Hakone, Kanagawa · Things to do
Things to Do in Hakone: 12 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
12 things to do · checked October 20, 2026
12 things to do in Hakone, in the order of the loop
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 20, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Hakone Tozan Railway箱根登山電車
Mountain railway · Hakone-Yumoto to Gora
Runs 8.9 km from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora in about 40 minutes, climbing gradients of up to 80 per mille with switchbacks at three points. It opened in 1919. At Gora the Hakone Tozan Cable Car continues up to Sounzan, 1.2 km in about 10 minutes.
- Access
- Starts at Hakone-Yumoto Station. From Shinjuku the Odakyu Romancecar reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 90 minutes; the Tozan train then takes about 25 minutes to Miyanoshita and about 40 minutes to Gora.
2Hakone Gora Park箱根強羅公園
Park and garden · Gora
A hillside park managed by Odakyu Hakone, with a rose garden, greenhouses including a bougainvillea house, the Hakuun-do tea garden and the Hakone Crafthouse workshops for glassblowing and pottery. The park posted on 9 October 2026 that its autumn roses had come into bloom.
- Access
- 5 minutes on foot from Gora Station; 1 minute from Koen-shimo Station on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- 1 January, the third Monday of January and the first Monday of September; also closed for maintenance three times a year
- Price
- Adults ¥650; elementary school age and under free; free with a Hakone Freepass
3Hakone Open-Air Museum箱根彫刻の森美術館
Sculpture museum · Chokoku-no-Mori
A sculpture garden opened in 1969, with about 120 works on a site of about 70,000 square metres in the mountains. It also has a Picasso Pavilion, foot baths, and Symphonic Sculpture, a work entirely covered in stained glass.
- Access
- Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway, then 2 minutes on foot.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00, every day; last admission 30 minutes before closing
- Closed on
- Open every day; the Woods of Net play structure is closed 30 November to 4 December 2026
- Price
- Adults ¥2,000 (¥1,800 online); high school and university ¥1,600 (¥1,400 online); elementary and junior high ¥800 (¥600 online); preschool free
4Pola Museum of Artポーラ美術館
Art museum · Sengokuhara
An art museum at Kozukayama in Sengokuhara, with a nature trail on the grounds. No reservation is needed for individuals.
- Access
- Free shuttle bus from Gora Station (8 minutes). Gora is about 40 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
- Closed on
- Fully closed 1 December 2026 and 8–26 April 2027 for exhibition changes; Gallery 3 only closed 2–3 December 2026
- Price
- Adults ¥2,200; high school and university ¥1,700; junior high and under free
5Hakone Ropeway箱根ロープウェイ
Gondola line · Sounzan to Togendai
A gondola line with four stations: Sounzan, Owakudani, Ubako and Togendai. Each section takes about 10 minutes, with a gondola about every minute. Between Sounzan and Owakudani it crosses a valley about 130 m above the ground. Service can stop for bad weather, maintenance or volcanic gas readings.
- Access
- Sounzan station connects to the Hakone Tozan Cable Car from Gora. Togendai station connects to the Lake Ashi cruise and to Hakone Tozan buses. Owakudani is the transfer point, with separate platforms for each direction.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (February–November); 9:00–16:15 (December–January)
- Closed on
- May be suspended for bad weather, maintenance or volcanic gas readings; check the operating status the day you go
- Price
- Single ticket ¥2,000 adult, ¥700 child; round trip ¥3,000 adult, ¥1,000 child (flat-fare tickets, from 1 October 2025). Fares for single sections are on the operator's fare search.
6Owakudani大涌谷
Volcanic valley · Owakudani
A volcanic valley with steam vents, reached by the Hakone Ropeway. The station has a restaurant and a shop, and the area is known for black eggs that are said to add seven years to your life per egg. The ropeway can stop when volcanic gas readings rise.
- Access
- Owakudani Station on the Hakone Ropeway, then about 3 minutes on foot to the site.
- Hours
- 9:00–16:20 (February–November); 9:00–16:00 (December–January)
- Closed on
- Access follows the ropeway: it can be suspended for volcanic gas readings or weather; check the operating status the day you go
7Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field仙石原すすき草原
Seasonal grassland walk · Sengokuhara
A pampas grass field at the foot of a mountain in Sengokuhara. The grass is golden from late September to early November, and a walking trail of about 700 m runs through it. It is listed among Kanagawa's 50 scenic spots.
