Hakone-machi Trip Overview
This value-packed trip with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Hakone!
For travelers looking for a blissful escape from Tokyo, Hakone offers everything from serene hot springs, world-class art museums, traditional inns, and spectacular mountain scenerey, capped by the perfection of Mt. Fuji. Ashino-ko is the lake at the center of most excursions to the area, but be prepared for the crowds, especially on weekends and holidays.
Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a four-hours tour that’s best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note*2: The Nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Additional Info
Duration: 6 hours
Starts: Hakone-machi, Japan
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Hakone-machi Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
This value-packed trip with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Hakone!
For travelers looking for a blissful escape from Tokyo, Hakone offers everything from serene hot springs, world-class art museums, traditional inns, and spectacular mountain scenerey, capped by the perfection of Mt. Fuji. Ashino-ko is the lake at the center of most excursions to the area, but be prepared for the crowds, especially on weekends and holidays.
Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a four-hours tour that’s best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note*2: The Nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Ashinoko, Hakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0521 Kanagawa Prefecture
Lake Ashinoko (芦ノ湖, Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano’s last eruption 3000 years ago. Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone. The lake’s shores are mostly undeveloped except for small towns in the east and north and a couple of lakeside resort hotels.
The best views of the lake in combination with Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from Moto-Hakone (a few steps south from the sightseeing boat pier), from the Hakone Detached Palace Garden and from the sightseeing boats cruising the lake.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hakone Shrine / Kuzuryu Shrine Singu, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0522 Kanagawa Prefecture
Hakone Shrine (箱根神社, Hakone Jinja) stands at the foot of Mount Hakone along the shores of Lake Ashi. The shrine buildings are hidden in the dense forest, but are well advertised by its huge torii gates, one standing prominently in the lake and two others over the main street of Moto-Hakone.
A path leads from the torii gate in Lake Ashi up a series of steps flanked by lanterns through the forest to the main building of the shrine, which sits peacefully among the tall trees. The shrine is beautiful throughout the year, and is particularly breathtaking when shrouded in mist.
A second shrine, Mototsumiya (“original shrine”) stands at the summit of Komagatake, one of Mount Hakone’s multiple peaks. It is accessible by the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway from Hakone-en or via hiking trails.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Pola Museum of Art, 1285 Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0631 Kanagawa Prefecture
The POLA group, a skin care and beauty products company, opened the POLA Museum of Art (ポーラ美術館, Pōla Bijutsukan) in 2002 in order to display the extensive private art collection of the company’s late owner, Suzuki Tsuneshi.
The museum was built amid a forest of 300 year old beech trees, and although constructed of concrete and glass, it is designed so as not to disrupt the natural environment that surrounds it. To achieve this, the majority of the building is located underground.
The museum features modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics and glassware by mostly Japanese and European artists. In addition to temporary exhibits, the museum displays rotating exhibits drawn from its permanent collection which include works by artists such as Cezanne, Monet, Picasso and Renoir.
Admission
1800 yen (1600 yen with the Hakone Free Pass)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Okada Museum of Art, 493-1 Kowakudani, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0406 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Okada Museum of Art (岡田美術館, Okada Bijutsukan) is a privately-owned museum showcasing a wide collection of art pieces dating from antiquity to the modern era. Opened in 2013, the museum features a large array of East Asian ceramics, sculptures and paintings, all housed in a very spacious, modern facility surrounded by expansive grounds that feature a Japanese garden, a teahouse and a cafe with hot spring foot bath.
The heart of the museum’s collection lies in its huge collection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics and sculptures, which dominates the first two floors, including ancient Chinese bronzes, Tang and Ming porcelain, early Japanese pottery and more. The upper floors focus on Japanese art, with a variety of art forms and time periods represented. Most items on display are labeled with basic information in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
When entering, be aware that the museum’s security measures are rather strict, requiring guests to store phones, cameras, bags and even stationary in free lockers at the front.
