Outdoor museumArt and gardens
Chokoku-no-Mori to Gora
- Sculptures
- About 120
- Open
- 9:00 to 17:00
- From Gora
- About 3 minutes
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Guide · Sights and walks
Things to do in Hakone, valley by valley
Hakone is not one sight but a string of villages climbing from a river gorge to a crater lake. Here is what each stretch offers, how long it takes and how it links up.
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Editorial team, hakone-tour.comUpdated October 22, 2026about 6 min to read62 sources
In a few lines
How Hakone is laid out
The best way to plan things to do in Hakone is to picture a staircase. At the bottom is Hakone-Yumoto, the hot-spring town where trains from Tokyo arrive. Above it a mountain railway climbs through Tonosawa, Miyanoshita and Kowakidani to Gora, and from there cable cars and buses carry on into the old crater and down to Lake Ashi. The Hakone Tourist Association describes the whole area as 7 villages, from low river valleys to a mountain lake.6
That shape decides your day. Each step up the valley has its own character: baths and shops at the bottom, old hotels in the middle, art and gardens at Gora, volcanic steam and the lake at the top. You cannot see it all in one go without rushing, so pick a slice and do it properly, or join a coach tour that runs the famous upper loop for you.
All of Hakone lies inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, which is why so much of it is forest and open hillside rather than town.7 Distances look short on a map, but every journey is uphill or down, and the railway and buses set the pace more than your legs do.
A lower-valley day
Yumoto to Gora at an easy pace
-
Morning
Arrive at Yumoto
About 80 minutes from Shinjuku by limited express.8
-
Mid-morning
Sounji temple
A Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1521.2
-
Late morning
Tozan train up
About 40 minutes to Gora with 6 stops.9
-
Lunch time
Gora Park
5 minutes on foot from Gora Station.10
-
Afternoon
Open-Air Museum
About 3 minutes back down by train.11
-
Evening
A soak in Yumoto
Back down the line for a bath before the train home.
Hakone-Yumoto, the gateway town
Hakone-Yumoto is the most popular entry point to the area and the end of the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and Odawara.12 Odakyu describes it as a town with a long history as a hot-spring district, with hotels, baths and rows of shops.1 Many visitors never go further than a soak and a stroll here, and that is a perfectly good day.
Look beyond the shopping street. Sounji, a Zen temple of the Rinzai school, was founded in 1521 in honour of the warlord Hojo Soun, burned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 and rebuilt in the following century.213 Its quiet garden and old cemetery sit a short walk above the station, a world away from the crowds below.
Yumoto also keeps a living tradition: Hakone has about 150 active geisha, supported by the Hakone-Yumoto Kenban.14 On 3 November about 170 people in period dress walk the old Tokaido through the town for the Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu, first held in 1935.1516 Our page on Hakone-Yumoto goes into the baths, walks and station in detail.
Area by area
Where each sight sits and how to reach it
| Area | Sight | Getting there | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yumoto | Sounji temple | Walk from the station | Founded in 1521 |
| Tonosawa | Amidaji temple | Up to 20 minutes on foot | Hydrangeas late June to mid July |
| Kowakidani | Chisuji Falls | 20-minute stroll | Wall 20 m wide, 3 m tall |
| Chokoku-no-Mori | Open-Air Museum | 2-minute walk | Open 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Gora | Gora Park | 5 minutes from the station | Opened in 1914 |
| Hatajuku | Yosegi workshops | On the old Tokaido | About a dozen craftspeople |
From the Hakone Tourist Association, the museum's own site and Visit Kanagawa.22122232425261027
Three kinds of day
Art, baths or history?
Outdoor museum
Slow dayBaths and temples
Yumoto and Tonosawa
- Hot springs
- 17 officially
- Sounji
- Founded 1521
- Amidaji path
- Up to 20 minutes
On footDecision helper
What should your Hakone day be?
Choose by what you came for
The Hakone Open Air Museum and the Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun are in this popular area.
Up the valley by mountain railway
The Hakone Tozan Railway is an attraction in itself. Visit Kanagawa calls it Japan's steepest railway powered solely by wheel traction, climbing an 80 per mille gradient by reversing at three switchbacks.3 The ride from Yumoto to Gora takes about 40 minutes with 6 stops along the way.9
Hop off on the way up. From Tonosawa a path of no more than 20 minutes climbs to Amidaji, whose hydrangeas bloom from late June to mid July.2131 Miyanoshita is the village of the Fujiya Hotel, whose guests included Charlie Chaplin, Helen Keller and Albert Einstein.32 From Kowakidani, Chisuji Falls is a 20-minute stroll through the woods.22
Gora is the end of the line and a good base. Hakone Gora Park, opened in 1914, shows cherry blossoms, azaleas, hydrangeas, autumn leaves and roses, and lies 5 minutes on foot from the station.2610 The Hakone Museum of Art nearby, the oldest museum in Hakone, is known for a moss garden with over 130 kinds of moss.33
Map
Hakone, the Tozan line and the old road
The whole valley first, then the railway climb to Gora, the streets around Yumoto station, the cedar road over the pass and the way in from Tokyo.
