I’ve been to Tokyo several times, but I have NEVER seen Mt. Fuji. I wanted to remedy that this time around… What better place to see Mt. Fuji than at Hakone – where there are supposedly multiple Mt. Fuji view points!

 

Day 4

• Traveling from Tokyo to Hakone
• Souzan Ropeway and Cable Car
• Owadukani (volcano area)
• Lake Aashi Cruise to Motohakone
• Ancient Cedar Avenue
• Heiwa No Tori
• Hakone-yumoto

Traveling from Tokyo to Hakone

Purchase the Hakone 2-day Pass from Klook – it’s a really good deal at JPY 5,140! I love Klook so much <3 NOTE: I know it says it’s a 2-day pass, but even if you’re only going for a day trip, buying the Hakone Pass is still cheaper than purchasing tickets one-by-one while at Hakone (as you need to use a lot of transportation)

Once you arrive in Tokyo, head to the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center (located near the Otakyu Department Store, Central West exit) to redeem your Hakone Pass AND buy Romance Car tickets for JPY 1,050.

Why book Romance Car tickets? Seats are better (they recline!), time slots are better and faster (direct to Hakone-yumoto). Having said that, if you’re not in a hurry, just take the normal train!

Tips:

• Do NOT lose the Hakone Pass, it’s just a slip of paper, but it’s super valuable (or else that’s JPY 5,140 down the drain!)
• I would highly advise you to purchase Romance Car tickets as soon as you arrive (don’t do it the morning itself) – as tickets tend to run out.
• Try to get Car 7 so you have full window views!
• Take the 7:00AM Romance Car. That way, you can get to Hakone by ~8:30AM

Souzan Ropeway and Cable Car

From Hakone-yumoto, take a bus to Gora. Don’t worry – it’s all included in your Hakone Pass! If you’re tempted to shop – don’t (anyway, the shops mostly open at 10AM), and you’ll be back afterwards. From Gora, take the cable car to Souzan. If possible, try to ride the front car so you can have a nice view!

Then there’s a cable car before finally arriving at Owadukani (See? This is why the Hakone Pass is helpful… There are so many transportation options!). In my photo, you can see a FAINT view of Mt. Fuji – if you r

Owadukani

At Owadukani (the sulfuric volcano area), snap nice photos of Mt. Fuji – as much as possible, make sure to go on a day that’s sunny, with minimal cloud cover. But who am I kidding? We can’t control the weather unfortunately! That’s why… when we got here, there was nary a sight of Mt. Fuji to be seen. So sad!

Instead, I spent my time wandering around and taking photos of the sulfuric spewing ground

Afterwards, we got food to eat – including the famed kuro tamago, which is said to lengthen your life by 7 years for each egg you eat (but you can eat maximum of 3 eggs only!)

Afterwards, I took a photo with the real endorser -> Hello Kitty!!

 

Don’t worry, there are also other food stalls at Owadukani. They’re not exactly filling though…

Lake Aashi Cruise to Motohakone-ko

From here, you’ll have to take another ropeway to get to the Lake Aashi Cruise area. The total cruise takes a total of 40 mins – and I found it pretty lame to be honest. There’s not much to see, and there’s no commentary either. Here I am just snapping silly photos out of boredom

BUT, once you get closer to Motohakone-ko, ready your cameras! If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to catch a photo of the famed Heiwa No Tori, with Mt. Fuji in the background

Ancient Cedar Avenue

Okay, once you get down at Motohakone-ko, make your way slowly to Heiwa No Tori via the ancient cedar avenue, so you can snap some more nice photos

 

When the cedar avenue ends, just continue strolling by the lakeside. Suddenly, a wild Mt. Fuji appears – oh thank God! I thought our whole Hakone trip was going to be a bust!

Heiwa-no-Tori

Finally, you’ve reached your destination – the famous Heiwa-no-Tori! Spend some time snapping away here. Believe me, there will be loads of tourists – so you may have to queue for your photo

Hakone-yumoto

Once you’ve taken enough photos, it’s time to grab a bus to Hakone-yumoto. Make sure you check the bus schedule (buses aren’t very frequent here!), so you don’t want to miss your bus. If possible, try to go there early to ensure you have a seat. At this time, a lot of tourists will be trying to get on the same bus, so it could get tricky and you might miss the bus because it’s full

Okay – and now we’re back at Hakone-yumoto. Told you we’d be back~ Enjoy the beautiful town and snap some photos of the rushing river

Afterwards, spend your time shopping!! And btw, the shopping is COMPLETELY justified because your Hakone Pass comes with a JPY 500 gift certificate (considered as good as cash) in the bakery and souvenir shop of the station itself!

Once you’re done, slowly make your way back to the station and catch a local train to Tokyo!

That, my friends, concludes our day trip to Hakone! Stay tuned for the rest of my Tokyo adventures 🙂

For my other Japan blogs, please do check out the following:

Everything you need to know about Tokyo (as a DIY tourist)

Eating my way through Tokyo – top picks!

What to see and do in Okinawa

TOKYO 7-DAY OFF-THE-BEATEN PATH DIY ITINERARIES

• Day 1: Tokyo Day trip to Kawagoe
• Day 2: Tokyo Disney Sea adventure
• Day 3: Tokyo Day trip to Yokohama
• Day 4: Tokyo Day trip to Hakone
• Day 5: Tokyo Day trip to Kamukara and Enoshima
• Day 6: Tokyo shopping day!
• Day 7: Imperial Palace Walking Tour + Odaiba