Hakone packs volcanic scenery, world-class art, and centuries-old hot springs into a small mountain valley. These are the experiences worth building your trip around, most of them strung along the classic loop and covered by the Hakone Free Pass. Save the ones that appeal to you and slot them into your own itinerary.
The Best Things to Do in Hakone
1Must visit
Activity
Lake Ashi (Ashinoko)
Cross the volcanic crater lake on a pirate-ship cruise, with Mount Fuji rising behind the floating torii on clear days. The centrepiece of any Hakone visit.
2Must visit
Shrine
Hakone Shrine
Walk through ancient cedars to the vermilion torii standing in Lake Ashi, one of Japan's most photographed and atmospheric spiritual landmarks.
3
Activity
Owakudani Valley
Hike into the steaming volcanic valley of sulphur vents and bubbling pools, and eat a black egg boiled in the hot springs for seven extra years of life.
4
Transport
Hakone Ropeway
Float over the mountains and volcanic valley on the aerial cable car, the most scenic leg of the loop and the best place to spot Fuji.
5Must visit
Museum5.0
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Japan's first open-air museum, with Picasso, Henry Moore, and a climbable stained-glass tower set against the mountains.
6Must visit
Onsen
Hakone Onsen (Day Visit)
Soak in Hakone's defining hot springs at a day-use bathhouse or ryokan, the reason this town has drawn travellers for centuries.
7
Park4.0
Hakone Gora Park
A French-style hilltop garden with roses, a tropical greenhouse, and a free herbal foot bath with mountain views.
8
Park4.0
Onshi-Hakone-Koen Park
Former imperial villa grounds on a lake promontory, free to enter and one of the clearest spots for Fuji and Lake Ashi together.
9
Restaurant4.0
Fujiya Hotel
Japan's oldest Western-style resort hotel, worth a visit for its Meiji architecture, gardens, and famous curry lunch.
10
Outdoor
Old Tokaido Road Hiking
Walk the cedar-lined Edo-period highway between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-Yumoto, past original stone pavement and old checkpoints.
Moto-Hakone to Hakone-Yumoto2-3 hours
11
Nature
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Plains
In autumn, the silver pampas-grass plains of Sengokuhara glow gold at sunset, one of Japan's most famous seasonal landscapes.
Sengokuhara, Hakone
FAQ
- What is Hakone most famous for?
- Hakone is best known for its onsen (hot springs), views of Mount Fuji over Lake Ashi, the floating red torii of Hakone Shrine, and the volcanic valley of Owakudani with its black eggs, all linked by a scenic loop of mountain trains, cablecar, ropeway, and boat.
- What is the one thing not to miss in Hakone?
- The classic loop itself, ridden as a single connected journey: the ropeway over Owakudani and the pirate-ship cruise across Lake Ashi to Hakone Shrine. On a clear day, with Mount Fuji in view, it is unforgettable.
Make it your trip
Save these places and build your own Hakone itinerary in TripBox.