On my first trip to Japan, Hakone was our second stop into the first week of July after visiting Tokyo for a week. We wanted to be able to have the traditional and authentic Japanese experience of staying at a ryokan and relaxing in onsen baths while we were in Japan and not only was Hakone the perfect town for it, but it was also on the way to our next stops: Kyoto and Osaka. Hakone is famous for its hot springs, beautiful mountains, and rich history and we had the luxury of spending 2 nights and 3 days in Hakone. After our experience, I wanted to share with you the details of our trip so you can decide for yourself if it is worth visiting Hakone, Japan and how much time you should spend here. Don’t forget, here are 46 Comprehensive Things To Know Before Visiting Japan to help you get ready for your trip.
Quick History Of Hakone
The first onsen (hot spring or bathing facility) in Hakone was opened in 738 by a Buddhist priest and it is still being used to this day. Hakone Onsen became popular after a warlord took the time to rest and recover here after conquering Odawara Castle. Hakone became more of a tourist destination in the 19th and 20th century where they too indulged in the many onsens here. Most of Hakone is within the volcanically-active area of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park centered around Lake Ashi.
The Significance Of Onsens In Japan
Onsens are considered to be healing waters by the Japanese which have led to them being used in purifying rituals in the Shinto belief. The Emperor also used onsens as a healing bath as it contains many minerals from underground. The Japanese law says that the mineralized (must be sulphur, sodium, iron, or magnesium) hot spring water that feeds an onsen must be at least 24°C with at least a depth of 1.5 kilometers. In Japan, there are over 27,000 hot spring sources with 10 different types of onsen water, and 3,000 onsen establishments use the hot water from geothermally-heated springs.
Traditionally, onsens were outdoors and men and women used to bathe together to create familial bonds and strengthen friendships because there is no barrier between you. But now indoor onsens are available as well and as people from the West started visiting Japan during the Meiji Restoration era, onsens also became more conservative so now they are mostly split up for men and women, although you can find some that still cater to both genders. You are also not allowed to wear bathing suits (for the most part) and will be given a hand towel if you want to wipe away sweat or even cover yourself up slightly. And to this day, at least half of the onsens in Japan still do not allow for those who have tattoos to use their facilities as this rule was made to keep the Yakuza from entering. If you have tattoos (like my husband and I do), it’s best to either book a private onsen or look for tattoo-friendly onsens. Also keep in mind to never use soap, shampoo, or put anything (sometimes including your hand cloth) into the onsen as it is of utmost importance to keep the onsen clean.
Where To Stay When Visiting Hakone, Japan
First, when visiting Hakone, Japan, you absolutely have to stay at a ryokan for the authentic and traditional Japanese experience when visiting this hot spring resort town. Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns or accommodations with tatami (Japanese mat or flooring) rooms that offer local and in-season cuisine in the style of kaiseki (multi-course) meals, and onsen baths. Some of these inns can be very small with only a few rooms, and others can have as many as a hundred rooms or so. You can really immerse yourself in the Japanese lifestyle and experience their hospitality by staying at a ryokan and recovering during your Japan trip if you pack your days and walk a lot like I do on my trips. If this is the kind of experience you’re hoping to get from your own trip to Japan, this alone can be worth visiting Hakone for you. I also shared an Instagram reel a walkthrough of my ryokan experience in Hakone.
We stayed near the Hakone-Yumoto Station at Hakone Onsen Ryokan Yaeikan and chose their superior Japanese-style room with an open-air bath and mountain view at just over $600 CAD per night. Our accommodations included a private onsen, access to the public onsens, kaiseki breakfast and dinners included with a personal dining room. It was such a unique experience and definitely, something to add to your bucket list to do at least once in your life. We really enjoyed having access to our private onsen any time we liked and really looked forward to the kaiseki meals – the dishes were never-ending! And a lot of them were items I’ve never seen on any Japanese menu before so they’re very local as well as artfully created. Because there was so much food during our meals, we didn’t need to purchase our meals in Hakone although we occasionally bought snacks to try something new in Japan.
