Hakone Day Trip Itinerary from Tokyo: The One-Day Loop with Ride Times and Last Departures (2026)

Updated 2026-10-10

Short answer: go train → cable car → ropeway → lake cruise → bus, starting early. The rides inside Hakone add up to about 2 hours 45 minutes (40 + 10 + 45 + 25–35 + 40 minutes), before any waiting or stops. The cut-off that ends most day trips is the last boat from Togendai to Moto-Hakone at 16:25 (timetable for 20 March to 30 November). Leave Shinjuku around 8:00 and you have time for Owakudani, the lake and a hot spring. Transport costs ¥7,100 per adult with the Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku. Ride times and timetables from Hakone Navi, the official site of the Odakyu Hakone group, checked 2026-10-10.

The loop, leg by leg

Notes:

• Changes are short. The cable car and the ropeway are in the same building at Sounzan (about 2 minutes on foot). At Togendai, the boat pier is about 3 minutes from the ropeway.
• The ropeway runs about every minute, so you rarely wait. Hakone Navi gives about 15 minutes for each of its three sections; Odakyu's own guide says about 30 minutes for the whole line, so treat 30–45 minutes as the range.
• The cruise sails about every 35–40 minutes from Togendai (9:30, 10:10, 10:45, 11:25, 12:00, 12:40, 13:15, 13:55, 14:30, 15:10, 15:50, 16:25, then 17:00 to Hakone-machi-ko only). Most boats stop at Hakone-machi-ko first, then Moto-Hakone-ko. An extra 17:35 boat runs only from 26 July to 25 August.
• Buses from Moto-Hakone-ko (platform 1, H line via Kowakien and Miyanoshita) leave every 15–20 minutes in the daytime. The last one to Odawara via Hakone-Yumoto is at 20:03, weekdays and weekends.

Prefer Odawara as your start? Regular Odakyu trains go from Shinjuku to Odawara, where you change to the Tozan Train. It is cheaper than the Romancecar but slower. Compare both in the Hakone Freepass calculator.

A sample day (Romancecar, clockwise)

This is a plan, not a timetable. Ride times are official; the clock times assume short waits.

• 8:00 Shinjuku. Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes. The seat is a separate ticket (¥1,200 per adult each way).
• About 9:30 Hakone-Yumoto. Tozan Train up to Gora, about 40 minutes, with switchbacks on the way.
• About 10:20 Gora. Cable car to Sounzan, about 10 minutes.
• About 10:35 Sounzan. Ropeway to Owakudani, about 15 minutes. Spend about an hour at Owakudani. Hakone Navi says Mt. Fuji is seen from Owakudani on more days in winter, when the air is colder and clearer.
• About 11:50 Owakudani. Ropeway on to Togendai, about 30 minutes.
• 12:40 Togendai. Sightseeing cruise to Moto-Hakone-ko (25–35 minutes; most boats call at Hakone-machi-ko first).
• Afternoon at Moto-Hakone. Lunch and Hakone Shrine. Allow about 2 hours.
• About 15:30 Moto-Hakone-ko. H line bus to Hakone-Yumoto, about 40 minutes.
• Evening at Hakone-Yumoto. A hot spring or the shopping street, then the Romancecar back to Shinjuku (about 80 minutes).

Starting late? Work back from the 16:25 boat. With no stops and no waiting, you would need to leave Hakone-Yumoto by about 14:45 (40 + 10 + 45 minutes of riding, plus the short walks). In real life, add waits at each change and time at Owakudani. If you miss the last boat, the T line bus from Togendai runs to Hakone-Yumoto until 20:15.

Which direction?

Clockwise (train first, as above) is the usual way. The uphill trains and ropeway run in the morning, and the bus at the end runs until 20:03, so you are not racing a closing time in the afternoon.

Anticlockwise (bus first, ropeway last) costs the same, but the cut-offs get tight in the afternoon:

• The last boat from Moto-Hakone-ko to Togendai is 16:30. It takes 25–35 minutes, so you reach the ropeway at about 17:00, which is when boarding ends (February–November). Take the 15:55 boat or earlier. Boats from Moto-Hakone-ko leave at 9:40, 10:15, 10:55, 11:30, 12:10, 12:45, 13:25, 14:00, 14:40, 15:15, 15:55 and 16:30.
• The last cable car down from Sounzan to Gora is 17:55.
• In December and January the ropeway closes at 16:15, so anticlockwise is risky in winter.

