Hakone Sightseeing Loop
Hakone does not need to be seen with a guide (most people don’t use a guide here) as there is a well-established sightseeing loop. However, if you’d like more insight into the region, or to explore places off the regular loop, a guide is a great option. A few places to book are:
- Japan Guide Agency: This agency works only with fully licensed guides. The downside is you cannot book a specific guide/look at reviews for a specific guide before booking.
- GetYourGuide and ToursByLocals work well in Japan also.
- Depending on how much you’d like to do off the main ropeway + boat route, getting a private car might be a good option. Please note that due to licensing requirements in Japan, having a driver/guide is not very common - usually you will have a guide plus a car and driver.
Before setting out on the sightseeing loop from Gora Station, you might want to visit one of the many art museums in the area.
Sightseeing loop:
- Catch the Hakone Ropeway from Gora Station to Owakudani.
- From here, continue on the ropeway to Togendai Station, where you’ll transfer to the pirate ship for a sail across Lake Ashi to Hakonemachi-ko. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see some beautiful views of Mt Fuji from the lake! For lunch, there are plenty of restaurants along the port both where your boat departs and arrives.
- If it is a clear day, I’d strongly recommend getting a taxi at the port to take you the 10 minutes to Mt Taikan Observation Deck, which has amazing views across the lake to Mt Fuji. If it is of interest and you have a guide, the Dohi Sugiyama Iwao Cave is just 10 minutes further on by car (and a 10-15 minute walk from the parking area). This is a natural cave which, legend has it, was the hiding place of Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, after his defeat in the Battle of Ishibashiyama in 1180.
- Back on the main sightseeing route, walking for a few minutes on the cobblestones of the Old Tokaido Road is a really neat experience! This route was the old post road between Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo Period. Today, this section and a section along Magome Pass (outside of Nagoya) are the best maintained.
- From here, it is about a 20 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride to the iconic Hakone Shrine, and the torii gate sitting in Lake Ashi.
- After visiting Hakone Shrine, most visitors then take a bus back to the starting point to complete the loop. You can take a taxi back to Gora from here (about 20 minutes), but if you have time, I would strongly recommend continuing along the lakeshore to Hakone-en Station, where you can take a cable car to Hakone Mototsumiya Shrine, perched atop the hill and with stunning views (again, fingers crossed for a clear day!).
If you're heading back to Tokyo, you can take a taxi or bus back to Odawara Station and retrace your steps back to Tokyo. If you're staying in Hakone, the Gora Kadan is an amazing place to experience a traditional ryokan stay.
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