View of Miyajima from across the water in Hakone

Trips and Tours to Hakone

About Hakone

The national park of Hakone is renowned for its gorgeous natural scenery of woodland mountains, striking blue lakes and inviting hot springs. Its crowning glory is the notoriously shy peak of Mt. Fuji, one of Japan's most iconic images. Fuji is Japan's highest peak and one of its three sacred mountains, serving as a popular site of pilgrimage for centuries and inspiring literature and painting for as equally as long. The near-perfect conical summit is often dusted with snow and on a clear day looms large over the surrounding land.

Located less than 100km from Tokyo, Hakone is a popular place for city dwellers looking for a peaceful weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. A handful of small villages and hamlets dot the area providing traditional ryokan accommodation where you can soak up the scenery and soak your weary bones in the onsen (hot spring), often attached to the ryokans so you won't have to go far. There's a wide range of local transport, many options providing scenic ways to explore the area, including buses, cable cars and a mountain railway that winds itself through the region's hills and valleys.

Most of what Hakone offers in terms of things to see and do will be outdoor-based and top of the list is the boat trip across beautiful Lake Ashi in a seventeenth-century galleon themed ship for the quintessential shot of the vibrant torii gate rising from the water with Mt. Fuji as its backdrop. The outdoor sculpture park and Picasso gallery is a great place to wander around for an afternoon.

Hakone Tours

Here are some popular itineraries that include a visit to Hakone. Alternatively, if you would like to include a visit to Hakone on a bespoke touring itinerary to Japan, take a look at our tailor-made holiday planning section.