12 BEST things to do in Hakone: Japan’s mountainous hot spring town!

Last updated on June 18th, 2026

Visiting Hakone, Japan? We’re sharing 12 of the best things to do in Hakone, from scenic views, to fun food experiences, art museums, and more!

Located just a few hours from Tokyo, close to Mount Fuji, lies the mountainous town of Hakone. Known for its hot springs, it’s a popular place to visit to stay in an onsen ryokan. And while we do think that’s a must-do experience in the area, Hakone has so much more to offer as well!

Hakone Open-Air Museum | Things to do in Hakone, Japan

We spent a few days here during our time in Japan and loved the area’s mix of activities and scenery. Here you can find beautiful views along the shores of Lake Ashi, fun transportation methods, unique museums, delicious local eats, traditional tea houses, and so much more.

Want to experience it for yourself? In this guide we’re not only sharing 12 fun things to do in Hakone, but also some important planning logistics to help you have a smooth visit!

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12 best things to do in Hakone, Japan

1. Enjoy tea in a traditional tea house

One of our favorite stops in Hakone was the Hakone Amasake Chaya Tea House. This historic teahouse is located on the historic Old Tokaido Road and dates back 400 years. And with its stunning wooden architecture, thatched roof, and cast iron pot boiling over the fire, it really feels like stepping back in time. Plus it’s located in the forest, which only adds to its serene vibes.

While the ambiance alone is worth a visit, you must try their amazake, which is a non-alcoholic fermented rice drink. It’s sweet, delicious, and full of nutritional benefits! You also get a side of pickled veggies, which goes really well with the sweetness of the amazake.

In addition to the amazake, make sure to get some of their mochi! It was easily some of the best mochi we had in Japan. They have a few different types to try, but we tried their uguisu mochi which is dusted in soybean flour, plus their kurogoma mochi, which is covered in black sesame. We hear in the summer they offer shave ice as well!

2. See scenic views of the area

Hakone is located in a gorgeous area, with lush, green mountains, Lake Ashi, and views of Mount Fuji. And there are multiple places where you can enjoy some of the area’s scenery!

For high up views of both Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji on a clear day, head to the Mt. Taikan Observation Deck, which is FREE to visit! Another option is to ride the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway (¥2,200/$14 USD round trip) up to Hakone Mototsumiya Shrine.

This parking lot also has great views of both the lake, Mount Fuji, and Hakone Shrine, but from the lakeshore.

Another viewpoint we enjoyed in the area was from the Roadside Station Hakone-toge. While there are no Mount Fuji views here, you can see Lake Ashi, the surrounding green mountains, and even Hakone Shrine!

3. Go on a Hakone Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Ashi

Hakone Sightseeing Cruise- Things to do in Hakone, Japan

Do you happen to have “riding on a pirate ship on a lake in Japan” on your bucket list? The Hakone Sightseeing Cruise is where you can check that off!

The Hakone Sightseeing Cruise is a scenic ride on a pirate ship around Lake Ashi. Along the way you’ll get to see the lake’s undeveloped shoreline and Hakone Shrine. And if you take it on a clear day, you’ll have views of Mount Fuji as well.

The tours leave every 30-40 minutes between 8 AM and 5 PM and there are three different ports the ships leave from: Moto-Hakone-ko Pier, Hakone-machi-ko Boat Pier, and Tōgendai-ko Port. You can either take the boat through the entire route or just go one way from one side of the lake to the other. One way tickets for adults cost ¥2,000 (~$12.50 USD), while round trip tickets are ¥3,000 (~$19 USD). However, if you have the Hakone Freepass your ticket is included. More on this pass in a bit!

4. See the Hakone Shrine

One of the most iconic sights along Lake Ashi is Hakone Shrine. This is a beautiful shrine tucked in the forest, with multiple areas to explore. But it’s most known for Heiwa-no-Torii, a large, red torii gate that sits in the water, with a small walkway underneath that allows you to take a pretty epic photo.

The shrine grounds and Heiwa-no-Torii gate are free to visit and open 24 hours a day. But keep in mind that on a busy day, the queue to get a photo at the torii gate can be over an hour. So we suggest arriving early in the morning!

