• Lake Ashinoko - Lake Ashinoko (芦ノ湖, Ashinoko) was created in the caldera of Mount Hakone following the volcano’s last eruption 3,000 years ago. Today, the lake, with Mount Fuji as its backdrop, serves as a symbol of Hakone. The lake’s shores remain largely undeveloped, except for a few small towns in the east and north, and a couple of lakeside resort hotels.

The most stunning views of the lake alongside Mount Fuji can be seen from Moto-Hakone (just a short walk south from the sightseeing boat pier), from the Hakone Detached Palace Garden, and from the sightseeing boats cruising the lake.

• Hakone Shrine - Hakone-jinja Shrine is a serene place of worship with a history spanning over 12 centuries. Although its buildings have been destroyed by fire and rebuilt multiple times, the shrine and its surrounding forest maintain an aura of tranquility and mystery.
• Hakone Ropeway - The Hakone Ropeway (箱根ロ－プウエイ) is part of the Hakone Round Course, a popular route for visiting Hakone. It links Sounzan Station (the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Cablecar) with Togendai Station (on the shore of Lake Ashinoko) and makes stops at Owakudani and Ubako stations along the way. The ropeway is fully covered by the Hakone Free Pass.

The ropeway’s gondolas depart every minute and can accommodate around ten people each. The entire journey takes about 30 minutes. Passengers can enjoy views of the active, sulfuric hot spring sources of the Owakudani Valley between Sounzan and Owakudani, and of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji between Owakudani and Togendai, weather permitting. A gondola transfer is required at Owakudani, but not at Ubako.

Admission
1480 yen (one way), covered by the Hakone Free Pass

• The Hakone Open-Air Museum - The Hakone Open-Air Museum is Japan’s first open-air art museum, established in Hakone to blend nature and art. Artworks are displayed throughout the expansive site of about 70,000 square meters, surrounded by beautiful trees, grass, and mountains. It is enjoyable for all ages, from families with children to solo adult travelers.
• Owaku-dani Valley - Owaku-dani is an active volcano that fuels the local hot springs. Take the ropeway over the volcano to the observatory to learn about this significant volcano and try one of the black boiled eggs, which are said to bring long life!
• Pola Museum of Art - The POLA group, a skincare and beauty products company, opened the POLA Museum of Art (ポーラ美術館, Pōla Bijutsukan) in 2002 to showcase the extensive private art collection of the company’s late owner, Suzuki Tsuneshi.

The museum is nestled in a forest of 300-year-old beech trees, and although constructed of concrete and glass, it is designed to blend seamlessly with the natural environment. To achieve this, most of the building is located underground.

The museum features modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and glassware by primarily Japanese and European artists. In addition to temporary exhibits, the museum displays rotating exhibits from its permanent collection, which includes works by artists such as Cezanne, Monet, Picasso, and Renoir.

• Okada Museum of Art - The Okada Museum of Art (岡田美術館, Okada Bijutsukan) is a privately-owned museum showcasing a wide array of art pieces from antiquity to the modern era. Opened in 2013, the museum features an extensive collection of East Asian ceramics, sculptures, and paintings, all housed in a spacious, modern facility surrounded by expansive grounds that include a Japanese garden, a teahouse, and a cafe with a hot spring foot bath.

The upper floors focus on Japanese art, with a variety of art forms and time periods represented. Most items on display are labeled with basic information in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

Upon entering, note that the museum’s security measures are quite strict, requiring guests to store phones, cameras, bags, and even stationery in free lockers at the entrance.

• Sengokuhara - A stunning slope of Pampas grass that is most beautiful in the fall.

• Hakone Venetian Glass Museum - The Hakone Glass no Mori (箱根ガラスの森) features Italian-style buildings housing a museum and shops. Outside, a large strolling garden surrounds a canal-like pond. The garden is adorned with large glass sculptures, and there is a cafe with an open terrace at one end where live canzoni (Italian ballads) performances are held.

The Glass no Mori’s Venetian Glass Museum houses a collection of over 100 pieces of Venetian glassware. It displays both modern and classical works in various forms, including vases, goblets, lamps, and sculptures.

The Hakone Glass no Mori is operated by the Ukai Group, a company that runs themed high-class restaurants, and also owns the Kawaguchiko Music Forest at Kawaguchiko in the Fuji Five Lakes region.