Admission
2800 yen (museum and footbath; 200 yen off with the Hakone Free Pass)
300 yen (garden)
500 yen (footbath only)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hakone Ropeway, 1251 Sengokubara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0521 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Hakone Ropeway (箱根ロ-プウエイ) is part of the Hakone Round Course, a popular way to visit Hakone. It connects Sounzan Station (at the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Cablecar) with Togendai Station (at the shore of Lake Ashinoko) and stops at Owakudani and Ubako stations on the way. The ropeway is fully covered by the Hakone Free Pass.
The ropeway’s gondolas depart every minute and fit around ten people each. Traveling the full length of the ropeway takes around 30 minutes. Along the journey, passengers can enjoy views of the active, sulfuric hot spring sources of the Owakudani Valley between Sounzan and Owakudani and of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji between Owakudani and Togendai if visibility allows. A transfer of gondolas is necessary at Owakudani, but no transfer is needed at Ubako.
Admission
1480 yen (one way), covered by the Hakone Free Pass
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Sangdui Red Grass Field, Sangdui Country, Daocheng County China
Covering a portion of the west slope of Mount Hakone in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone is a large, rolling field of pampas grass (susuki). Referred to as the Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field (仙石原すすき草原, Sengokuhara Susuki Kusahara), the tall grasses here cover the hillside for hundreds of meters, changing color with the seasons and offering stunning views. The field attracts visitors especially during the autumn when the grasses turn a shimmering, silvery gold color.
A single, wide walking path extends into the field from the west base of the hillside, offering expansive views along the way to a dead end at a higher vantage point further up the slope. The path accommodates both ascending and descending traffic, and it is generally discouraged to walk off the trail through the grasses.
While the field is most visited in autumn, the grasses go through a series of seasonal changes throughout the year that are also attractive, changing from bright green in the summer, to a mix of green and light yellow around September, to a brilliant whitish gold by early November. In winter, the grasses turn brown and die. In spring, the field is routinely cleared through a controlled burning in order to prevent other plant life from growing amongst the pampas and to promote regrowth.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hakone Shisseikaen, 817 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0631 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands (箱根湿生花園, Hakone Shisseikaen) is a botanical garden in the highlands of Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. The park was founded in 1976 as a place to preserve and exhibit over 1700 varieties of marsh and alpine plants native to Japan.
The garden offers a network of boardwalk paths through different types of marshland where you can learn about the plants that populate the wetlands. Information signs are in English and Japanese. The garden is popular during June when its Nikko Kisuge (daylily) are in full bloom, however it is closed during the winter months.
Admission
700 yen (600 yen with the Hakone Free Pass)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Odawara Castle, 6-1 Jonai, Odawara 250-0014 Kanagawa Prefecture
Odawara Castle (小田原城, Odawarajō) was originally built in the mid 15th century and soon fell into the hands of the Hojo Clan, one of the most powerful clans during the Warring States Era who used it as a base to control the region around modern day Tokyo. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the castle, and with the defeat of the Hojo Clan, reunited Japan.
In 1703 the castle was destroyed by an earthquake but quickly rebuilt; yet in 1870, the castle keep and other buildings were dismantled and sold. The keep was rebuilt again in ferro-concrete in 1960 based on models and drawings from the Edo Period. Over the following years, the three major gates leading up to the castle were also restored. Today it is the closest castle keep to Tokyo.
Admission
510 yen
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hakone Museum of Art, 1300 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0408 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Hakone Museum of Art (箱根美術館, Hakone Bijutsukan), located in Gora, was founded by Okada Mokichi in 1952. Its sister museum, the MOA Museum of Art was later built in Atami City on the Izu Peninsula.
The museum displays mainly Japanese ceramics from prehistoric times through the Edo Period (1600-1868). These include a number of large earthenware and ceramic vessels such as a haniwa burial statue classified as an Important Cultural Property.