The workers here also spoke very little English which really made for an authentic experience and we were still able to somewhat communicate and get our messages across. And their hospitality and customer service were top-notch just like everywhere else we had visited in Japan. I think something that I did prefer was a regular bed and being in the same bed as my husband rather than sleeping on the floor separately (although there was a mattress), it was pretty cool being able to try this out. Also, something important to note for this particular ryokan we stayed at is that they only accept cash if you don’t pay in full at the time of booking.
You can also browse other accommodations or ryokans in Hakone, Japan using Hotels.com, Agoda.com or Booking.com. Like restaurants in Japan, there are a very limited amount of spots so be sure to book early so that you can get the best prices and a larger range of choices. Here are also the Best Ways To Save Money On Hotels For Your Next Vacation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hakone, Japan
Now that you know a little of the history of Hakone, the significance of onsens in Japan, and where you should be staying for an authentic Japanese experience, here are some of your most anticipated questions answered to help you determine if it is worth visiting Hakone:
How Long Does It Take To Get To Hakone From Tokyo?
It is just under $30 CAD and a 1.5-hour ride on the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo to get to Hakone-Yumoto Station. You can book your tickets online or purchase them in person, but I recommend booking them exactly a month in advance on the day of opening to ensure you can choose the time you want and have a seat or be able to choose where in the car you’d like to sit. I was one day late and had to book row 7 instead of the first seat at the front of the car for the best views on the ride from Tokyo to Hakone. But as people got off at different stops, others moved to the front. You will also need to have a regular ticket or use your Suica or Pasmo card to get into the station on top of the Romancecar Limited Express ticket (which I didn’t know) so I paid an additional $9 CAD for two people the morning of our ride.
Are You Deciding Between Hakone Or Kawaguchiko For Fuji Mountain Views?
Many people may ask if it’s better to visit Hakone or Kawaguchiko, and this time we decided to stay in Hakone because of the location where it’d be more convenient to go to our next stop in Japan. I had also thought it’d be possible to go from Hakone to Kawaguchiko for a day but the logistics and timing didn’t turn out to be as easy as I thought so we didn’t end up visiting that area. Kawaguchiko is about a 1.5-hour ride from Hakone so remember to take that into consideration as roundtrip will take about 3 hours if you do not have a lot of time in Japan. However, Kawaguchiko does have better views of Mount Fuji with a much closer experience but getting to Kawaguchiko compared to Hakone is a lot more limited as well as the number of things to do there. I do plan on specifically going to Kawaguchiko for 1 night in the future just to experience Mount Fuji much closer though!
How Long Do You Need When Visiting Hakone, Japan?
Even though I visited Hakone for two nights and left very early in the morning of the third day and had to miss our second kaiseki breakfast, one night, two days would’ve been sufficient, to be honest. The area is very small and you can pretty much tackle all the best things to do within 1 to 2 days maximum. A lot of Japanese locals either take day trips or only stay one night in Hakone for a quick getaway. However, you might end up finding you’re spending most of your time on transportation if you only do a day trip even though it is convenient and close to Tokyo. Plus you don’t want to miss the ryokan and onsen experience in the mountains!
What Is The Temperature Like In The Hakone Mountains?
Since we visited Japan at the end of June and into the middle of July, the weather was extremely hot and humid. So it was an amazing and relieving change to have noticeably cooler weather in the mountains of Hakone. The first day we arrived it was actually very windy and cold with little to no sun and a tiny bit of rain. The second day we had perfect, sunny weather with multiple chances to see Fuji Mountain in the background. So depending on the time of the year you visit Hakone, just remember that it is a bit cooler since you’ll be high up in the mountains and you’ll want to be dressed for it.
How Are The Prices In Hakone Compared To Tokyo?
I found that prices are higher than in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and sometimes between 2 to 4 times more. It is farther out and is not as convenient to transport goods to the mountain compared to other areas of Japan.
What Kind Of Food Should I Expect In Hakone?
Surprisingly, the locals have an affinity for Italian food so you can find spaghetti, burgers, and the like but also ramen and curry is common. Another reason why I advocate for the ryokan experience since you really get to try unique, local, and in-season foods with your kaiseki meals.
