Lowest fare from Tokyo8,054 reviews
10 hTokyo: Mt. Fuji Tour, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Ashi
★ 4.6 · 8,054 reviews
- Ten hours, to explore Mt. Fuji
- Visit Hakone Shrine
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$55$5.50 / hour
Check availability→ Hakone day trip
Hakone day trip from Tokyo: the loop in one day
Hakone is a valley of hot springs, a lake with a red gate standing in it, a cable car over steaming ground and a mountain on the horizon — and it sits close enough to the capital to be done between breakfast and bedtime. Twelve listings on this site ride the loop, from $50 to $476, and one is a pass rather than a tour. This page is about what the loop contains, the order the stops come in, and when it is better to let someone else drive.
A day in Hakone at a glance
- Listings that ride the loop
- 12 toursplus the Hakone train pass, which is a different kind of answer
- Lowest fare
- $50Hakone Shrine, the pirate ship, the ropeway and Owakudani — 4.9 across 1,049
- From Tokyo, cheapest
- $55ten hours and 8,054 ratings, the most reviewed listing on this site
- The pass
- $45unlimited rides for two or three consecutive days, 4.3 across 181 reviews
- The classic stops
- Fourthe ropeway over Owakudani, the boat on Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, the torii gate
- Added on some days
- Odawara Castle$109 names it as the sixth stop before the train home
- Private in Hakone
- $318a private day with an onsen stop, rated 5.0 across 147 reviews
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationshown across the listings gathered here
Quick answer
The short answer. For a day in Hakone out of the city, $55 is the cheapest and by far the most tested: ten hours, Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Lake Yamanaka, Owakudani and the cable car, 8,054 ratings at 4.6. If you would rather be rated highly than cheaply collected, $50 holds 4.9 across 1,049 reviews and starts nearer the mountain. If you are staying the night rather than riding back, $45 buys two or three days of local trains and buses with discounts at over seventy sights, and you ride the loop at your own speed.
The loop
What a day in Hakone contains
Hakone is not a town you walk around. It is a circuit: trains up the valley, a funicular, a ropeway over the top, a boat across the lake and a bus back. Tour operators ride the same circuit by coach, in the same order, and that is why so many of these listings read alike.
Owakudani and the ropeway. The cable car crosses a valley of bare ground and drifting steam, which is the most photographed minute of the day. $55 and $66 both build the day around it, and $50 rides it before turning for the coast.
Lake Ashi. A sightseeing ship crosses the water, and near the shore the red torii of Hakone Shrine stands in the lake itself. $85 is built around exactly that: the cruise, and a photograph at the gate.
Hakone Shrine. Named on $55, $50, $109 and $476. It sits in cedar woods at the lake edge, a short walk from where the boats tie up.
What gets added. $109 puts Odawara Castle in before the train home and Oshino Hakkai in before that. $476 adds the Gotemba outlets. $50 leaves the valley entirely in the afternoon for the sea. A Hakone day trip from Tokyo is a fixed spine with one or two things hung on it.
Every trip, current fare
Every listing that rides the loop, current fare
The twelve day trips that include the Hakone side, cheapest first. Cost per hour divides the fare by the booked length; the pass is left out of this table because it is sold by the day, not by the hour.
| Tour | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo: Mt Fuji & Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi Cruise, OwakudaniRated 4.9 across 1,049 | 1 day | $50 | Hakone Shrine, the pirate ship on Lake Ashi, the ropeway, Owakudani and Swan Beach | $5.00 | 4.9 · 1,049 |
| Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour: Arakurayama, Oshino Hakkai, OwakudaniBoth sides of the mountain | 10 h | $50 | The pagoda view at Arakurayama, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Ashi, the ropeway, Owakudani | $5.00 | 4.8 · 549 |
| Tokyo: Hakone & Enoshima Tour, Owakudani Ropeway, Mt Fuji ViewHakone and then the coast | 10 h | $50 | Lake Ashi by pirate ship, the ropeway over Owakudani, then the coast at Enoshima | $5.00 | 4.8 · 114 |
| Tokyo: Mt. Fuji Tour, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani, Lake AshiMost reviewed day here | 10 h | $55 | Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Lake Yamanaka, Owakudani and a panoramic cable car | $5.50 | 4.6 · 8,054 |
