Guide · Getting there

Tokyo to Hakone: trains, the bullet train and buses

Getting from Tokyo to Hakone takes about as long as a film, and there is more than one way to do it. Here are the routes, the times, the fares and the traps.

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Editorial team, hakone-tour.comUpdated October 22, 2026about 6 min to read51 sources

The tour this guide is about Day tour from Tokyo to Hakone and the Fuji lakes 4.9 (872 reviews) 1 dayOne-way Hakone Ropeway ticket includedGuide in English and Chinese from$50per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

Quick answer

01Easiest: Limited express from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes.¹
02Fastest: Shinkansen to Odawara, then 15 minutes on to Hakone-Yumoto.²
03Rail pass: Covers the shinkansen to Odawara, not the Odakyu line.³ ⁴
04By bus: Express buses run from Shinjuku to Sengokuhara in about 2 hours.⁵
05No planning: A coach tour with 2 hours each way, all transfers included.

Where Hakone starts

Before choosing a train, decide where you are going in Hakone. Almost every rail route from Tokyo to Hakone ends at Hakone-Yumoto, the hot-spring town at the bottom of the valley and the last stop of the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and Odawara.⁶ From there the Hakone Tozan Railway climbs to Gora, and buses fan out to the lake and the highlands.

Odawara is the other key name. It is the shinkansen stop at the foot of the mountains, and from Odawara the Odakyu line reaches Hakone-Yumoto in a 15-minute ride.⁷ Every rail route below comes through one of these two stations; the express buses climb straight up to Sengokuhara instead.

So the journey splits into a fast leg from Tokyo to the edge of the mountains and a slow, scenic leg up into them. Planning both together is what makes the day work, because the mountain railway, cable cars and buses run at mountain speed, not city speed. A late start in Tokyo can easily cost you the afternoon at the top, so decide the first train before you decide anything else.

A train day

Shinjuku to Gora by rail

A month ahead

Book the express

Sales open at 10:00 Japan time.⁸
Morning

Leave Shinjuku

About 80 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto.¹
Arrival

Drop your bags

The station counter delivers them onward.⁹
Change

Platform 3

The Tozan Railway for Gora leaves from here.¹⁰
Climb

Up to Gora

About 40 minutes with 6 stops.¹¹
Onward

Cable car

From Gora the cable car continues uphill.¹²

The limited express from Shinjuku

The simplest way is Odakyu's limited express, branded Romancecar, from Shinjuku. It runs directly to Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes, and all seats are reserved, with reclining seats and onboard restrooms.¹ ¹³ For many visitors this is the classic Tokyo to Hakone train: one seat, no change, a view of the countryside.

The limited express charge is 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for children, one way, and you also need a regular fare ticket at the gate.¹⁴ ¹⁵ In Odakyu's worked example, an adult pays 1,200 yen for the express ticket plus 1,270 yen for the boarding ticket, 2,470 yen in all.¹⁶ An express e-ticket bought online is 50 yen cheaper.¹⁷

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 Japan time one month before the travel date, so a weekend seat can be secured well ahead.⁸ Note that the Hakone Freepass does not cover the express charge; Odakyu lists the charge plus a 2-day Freepass at 8,300 yen for an adult.¹⁸ ¹⁹

Time on the way

Minutes from Tokyo by each route

min

Shinkansen Tokyo to Odawara and the onward Odakyu leg from the Hakone Tourist Association; limited express from Odakyu; bus to Sengokuhara; coach time as our tour lists it.²⁰ ⁷ ¹ ⁵

Every way in

Routes, times and catches

Route	To	Time	Catch
Limited express from Shinjuku	Hakone-Yumoto	About 80 min	Surcharge plus fare
Shinkansen	Odawara	About 40 min	Not every train stops
Odakyu from Odawara	Hakone-Yumoto	15 min	Change at Odawara
Express bus from Shinjuku	Sengokuhara	About 2 hrs	Skips Yumoto
Car	Hakone	About 1 hr	Weekend traffic
Coach tour	Hakone and lakes	2 hrs each way	Fixed route

From Odakyu and the Hakone Tourist Association, with the coach time as our tour lists it; check current timetables before you travel.¹ ²⁰ ⁷ ⁵ ²¹

Three ways to arrive

Express, bullet train or coach

Easiest

Limited express

Shinjuku, no change

Time: About 80 min
Surcharge: 1,200 yen adult
Seats: All reserved

Compare

Rail pass

Shinkansen

Tokyo to Odawara

To Odawara: About 40 min
Then: 15 min to Yumoto
Pass: JR part only

Compare

Tokyo: Mt Fuji & Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi Cruise,Owakudani

No planning

Coach tour

Meeting point in Tokyo

Each way: 2 hours
Ropeway: One way included
Price: from $50

Compare

Decision helper

Which way should you go?