One kind of food I highly recommend trying while your’re visiting Hakone is their onsen tamago (onsen eggs) which are boiled in the hot springs and are also known as black eggs. I didn’t know what to expect but since it was such a unique thing in Hakone, I knew I had to try it. We bought a package of the onsen eggs when we visited the volcano at Owakudani, but didn’t try it until we were on our way to Kyoto since we were so full from our kaiseki meals so I really wish I had bought more before I left. It was probably one of the best eggs I’ve ever had and it tasted almost like smoked turkey. I also normally really don’t like eating egg yolk but was able to eat all of it with this onsen egg. It is a little saltier with an umami (savory or meaty) taste, and rich in flavor.
Owakudani’s kuro tamago are made through a chemical reaction between geothermal heat and volcanic gases and they can only be purchased in Owakudani. They are boiled for one hour in hot spring water at about 80°C. The black color is from a reaction with hydrogen sulfide in the water. Then they are steamed for about 15 minutes at 100°C. The legend that goes with this egg is that it will extend your life by seven years and is associated with the Seven Deities of Good Fortune and is a good luck symbol.
How To Get Around Once You’re In Hakone
Now I think the part about transportation is crucial to your decision in deciding if it is worth visiting Hakone, Japan. Firstly, there are different passes to choose from and it took me a while to figure out which to get, but we got the 2-Day Hakone Freepass for JP¥5,000 which gives us unlimited access to their buses, sightseeing cruise, ropeway, cable cars, and other forms of transportation for two full days in addition to discounts at many different attractions. It can be purchased on their app and each rider must have their own pass on their own cellphone – and if you choose not to use their app, you can access it as a website on your phone. You can also pay a little more if you want to include your ride from Shinjuku to Tokyo and it’ll be JP¥6,100.
However, access to data on your phone is the most essential part about purchasing this pass because you will have to show the pass with the timer and moving bus image when you get on and off the bus to the driver every time to prove your pass is “live”, otherwise the drivers will make it really difficult for you to get on or off. For this trip, we only got data on my phone to help us navigate around Japan and my husband didn’t have data on his phone and his pass wouldn’t load sometimes even if he kept his browser open and even with a screenshot, they wouldn’t accept it or let you on.
As we were getting off at Hakonemachi, one worker at the bus station even hit my husband with his baton because his pass wasn’t “moving”. He had to go find Wi-Fi at the station to get connected which took so long that the man gave up and just let him go. But because of this very surprising and unwarranted interaction, my husband made it a mission to prove to the guy that he actually had a legit pass and although it took a while, he went back to the man to show that his pass worked. I doubt other people will be hit, but it’s important to know that they take this very seriously so if you plan to buy this pass, make sure you have data on your phone!
Although I had done extensive research prior to my trip to Hakone, it seems like I wasn’t able to find the details I needed when it comes to using the Hakone Freepass and other websites didn’t mention the difficulties that could be encountered. I did see people paying with cash at the end of their ride when they take the bus so that is an alternative as well but you don’t get any discount and the money will add up if you’re planning to use a lot of the rides. You’ll just end up having to pay for everything separately which may not be a bad thing if you 1) don’t have data on your phone 2) don’t have a smartphone 3) don’t plan to use a lot of the transportation available.
Also, once we arrived in Hakone, we didn’t realize how hard it would be for the buses to come by. For example, if you take the bus to one area (such as the Amasake Tea house like we did), the next one will only come about every hour so if you’re done early at a certain location, you either have to walk to your next location or wait it out with nothing to do since there’s literally nothing around in the middle of the mountain. We also needed a certain bus from our hotel to get up to the mountain, but the schedules were never accurate and at least 8 buses had passed us before ours finally arrived. Not to mention, almost everything on Google Maps is in Japanese in Hakone so if you can recognize characters easily or know Chinese, it’ll help a lot about which stop you need to get off or on at.