| Mt. Fuji & Hakone Day Tour with Lake Ashi Cruise and RopewayRopeway and the torii gate | 10 h | $66 | The Hakone Ropeway, Oshino Hakkai and the boat past the torii gate on Lake Ashi | $6.60 | 4.7 · 133 |
| Tokyo: Mt. Fuji Cruise & Hakone Ropeway Day Trip by BusThe cruise and the gate | 10 h | $85 | A cruise with Mount Fuji in view and the torii gate standing in the water | $8.50 | 4.8 · 109 |
| Tokyo: Mt Fuji & Hakone 6 Spots Tour w/ Bullet TrainSix stops and Odawara Castle | 10 h | $109 | Oshino Hakkai, ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, Odawara Castle, Shinkansen | $10.90 | 4.3 · 753 |
| From Tokyo: Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour w/ Return by Bullet TrainMeal and a Shinkansen return | 10 h | $115 | Owakudani, the ropeway, a Lake Ashi cruise, a meal, and a Shinkansen back to Tokyo | $11.50 | 4.3 · 1,689 |
| Tokyo: Mt. Fuji 5th Station & Hakone Cruise 1-Day Bus TourEleven hours, fifth station | 11 h | $127 | The Mount Fuji fifth station, a Lake Ashi cruise and a cable car over Hakone | $11.55 | 4.3 · 2,416 |
| Tokyo Mt Fuji 5th Station & Hakone Cruise Bus Tour w/Bullet TrainOur top pick — bullet train back | 10 h | $152 | Mount Fuji, a Lake Ashi cruise, lunch below the mountain, bullet train back to Tokyo | $15.20 | 4.4 · 5,333 |
| From Tokyo: Private Tour to Fuji/Hakone - Onsen, Art, NaturePrivate day with an onsen stop | 10 h | $318 | Lesser-known viewpoints, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine and an onsen stop, small group | $31.80 | 5 · 147 |
| From Tokyo: Private Mt. Fuji and Hakone Tour by CarPrivate car, Gotemba included | 10 h | $476 | Yamanakako, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, Gotemba Outlets, fifth station optional | $47.60 | 4.9 · 63 |
The order
The shape of the day, stop by stop
Almost every coach runs the loop in this order. Knowing it makes the listings easy to compare: they differ at the ends, not in the middle.
| Stop | Roughly | What it is | Which listings name it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of the citythe drive | 2 to 3 hours | West past Gotemba, or down the coast to Odawara | Everything that starts in Tokyo |
| Owakudani and the ropewaythe high point | 1 to 2 hours | A cable car over bare, steaming ground | $55, $66, $115 |
| Lake Ashithe boat | 1 hour | A sightseeing ship across the lake, the red gate at the shore | $85, $50, $127 |
| The extra stopwhere they differ | 1 to 2 hours | Odawara Castle, the Gotemba outlets, Oshino Hakkai or the coast | $109, $476, $50 |
The verdict
Which day in Hakone to book
The loop is the same; what you are choosing is where you join it, how long you stay and who drives. Here is the site read out plainly.
If you are starting in the city, book $55. Ten hours, the lowest fare of anything leaving Tokyo, and 8,054 ratings at 4.6 — the most tested listing here by a wide margin. Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Lake Yamanaka, Owakudani and a panoramic cable car.
If the rating decides it, book $50. 4.9 across 1,049 reviews is the best score of any well-reviewed listing on this site, and the fare is the lowest here: Hakone Shrine, the pirate ship on Lake Ashi, the ropeway, Owakudani and Swan Beach on Lake Yamanaka.
If you want the most in one day, book $109. Six stops in ten hours — Oshino Hakkai, the ropeway, Owakudani, the Lake Ashi cruise, Hakone Shrine and Odawara Castle — and the Shinkansen back into Tokyo at the end of it. 753 ratings at 4.3.
If you want the lake above all, book $85. The listing is built around the cruise with the mountain in view and the torii gate standing in the water, at 4.8 across 109 reviews.
If you want the valley and then the sea, book $50. The pirate ship on Lake Ashi and the ropeway over Owakudani in the morning, then Enoshima, its beaches and local seafood in the afternoon. 4.8 across 114 reviews.
If you are staying the night, buy $45 instead. It is not a tour. It is unlimited travel on most local trains and buses for two or three consecutive days, with discounts at over seventy sights in the valley, rated 4.3 across 181 reviews. Anyone searching for a Hakone hot spring ryokan day trip is really describing this: a night in the valley with the loop ridden slowly around it.
Book direct
Four ways to ride the loop
The cheapest day out of Tokyo, the best rated day on the site, the one with six stops and a train home, and a private day with an onsen stop.
