round trip on the Odakyu Line from your starting station to Odawara, plus the Hakone Tozan Line, Hakone Tozan Bus (designated sections), cable car, ropeway, sightseeing boat, Odakyu Highway Bus (designated sections), Tokai Bus (designated sections) and the sightseeing facility loop bus.
The Romancecar needs a separate limited express ticket. Passes go on sale one month before your travel date, and ticket machines only sell passes starting the same day.
Winter ropeway hours
The Hakone Ropeway runs 9:00–17:00 from February to November, and 9:00–16:15 at all stations in December and January. The operator may suspend service for strong wind, lightning, approaching typhoons, volcanic gas levels or scheduled maintenance. If you start up from Gora too late in the afternoon, you may miss the last ropeway to Togendai, so keep a backup plan.
Romancecar trains and limited express tickets
The Romancecar is all reserved seats. Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto takes 75 minutes or more, and an adult one-way trip is the JPY 1,270 fare plus a JPY 1,200 limited express ticket, which you still need with the Freepass. Some trains also run through to Odawara in October and November 2026.
Option B: highway bus straight to Lake Ashi, fewest transfers
Odakyu Highway Bus runs the Shinjuku–Gotemba–Hakone line from Busta Shinjuku via Gotemba and Sengokuhara to Hakone Togendai, in about 2 hours 25 minutes. Adults pay JPY 2,560 and children JPY 1,280. It does not stop at Hakone-Yumoto Station. All seats need a reservation. Online booking opens at 10:00 one month before travel, and paying online by credit card, d-barai or PayPay gives a 3% discount.
Highway bus times
Weekday and weekend/holiday times are the same:
- Out, Busta Shinjuku → Hakone Togendai: 6:35 → 9:00, 7:05 → 9:30
- Back, Hakone Togendai → Busta Shinjuku: 16:25 → 19:00, last bus 17:55 → 20:30
The Odakyu Highway Bus timetable PDF header says "revised April 1, 2026", while the route page says the timetable changed on June 1, 2026. For the return trip, aim for the 16:25 bus and keep the 17:55 last bus as your backup, so a small timetable change won't leave you short of time.
What to do from Togendai
Take the boat to Hakone-machi Port and walk 5 minutes to the Hakone Checkpoint. Ride one more leg to Moto-Hakone for Hakone Shrine, then take the boat back to Togendai for your bus. One-way boat fares: Togendai to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone JPY 1,700 each, Hakone-machi to Moto-Hakone JPY 600.
Odakyu Highway Bus says the Tomei Expressway is under renovation from September 24 to December 18, with intensive work from October 19 to November 7, so the highway bus may run late during this period. If you take the bus before mid-December, leave slack on the way back.
Option C: Hakone private car, no transfers at all
Option A means six different vehicles in one day, and each change adds queues, stairs and walking. If you are travelling with older parents, a stroller or lots of bags, the transfers are often more tiring than the sights. A private car links one stop to the next without chasing timetables.
You are picked up at your Tokyo hotel and ride all the way to Hakone, with no dragging bags between platforms. Agree on the order of stops with the driver first, and on the day you can linger where you like instead of racing the next departure.
The ropeway is the part of Hakone most affected by weather. If it stops, a car can head straight to the lakeside stops instead: Lake Ashi, the Hakone Checkpoint and Hakone Shrine. At the end of the day the car takes you straight back to your Tokyo hotel, with no last bus or train to catch.
Hakone private car day trip routes we recommend
All 3 routes assume a 10-hour private car with pickup and drop-off in Tokyo's 23 wards. The order of stops is our general suggestion, and you can adjust it with the driver for the season and the places you want to see.
Route 1: The classic loop, Owakudani and Lake Ashi
Get a 1-on-1 itinerary quoteTokyo hotel → Sounzan → Ropeway via Owakudani to Togendai → Boat to Hakone-machi Port → Hakone Checkpoint → Hakone Shrine → Tokyo hotel
- Good forFirst-timers who want the highlights of option A in one day without changing vehicles six times.
- TipsRide the ropeway in the morning, since it closes at 16:15 in December and January, and switch to the lakeside stops if it is not running. Have the car wait on the Hakone-machi side so you can go from the Checkpoint straight to the Shrine.
- Short on timeDrop Hakone Shrine and head back to Tokyo after the Checkpoint.
Route 2: Less walking for older parents and kids, three lakeside stops
Get a 1-on-1 itinerary quoteTokyo hotel → Togendai Port → Boat to Hakone-machi Port → Hakone Checkpoint → Hakone Shrine → Tokyo hotel
- Good forFamilies with older parents, strollers, or anyone who would rather avoid stairs. There is no mountain railway, cable car or ropeway, just one boat ride; the rest is by car.