1Yumoto Station2Hakone Open-Air Museum3Owakudani4Sengokuhara5Hakone Checkpoint
6Tonosawa Station7Ohiradai Station8Miyanoshita Station9Kowakidani Station10Chisuji Falls11Gora Station12Hakone Gora Park13Sounzan Station
14Sounji Temple15Tenzan bathhouse16Amidaji Temple
17Hatajuku18Amazake Chaya19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
20Shinjuku Station21Odawara Station
- 1Yumoto Station
The limited express from Shinjuku ends here after about 80 minutes; platform 3 is for the Tozan Railway up to Gora.834
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Hakone Open-Air Museum
Sculpture park opened in 1969, a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Tozan line.724
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Owakudani
A stop on the day tour this site sells, reached on the Hakone Ropeway.
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Sengokuhara
Highland area with silver grass plains in autumn; express buses run here from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.3536
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Hakone Checkpoint
Reconstructed Edo-period checkpoint, open to the public since April 2007, with a museum of 300 items.3738
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tonosawa Station
First stop above Yumoto; a path of no more than 20 minutes leads up to Amidaji.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Ohiradai Station
One of the switchbacks where the train reverses to keep climbing.39
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Miyanoshita Station
Village of the Fujiya Hotel, developed as a summer retreat from Tokyo and Yokohama.40
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Kowakidani Station
Chisuji Falls is a 20-minute stroll from here.22
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Chisuji Falls
Water threads down a mossy volcanic wall 20 meters wide and 3 meters tall.23
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Gora Station
End of the Tozan line, where the cable car continues uphill.41
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Hakone Gora Park
Garden opened in 1914, a 5-minute walk from Gora Station.2610
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Sounzan Station
Top of the cable car, 209 meters above Gora, and the ropeway transfer.42
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Sounji Temple
Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1521 in honour of Hojo Soun.2
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Tenzan bathhouse
Day-use bathhouse with public baths only, no private bath, and cash payment.4344
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Amidaji Temple
Hydrangeas line its path from late June to mid July.31
In Google Maps ↗ - 17Hatajuku
Village of yosegi marquetry, with reconstructed milestone mounds that marked 23 ri from Edo.2745
In Google Maps ↗ - 18Amazake Chaya
Thatched teahouse run by 12 generations, open 7am to 5:30pm.4647
In Google Maps ↗ - 19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
Cedars more than 350 years old, some 30 to 40 meters tall, line the old road by the lake.48
In Google Maps ↗ - 20Shinjuku Station
Odakyu limited expresses leave here for Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes away.8
In Google Maps ↗ - 21Odawara Station
Shinkansen stop; from here the Odakyu line reaches Hakone-Yumoto in 15 minutes.49
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Packing for a Hakone day
01
Wear and carry
- Sturdy shoes for stairs and trails
- A warm layer for the higher stops
- Rain gear for mountain showers
02
Plan ahead
- Museum last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Avoid Golden Week and Obon if you can
- Yen for temples, buses and snacks
Cost calculator
Price a guided Hakone day
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Video
10 things to do in Hakone, the hot spring town
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Art among the trees
The Hakone Open-Air Museum turns a whole hillside into a gallery. It sits a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the mountain railway and is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00.2425 Around 120 modern and contemporary sculptures stand on a hillside of about 70,000 square meters facing the mountains.4
Inside, the Picasso Pavilion shows a current exhibition of 135 works, and the museum holds over 300 Picasso works in total.5028 Children can climb inside Woods of Net, a crocheted net artwork, if they are 12 or under, and everyone can rest their feet in the spring-water footbath.2951
The museum lists same-day admission at 2,000 yen for an adult and an online ticket at 1,800 yen.5253 Allow half a day if art is your thing; a quick lap takes less, but the grounds are steep in places, as the museum itself points out.54
Steam, a lake and a shrine
The upper loop is what most people picture when they think of Hakone attractions: a ride over the steaming crater at Owakudani, a boat across Lake Ashi and the red torii of Hakone Shrine standing in the water. These belong together and make up the classic upper loop that guided days from Tokyo are built around. Done on your own, they take a full day of cable cars, boats and buses, and they are at their best on a clear morning before the crowds arrive.