• Hakone Museum of Art - The Hakone Museum of Art (箱根美術館, Hakone Bijutsukan), located in Gora, was founded by Okada Mokichi in 1952. Its sister museum, the MOA Museum of Art, was later established in Atami City on the Izu Peninsula.

The museum primarily displays Japanese ceramics from prehistoric times through the Edo Period (1600-1868). These include several large earthenware and ceramic vessels, such as a haniwa burial statue classified as an Important Cultural Property.

• Choanji Temple - Choanji Temple (長安寺, Chōanji) is a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone. Established in 1356 in a peaceful area at the base of a hill, the atmospheric temple features a small network of pleasant walking trails that wind through its wooded grounds and cemetery.

What gives Choanji its unique charm are the over two hundred statues of rakan (disciples of Buddha) scattered around the temple grounds. The statues began appearing in the 1980s and have been accumulating ever since. Each statue has a unique face and shape, some contemplative and serious, others casual and humorous, and many exhibit a modern edge in their artistic style and expressiveness compared to other collections of rakan statues.

In autumn, the temple grounds are also one of Hakone’s best spots to enjoy the fall colors. The many color-changing trees here usually reach their peak color around mid-November.

• Hakone Shisseikaen - The Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands (箱根湿生花園, Hakone Shisseikaen) is a botanical garden in the highlands of Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. The park was established in 1976 to preserve and exhibit over 1,700 varieties of marsh and alpine plants native to Japan.

The garden offers a network of boardwalk paths through different types of marshland where visitors can learn about the plants that inhabit the wetlands. Information signs are available in English and Japanese. The garden is particularly popular in June when its Nikko Kisuge (daylily) are in full bloom, but it is closed during the winter months.

• Gora Park - Gora Park (強羅公園, Gōra Kōen) is a western-style landscape park located on the steep slope above Gora Station. It is a relaxing place to unwind and enjoy the scenery and views of Hakone.

Gora Park is primarily a French-style landscape park featuring a large fountain and a rose garden. The park also has two greenhouses, one housing a tropical botanical garden and the other containing a flower garden. Additionally, there is a restaurant overlooking the main fountain, as well as the Hakuun-do Chaen teahouse.

In the Crafthouse, visitors can participate in craft activities such as glass blowing, glass etching, pottery, and dried flower arrangement. Activities range in cost from 1,000 to 5,000 yen and take from 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

• Dollhouse Museum Hakone - A charming museum that houses a collection of dollhouses from around the world, some over 200 years old. The museum hosts different dollhouse exhibits throughout the year, so be sure to check what will be available to see! A wonderful place for miniature enthusiasts.
• Narukawa Art Museum - The Narukawa Museum of Art (成川美術館, Narukawa Bijutsukan) is a contemporary art museum dedicated to a style of painting known as nihonga. Literally meaning “Japanese-style painting,” nihonga are paintings that adhere to traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques, tools, and materials. The term was originally used to distinguish the art from Western-style paintings, but artists have since expanded the scope of nihonga to include Western techniques as well.

In addition to the art collection, the museum features an impressive panorama lounge and cafe with large windows overlooking Lake Ashinoko. On a clear day, it offers one of the best views of Mount Fuji, the lake, and the floating torii gate of Hakone Shrine.

• Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Hakone
• Customizable Tour of your choice of 3 to 4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

• Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• Private Vehicle
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.

Join us to visit the beautiful mountain resort town of Hakone. Nestled in the mountains, Hakone is a place of natural and artistic wonders. Visit Owakudani to see the ever-rising sulfurous gasses from the active volcano that provides heat to the many hot springs nearby. Try the area’s famous black boiled eggs; turned black and infused with the minerals from the spring. Ride the rope way down the mountain to Lake Ashinoko for a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. Sail across the lake to visit the Torii gate by Kuzuryu shrine to the area’s 9 headed dragon deity. If you are an art fan, try visiting one of the many art museums in Hakone.

Once you have made your reservation, your tour guide will be in touch with you to plan your personalized tour. Please pick between 3 – 4 place to visit. We hope to guide you soon!

Please be aware that Hakone is a mountainous region. If you find walking difficult, please see ‘pick up details’ for private vehicle information.

• This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.