Complete Guide: How To Get To Hakone From Tokyo

Hakone is a beautiful, mountainous region in Japan, and it can be the perfect retreat from chaotic city life. If you want to get away from Tokyo for a day or two, Hakone is the ideal destination!

In fact, Hakone is one of the best spots to see Mount Fuji.

So, how can you get to Hakone from Tokyo? In this guide, we’ll explore the easiest way to get to Hakone from Tokyo by train.

If you have the JR Pass, the pass will cover most of the journey. Keep reading to learn more.

Getting From Tokyo To Hakone By Train

To get to Hakone by train, you can start your journey at Tokyo Station.

From there, you can take the Hikari or Kodama bullet train to Odawara Station. The journey takes around 40 minutes.

Then, you’ll need to purchase a ticket to Hakone-Yumoto (a local train that isn’t included in the JR Pass). The journey takes around 20 minutes.

Depending on your hotel location, you may need to go on another local train.

So, to summarize, here are the steps to follow to get to Hakone from Tokyo:

1. Go to Tokyo Station
2. Take the Hikari or Kodama bullet train to Odawara Station (40 minutes)
3. Take the train to Hakone-Yumoto Station (20 minutes)

If you’re unsure about the way, we recommend you go to the JR ticket office in Tokyo Station, and they can help you figure out your itinerary to Hakone.

Alternatively, if you don’t have the Japan Rail Pass, you can browse train and bus routes on 12GO.

Day Trip To Hakone From Tokyo

Hakone is the perfect spot for a day trip from Tokyo. However, depending on your itinerary, you might want to consider spending the night in Hakone.

You can organize a day trip by yourself or join a guided tour to explore Hakone. Most day trips last the whole day.

Book a day-trip

Now, it’s important to note that usually, you’ll have a higher chance of seeing Mount Fuji in the morning when the sky is clear. It’s possible that you won’t see it if it’s too cloudy, so I recommend you manage your expectations.

To increase your chance of seeing Mount Fuji, we recommend staying one night in the area.

While Hakone is known to offer breathtaking views of Mount Fuji, it can be difficult to see the mountain due to poor visibility. This is particularly true during midday when fog and low clouds tend to obscure the mountain.

To give you an idea, my partner and I left Tokyo station around 12PM. We arrived at our hotel around 2PM to drop off our luggage.

When we got to Lake Ashinoko around 3PM, it was extremely cloudy and started raining. The visibility was too poor, and we could barely see the lake.

Getting Around Hakone

From Hakone-Yumoto station, a local train goes all the way to Gora station. The train is quite slow and steep, and it’ll give the impression it’s going back and forth between places.

From Gora Station to Sounzan, you can take a cable car. From there, you can switch to Hakone Ropeway (it’s basically a gondola) to reach Togendai Station, where Lake Ashinoko is.

Togendai station is popular because you can do a sightseeing cruise from there.

You’ll also find buses and taxis around the main stations.

If you’re planning on visiting the area for two days or more, consider purchasing the Hakone Freepass for unlimited rides on the 8 transportation networks in the Hakone area.

Is Hakone Worth Visiting?

I believe Hakone is worth the trip. It’s a great place to see Mount Fuji, and enjoy the nature.

However, if you’re limited with time and can’t spend at least 1-2 nights in the area, it could be disappointing if you don’t get to see Mount Fuji.

Hakone is a special place, but the weather will dictate your experience, and you may not get to see Mount Fuji.

I know I’m repeating myself here, but it was an expensive and long trip for us, so we would have needed a minimum of 2 days to increase our chance of seeing Mount Fuji.

Thankfully, our next stop was Lake Kawaguchiko. My goal here was to visit two spots to increase our chance of seeing Mount Fuji because during my first visit to Japan, it was too cloudy, and I didn’t see it during a day-trip.

Is One Day In Hakone Enough?

One day in Hakone is enough for a quick and basic experience of its tourist attractions. But, there is no guarantee that you’ll get to see Mount Fuji.

If you’re on a tight schedule and can’t spend more than one day for your visit, I recommend you get an early start or wake up early the day you’re checking out your hotel.

That way, you’ll have a better chance of seeing Mount Fuji.

How Many Days In Hakone?

If you want to make the most of your visit to Hakone, it’s best to stay for at least two nights. That way, you’ll have a higher chance of seeing Mount Fuji as the weather can be unpredictable.

Also, you’ll have enough time to explore other attractions such as the hot springs and Onsen. Plus, there are plenty of places to walk and see the Shrines.

Finally, you can also take a sightseeing cruise on Lake Ashinoko.

Make sure to pick a hotel close to the Lake, or one of the stations like Gora Station.

There are more restaurants and cafés around. We were staying a bit further, and it was more difficult to get around the area.

Find Hotel

Considering that it’s a mountain area, walking isn’t always the best option as there are main roads without footpaths and it can be dangerous to walk there.

Getting Around Japan

When visiting Japan, one of the best ways to get around is by using the Japan Rail Pass.

This pass grants unlimited access to all JR Lines across the country, and you can find more details on their website.

We used the bullet train to reach Odawara Station from Tokyo, and then, we simply needed to purchase local train tickets to reach Hakone.

Final Thoughts On Visiting Hakone From Tokyo

Hakone is definitely a great place to visit if you’re in Tokyo or Osaka. It’s a fantastic place for enjoying the nature and, depending on the day and the weather, you can even see Mount Fuji from some spots in Hakone.

It’s better to plan ahead and stay for at least 2 nights to increase your chances of seeing Mount Fuji. Also, consider purchasing the Hakone Freepass if you plan on movings around the area.

Finally, don’t forget to pick a hotel close to one of the main stations for more convenience.

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