As much as I adored the liveliness of Tokyo, after a few days I was ready for more Japanese culture, food, & NATURE.  On the way from Tokyo to Kyoto we spent a night at the lakeside, volcanic paradise of Hakone.

Japan’s pristine taste is reflected through Hakone's deep blue lakes, stunning Mount Fuji backdrops, & famous ryokans.  Once you arrive, you’ll continue to realize that the Japanese succeed at any pursuit of perfection.   It’s no surprise that the Imperial family’s summer home was located here.

With the JR rail pass, a trip to Hakone is fairly easy.  It could work as a day trip from Tokyo or a one-night stay.  If you’re constantly on a quest for the most unique stays around the world, then splurge on a traditional, luxury-spa ryokan for the night (it’s worth every penny).  If time or money is a bit tight, no worries, Hakone can still be explored within the day thanks to the Hakone free pass.  

Hakone Itinerary

OVERVIEW
Stay in Gora @ Gora Tensui Ryokan
Tokyo -> Hakone -> Lake Ashi -> Gora Tensui

How to get to Hakone from Tokyo?

(approx. 2-3 hours)

1. Shinjuku Station to Odawara Station via JR Line
We booked an early morning train when we purchased our JR rail passes at the ticket office in Tokyo.  If you know exactly when you want to depart, I recommend booking train tickets in advance.  We took the Odakyu JR line from Shinjuku station in Tokyo to Odawara station in Hakone.

2. Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station via JR Line
Upon arrival at Odawara, we purchased our Hakone free passes for 4,000 yen each (approx. $35).  The pass gave you unlimited access to buses, lifts, and the Lake Ashii cruise ship as well as discounts to restaurants and shops for 24 hours.  The free pass also came with complimentary chopsticks!

Once we purchased our free passes, we transferred to Hakone Yumoto.  All the train stations in Hakone conveniently offer baggage service whether it’s storage by the hour or baggage delivery to your designated accommodation (Thank God). We were tired of lugging our baggage around so it was nice to arrive at our hotel room sweat-free.  Since  we didn't have to worry about our luggage, we went straight to exploring Hakone.

3. Hakone-Yumoto Station to Moto Hakone-Ko via Hakone Tozan Bus (brown line)
Our first order of business was to take the cruise around Lake Ashi.  So we hopped on the the Hakone Tozan Bus (brown line) to the Moto-Hakone end.  

It was a beautiful drive!  Since we were above ground, there were several Mount Fuji viewpoints that I wish we stopped at.  Some were better than the viewpoints mentioned on the maps.  If you’re not able to stop like us, be as present and awake as possible during the drive to soak in all the views.

What to do in Hakone?

Lake Ashi Cruise
Once we arrived at Moto-Hakone we hopped on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise.  Before hopping on the cruise, make sure to take pictures around the pier.  The view here was my favorite out of all the viewpoints.  Especially when the cruise boat passes by Mount Fuji.  If you have time, head to the Hakone-Jinja Shrine as well.

Once on the ship, we were cruising along beautiful Lake Ashi.  It was hard not to take pictures every second—every corner was more beautiful than the next. 

Lunch in Machi-ko -> Hike Ancient Cedar Avenue -> Imperial Family’s Summer Home
After cruising around the lake, we docked at the Hakone-Machi-ko pier.  We had lunch at a restaurant by the lake.  You won't have a problem looking for food because there's plenty of restaurants to choose from.   And since we purchased a Hakone free pass, we were able to have a discounted meal (perks for Hakone free pass ticket holders).

After lunch, we planned to walk to Moto-Hakone to take the cruise to Gora (where our ryokan was located).  Maps tend to be deceiving and we found ourselves walking aimlessly through a hiking trail.  I personally didn’t mind but my after commuting from Tokyo to Hakone with all our luggage, my 60 year old mom was not happy.  Nonetheless it was beautiful walking under the trees on Cedar Avenue and soaking in the view at the Imperial Family’s summer home,

Transport to Gora: Machi-Ko to Togendai-Ko via cruise-> Togendai-Ko to Gora via Hakone Ropeway and Hakone Tozan Cable Car
After exploring Lake Ashi, we were ready for R&R at our ryokan in Gora.  After taking a boat, ski lift, and cable car, we arrived to the ryokan in about an hour.  It was a lovely ride soaking in the views lakeside and above ground.  Once we reached higher elevation and got closer to the volcano, it started to smell like rotten eggs which is always a positive sign for natural hot springs (gotta' love that smell).

Once we arrived to Gora station, the ryokan was conveniently a 5 minute walk away.  Hotels close to train stations are typically never secluded, but this ryokan felt like we were in the middle of no where (in the best way possible).

Where to Stay in Hakone?

Our favorite part of Hakone was our one night stay in this luxury-spa ryokan. If you have the time and the means, I highly recommend staying at a ryokan for at least one night.  It doesn’t have to be as fancy as Gora Tensui, but why not!  It’s a once in a lifetime experience unique to Japan, and it will fulfill all your Japanese dreams (think Japanese tradition meeting luxury).  Read more on my Gora Tensui Ryokan blog post coming soon.

After the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, it was such a relief to escape to Hakone.  It was a great way to “slow down to speed up” as we transitioned to the last leg of our trip in Kyoto.

What are some of your Hakone highlights?  What are other relaxing day trips from Tokyo?