Seasonal: late September to early November.
- Access
- About 1 minute on foot from the Sengoku-Kogen bus stop.
8Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (Lake Ashi)箱根海賊船
Lake cruise · Togendai, Hakonemachi, Moto-Hakone
Cruise ships link three ports on Lake Ashi: Togendai, Hakonemachi and Moto-Hakone. The ships are Queen Ashinoko, Royal II and Victory. Togendai is the port next to the ropeway station.
- Access
- Togendai port is at Togendai Station on the Hakone Ropeway and on the Hakone Tozan bus line. Moto-Hakone and Hakonemachi ports are reached by Hakone Tozan bus from Hakone-Yumoto.
- Price
- One way, adult / child: Togendai to Hakonemachi or Moto-Hakone ¥1,700 / ¥850; Hakonemachi to Moto-Hakone ¥600 / ¥300 (from 1 October 2025). The special cabin costs extra.
9Hakone Shrine箱根神社
Shrine · Moto-Hakone
A Shinto shrine on the shore of Lake Ashi at Moto-Hakone. The Kuzuryu Shrine stands next to it. The Hakone Motomiya on the mountain above is reached by a ropeway from Hakone-en (8 minutes), then about 8 minutes on foot.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from the Moto-Hakone port and bus stop.
- Hours
- Amulet and seal office 8:15–17:00; Treasure Hall 9:00–16:00
- Closed on
- No closing day; the Treasure Hall can close temporarily when exhibits change
- Price
- Treasure Hall ¥500 adult, ¥300 child
10Old Tokaido Cedar Avenue旧東海道の杉並木
Historic walk · Moto-Hakone to Hakonemachi
About 500 m of the old Tokaido road between Moto-Hakone and Hakone Town, lined with around 400 cedars, many of them nearly 400 years old. It was part of the Tokaido highway in the Edo period.
- Access
- About 33 minutes by Hakone Tozan Bus (H line) from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
11Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho)箱根関所
Historic site and museum · Hakonemachi
A reconstruction of the Edo-period Hakone checkpoint on the shore of Lake Ashi, an important site in the transport history of the Edo period.
- Access
- About 2 minutes on foot from the Hakone Sekisho-ato bus stop; about 5 minutes on foot from Hakonemachi port. About 40 minutes by bus from Hakone-Yumoto and about 55 minutes from Odawara.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (December–February to 16:30); last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Price
- Adult ¥500, child ¥250 (¥400 / ¥150 with a Hakone Freepass and similar tickets)
12Hakone Yuryo箱根湯寮
Day-use hot spring · Tonosawa
A day-use hot spring using the alkaline spring of Tonosawa Onsen. It has open-air and ceramic baths and 19 private open-air baths, and tattoos are allowed in the baths.
- Access
- Free shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station (3 minutes) or 5 minutes on foot from Tonosawa Station.
- Hours
- Weekdays 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00); weekends and holidays 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00)
- Closed on
- Open year-round; closed for maintenance on some days
- Price
- Large bath: weekdays ¥1,700–1,800, weekends and holidays ¥2,000–2,200 (junior high and older); children 6–12 ¥1,000. Private open-air bath from ¥10,400 for 120 minutes.
Good to know
Most visitors link the main sights into one loop: the Tozan train from Hakone-Yumoto up to Gora, the cable car to Sounzan, the ropeway over Owakudani to Togendai, then the cruise across Lake Ashi to Moto-Hakone, from where Hakone Shrine is about 10 minutes on foot. The shrine's own directions describe exactly this route. The museums (the Open-Air Museum, Pola and Gora Park) sit along the Tozan line near Gora, and the old Tokaido road and the Hakone Checkpoint are on the lake side.
Plan around closing times: the Open-Air Museum and Pola close at 17:00, Gora Park and Pola stop admitting at 16:30, and the ropeway stops at 17:00 (16:15 in December and January). The ropeway and Owakudani can also be suspended for bad weather or volcanic gas readings, so check the operating status the day you go.
Dates to know: the pampas grass in Sengokuhara is golden from late September to early November. Pola is closed on 1 December 2026 and from 8 to 26 April 2027. At the Open-Air Museum the Woods of Net play structure is closed from 30 November to 4 December 2026.