To be fully transparent, it felt stressful to go out and it was such a mission to get anywhere that even though we really wanted to go to certain spots, we didn’t even want to bother to go. Not to mention, the buses were always fully packed so you’ll almost 100% be standing the entire time up and down the mountain which takes about 45 minutes or so. And once you do get to the attractions, it’s just full of tourists which is expected. Hakone feels really behind with their transportation system and even though the Hakone Freepass had a QR code for scanning, it never worked. Maybe other people had a better experience than we did, but getting around Hakone was really difficult. An alternative to doing this on your own is to book a tour and have a guide take you around!
Best Things To Do In Hakone
After our experience, I think if you are to visit Hakone, the main reason might be to relax and enjoy the onsens and ryokan like the samurais and travelers did back in the day and spend your time walking through Hakone-Yumoto’s main street where you can find many shops and restaurants. Nonetheless, if you can make it up the mountain, I really think it’s worth it since you can see some of the main attractions that Hakone is known for. Our second day’s mission going up the mountain, as hard as it was to get there, made it all worth it because we were able to experience what we couldn’t on the first day along with different angles of Fuji Mountain. Did you know that in July, you only get about a 6.5% chance of even seeing Mount Fuji? The best time to see Mount Fuji is in February or November at about 57%-68% chance. Actually, not seeing the mountain is as high as 87% chance since it is veiled in clouds a majority of the time so we got super lucky that we had great views from the sightseeing cruise, the ropeway, and even the morning we were heading to Kyoto on the Shinkansen.
1 – Hakone Shrine
On the shores of Lake Ashi, the Hakone Shrine was founded in 757 and is one of the most popular attractions in Hakone. This Shinto shrine has played a very important part of Japanese history for travelers and samurais and has been worshiped for over 1,000 years. The torii gate by the water symbolizes that you have entered a sacred space and are in the realm of gods. The shrine itself is kind of hidden in a dense forest and it’s actually quite a nice walking trail to get to the top.
2 – Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
The Hakone Sightseeing Cruise is part of your Hakone Freepass otherwise it costs JP¥1,200 one way or JP¥2,200 roundtrip. This is basically a pirate-style ship cruise that runs between the three ports of Hakonemachi-ki, Motohakone-ko, and Togendai-ko. There are three ships with different designs and you can get great views of the Hakone Shrine torii gate, and glimpses of Mount Fuji so keep your eyes peeled since the view doesn’t last long! You can upgrade to a VIP section of the ship but since the ride is only 25 minutes each way, I don’t think this upgrade is necessary as it passes really quickly. Just get on the cruise as early as you can to get a good spot. As you head towards the last port of Togendai, you will see Mount Fuji on your left side and on the way back to Hakonemachi, it will be on your right side. Taking this sightseeing cruise is a great way to get to the Hakone Ropeway which starts at Togendai and I’ll get to why at the next point!
3 – Owakudani
Owakudani was probably the most impressive part of our visit to Hakone as it is a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and hot springs which you can already see on the way up (along with great views of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi behind you that last much longer and is much larger than seeing it on the sightseeing cruise). To get here, you’ll need to take the ropeway from Togendai and Owakudani will be your second stop. Owakudani was the result of a volcanic eruption over 3,000 years ago and is now a famous tourist attraction. Although a lot of the area is an active volcanic zone and you can smell the sulphur, they have set up shop here with a large store that promotes the Owakudani black eggs and other souvenirs to take home, museums, and other stores. It is small, but it’s really worth the stop. This is also the only place you can get the onsen eggs as well as in many different forms which I of course had purchased because I love trying new and unique things!
4 – Hakone Open-Air Museum
At the Hakone Open-Air Museum, you’ll need about 1 to 1.5 hours here. It is Japan’s first open-air museum that was opened in 1969 when artwork was starting to be displayed both indoors and outdoors. It has over a thousand sculptures and art collections which include those that are made by many famous Japanese artists as well as 300 pieces from Picasso and Henry Moore with 5 exhibitions. There’s also hot spring foot baths you can enjoy there. There are also a few other museums that may interest you, but this one was definitely the most popular one.
Read more for Japan Travels and Travel Tips to help you plan your vacations!