Hakone Day Trip Plan: Visit Stunning and Hidden Spots!

8:45 AM – Head to Kazamatsuri from Odawara

Today we’ll be introducing a sightseeing course that allows you to take advantage of the Hakone Freepass. By using this pass, you can travel within the Hakone area economically, and also receive discounts at merchants, attractions, and other locations (some exceptions apply).

Unless otherwise mentioned, you can utilize all available transportation free of charge.

Let’s begin our Hakone excursion by hopping aboard a bus and enjoying our trip the smart way!

To begin, we’ll board the Hakone Tozan Train at Odawara Station (OH47), then take a 10 minutes’ ride to Kazamatsuri Station (OH49).

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Odawara Station

9:00 AM – Try Kamaboko, a Traditional Japanese Food

Kamaboko is a kind of traditional Japanese food made by mincing fish into a paste, adding salt and other seasonings, and then applying heat usually by steaming or poaching. It has a rather distinctive, springy texture to it. It’s a food that’s very familiar to Japanese people, and can be eaten at special times such as New Year’s celebrations, and also for everyday meals.

Suzuhiro Kamaboko Village is like a kamaboko-themed amusement park.

Here, you can watch kamaboko craftspeople as they create culinary works of art, and try a hands-on experience making some on your own (1,620 yen including tax). You can also taste test kamaboko and purchase kamaboko products as well.

If you present your Hakone Freepass, you can receive a discounted fee for the kamaboko-making workshop of 1,320 yen including tax. For lesson times and reservations, please refer to their official homepage.

Made with delicate workmanship, kamaboko is just like a work of art. It’s visually appealing, and also makes an ideal souvenir that will surely please the person that receives it.

A cafe and a restaurant are inside the facility, too. At Shiokaze Cafe, you can treat yourself to chiffon cake and other tasty sweets, along with black tea and coffee made with Hakone’s fresh water.

The restaurant, Elenagosso, has a bright atmosphere. The shop’s name means “large variety of good things to eat”. True to its name, this is a buffet-style restaurant where customers can try as much as they want of Hakone’s delicious, seasonal offerings.

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Kamaboko (steamed fishpaste) Museum of Suzuhiro Corp.

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11:30 AM – Enjoy an Elegant Lunch While Gazing Out at the Lake

From Kazamatsuri (OH49) we’ll take the Hakone Tozan Bus (H route) and get off at Hakonemachi-ko (OH66). We will have lunch at HOTORIYA on the shore of Lake Ashi.

Located on the second floor, Café Komon that offers visitors a view of beautiful Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji as they enjoy their food.

The café has an extensive menu that will please customers wanting a full meal, including HOTORIYA’s special curry rice (1,490 yen excluding tax), Honjin hamburger steak (1,350 yen excluding tax), and many other entrées. For dessert, we recommend the HOTORIYA’s special pancakes (1,020 yen excluding tax).

You will receive 5% off your meal price when you show your Hakone Freepass.

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HOTORIYA

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[Hiking Course] 1:40 PM – Go Hiking to Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu

Next, we’ll introduce two separate hiking routes. The first is a route that allows you to fully enjoy hiking, and the other is a course where you will get a great view of Mt. Fuji. The first hiking course takes a total of about 1 hour.

At Hakonemachi-ko (OH66), we’ll board the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise to go across Lake Ashi and head for Togendai (OH65) on the other side.

Afterward, we will walk for about 30 minutes from Togendai to Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu.

Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu sits on the precincts of Hakone-jinja shrine and is a well-known shrine in Hakone.

According to legend, there was once a holy priest known as Mangan, who was bestowed with special powers by the gods enshrined at Hakone-jinja shrine. Through a rite called choboku (*1), the priest defeated a poisonous dragon that lived at the bottom of Lake Ashi and tormented residents.

After the dragon was pacified, it came to be worshipped as a “great nine-headed dragon god” (kuzuryu okami) and was honored as a deity at Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu.

The temple is known for its high level of goshintoku (*2), or luck in money, business, matchmaking, and general fortune. As a result, visitors make the pilgrimage here from far away.

Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu is located a bit of a walk from Togendai. Due to this, it’s a little-known spot with relatively few people. This is an ideal spot for hiking on days when the weather is nice.

The sacred atmosphere of Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu will help soothe your emotional fatigue and refresh your body and spirit.

*1 chobuku: a Buddhist rite in which a person’s body and state of mind is elevated to a high level, allowing them to overcome the temptation to commit evil acts and do bad things.

*2 goshintoku: a blessing from a god.

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Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu

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3:00 PM – Admire Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji from a Superb Outdoor Bath

Walk another 30 minutes from Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu to arrive at Day-Onsen Ryuguden Honkan.

From this location, you can look down at Lake Ashi and also see Mount Fuji in the distance. This is a day trip onsen facility where you can experience a luxurious natural hot spring. The hot spring water contains calcium and sodium and is said to be good for nerve pain, sore muscles, joint pain, and other physical ailments.

On the return trip, we’ll take the complimentary shuttle bus back to Motohakone-ko (OH67). The bus departs twice every hour.

From Motohakone-ko, transfer to the Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle and head for Mishima Station.

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Day-Onsen Ryuguden Honkan

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Highlights Around Mishima Station

Close to Mishima Station are many highlights, including Mishima Taisha, a shrine with a long history, and Mishima Skywalk, which we’ll be introducing a little later on.

If you have enough time, we recommend staying one night in Mishima and trying eel, a local specialty.

[Mount Fuji Scenic Course] 12:45 PM – Immerse Yourself in Hakone’s Nature at Onshi Hakone Park

The second hiking rough we would like to introduce boasts scenic views of Mount Fuji and is recommended on days with clear weather.

Onshi Hakone Park, a spot where you can enjoy Hakone’s natural environment, is just 15 minutes away on foot from HOTORIYA, our recommended lunch spot. This beautiful and well-kept Japanese garden is a charming attraction, located on the former site of Hakone Rikyu Palace, the imperial family’s country villa.

Also close by are sights worth seeing, like Cedar Avenue (Kyukaido Suginamiki), a route lined with 400-year-old cedar trees, and Hakone Checkpoint.

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Onshi Hakone Park

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3:45 PM – See Mount Fuji’s Sunset from Mishima Skywalk!

Finally, we’ll board the Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle at Hakonemachi-ko (OH66) bound for Mishima Station, then get off at Mishima Skywalk to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

If you can, we suggest visiting in the late afternoon on a sunny day during the months from October to February. From here you can see the sun setting near Mount Fuji! However, even at other times throughout the year, you can get an ideal view of Mount Fuji.

Mishima Skywalk, 400 meters in length, is Japan’s longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge. As its name suggests, it will feel like you are walking through the air, a wondrous and unique feeling that visitors here can experience.

There’s also Forest Adventure, a park filled with various activities. If you ride the Long Zip Slide (as seen above), you’re sure to create some unforgettable memories when you glide right through the scenery.

Admission to the suspension bridge is 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for junior and senior high school students, and 200 yen for elementary school students. If you present your Hakone Freepass, adults are 900 yen, junior and senior high school students are 450 yen, and elementary school students are 180 yen (all prices including tax). Forest Adventure is an adventure course that includes Long Zip Ride, and costs 3,600 yen including tax.

You can enjoy the view from the Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle on the way back to Mishima Station.

From Mishima Station to Tokyo Station it takes about 1 hour by Shinkansen (*Please note you cannot use the Hakone Freepass on the Shinkansen).

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Mishima Skywalk

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Savor a Scenic Hakone Route Filled with Hidden Spots!

Visitors will see many different views of Mount Fuji on this route: Mount Fuji floating on Lake Ashi, Mount Fuji in the distance as you soak in a hot spring, and Mount Fuji illuminated by a stunning sunset.

This is a route where you can experience the harmony of nature for yourself. Enjoy everything that Hakone has to offer throughout the year!

*Restaurant menus, admission fees, and other information are all subject to change.

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Mishima Station