Enjoy Travel to Japan!
Home

Hakone Onsen, Kanagawa – Hot Spring Towns, Scenic Baths and Easy Getaways from Tokyo

Hakone Onsen, Kanagawa – Hot Spring Towns, Scenic Baths and Easy Getaways from Tokyo
Hakone is one of Japan’s classic hot spring regions, with areas like Hakone-Yumoto, Gora and Lake Ashi offering different styles of ryokan, baths and scenery. This guide explains how to choose where to stay, from day-use baths to luxury inns with open-air onsen, and introduces key sights such as Hakone Shrine, lake cruises, museums and viewpoints. You’ll also find tips on using the Romancecar and Hakone Freepass, plus suggested itineraries for couples and families.

Highlights

Hakone Hot Springs (Hakone Onsen): Quick Overview

Hakone Onsen is one of Japan’s leading hot-spring areas, built around “Hakone 17 Toji” (17 onsen districts), where you can combine hot springs with nature, museums, and lake sightseeing.

How to Choose an Onsen Area

It’s easy to pick based on your goals: Hakone-Yumoto (historic and convenient access) / Gora (close to museums and parks) / Lake Ashi Onsen (lakeside scenery plus hot springs), and more.

Spring Types & How to Enjoy

The area offers diverse spring qualities—such as sulfur springs, simple springs, and chloride springs—and open-air baths are often enjoyed together with mountain or lake views.

The Classic Onsen + Sightseeing Combo

Beyond day-use baths or an overnight stay, a signature flow is: Lake Ashi cruise → lakeside walk → onsen, for an all-in-one “Hakone” experience.

Access Essentials

Tokyo Station → Odawara Station is about 40 minutes by Shinkansen, then about 15 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto Station. Shinjuku Station → Hakone-Yumoto Station is about 90 minutes by the Romancecar. By car, it’s roughly 1 hour from Atsugi IC.

Best Seasons to Visit

Spring brings cherry blossoms, summer is popular as a cooler getaway, autumn features fall colors, and winter is known for snow-viewing baths—each season gives the trip a different feel.

Typical Hours & Price Range

Day-use onsen are often around 10:00–21:00, though this varies widely by facility. Prices are roughly 1,000–3,000 yen (varies by facility).

For the latest information, please refer to official announcements or check on site.

What Is Hakone Onsen? A Guide to One of Japan’s Top Hot Spring Resorts

Hakone Onsen is a hot spring resort in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, and has long been loved as one of Japan’s leading onsen destinations.

Surrounded by rich mountain and lake scenery, Hakone has 17 hot spring areas (Hakone Jūshichi-yu / Hakone 17 Hot Springs), including Hakone-Yumoto, Tōnosawa, Gōra, Sengokuhara, and the Lake Ashi area, each offering different hot spring qualities.

With excellent access of about 85 minutes from Shinjuku by Romancecar, Hakone is popular with domestic and international tourists as a hot spring resort near Tokyo that is easy to visit for either a day trip or an overnight stay.

Another major attraction of Hakone is that you can enjoy not only onsen but also art museums, outdoor nature activities, and traditional crafts.


How to Get to Hakone Onsen

Access by Train

  • From Tokyo Station: About 35 minutes to Odawara Station by JR Tokaido Shinkansen, then transfer to the Hakone Tozan Railway for about 15 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto Station.
  • From Shinjuku Station: About 85 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto Station by Odakyu Romancecar (no transfer required).

For getting around the Hakone area, the “Hakone Freepass” is convenient (2-day pass from Odawara, from 6,000 yen for adults), offering unlimited rides on eight types of transportation including the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing pirate ship, and buses.

Access by Car

About 1 hour from the Atsugi Interchange on the Tomei Expressway via the Odawara-Atsugi Road.

Another route is via the Seishō Bypass and Hakone Shindō Road.

However, traffic is often heavy during the autumn leaves season (November), Golden Week, and the New Year holiday period, so public transportation is recommended.


Hakone Onsen Features and Highlights

Main Hot Spring Areas of the Hakone 17 Hot Springs

Hakone Onsen consists of 17 hot spring areas, each with its own atmosphere and water quality.

  • Hakone-Yumoto Onsen: Located at the gateway to Hakone, this is the most accessible hot spring area. It is said to be Hakone’s oldest hot spring, dating back to the Nara period. Enjoying street food in the shopping street near the station is also part of the fun.
  • Gōra Onsen: A resort area developed in the Taishō period, close to Hakone Museum of Art and Gōra Park, with many high-quality accommodations. It is known for cloudy white hot spring water piped from Ōwakudani.
  • Sengokuhara Onsen: Known for its pampas grass fields in autumn, this area also has excellent cultural facilities such as the Pola Museum of Art and the Venetian Glass Museum.
  • Lake Ashi Onsen: You can enjoy hot springs while taking in beautiful lakeside scenery. It is also convenient as a base for sightseeing, with Hakone Shrine and pirate ship cruises nearby.

Varied Hot Spring Waters and Benefits

One of the attractions of Hakone Onsen is its wide variety of spring qualities.

About 20 types of hot spring water, including simple thermal springs, chloride springs, sulfate springs, and sulfur springs, are found here, and they are expected to offer various benefits such as skin-beautifying effects, relief from muscle and joint pain, and recovery from fatigue.

The cloudy sulfur springs piped from Ōwakudani are especially popular as “nigori-yu” (milky, cloudy onsen water).

Hot Springs with Spectacular Views

Many ryokan and hotels in Hakone have open-air baths where you can soak while looking out over mountains and lakes.

Bathing while enjoying seasonal scenery—especially autumn leaves and winter snow views—is an exceptional experience.


Things to Do in Hakone Onsen

Day-Use Hot Spring Facilities

Hakone has many hot spring facilities that can be enjoyed on a day trip.

  • Hakone Yuryo: Free shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station. One of the largest day-use hot spring facilities in the Tokyo area, also popular for its private open-air baths.
  • Tenseien: Famous for its large rooftop open-air bath about 17 meters long. Overnight stays are also available.
  • Yunosato Okada: A popular spot where you can enjoy five types of open-air baths at reasonable prices.

Onsen Ryokan Stay Experience

Hakone offers a wide variety of accommodations, from traditional ryokan inns to modern hotels.

  • Hakone Yumoto Onsen Tenseien: A hot spring inn with gardens, popular with families and couples.
  • Gora Kadan: A long-established ryokan registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, where you can enjoy kaiseki cuisine and high-quality hot springs.
  • Gora Onsen Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka: A popular onsen inn with guest rooms featuring private cypress open-air baths.

Lake Ashi Cruise and Onsen

A Hakone Pirate Ship cruise on Lake Ashi offers a scenic boat trip of about 25 minutes, with spectacular views of Mt. Fuji and the Hakone mountains from the lake.

A popular plan is to relax in a lakeside hot spring after the cruise.


Seasonal Ways to Enjoy Hakone Onsen

Spring (late March to May): Fresh Greenery and Cherry Blossoms

In Hakone-Yumoto, cherry blossoms are best from late March to early April, while in Gōra they are best from mid to late April.

Because of the altitude differences, one of Hakone’s unique features is that you can enjoy cherry blossoms for about a month.

In May, the azaleas and rhododendrons at Gōra Park are also beautiful.

Summer (June to August): Hakone as a Cool Mountain Retreat

Higher-elevation areas such as Sengokuhara and around Lake Ashi stay cool even in summer and are popular as summer getaways.

In June, the Hydrangea Train (hydrangeas along the Hakone Tozan Railway line) is a well-known seasonal attraction, and nighttime illuminations are also held.

Autumn (late October to late November): Autumn Leaves and Hot Springs

Because of Hakone’s elevation differences, the autumn foliage season varies by area, allowing you to enjoy fall colors for about a month, from around Lake Ashi (late October) to Hakone-Yumoto (late November).

The Sengokuhara pampas grass fields (late September to early November) are a must-see golden landscape.

Open-air baths with autumn leaves views are one of Hakone’s signature luxury experiences in fall.

Winter (December to February): Snow-View Baths and Full Onsen Relaxation

In winter, Hakone is famous for “yukimi-buro” (snow-view hot spring baths), where you can enjoy onsen in snowy scenery.