- TipsA ropeway suspension does not affect this route. The Checkpoint is a 5-minute walk from Hakone-machi Port and closes at 16:30 from December to February, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. If you want amulets or a goshuin at Hakone Shrine, the counter is open 8:15–17:00.
- Short on timeDrop Togendai Port and the boat, and drive straight to the Hakone Checkpoint, then the Shrine.
Route 3: A slow lakeside day, plus Gotemba on the way back
Get a 1-on-1 itinerary quoteTokyo hotel → Togendai Port → Boat to Moto-Hakone Port → Hakone Shrine → Gotemba → Tokyo hotel
- Good forTravellers who would rather take it easy by the lake than tick off sights, and want to stop in Gotemba on the way home.
- TipsThe highway bus runs via Gotemba to Togendai, so Gotemba and Lake Ashi lie in the same direction. Whatever you buy in Gotemba goes straight into the car. For Gotemba itself, see Gotemba Premium Outlets day trip 2026.
- Short on timeDrop Gotemba and head back to Tokyo from Hakone Shrine.
Have this ready when you ask about a private car on LINE
- Your hotel (name or address)
- Date of use
- Number of people and luggage (strollers, large bags)
- Your planned itinerary
For a faster, more accurate quote, please send all of the above in one message on LINE.
4 Hakone stops worth adding: Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Checkpoint, Hakone Shrine
Owakudani
Stay: about 40 minutes
The middle station on the ropeway. The operator decides on volcanic gas suspensions using readings from several points, and gas levels are not directly linked to the volcanic alert level, so the ropeway can stop even when the alert level has not changed. The Owakudani nature trail has been closed since May 2015. You can now enter only on a guided visit booked online through the Hakone Town tourism association website.
Lake Ashi (Togendai Port)
Stay: about 1 hour
Where the ropeway meets the boats, and where the highway bus stops. The boat from Togendai to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone takes about 25–40 minutes.
Hakone Checkpoint
Stay: about 40 minutes
A 5-minute walk from Hakone-machi Port. Open 9:00–17:00, until 16:30 from December to February, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Admission is JPY 500 for adults (JPY 400 with the Hakone Freepass and similar passes) and JPY 250 for children (JPY 150 with a pass).
Hakone Shrine
Stay: about 40 minutes
In Moto-Hakone. The shrine lists its amulet and goshuin counter at 8:15–17:00, prayer service reception at 8:30–16:00, and treasure hall reception at 9:00–16:00.
Where to stay for a Hakone day trip: Shinjuku makes early starts easy
Both the Romancecar and the highway bus leave from Shinjuku, and the first bus goes at 6:35, so staying around Shinjuku makes early starts easier. To compare other areas, see Where to stay in Tokyo 2026. If you are travelling with older parents, Tokyo with older parents 2026 may help.
If you would rather split Hakone into two days, the Freepass starts at 2 days anyway, so a night in Hakone means day two's transport is already paid for. That is a general suggestion; where you stay depends on your plans.
Which Hakone day trip suits you: your group and the season
- First time and keen on Owakudani: option A, or private car route 1.
- With older parents or kids: private car route 2, which covers Lake Ashi, the Hakone Checkpoint and Hakone Shrine without the ropeway.
- Just the lake at an easy pace: the highway bus in option B, or private car route 3 with Gotemba on the way back.
- Going in December or January: the ropeway closes at 16:15 and the Checkpoint at 16:30, so start early; with a private car you can leave your hotel earlier.
Hakone day trip FAQ
Is there a 1-day Hakone Freepass?＋
The Odakyu and Hakone Navi pages only list 2-day and 3-day passes. From Shinjuku, the 2-day adult pass is JPY 7,100.
How should I plan a Hakone private car day trip?＋
Start from one of the 3 routes in this guide: the classic loop with Owakudani and Lake Ashi, three lakeside stops with less walking, or a slow lakeside day plus Gotemba. All start and end in Tokyo's 23 wards. If you want the ropeway, ride it in the morning, since it closes at 16:15 in December and January.
Can I ride the Romancecar with the pass?＋
Yes, but you need a separate limited express ticket: JPY 1,200 from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, or JPY 1,150 ticketless.
When does the ropeway close in winter?＋
9:00–16:15 at all stations in December and January, and 9:00–17:00 from February to November. It may also stop for wind, volcanic gas or maintenance.
Will the highway bus be slow in December?＋
Odakyu Highway Bus says roadworks on the Tomei Expressway run until December 18 so the highway bus may run late during this period; leave slack on the way back. A private car leaves from your hotel on your own schedule.
