Private Hakone Full-Day Tour from Tokyo

Hakone Shrine and the Peace Torii

Hakone Shrine stands among towering cedars on the eastern shore of Lake Ashi; tradition dates its founding to 757, and for centuries travellers on the old highway between Edo and Kyoto stopped here to pray for a safe crossing of the mountains. Stone steps climb to the red main hall, while the Peace Torii rises directly from the water below, the most photographed scene in Hakone.

Arriving early with your own car is a real advantage here, as queues for the torii photo build up from mid-morning, especially at weekends. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the shrine, the lakeside and the cedar-lined approach. On clear days Mount Fuji appears across the lake, but cloud often hides it and views are never guaranteed.

Lake Ashi cruise

Lake Ashi fills the caldera of the Hakone volcano at about 720 metres above sea level. Sightseeing ships styled like old sailing galleons cross between Moto-Hakone, Hakone-machi and Togendai in about 25 to 40 minutes, passing the shrine torii and forested shores. Your driver can drop you at one pier and collect you at the other, so you enjoy the cruise without retracing your steps.

Cruise tickets are paid separately on the day. Many travellers wonder whether a Lake Ashi cruise is worth it on a private Hakone tour: it is the calmest way to take in the scenery and, on a bright day, the best water-level view of Mount Fuji in the area. Ships run all year, with fewer departures in winter.

Hakone Ropeway and Owakudani

From Togendai the Hakone Ropeway rises over the ridge to Owakudani, the volcanic valley formed by an eruption about 3,000 years ago and still active today. Gondolas pass straight over slopes of yellow sulphur and rising steam, and the local speciality at the top is eggs boiled in hot-spring water until their shells turn black.

The ropeway runs from about 9:00 until late afternoon, with shorter hours in winter, and can close when wind or volcanic gas levels rise. Your driver can also reach Owakudani by road when it is open, or meet you at another ropeway station. Ropeway tickets are paid separately, and visitors with asthma or heart conditions should take care among the fumes.

Hakone Open-Air Museum

Japan's first open-air art museum opened in Hakone in 1969 and displays large modern and contemporary sculptures on lawns framed by the mountains. Paths lead past giant figures, a stained-glass tower you can climb and play structures for children, and a foot bath of natural hot-spring water lets you rest during the visit.

The museum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, and the entrance ticket is paid on the day. Plan about 90 minutes. Visitors often ask if the open-air museum is worth visiting on a Hakone day trip from Tokyo: for families and anyone who likes art in nature it is one of the most memorable stops, and with your own car it fits easily into the day.

Hakone-Yumoto and the drive back

Hakone-Yumoto, at the foot of the valley, is the oldest hot-spring village in Hakone, with a shopping street of local sweets, crafts and the area's well-known wooden marquetry boxes. It is a good last stop before the drive back to Tokyo, which takes around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic, and your driver can stop at a rest area on the way if the family needs a break.

If you would like to try a hot-spring bath, note that public baths are separated by gender and bathing suits are not worn there, while private family baths can be reserved at some places. The best time to visit Hakone is spring or autumn, and clear winter mornings give the best chance of seeing Fuji.