In depth
Where each sight sits and what it costs
Adult prices. Times are from Hakone-Yumoto unless stated.
| Area | Getting there | Entry (adult) | Hours to plan around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone-Yumoto and Tonosawa: Tozan train start, Hakone Yuryo | Hakone Yuryo: free shuttle from Hakone-Yumoto, 3 min, or 5 min on foot from Tonosawa Station | Hakone Yuryo large bath ¥1,700–2,200 depending on the day | Yuryo 10:00–20:00 weekdays, 10:00–21:00 weekends and holidays |
| Gora and Chokoku-no-Mori: Gora Park, Open-Air Museum, Pola | Tozan train, about 40 min to Gora. Open-Air Museum is 2 min from Chokoku-no-Mori Station; Pola has a free 8-minute shuttle from Gora Station | Gora Park ¥650 · Open-Air Museum ¥2,000 · Pola ¥2,200 | Gora Park and Pola last admission 16:30 · Open-Air Museum open to 17:00 |
| Owakudani and Sengokuhara: ropeway, Owakudani, pampas field | Tozan train to Gora, cable car to Sounzan, then the ropeway. The pampas field is 1 min from Sengoku-Kogen bus stop | Ropeway single ¥2,000 (flat fare) | Ropeway 9:00–17:00, 9:00–16:15 in December and January |
| Lake Ashi: cruise, Hakone Shrine, old Tokaido road, Hakone Checkpoint | Hakone Tozan Bus (H line) from Hakone-Yumoto, about 32–40 min to Moto-Hakone or Hakonemachi, or the cruise from Togendai | Cruise ¥600–1,700 one way · Checkpoint ¥500 · Shrine Treasure Hall ¥500 | Checkpoint 9:00–17:00 (16:30 December–February) · Shrine reception 8:15–17:00 |
By kind of trip
First trip, the classic loop
The Hakone Shrine's own directions describe this route: Tozan train to Gora, ropeway to Togendai, cruise to Moto-Hakone, then about 10 minutes on foot to the shrine. The ropeway can stop for weather or volcanic gas readings.
Hakone Tozan Railway · Hakone Ropeway · Owakudani · Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (Lake Ashi)
Art museums
The Open-Air Museum is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00 and is 2 minutes from Chokoku-no-Mori Station. Pola is reached by a free 8-minute shuttle from Gora Station and closes on 1 December 2026.
History and the old road
The Hakone Checkpoint and the cedar avenue are both near Hakonemachi, and Hakone Shrine is about 10 minutes on foot from Moto-Hakone.
Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho) · Old Tokaido Cedar Avenue · Hakone Shrine
With children
Gora Park is free for elementary school age and under, the Open-Air Museum charges ¥800 from elementary school age, and Pola is free for junior high and under.
Hakone Gora Park · Hakone Open-Air Museum · Pola Museum of Art
Rain or cold
Pola is an indoor museum, the Open-Air Museum has indoor exhibits alongside the sculpture garden, and Hakone Yuryo stays open until 20:00 on weekdays and 21:00 at weekends.
Questions
How long does the Tozan train take from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora?
About 40 minutes over 8.9 km, with switchbacks at three points. At Gora the Hakone Tozan Cable Car continues to Sounzan, 1.2 km in about 10 minutes.
Can the Hakone Ropeway stop running?
Yes. It can be suspended for bad weather, maintenance or volcanic gas readings. It runs 9:00–17:00 from February to November and 9:00–16:15 in December and January, with about 10 minutes per section.
How much is the Lake Ashi cruise?
One way for adults: ¥1,700 between Togendai and Hakonemachi or Moto-Hakone, and ¥600 between Hakonemachi and Moto-Hakone (children ¥850 and ¥300). The special cabin costs extra. Fares are those from 1 October 2025.
How do I get from Gora Station to the Pola Museum of Art?
Take the museum's free shuttle bus from Gora Station, about 8 minutes. The museum is open 9:00–17:00 with last admission at 16:30.
Is the Hakone Open-Air Museum open every day?
Yes, 9:00–17:00 every day of the year, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Adult admission is ¥2,000 at the door and ¥1,800 online.