Visit Hakone

Plan ahead to make use of the Hakone day pass (a must). The Hakone day pass helped but we misplaced one of the passes half way through our trip and had to pay. Bus drivers were very adamant about paying with cash if the physical pass was not found. Alternative ways of checking validity of the pass should be provided. Or provide lanyards to carry the passes - simple!!

Thomas United States

Open air museum exceeded our expectations, the loop was fun to do. If you do the lake Ashi cruise and don’t mind paying a bit more, get first class tickets to skip the queues and access the much nicer (and less crowded) cabins and decks at the front of the ship. We also enjoyed the Skywalk bridge park a bit outside the loop (we got great views of Mount Fuji). Watch for the last buses though, some routes finish early (around 5pm) or you might get stranded on a mountain road. Renting a car from Odawara might have worked better for us as we also had a lot of luggage.

Paul United Kingdom

We purchased the Hakone 2 day pass which was fantastic value, around $50 Aussie dollar’s and it included so many things incl. ropeway, cable cars, lake cruise and much more. Fantastic day out that just flowed so easily. Loved the town but be aware everything closes super early so get out to eat by 7pm at the latest.

Jayne Australia

Hakone was a breath of fresh air after busy Tokyo and the open air museum and ryokan experience were a complete highlight! The ropeway ride was cool, but if pressed for time, I'd skip the "pirate ship" (it's a ferry boat) as it took up 2 hours of our limited time in Hakone. I think we probably could have had a 2nd day so we didn't feel as rushed but the 24 hours we had there were very lovely but in retrospect I would have been happy just soaking up onsen water at the ryokan and exploring the open-air museum.

Elizabeth United States

Well organised route in the cable car, rope way and boat cruise that ensures you see all the highlights of the area. The smaller spots are well worth exploring. The old highway with the cedar trees was enchanting and the hiking trails in the area are fantastic for forest walking and views once you get to the top.

Ronda South Africa

So much to do here you could easily spend 4-5 days and not get bored. The scenery is stunning, the temperatures a little cooler than the intense summer heat of the city, especially as you head higher up the mountains. Don't expect it to be a quiet back water though. Hakone is a busy tourist destaination and there are lots of people here.

Helen United Kingdom