Hakone箱根
A mountain hot-spring resort south-west of Tokyo, famous for onsen ryokan, Lake Ashi with its Mt Fuji views, and the 'Hakone Round Course' — a loop of mountain railway, cablecar, ropeway and sightseeing pirate-ship that the Hakone Free Pass covers in one ticket. Excellent art museums dot the hills.
Onsen Nature Art Couples
Also works as a day trip from Tokyo.
Verified highlights
Hakone Open-Air MuseumMuseum
Step-free
A hillside sculpture park where Henry Moore and Picasso works sit among the mountains, with a hands-on 'woods of net' play structure kids love and a warm footbath fed by a spring.
Bakery & Table HakoneFood
Vegetarian options Vegan options Cards OK Step-free
A stylish lakeside bakery-café by the Moto-Hakone boat pier — a ground-floor bakery, upstairs dining and a terrace with a free footbath looking over the water.
Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise (Pirate Ships)Landmark
Step-free
Galleon-styled sightseeing boats glide across Lake Ashi between Moto-Hakone, Hakone-machi and Togendai, with Mt Fuji ahead on clear days.
Tamura Ginkatsutei (tofu-katsu)Food
Cards OK
A famous Gora institution for 'tofu-katsu-ni' — silky tofu wrapped in pork, breaded, fried and simmered with egg in a clay pot.
OwakudaniViewpoint
Step-free
A steaming volcanic valley reached by the Hakone Ropeway, where sulphurous vents boil the famous black 'kuro-tamago' eggs said to add years to your life.
Amazake Chaya (Edo teahouse)Food
Vegetarian options Vegan options Alcohol-free Cash only
A thatched teahouse on the old Tokaido that has served travellers for some 400 years, ladling out sweet non-alcoholic amazake and toasted mochi by an open hearth.
Pola Museum of ArtMuseum
Step-free
A beautifully sited glass-and-light museum buried in the forest, holding one of Japan's best Impressionist and Modern collections (Monet, Renoir, Picasso) plus a wooded sculpture walk.
Watanabe BakeryFood
Vegetarian options Alcohol-free Cards OK
A century-old Miyanoshita bakery famous for its hearty 'onsen' beef-stew bread; plenty of meat-free baked goods too.
Neighbourhoods
Hakone-Yumoto
The hot-spring gateway town where the Odakyu line meets the Hakone Tozan railway — a riverside huddle of bath-houses, soba shops, sweet stalls and marquetry-craft stores. Most visitors pass through here; it's the cheapest, most connected base.
Gora & the Open-Air Museum
The mid-mountain hub reached by switchback railway and a funicular cablecar, home to the superb Hakone Open-Air Museum, the French-style Gora Park and quiet ryokan. A natural centre for the art-and-onsen side of Hakone.
Lake Ashi & Moto-Hakone
The crater lake at Hakone's heart, crossed by replica sightseeing 'pirate ships', with the famous Hakone Shrine torii standing in the water, the Edo-era checkpoint nearby, and the steaming Owakudani valley above. On clear days Mt Fuji crowns the view.
Sengokuhara
A high, open plateau of design-led art museums — Pola, the Venetian Glass Museum, the Lalique Museum — set among woods, with a golden pampas-grass field that draws crowds in autumn. The calmest, most cultured corner of Hakone, easiest with a car.
Where to stay
Hakone-Yumoto
The gateway town at the railway terminus — most lodging, shops and bus connections, and the cheapest base. Convenient but the busiest part of Hakone.
Gora & the Open-Air Museum
Up the mountain by the Tozan railway and cablecar — classic ryokan with hot-spring baths, central to the museums and the Round Course. A scenic, restful base.
Sengokuhara
A quieter highland of design ryokan, art museums and the pampas-grass field — best for couples wanting calm and good baths over convenience.
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Getting there
Hakone-Yumoto (Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku)
The Odakyu Romancecar runs Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto in ~85 min. The Hakone Free Pass (bought at Odakyu) then covers the whole Round Course — railway, cablecar, ropeway, Lake Ashi cruise and Tozan buses.
Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus (Shinjuku/Tokyo)
Direct buses from Shinjuku's Busta terminal to Lake Ashi/Togendai (~2h). Driving from Tokyo is ~1h45 via the Tomei/Odawara-Atsugi road; a car helps reach Sengokuhara and the outer museums.
FAQ
Can you do the Hakone Round Course in one day?
Yes — the classic loop of mountain railway, cablecar, ropeway and the Lake Ashi sightseeing boat fits a full day if you start from Hakone-Yumoto by mid-morning. Buy the Hakone Free Pass, which covers all four modes, and go clockwise to beat the tour groups to the ropeway.
What can vegetarians eat in Hakone?
More than most mountain towns: tofu and yuba (soy skin) specialities are local staples, and tabi's catalog has verified vegetarian options at half a dozen places, from Watanabe Bakery to the yumochi sweets at Chimoto — every one checked against the actual menu.
Is Hakone still worth it in the rain?
Often — the onsen are best in bad weather, and Hakone's art museums are first-rate indoor stops. The trade-off is that clouds usually hide Mt Fuji from the ropeway and Lake Ashi, so save the boat for the clearest window in the forecast.
How up to date is this information?
Every place in the catalog is human-checked, and volatile facts — opening hours, closures, payment — sit on a quarterly re-verification cycle. Plans and pages are regenerated with every site release, so what you read reflects the current catalog.