West of Tokyo, as the tower blocks and skyscrapers thin out, the landscape gradually turns green and mountainous as you enter Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park — usually referred to as Hakone National Park — which encompasses a number of hot spring towns and snow-crowned Mount Fuji.
A Hakone Free Pass covers the scenic railway, funicular, ropeway and a cruise on Lake Ashi, so you can loop the park in a day without worrying about tickets. On a clear morning, Mount Fuji appears above the trees from several points along the route.
Hakone’s volcanic geology feeds outdoor baths in Gora, Yumoto and Sengokuhara. A night in a ryokan here is a natural pause between Tokyo’s pace and the next train west.
Sculptures sit among lawns and woodland, with an onsen footbath for tired walkers. It is one of the easiest ways to spend a quieter afternoon if the mountain views are clouded in.
Weather decides whether Japan’s most famous peak is visible. Specialists can suggest viewpoints around Lake Ashi and Kawaguchiko, and how to build in a second chance if the first morning is overcast.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months in Hakone, with clearer views of Mount Fuji more likely outside the humid midsummer and the heaviest winter snow.
Our itineraries will give you suggestions for what is possible when you travel in Hakone & Mount Fuji, and they showcase routes we know work particularly well. Treat them as inspiration, because your trip will be created around you.
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Hakone & Mount Fuji · Opulent
Hakone & Mount Fuji · First Class
Hakone & Mount Fuji
The full day Hakone Free Pass allows you unlimited access to the local scenic train line, the bus network, a funicular train up Mt Kami which leads on to a gondola rope-way, and a cruise boat on Lake Ashi. Mt Fuji can be sighted from various points around the park, weather permitting.
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