The quiet atmosphere of Hakone and the warmth of the hot springs help relax both body and mind.

Winter is relatively less crowded, making it a recommended season for those who want to enjoy hot springs at a leisurely pace.

Useful Information for Travelers

Opening Hours and Typical Prices

  • Day-use hot spring facilities: Hours vary by facility, but 10:00 to 21:00 is common.
  • Day-use bathing fees: Typically around 1,000 to 2,500 yen.
  • Accommodation rates: Typically around 15,000 to 50,000 yen per person per night with dinner and breakfast included (varies by ryokan grade).

Recommended Places to Stay

  • Hakone Yumoto Onsen Tenseien: A large hot spring inn popular with families and couples.
  • Gora Onsen Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka: Attractive guest rooms with private open-air baths.

Wi-Fi and Multilingual Support

Free Wi-Fi is available at major accommodations and tourist spots.

At the tourist information center inside Hakone-Yumoto Station, information in English, Chinese, and Korean is available, and multilingual pamphlets can also be obtained.

Towels and Amenities

Many day-use hot spring facilities offer rental towels (about 200 to 300 yen) and amenities, so you can enjoy onsen casually even if you come empty-handed.

Summary

Hakone Onsen is one of Japan’s top hot spring resorts, boasting 17 hot spring areas and a wide variety of spring qualities.

With easy access from the Tokyo metropolitan area, you can enjoy hot springs together with seasonal nature on either a day trip or an overnight stay.

From museum hopping and Lake Ashi cruises to open-air baths with autumn leaves, Hakone offers plenty of onsen-plus experiences—enjoy a trip that refreshes both body and mind.



Frequently Asked Questions

A. Hakone Onsen is a collective name for multiple hot spring areas known as the “Hakone Seventeen Hot Springs.” Since the water and atmosphere vary by area, first-time visitors often find it easiest to base themselves around Hakone-Yumoto and focus on 1–2 areas to keep travel simple. On site, follow posted guidance, and take breaks as needed to enjoy it comfortably.
A. The Hakone Seventeen Hot Springs are said to produce about 25,000 tons per day, reflecting the area’s large hot-spring scale. Even so, some facilities may be unavailable on certain days due to maintenance, so day-trippers will feel more secure with multiple backup options. Conditions can change with crowds and weather, so plan with extra time to be safe.
A. Since reception hours and crowd levels vary by facility, a good approach is to bathe soon after arrival and then sightsee, which makes timing easier. Towel rental policies differ, so a thin towel and a spare pair of socks are handy. On site, follow posted guidance, and take breaks as needed to enjoy it comfortably.
A. Hakone hot springs can still be enjoyed on rainy days, mostly indoors. Travel often takes longer due to waiting times for transport, so switching to an easy plan—like a facility near a station or relaxing at your inn—helps you stay comfortable without getting soaked. Conditions can change with crowds and weather, so plan with extra time to be safe.
A. Tattoo policies vary by facility in Hakone. Before booking, confirm the rules such as “allowed” or “cover sticker permitted,” and on the day, follow the front desk guidance to avoid trouble and enjoy your bath comfortably. On site, follow posted guidance, and take breaks as needed to enjoy it comfortably.
A. Hakone Onsen tends to be crowded during autumn foliage and holiday seasons. If you prefer fewer crowds, finishing travel and bathing early on weekdays and taking a midday break at a museum or café can help you avoid lines while still enjoying the area. Conditions can change with crowds and weather, so plan with extra time to be safe.
A. Basic onsen etiquette includes rinsing off before entering the bath and not putting towels in the tub. Changing areas can be slippery with wet floors, so move carefully, and using lockers for valuables adds peace of mind. On site, follow posted guidance, and take breaks as needed to enjoy it comfortably.
A. Photography in bathing areas is prohibited or restricted at many facilities. For memories, take photos in allowed areas such as exteriors or designated indoor spots, and avoid bringing devices into the bath area for safety and consideration of others. Conditions can change with crowds and weather, so plan with extra time to be safe.

Nearby Recommended Spots

Check out recommended articles in this area

※ The article content is based on information at the time of writing and may differ from the current situation. In addition, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the published content, please understand.