- Romancecar
- Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 min
- Hakone Free Pass
- 7,100 yen, 2 days from Shinjuku
- The loop
- Train, cablecar, ropeway, ship, bus
- Lake cruise
- 25-40 min one way across Lake Ashi
- Start time
- Leave Shinjuku by 7:30-8:00
Hakone is the classic Tokyo escape: mountains, a crater lake, ropeways over volcanic steam and, on clear days, Mount Fuji across the water. It works as a day trip, but only just. The trick is to start early, follow the loop in one direction, and accept that you are sampling Hakone, not finishing it.
Getting there: Romancecar vs the slow train
Odakyu runs Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto two ways. The Romancecar limited express is direct and takes about 85 minutes: a base fare of 1,270 yen plus a 1,200 yen limited express surcharge comes to 2,470 yen one way (2,420 yen as an e-ticket). Slower express trains take about two hours with one transfer at Odawara and cost 1,270 yen. Almost everyone should buy the Hakone Free Pass instead: 7,100 yen for two days from Shinjuku, covering the round trip on regular trains plus unlimited use of the loop's trains, cablecar, ropeway, boat and buses. Day trippers simply use the two-day pass for one day; you can add the Romancecar surcharge on top for the fast leg.
The loop, in order
The classic round course circles Hakone counter-clockwise from Hakone-Yumoto on five kinds of transport. The Hakone Tozan Railway climbs to Gora in 35 minutes (departures every 15-20 minutes), switchbacking up a wooded valley. The Tozan Cablecar then takes 10 minutes to Sounzan. The Hakone Ropeway runs 30 minutes over the Owakudani volcanic valley to Togendai on Lake Ashi. The sightseeing cruise crosses the lake to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone in 25-40 minutes. Buses, including the 40-minute T Line, bring you back to Hakone-Yumoto. japan-guide.com, which popularized this loop, says a one-day circuit is possible with an early start but recommends two days with a ryokan night if you can.
A realistic hour-by-hour day
7:30 Romancecar from Shinjuku; 9:00 at Hakone-Yumoto; 9:30 Tozan train; 10:15 Gora, cablecar to Sounzan; 11:00 ropeway with an Owakudani stop for the sulfur vents and black eggs; 12:30 ropeway down to Togendai; 13:00 lunch by the lake; 14:00 cruise to Moto-Hakone; 14:45 lakeside shrine and the cedar avenue; 16:00 bus back to Yumoto; 17:00 snack and souvenir stop; 17:30 train, back at Shinjuku around 19:30 with the Romancecar or 20:30 on the express. That pace leaves margin for queues at the ropeway, the usual bottleneck.
What to skip on a one-day visit
Two things eat a Hakone day: the Open-Air Museum deserves 90 minutes minimum, and a proper onsen soak wants an hour plus change time. On a day trip, pick one, not both, and accept the trade. If the ropeway or cruise suspends for wind or volcanic alerts, buses cover the same ground, so the day survives.
Timing cautions
The cruise's winter timetable (December 1 to March 19) runs longer round trips, so shave one stop from the afternoon in winter. Fuji views are a clear-morning privilege, so put the ropeway before lunch, not after. If you are travelling with older parents, do the loop in reverse (bus first, ropeway later) to dodge the morning ropeway queue, or swap the day for the slower pace in our 3-day Tokyo plan with parents. Season timing is in our Tokyo March-April guide, and what the passes add to the trip total is in the Tokyo couple budget guide.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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