Choose by your ticket and your plans

I have a Japan Rail Pass I want one seat and no changes I am on a tight budget I am staying in Sengokuhara I do not want to plan anything

Shinkansen to Odawara

The pass covers it; pay separately from Odawara on.³

The limited express

Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes.¹

JR Tokaido Line or bus

The local line to Odawara may be the cheapest way.²²

The express bus

Direct from Shinjuku Station in about 2 hours.⁵

A coach tour

Transfers from a Tokyo meeting point are included.

The fastest way to reach Hakone is to take the Shinkansen to Odawara Station and then the short 15 minutes train ride to Hakone Yumoto at the base of the Hakone mountains.

Hakone Tourist AssociationSource 2

The bullet train to Odawara

Going from Tokyo to Hakone by shinkansen is the fastest option on paper. The Hakone Tourist Association calls it the quickest way: take the shinkansen to Odawara, then the short 15-minute train to Hakone-Yumoto.² Its rail pass page gives the shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Odawara as about 40 minutes, and advises catching a Kodama, because not every train stops there.²⁰

Another of the association's pages puts Odawara at about 30 minutes from Tokyo, so treat the journey as half an hour to forty minutes depending on the train.²³ ²⁰ From Kyoto or Osaka the logic is the same: Kodama trains stop at Odawara, and only a few Nozomi do.²⁴

This route suits travellers with a Japan Rail Pass. The pass covers JR trains and the shinkansen to Odawara, but transport from there is paid separately, and the Odakyu line from Shinjuku is not covered at all.³ ⁴ Odakyu's service center at Odawara Station opens from 8:30 to 18:00 all year, with English, Chinese and Korean guidance, for tickets and passes onward.²⁵

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.

Map of Hakone with Yumoto Station, the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Owakudani, Sengokuhara and the Hakone Checkpoint — Hakone from Yumoto to the lake

Map of the Hakone Tozan Railway from Tonosawa via Ohiradai, Miyanoshita and Kowakidani to Gora, with Chisuji Falls, Hakone Gora Park and Sounzan — The Tozan line up to Gora

Map of Hakone-Yumoto with Sounji Temple, the Tenzan bathhouse and Amidaji Temple above Tonosawa — Around Hakone-Yumoto

Map of the old Tokaido road in Hakone from Hatajuku past the Amazake Chaya teahouse to the cedar avenue by Lake Ashi — The old Tokaido over the pass

Map of the route from Shinjuku in Tokyo to Odawara at the foot of the Hakone mountains — From Tokyo to Hakone

1
Yumoto Station
The limited express from Shinjuku ends here after about 80 minutes; platform 3 is for the Tozan Railway up to Gora.¹ ¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
2
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Sculpture park opened in 1969, a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Tozan line.²⁶ ²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
3
Owakudani
A stop on the day tour this site sells, reached on the Hakone Ropeway.
In Google Maps ↗
4
Sengokuhara
Highland area with silver grass plains in autumn; express buses run here from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.²⁸ ⁵
In Google Maps ↗
5
Hakone Checkpoint
Reconstructed Edo-period checkpoint, open to the public since April 2007, with a museum of 300 items.²⁹ ³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
6
Tonosawa Station
First stop above Yumoto; a path of no more than 20 minutes leads up to Amidaji.³¹
In Google Maps ↗
7
Ohiradai Station
One of the switchbacks where the train reverses to keep climbing.³²
In Google Maps ↗
8
Miyanoshita Station
Village of the Fujiya Hotel, developed as a summer retreat from Tokyo and Yokohama.³³
In Google Maps ↗
9
Kowakidani Station
Chisuji Falls is a 20-minute stroll from here.³⁴
In Google Maps ↗
10
Chisuji Falls
Water threads down a mossy volcanic wall 20 meters wide and 3 meters tall.³⁵
In Google Maps ↗
11
Gora Station
End of the Tozan line, where the cable car continues uphill.¹²
In Google Maps ↗
12
Hakone Gora Park
Garden opened in 1914, a 5-minute walk from Gora Station.³⁶ ³⁷
In Google Maps ↗
13
Sounzan Station
Top of the cable car, 209 meters above Gora, and the ropeway transfer.³⁸
In Google Maps ↗
14
Sounji Temple
Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1521 in honour of Hojo Soun.³⁹
In Google Maps ↗
15
Tenzan bathhouse
Day-use bathhouse with public baths only, no private bath, and cash payment.⁴⁰ ⁴¹
In Google Maps ↗
16
Amidaji Temple
Hydrangeas line its path from late June to mid July.⁴²
In Google Maps ↗
17
Hatajuku
Village of yosegi marquetry, with reconstructed milestone mounds that marked 23 ri from Edo.⁴³ ⁴⁴
In Google Maps ↗
18
Amazake Chaya
Thatched teahouse run by 12 generations, open 7am to 5:30pm.⁴⁵ ⁴⁶
In Google Maps ↗
19
Old Tokaido cedar avenue
Cedars more than 350 years old, some 30 to 40 meters tall, line the old road by the lake.⁴⁷
In Google Maps ↗
20
Shinjuku Station
Odakyu limited expresses leave here for Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes away.¹
In Google Maps ↗
21
Odawara Station
Shinkansen stop; from here the Odakyu line reaches Hakone-Yumoto in 15 minutes.⁷
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