Rated 4.9Lake Ashi
1 dayTokyo: Mt Fuji & Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi Cruise, Owakudani
★ 4.9 · 1,049 reviews
- A full day, on a Hakone pirate ship
- Visit Hakone Shrine
- Ride the Hakone Ropeway
- Free cancellation
$50$5.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Six stopsShinkansen back
10 hTokyo: Mt Fuji & Hakone 6 Spots Tour w/ Bullet Train
★ 4.3 · 753 reviews
- Ten hours, to Tokyo by Shinkansen
- Lake Ashi cruise
- Hakone Shrine & Odawara Castle
- Free cancellation
$109$10.90 / hour
Check availability→ 
PrivateRated 5.0
10 hFrom Tokyo: Private Tour to Fuji/Hakone - Onsen, Art, Nature
★ 5 · 147 reviews
- Ten hours, from Tokyo to Hakone
- Visit Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine
- Relax in an Onsen
- Free cancellation
$318$31.80 / hour
Check availability→ The shape
Four kinds of day in the valley
The loop takes as long as you give it. These are the four honest shapes, with how much of the valley each one reaches.
A coach day
Ten hours from Tokyo
$55 and $66 cover the ropeway, the lake and the shrine and have you back the same evening.
A day with a train home
Ten hours, Shinkansen back
$109 and $115 end on the bullet train, which gives the evening back.
A private day
Ten to twelve hours
$318 names an onsen stop and quieter viewpoints; $476 adds the Gotemba outlets.
Your own pace
Two or three days
$45 turns the loop into something you ride in pieces, which is what people who stay the night actually do.
Mistakes
Six mistakes people make planning the day
All six come from reading the fare and skipping the two lines under it.
- 1. Expecting the mountain to be part of the deal
Hakone looks towards Mount Fuji, and on a clear day the view is the reason people come. No listing can promise the air. The lake, the shrine and the ropeway are there either way, which is why the good days are built around them.
- 2. Booking a tour when a pass would serve better
If you are sleeping in the valley, $45 is the better buy: two or three days of unlimited local rides instead of one guided circuit.
- 3. Booking a pass when a coach would serve better
The opposite mistake. Out of Tokyo for one day only, the coaches do the driving and the timing for you, from $55.
- 4. Not checking where the day starts
$50 and $50 begin at Fujinomiya, and $50 in Hakone itself. They are cheaper because you make your own way there.
- 5. Treating the ropeway as a formality
It is the part people remember: a cable car over bare ground with steam rising through it. Check that your listing names it — $85 and $66 both do.
- 6. Leaving the booking to the morning
The private days and the longest coaches fill first. Free cancellation means holding a place costs nothing but a click if plans move.
Checklist
Five things to check before you pay
One minute with the listing, and almost nothing goes wrong on the day.
- Where the day begins
Tokyo, Hakone, Fujinomiya or Fujiyoshida. The listing says so on the booking page.
- Whether the ropeway is named
Most of the loop days ride it, but not all. $55, $66 and $115 name it outright.
- Whether the boat is a cruise or a crossing
$85 is built around the cruise itself; on the longer days it is one stop among six.
- How you get back
Coach or Shinkansen. $109 and $115 ride the train; the cheaper days return by road.
- Free cancellation
Shown across the listings gathered here, and worth having on a day in the mountains.
Staying the night instead? $45 buys two or three days of unlimited local trains and buses, with discounts at over seventy sights.
See what the pass covers→Common questions
Common questions about a day in Hakone
How much is a day in Hakone from Tokyo?
From $55 on a shared coach out of the city, or $50 if you meet the tour nearer the mountain. Private days start at $318.
What is on the loop?
The ropeway over Owakudani, the sightseeing boat across Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine and the red gate standing in the water. Some days add Odawara Castle, Oshino Hakkai or the Gotemba outlets.
Is a tour better than the pass?
For one day out of the city, yes: the coach does the driving and the timing. For two or three days with a night in the valley, $45 is the better buy.
Can I see Mount Fuji from Hakone?
On a clear day the mountain stands behind the ridge, and several listings name the view. The air decides it, so the days are built around the lake and the valley as well.
Is there a private option?
Yes. $318 is a private day with lesser-known viewpoints, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine and an onsen stop, rated 5.0 across 147 reviews.
How long does the loop take on your own?
Most of a day with the pass in hand, because every leg is a different train, funicular, cable car or boat. That is the charm of it and also the reason the coaches exist.
Go deeper
More on Hakone and Mount Fuji in a day
Mt Fuji tours
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Onsen ryokanHakone onsen ryokan
What an onsen ryokan night adds to a Hakone trip, and what it costs.
Luxury ryokanHakone luxury ryokan
The high end in Hakone, and what the money actually buys.
Private onsenHakone ryokan with a private onsen
Rooms with their own bath, and why people book months ahead.
Kaiseki dinnerHakone ryokan dinner
Kaiseki, breakfast and what half board really means.