5. Explore Yumoto

Box Burger | Things to do in Hakone, Japan

Hakone itself is a pretty large region, with many different areas to explore. And if you’re visiting via train from Tokyo, your journey will likely start in Yumoto, the area’s largest town. While more developed and busier than other parts of Hakone, it makes for a fun place to walk around and grab a meal.

Just seconds from the train station is the Ajisai Bridge, which goes over the Haya River. This is a fantastic spot to see the river, the town alongside it, and some waterfalls! There is also a pathway that runs along the river that you can access from here.

If you get hungry in the area, you must head to Box Burger! The walk to get here from the train station is scenic, with lots of old buildings and a couple more bridges to cross over the river. And the burgers are huge and insanely delicious! We highly recommend the Hakone Burger, which comes with bacon and an onion ring on top.

Another spot we wanted to try, but were too full from our ryokan’s kaiseki meals, was 808 Monsmare (cash only). We hear their pizza is fantastic!

And for dessert, we loved the gelato at Hakone Dulce Studio Stella. They make it in house and you can even see their kitchen area. Make sure to upgrade to the Sfogliatella cup, which is a delicious Italian pastry that your gelato will come in.

6. Visit Gora

Another area to explore in Hakone is Gora. This is where you can find many of the best things to do in Hakone, like the popular Hakone Open Air Museum, plus some of the transportation to access Owakudani. So whether you stay in Gora at its many amazing ryokans or just pop through on your way to another attraction, it’s worth spending a little bit of time here.

As you wander around town, make sure to stop by Coffee Camp, which has a really cool vibe, delicious coffee, and some tasty looking food.

You can take your coffee to go and enjoy it as you walk over to Hakone Gora Park. This is a French style park that features fountains, rose gardens, greenhouses, and a teahouse. Plus, if you’re in a crafty mood you can try your hand at glass blowing and pottery at Hakone Craft House. There is a ¥650 (~$4 USD) fee to enter, but if you have the Hakone Freepass it is free.

7. Wander around the Hakone Open-Air Museum

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is one of our personal favorite things to do in Hakone! This is a museum with an outdoor sculpture park and a few indoor exhibits. In the large outdoor area you’ll find tons of interesting sculptures, some of which move, plus a fun maze and an observation tower encased in beautiful stained glass. What we loved about this museum is that the art isn’t just there to look at. For many pieces, you’re able to interact with it as well. Plus the scenery is beautiful!

The Hakone Open Air Museum is open from 9 AM-5 PM every day. Adult entry is ¥2,000 (~$12 USD) and cheaper for students and children. There is a small discount for Hakone Freepass users though!

8. Visit the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum

For art lovers, another must-visit museum in Hakone is the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum. This museum features both Venetian glass across various techniques, as well as more modern pieces, like Chihuly. The garden is home to a variety of flowers, ponds, and scenic views, with glass art intermixed. Most notable is the crystal arch, which is a glistening archway of crystal glass pieces that you can walk through!

It costs ¥1,800 (~$11 USD) to visit the museum and gardens. There are also workshops you can attend to make your own art, which have an additional fee. This museum is a bit further from most stops on this list of things to do in Hakone, but you can easily take a bus here.

9. Go up to Owakudani

Owakudani | Things to do in Hakone, Japan

Another one of our top things to do in Hakone is visit Owakudani. Owakudani means “Great Boiling Valley” and is a volcanic valley that was formed around 3,000 years ago during an eruption of Mount Hakone.

Today it’s a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and is a must-visit because of the incredible, other worldly views (including Mount Fuji on a clear day!), unique foods to try, and the fun transportation you can take to get there.

How to get to Owakudani

While you can take a bus up to Owakudani or drive your own vehicle, the most fun way to get there is by utilizing Hakone’s public transportation. From our ryokan in Yumoto, we first took the Hakonetozan train. Which is a real highlight, as it’s Japan’s oldest mountain railway and climbs up 3 switchbacks!

Then, we took the Hakonetozan cable car (which is like a funicular!), before riding the Hakone Ropeway (gondola) the rest of the way. It was such a fun adventure! And since we went on a foggy day with zero views, taking these different methods of transport really made the experience still worth it for us.

All of these public transportation methods were included in the one day Hakone Freepass.

Owakudani Nature Study Trail Tour (40 minutes long)

Once at the top of Owakudani, it is free to wander around and check out its different viewpoints and shops.