For the journey to Hakone

Tickets

Express ticket plus a regular fare
Book busy weekend trains early
Freepass does not cover the express

On the day

Kodama, not most Nozomi, for Odawara
Send big bags ahead from Yumoto
Allow extra time for the mountain leg

Cost calculator

Price a tour with transport included

Type your head count and see three Tokyo departures priced.

Coach dayCoach both waysfrom $50 Bullet train homeTrain finishfrom $116 Most booked day10 hoursfrom $54

People 2

Total from$100

per guest from $50

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals take each listing's cheapest GetYourGuide price times the number of travellers, turned into your own currency with the European Central Bank's figure for today; the sum at checkout is the one that counts.

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How to get to Hakone from Shinjuku by local train

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Cheaper trains, buses and driving

If cost matters more than comfort, the Hakone Tourist Association names the local JR Tokaido Line to Odawara as possibly the most economical way in.²² It takes longer and you change at Odawara, but there is no express surcharge. Overall, the association puts the train ride to Hakone at between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on the train you take.⁴⁸

Express buses are the other budget choice, and the only one that skips Yumoto. Direct buses run from Shinjuku Station to Sengokuhara in about 2 hours.⁵ They are handy if you are staying in the highlands or near the museums there, less so for Yumoto or Gora. A bus also avoids changing trains with luggage, which some travellers value more than speed, though road traffic makes its timing less predictable than the rails.

Driving from Tokyo takes about an hour by the association's estimate, though weekend traffic into the mountains can stretch that badly.²¹ Mountain roads are narrow and slow on busy days, and the trains and buses reach every main sight, so a car is rarely needed.

How far is Hakone from Tokyo in practice?

How far is Hakone from Tokyo once you count the whole trip? Odakyu describes it as about an hour and a half from central Tokyo, which matches the limited express from Shinjuku plus a little time at each end.⁴⁹ By shinkansen you reach Odawara faster, but you still need the onward train.

The mountain leg adds more. The Tozan train from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora takes about 40 minutes with 6 stops along the way.¹¹ If your goal is Gora or the Open-Air Museum, budget another hour beyond Yumoto with waiting and changing; if it is the lake, longer still.

That is why day trips feel long. A coach tour lists 2 hours on the road each way before any sightseeing starts, and another 2 hours back at the end. Whether you take a train or a coach, the distance is short, but the mountains make every last kilometre slow. If you can, stay a night: the return journey then becomes a relaxed morning rather than the end of a long day, and you see Hakone after the day visitors have gone.

A coach tour instead of trains

If timetables and ticket gates are not how you want to spend a holiday, a coach day takes care of everything. The tour this site sells starts from one of 2 meeting points in Tokyo, with details by email before 19:00 on the day before, and includes round-trip transfers from the meeting point.

It then runs the famous upper loop in one go: Hakone Shrine, the Togendai pier, a one-way Hakone Ropeway ride with the ticket included, and Owakudani, before crossing to Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai. It is rated 4.91 from 872 reviews and starts from $50.

There is also a hybrid. One listed tour goes out by coach and sends you back from Odawara Station to Tokyo Station on a 35-minute train, with a non-reserved seat. It starts from $116, and suits travellers who want a firm time back in the city.

Luggage, passes and small details

Travelling with suitcases is easier than it looks. A luggage counter in Hakone-Yumoto Station delivers bags to your accommodation, so you can sightsee before check-in with free hands.⁹ At Hakone-Yumoto, platform 1 serves the limited express, platform 2 trains for Odawara and platform 3 the Tozan Railway to Gora.¹⁰

Once in the mountains, IC cards work on the Tozan Railway but not on the cable car above Gora.⁵⁰ A Hakone Tozan Train 1-Day Pass allows unlimited rides between Odawara and Gora in one day, useful if you plan several stops on the line.⁵¹

Coach tours have their own luggage rule: on our pick, luggage must be announced in advance and may cost extra. If you are moving hotels on the same day, send your bags ahead by courier or keep the tour day for a stay without a move. Light luggage also makes the Tozan train far more pleasant, because the carriages are compact and the line twists through sharp curves all the way up.

Your Hakone day