Where to Stay in Hakone: Choosing the Right Area

Said to be Hakone's oldest hot spring area, with ryokan, souvenir shops and restaurants stretching out from the station. The Odakyu Romancecar runs here, and you can transfer to the Hakone Tozan Railway or buses heading in every direction.

Best for

• ✓First trips to Hakone
• ✓Those who would rather not travel far with luggage
• ✓Anyone who wants to stroll a hot spring town

Keep in mind

To reach the sights up the mountain, you will need to change between the mountain railway and buses.

Nearest stations

🚉 Hakone Tozan Railway and Odakyu Romancecar Hakone-Yumoto Station

A hot spring area long popular with foreign visitors, with accommodations that have a retro feel. Kowakudani is a quiet spot surrounded by greenery, and Yunessun is also in this area.

Best for

• ✓Those who want to stay somewhere with history
• ✓A relaxed hot spring trip
• ✓Travelers who want easy access to both Gora and Yumoto

Keep in mind

The area is hilly, so expect ups and downs between the station and your accommodation.

Nearest stations

🚉 Hakone Tozan Railway Miyanoshita Station and Kowakudani Station

The end of the Hakone Tozan Railway and the transfer point for the cable car and ropeway to Owakudani and Lake Ashi. Gora Park and art museums are nearby, and ryokan and hotels are scattered across the mountainside.

Best for

• ✓Those who want to enjoy art museums and gardens
• ✓Travelers using it as a base for a loop around Owakudani and Lake Ashi
• ✓Family hot spring trips

Keep in mind

Few restaurants are open at night, so a plan with dinner at your accommodation is the safe choice.

Nearest stations

🚉 Hakone Tozan Railway and Hakone Tozan Cable Car Gora Station

A resort area spread across a highland plateau, with milky-white hot springs and the Hakone Glass no Mori Museum and POLA Museum of Art nearby. In autumn you can see fields of Japanese silver grass.

Best for

• ✓Those who want to spend time on a quiet plateau
• ✓Travelers focused on visiting art museums
• ✓Those traveling by car

Keep in mind

There is no train station, so getting around means local buses or a car.

Nearest stations

🚉 Hakone Tozan Bus Sengokuhara bus stop (no nearby train station)

A hot spring area on the shore of Lake Ashi, near Hakone Shrine and Onshi-Hakone Park, with accommodations that have baths looking out over the lake and Mt. Fuji. You can also head toward Owakudani by sightseeing boat and ropeway.

Best for

• ✓Those who want to enjoy lakeside scenery
• ✓Anyone who wants to visit Hakone Shrine in the morning
• ✓Travelers who want to loop around by sightseeing boat

Keep in mind

Travel to and from Yumoto is by bus, and it can take a while in busy seasons when the roads are congested.

Nearest stations

🚉 Moto-Hakone Port and Hakone-machi Port (Hakone Tozan Bus, Izuhakone Bus, Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise)