Tokyo getaway: Hakone from Tokyo

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If you are in Japan for an extended amount of time, I hope Hakone makes it on your list! Ultimately I am a city girl, but a night in this resort town will always be welcomed especially since Hakone from Tokyo is very doable.As many others before me have said, you CAN do it in a day but since Hakone is known for their amazing hot springs, I suggest staying one night. The trip is truly relaxing, and the views will be even better than you imagined. So let’s get started with some helpful tips to plan your getaway.

Hakone from Toyko (Hakone Pass)

First, head to Odawara station where you will buy your Hakone passes (look for one of the customer service windows, they are pretty easy to find)! If you do the entire Hakone loop without a pass it is 6300 yen, while the pass is 4500 yen. Every bus, train, cable car etc. is included as well as discounts for some attractions (like the open air museum).

Where to stay

For the full experience I recommend staying in a traditional ryokan. We stayed at the Aura Tachiban Ryokan in a traditional Japanese room. Who knew sleeping on the floor would result in an amazing nights sleep?! This ryokan includes free dinner, free breakfast, yukatas to use your whole stay and free access to the public onsen. Another added benefit was the free shuttle to and from the train station (simply call the hotel and they will send one for you)! Upon your arrival at the ryokan, you will be greeted with some matcha tea, shown your room, and given your yukatas. Afterward, the evening can be spent eating an amazing dinner, exploring a local shrine nearby, and of course, soaking in the onsen!

If you need help in finding the perfect place, I found this article from another blog very helpful when I was researching for my trip.

 

 

To do

Hakone Loop

How you manage to experience this is up to you, but I hope sharing our itinerary will help you in planning your perfect sight seeing day! With the help of this guide, this circuit made the most sense.

1/ The day willon the Hakone Tozan Railways towards Gora (from the Hakone Yumoto Station). Along this route you can hop off at the Open Air Museum with outdoor artwork, Picasso exhibits and more.

2/ Next up, ride the cable car to Sounzan where you jump on the Ropeway for the first stop – Owakudani . This may have been my favorite part! A volcanic valley with active hot springs and sulfur vents? I had no idea how cool it would be! First and foremost, make sure to purchase the Kuro-tamago, or “black eggs” that are hard-boiled in the hot springs. You will receive a bag of 5 eggs for 500 yen. Each one is said to add 7 years to your life…so eat as many as you like ;).

Note: You may think the ropeway part of the trip ends, but you still have a little ways to go to get closer to Lake Ashi. At this point, climb back up to the station and enjoy the beautiful views of the Lake and Fuji from above!

3/ After hoping off the ropeway, eagerly wait in line to experience Lake Ashi from a pirate ship! Hopefully you receive a glimpse of Mt. Fuji along the way. Regardless, you will love being out on the water.

4/ Finally, hop on the bus and get off at the “Hakonejinjairiguchi” bus stop. From here, walk about 11 minutes to the beautiful Hakone Shrine. Once you get an epic photo (do it for the gram) head back on the bus to Hakone Yumoto Station to head back to Odawara!

Summary of our route:

Hakone Tozan Railways – Hakone Tozan Cable Car – Ropeway (Owakudani) – Hakone sightseeing Cruise – Hakone Tozan Bus (for the Hakone Shrine) then back to Hakone Yumoto Station to head back to Odawara!

Museums

If you love art, history, Venetian glass or the tale of the Little Prince check out the top ten museums here. Next time, I hope to be able to give the museums some more love.

Soak in an Onsen

Natural hot springs or an onsen are the many draws to escaping to the mountain resort of Hakone. Although it is wonderful to stay in a ryokan, this is not the only way to experience the health benefits and relaxation of the springs. There are onsen that are open to the public for daytime visitors as well. Especially if you have traveled to Hakone from Tokyo, you will want to rest from the hustle and bustle of the city.

What to wear

This is a little tricky as Hakone is available all year round (each season with it’s own beauty)! For this reason, I can only give insight on our trip. Parts of the journey will be VERY windy (as we experienced). Therefore opt for a romper or pants instead of a dress and bring a light jacket. For this trip, layers may be your best friend no matter the season.

 

 

I hope this helps for you to have a similar and beautiful experience for your magical getaway!

Is there anything I MUST do for when I return to Hakone?

Til next time,

Katherine

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