If you want them without planning, the coach day this site sells runs that loop for you. Its listed stops include Hakone Shrine with 40 minutes, the torii over the water, the Togendai pier, the ropeway and 40 minutes at Owakudani, before it crosses to Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai on the Fuji side. A one-way ropeway ticket is included, the cruise ticket is not.
Expect company. Odakyu Hakone forecasts crowds for Golden Week from late April to early May, for Obon from 10 to 16 August and for the autumn leaves in November.555657 An early start, or a weekday, makes the famous spots far calmer.
Walks on old roads and hills
Hakone was a mountain barrier long before it was a resort, and its paths still show it. The Old Tokaido trail from near Hakone-Yumoto to Lake Ashi covers about 7 km in 2 to 3 hours and is rated moderate.5 On the way you pass the thatched Amazake Chaya teahouse, stone paving laid in 1680 and cedars more than 350 years old.5848
Near the lake, the Hakone Checkpoint has been rebuilt from an 1865 restoration report and opened to visitors in April 2007, with a museum of 300 items next door.3738 In Hatajuku, the village where yosegi marquetry was born, about a dozen craftspeople still work.27
For a summit, Mt. Kintoki at 1,212 meters is a classic, and Mount Kamiyama at 1,438 meters is the highest peak in Hakone, though its trail may close when the volcano is active.1817 The Hakone Tourist Association names spring and autumn as the best hiking seasons and recommends sturdy shoes on every trail.5960
Is Hakone worth visiting, and for how long?
Is Hakone worth visiting if you only have a week in Japan? For most travellers, yes: no other place this close to Tokyo puts hot springs, a volcano, a crater lake, a great outdoor museum and a historic road within a single valley. The limited express from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes, so even a day costs little time in transit.8
A day gives you one slice: either the famous upper loop or a lower-valley day of baths, temples and the museum. A night lets you do both and, more importantly, stay in a ryokan with its own bath, which is what Hakone does best. A second night lets you add a walk on the old road or a summit without rushing.
If time is very tight, the coach tour is the efficient answer to the famous sights; if you have a free afternoon, the Tozan railway, the sculpture park and a soak in Yumoto make a calmer day. Whichever you choose, leave room for weather: the mountain mist that hides Fuji also makes the cedar forests look their best.
Your Hakone day
Shrine, steam and the Fuji lakes in a day.
Pick a date, meet in Tokyo, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
What is Hakone best known for?
Hot springs, views and art. Officially it has 17 hot springs, and the Open-Air Museum shows about 120 sculptures outdoors.614
How do I get between the sights?
Mountain railway, cable car, bus. The Tozan train links Yumoto and Gora in about 40 minutes; from Gora the cable car climbs on and buses run to Sengokuhara.941
When is the Open-Air Museum open?
Every day, 9:00 to 17:00. It opens all year, and last admission is 30 minutes before closing, so arrive by mid-afternoon.25
Is there a good walk in Hakone?
The old Tokaido road. From near Hakone-Yumoto to Lake Ashi it is about 7 km and 2 to 3 hours, rated moderate.5
Where can I see hydrangeas?
Along the railway and at Amidaji. They bloom along the line around mid-June, and on the Amidaji path from late June to mid July.6231
Does the day tour visit the museum?
No. Its listed stops are the shrine, the pier, the ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai.
Sources
The sources for this guide
- 1Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto↩
- 2Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 3Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Tozan Railway↩
- 4The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 5Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 6Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 7The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAbout Us↩
- 8Odakyu Electric RailwayLimited Express from Shinjuku to Hakone: ticket details↩
- 9Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 10Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 11Odakyu Electric RailwayHakone day trip itinerary↩
- 12Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 13Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 14Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Kenban↩
- 15Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu procession↩
- 16Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu procession↩
- 17Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 18Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 19Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 20Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Old Highway↩
- 21Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 22Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 23Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 24The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAccess↩
- 25The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 26Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 27Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 28The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPermanent Exhibits↩
- 29The Hakone Open-Air MuseumKids & Family↩
- 30Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Miyanoshita, Kowakidani, Gora↩
- 31Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 32Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 33Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Museum of Art↩
- 34Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto Station↩
- 35Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Sengokuhara silver grass fields↩
- 36Hakone Tourist AssociationHow do I go to Hakone?↩
- 37Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 38Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 39Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 40Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 41Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 42Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone Tozan Train / Hakone Tozan Cable Car↩
- 43Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 44Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 45Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 46Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 47Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 48Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Old Hakone Highway cedar-lined road↩
- 49Hakone Tourist AssociationJR Railpass and Hakone↩
- 50The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPicasso's Driving Force↩
- 51The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 52The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 53The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 54The Hakone Open-Air MuseumRequests for Visitors↩
- 55Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 56Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 57Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 58Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Hakone and Old Tokaido highway travel↩
- 59Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 60Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 61Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)The 17 hot springs of Hakone↩
- 62Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone Tozan Train / Hakone Tozan Cable Car↩