But for the ultimate experience go on the Owakudani Nature Study Trail tour. This tour gives you a closer look at the area’s geothermal features by taking you to an area that is closed to the public. The tour is limited to 30 people and it is only in Japanese, but we read that non-Japanese speakers have gone on it.

There are 4 tours per day, which cost ¥800 (~$5 USD) per person. You can register for the tour at this website. We had booked this tour, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to bad weather.

Eat black eggs and ice cream

Quite possibly the most unique thing to do in Hakone is to try black eggs (kuro-tamago) and black ice cream at Owakudani.

Black eggs are simply hard-boiled eggs cooked in hot water from the volcano. The shells turn black from a chemical reaction with the water. And although the shell is black, the inside is a normal boiled egg. By eating one of these eggs it is said to extend your life by seven years, so eat multiple if you can!

In addition to the black eggs you can also get black ice cream. While it mostly just tasted like vanilla to us, it is super fun to eat because it turns your teeth and lips black! We had lots of laughs while eating this and our black teeth and lips got us lots of smiles from others.

Owakudani also sells black curry bread if you haven’t had your fill of black colored treats!

10. Ride the Hakone Ropeway

If you’re going to visit many of the sites around Hakone you’ll likely ride the Hakone Ropeway. This is a 2.5 mile aerial cable car that connects the mountains to the lakeside between Gora and Lake Ashi, with amazing views along the way.

While most people take it to visit Owakudani, it’s an experience in itself and can be ridden without going all the way to Owakudani. We personally suggest riding it up to Owakudani from the Gora side, exploring Owakudani, and then riding back down to the Lake Ashi side. This will give you the most varied views of the area! And on the ride down to Lake Ashi, stop at the Ubako Station to see some of the old cable cars.

Once you get down to Lake Ashi, you could then hop on the sightseeing cruise across the lake and then hop on a bus back to wherever you started.

11. Stay at an onsen ryokan

Hakone Suimeisou Onsen Ryokan in Hakone, Japan

Without a doubt one of the best things to do in Hakone is stay at an onsen ryokan. It’s what the area is famous for, afterall! An onsen ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, where you’ll wear a yukata, sleep on a futon on traditional tatami mat flooring (if you choose!), eat elaborate kaiseki meals, and best of all, relax in a soothing onsen (hot spring).

There are countless onsen ryokans in Hakone, which all offer a different experience and have different price points. We personally stayed at Hakone Suimeisou in their Japanese-style room with an open-air bath. And we loved it! Our room overlooked the river and a waterfall and having our own personal onsen allowed us to soak whenever we’d like, which was so nice. The location was also extremely convenient!

To learn more about what to expect at an onsen ryokan, our tips for choosing the right one for you, and important onsen rules, check out our guide to staying in an onsen ryokan in Hakone!

You could also opt to soak in a day use onsen instead! There are a handful to choose from in Hakone, but Tenzan Onsen and Hakone Yuryo look like the best options! Both have public and private onsen options.

However, a few very important things to know is that most onsens do not allow tattoos, you must shower beforehand, hair must be tied up and not touch the water, and you are required to soak naked, even in public onsens.

12. Try onsen manju

Onsen Manju | Where to eat in Hakone, Japan

One famous Hakone food item that you must try while in the area is onsen manju. These are steamed buns filled with azuki red bean paste. They are traditionally steamed using hot spring water and have a little hot spring emblem branded on top.

If you stay at an onsen ryokan you may get free onsen manju in your room, but you can also get fresh ones around town! In Yumoto, check out Kikukawa Candy Shop, Marushima Honten, or Nanohana.

Planning your time in Hakone

How to get to Hakone, Japan

Hakone is a great destination for a first-time visitor to Japan, as it’s pretty easy to get to from Tokyo!

We personally drove to Hakone from the Izu Peninsula in our adorable rental campervan. While it was nice to have a car to visit some of the top things to do in Hakone, for many of the sights, we didn’t need one and utilized public transportation. So unless you’re planning to road trip to other nearby destinations, like Lake Kawaguchi, before or after, you don’t necessarily need a car to get to Hakone. In that case, we’d suggest the train from Tokyo!

