Hakone in 3 days

Fuji views and hot springs: lake cruises, ropeways over volcanic valleys and ryokan nights in the mountains. Best time to visit: March-May & October-November. Average daily budget: $120 to $250 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Hakone-Yumoto, The gateway hot-spring town at the mountain's foot, packed with ryokan and bathhouses.

Morning: Hakone Ropeway over Owakudani. Glide above the steaming 'Great Boiling Valley' and eat an egg boiled black in sulphur springs.

Afternoon: Explore Hakone-Yumoto, The gateway hot-spring town at the mountain's foot, packed with ryokan and bathhouses.

Evening: Sleep in a ryokan with onsen. Tatami rooms, kaiseki dinner and steaming open-air baths, the essential Hakone night.

Eat: Kuro-tamago, black sulphur-boiled eggs from Owakudani

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Gora, The hillside onsen hub where the cable car meets the ropeway, with museums and gardens.

Morning: Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise. Cross the caldera lake on a replica pirate ship with Fuji framed behind the torii gate.

Afternoon: Explore Gora, The hillside onsen hub where the cable car meets the ropeway, with museums and gardens.

Evening: Hakone Open-Air Museum. Sculpture gardens in the mountains, with a Picasso pavilion and a footbath.

Eat: Kaiseki multi-course dinners served at your ryokan

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Moto-Hakone & Hakone-machi, The lakeside ports for the pirate-ship cruise and the cedar-lined old Tokaido road.

Morning: The cedar avenue of the old Tokaido highway between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-Yumoto.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Moto-Hakone & Hakone-machi, The lakeside ports for the pirate-ship cruise and the cedar-lined old Tokaido road.

Evening: Hakone Shrine's red torii standing in the lake, best photographed early.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Soba noodles in Hakone-Yumoto's old station street

Hidden gems

The cedar avenue of the old Tokaido highway between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-Yumoto.
Hakone Shrine's red torii standing in the lake, best photographed early.
Cho-an-ji temple's 500 rakan statues, each with a different expression.
The pampas grass fields of Sengokuhara glowing gold in autumn.

Getting around

From Tokyo, the Odakyu Romancecar runs from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes, or take the shinkansen to Odawara and a local train. The Hakone Free Pass covers the loop: mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, lake cruise and buses. Everything connects in a circuit, so most visitors ride the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Safety

Hakone is extremely safe, as is Japan generally. Owakudani's volcanic gases occasionally close the ropeway section, so check status, and the sulphur vents are off-limits for those with respiratory conditions. Trails are well marked but weather changes fast in the mountains; carry a layer even in summer. Onsen etiquette: wash before entering, no towels in the water, and note many baths restrict tattoos.

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