Winter 2026–27: two ropeway sections become a bus

The Hakone Ropeway closes part of the line every year for inspection. For this winter, the operator has announced:

• 7–24 December 2026: Owakudani ⇄ Sounzan closed (18 days). Replacement bus, about 10 minutes.
• 12 January – 26 February 2027: Togendai ⇄ Ubako ⇄ Owakudani closed (46 days). Replacement bus, about 15 minutes.

The buses leave about every 15 minutes during ropeway hours, and the Hakone Freepass is valid on them. The operator warns that the buses get very crowded and the road can be slow, and suggests using the section that is still running. Also note: the cruise uses a winter timetable from 1 December to 19 March, and some winter sailings take longer. Check the timetable before you go.

How much the day costs

Children aged 6–11: the Freepass is ¥1,600 and the Romancecar ¥600 each way. The pass covers every ride on this page, including the cruise and the bus. Entry fees, food and hot springs are extra. For the full breakdown, see Hakone day trip from Tokyo: cost and route and Is the Hakone Freepass worth it?

Before you go

• Check the operating status on the morning of your trip. The ropeway stops for wind of 30 m/s or more, bad weather or mechanical trouble. The cruise can change or cancel sailings for fog or strong wind. See the official status page.
• Suica and PASMO work on the Tozan Train and on every Hakone Tozan Bus route, but not on the cable car. With the Freepass you do not need them for rides.
• Credit cards and IC cards are accepted for cruise tickets; for the Tozan Train and Freepass, cards work at the Hakone-Yumoto and Gora ticket offices.
• Short on time? Read Hakone or Kamakura? Day trip compared before you choose.

Frequently asked questions

Can you do Hakone in one day from Tokyo?

Yes. The full loop takes about 2 hours 45 minutes of riding inside Hakone, plus about 80 minutes each way between Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto by Romancecar. Leave Shinjuku around 8:00 and you have time for Owakudani, Lake Ashi and a hot spring before going back in the evening.

What order should I do the Hakone loop in?

Most visitors go clockwise: Tozan Train to Gora, cable car to Sounzan, ropeway to Owakudani and Togendai, the cruise to Moto-Hakone, then the bus back to Hakone-Yumoto. Anticlockwise costs the same, but the last boat from Moto-Hakone (16:30) reaches Togendai at about the time the ropeway stops boarding (17:00).

What time is the last boat on Lake Ashi?

From 20 March to 30 November, the last boat from Togendai to Moto-Hakone-ko leaves at 16:25, and a 17:00 boat goes to Hakone-machi-ko only. From Moto-Hakone-ko to Togendai, the last boat is 16:30. A winter timetable applies from 1 December to 19 March.

How long is the Hakone Ropeway ride?

Hakone Navi gives about 15 minutes for each of its three sections (Sounzan to Owakudani, Owakudani to Ubako, Ubako to Togendai), and you change at Owakudani. Odakyu says about 30 minutes for the whole line. Gondolas leave about every minute.

Is the Hakone Ropeway closed in winter 2026-27?

Partly. Owakudani to Sounzan is replaced by a bus from 7 to 24 December 2026, and Togendai to Owakudani is replaced by a bus from 12 January to 26 February 2027. The Hakone Freepass is valid on the replacement buses.

Official sources (checked 2026-10-10)

• Hakone Ropeway hours, ride times and suspensions (Hakone Navi): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-ropeway
• Hakone Ropeway inspection closures, winter 2026-27 (PDF, Japanese): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4531bb77512201beed24664cf5b3381e.pdf
• Hakone Sightseeing Cruise ride times, bus times to the ports, payment (Hakone Navi): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-kankosen
• Cruise timetable from Togendai-ko: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=S8001-001-001
• Cruise timetable from Moto-Hakone-ko: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=S8003-001-001
• Hakone Tozan Train and Cable Car (distance and ride time, Japanese): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/hakone-tozan/
• Hakone Tozan Train and Cable Car FAQ (IC cards, credit cards): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-tozan
• Cable car timetable from Sounzan: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=S6005-001-001
• Tozan Train timetable from Gora: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=S5011-001-001
• Bus timetable from Moto-Hakone-ko (platform 1): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=10152-002-001
• Bus timetable from Togendai (platform 1): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/search/timetable/detail/?timetableNo=11532-002-001
• Hakone Tozan Bus FAQ (IC cards): https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-tozanbus
• Odakyu Hakone guide (Romancecar about 80 minutes, ropeway about 30 minutes): https://odakyu-global.com/destinations/hakone/
• Hakone Freepass prices: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/discount_passes/free_pass
• Operating status today: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/status_information

Times and prices change. Always confirm with the operator before you travel.

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