Depending on where you hop on the train in Tokyo, which trains you take, and where you’re staying in Hakone, getting here from Tokyo can take anywhere from 1 hour-2.5 hours. Your two quickest options are:

Taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara (35 minutes) and then riding the Hakonetozan Line from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto (15 minutes).
Taking the Romancecar from Shinjuku straight to Hakone-Yumoto (1.5 hours).

You can also take a tour to Hakone from Tokyo! This is a good option if you do not want to navigate public transportation on your own. While you won’t get to experience everything Hakone has to offer, you will get to experience a handful of the best things to do in Hakone that we listed. This tour is our top pick, as it includes Owakudani, which is a can’t miss stop, in our opinion!

Getting around the Hakone area

Once in Hakone, you have a lot of options to get around! And the best way to get around is by using the Hakone Freepass. Despite its name, the Hakone Freepass is not free. But it does allow you unlimited access to most transportation options in the area for 2 or 3 days!

With this pass you will be able to take the Hakonetozan train, Hakonetozan cable car, Hakone Ropeway, Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, and some buses as many times as you’d like! The Hakone Freepass even has an option where you can include a train ride to and from Shinjuku or Odawara for an extra fee.

And on top of that, you can get discounts at some attractions, like Hakone Gora Park and the Hakone Open-Air Museum. For most visitors, this pass is well worth the money and will save you money overall.

When to visit Hakone, Japan

Hakone can be visited year-round. And while your timing will likely depend on the other destinations you’re visiting in Japan, there are a few things to consider when deciding when to visit:

Winter is often the best chance to see Mount Fuji. It’ll also be extra beautiful with its snowcap! This is also the best time to soak in onsens and crowds tend to be lighter. Just keep in mind that higher elevation spots, like Owakudani, will be pretty cold!
Spring and fall are perfect for cooler weather, which is great for onsens. From late March through mid April you will have a good chance to see the cherry blossoms. And if you visit in late October and early November, you will likely see some beautiful fall foliage. We visited in early to mid October and it was too early for fall colors.
Summers are hot and humid in most of Japan. While Hakone is not as hot as Tokyo, it will still be warm. So soaking in onsens may not be as enjoyable.
Avoid holidays! Like most popular spots in Japan, the crowds are even worse during holidays. You can see a list of Japan’s holidays here.

Where to stay in Hakone, Japan

For the most convenience, we suggest staying in or near either Yumoto or Gora. These will offer the easiest access to public transportation and lots of dining options! Within these areas you will primarily find onsen ryokans, but there are other lodging types as well. Below are some of the options!

Onsen ryokans

For the ultimate lodging experience in Hakone, stay at an onsen ryokan! There are tons of onsen ryokans in Hakone to choose from across different price points and with different features. We stayed at Hakone Suimeisou in their Japanese-style room with an open-air bath. While it was pricey, it was a fun, unique, and relaxing stay!

A handful of other options we considered were:

Senkei (Yumoto)
Fukuzumiro (Yumoto)
Hakone Kowakien Mikawaya Ryokan (Gora)
Mizunoto (Gora)

Learn more about what to expect at an onsen ryokan, important rules for soaking, plus our tips for choosing the right one for you in our guide to staying in an onsen ryokan in Hakone!

Hostels and hotels

If you would like to stay somewhere cheaper, Hakone does have some smaller hotels and hostels (some of which have their own bathrooms). A few options to look into are Nol Hakone Myojindai, WPÜ Hotel Hakone, RoheN ASHINOKO, and Onsen Guest House Tsutaya. Some of these have onsens to use as well!

Find more hotels & ryokans in Hakone

Roadside stations (michi-no-eki)

For those traveling through the area in a campervan, there is one roadside station nearby. For the evening before checking into our ryokan, we stayed at Hakone-toge Roadside Station. It wasn’t the best roadside station we experienced in Japan, but it had the usual free toilets, vending machines, and a quiet night’s sleep.

Traveling Japan by campervan is one of the best travel experiences we’ve ever had! If you’re curious about it, check out our post about how to rent a campervan in Japan.

How much time should you spend in Hakone?

We personally think you need at least two days to truly enjoy Hakone! This gives you the chance to stay in an onsen ryokan and explore a handful of the best things to do in Hakone. Unsure how to structure your time in the area? We created a ready to go 2 day Hakone itinerary with our absolute favorite stops and experiences!