Admission
900 yen (700 yen with the Hakone Free Pass)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Choanji Temple, 82 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0631 Kanagawa Prefecture
Choanji Temple (長安寺, Chōanji) is a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone. Established in 1356 in a quiet area at the base of a hill, the atmospheric temple has a small network of pleasant walking trails which wind through its wooded grounds and cemetery.
What lends Choanji its particular charm, however, are the over two hundred statues of rakan (disciples of Buddha) scattered around the temple grounds. The statues began appearing in the 1980s and have been accruing ever since. Each statue has a unique face and shape, some contemplative and serious, others casual and humorous, and many show a modern edge in their artistic style and expressiveness compared to other collections of rakan statues.
In autumn, the temple grounds are also one of Hakone’s nicer spots to enjoy the autumn colors. The many color-changing trees here usually reach their peak color around mid November.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hakone Venetian Glass Museum, 940-48 Sengokubara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0631 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Hakone Glass no Mori (箱根ガラスの森) features Italian styled buildings housing a museum and shops. Outside is a large strolling garden surrounding a canal like pond. The garden has a number of large glass sculptures laid about it, as well as a cafe with an open terrace at one end where live canzoni (Italian ballads) performances are held.
The Glass no Mori’s Venetian Glass Museum houses a collection of over 100 pieces of Venetian glassware. It displays both modern and classical works in all forms including vases, goblets, lamps and sculptures.
The Hakone Glass no Mori is run by the Ukai Group, an operator of themed high class restaurants, which also owns the Kawaguchiko Music Forest at Kawaguchiko in the Fuji Five Lakes region.
Admission
1500 yen (1400 yen with the Hakone Free Pass)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Gora Park, 1300 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0408 Kanagawa Prefecture
Gora Park (強羅公園, Gōra Kōen) is a western style landscape park located on the steep slope above Gora Station. It is a relaxing place to unwind and enjoy the scenery and views of Hakone.
Gora Park is primarily a French styled landscape park featuring a large fountain and a rose garden. The park also has two greenhouses, one housing a tropical botanical garden while the other contains a flower garden. Additionally, there is a restaurant overlooking the main fountain, as well as the Hakuun-do Chaen teahouse.
In the Crafthouse visitors can take part in craft activities such as glass blowing, glass etching, pottery and dried flower arrangement. Activities range in cost from 1000 to 5000 yen and take from 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
Admission
550 yen (free with the Hakone Free Pass)
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Gotemba Premium Outlets, 1312 Fukasawa, Gotemba 412-0023 Shizuoka Prefecture
The Gotemba Premium Outlets are Japan’s most popular outlet mall, located in Gotemba City at the base of Mount Fuji, not far from Hakone. The mall features over 200 stores along with a number of restaurants, a food court and a 50 meter high ferris wheel.
The stores found at the Premium Outlets are the outlets of internationally known brands of fashion, sports, food, household goods and electronics, and range from everyday items to luxury goods. The prices are not ridiculously cheap, but they are better on average than what you will find at regular retail shops in Japan.
Overall it is a nice place for a day of shopping, with a lot of variety and reasonable prices. Most of the stores accept credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners. Coin lockers are available in two locations.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Narukawa Art Museum, 570 Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0522 Kanagawa Prefecture
The Narukawa Museum of Art (成川美術館, Narukawa Bijutsukan) is a contemporary art museum dedicated to a style of painting known as nihonga. Literally meaning “Japanese-style painting”, nihonga are paintings that adhere to traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques, tools and materials. The label was originally meant to simply distinguish the art from Western-style paintings, but artists have since expanded the scope of nihonga to also include Western techniques.
Besides the art collection, the museum features an impressive panorama lounge and cafe with large windows overlooking Lake Ashinoko. On a clear day, it affords one of the best views of Mount Fuji, the lake and the floating torii gate of Hakone Shrine.
Admission
1300 yen (1100 yen with Hakone Free Pass or online coupon)
Duration: 30 minutes