Explore Hakone: Top Tours & Excursions for an Unforgettable Japanese Adventure
Hakone is one of Japan's premier hot spring destinations, highly popular even among Japanese visitors. Historical hot spring towns like Yumoto and Gora feature hotels equipped with high-quality baths.
Natural attractions unique to Hakone such as Lake Ashi and Owakudani are also popular spots. Some locations offer views of Mt. Fuji, allowing visitors to enjoy diverse natural scenery throughout the seasons.
The abundance of museums where you can experience various art forms represents another hidden charm of Hakone.
To fully experience Hakone with its numerous attractions, participating in guided hakone tours is highly recommended. In this article, we'll introduce recommended tours around hakone that allow you to enjoy this destination to the fullest!
Throughout Japan, including Hakone, Magical Trip offers guided tours where you can explore local history, traditions, and food culture in depth with local guides.（Hakone Full Day Chartered Private Tour: Art & Nature）
Our most popular tour "Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku" was ranked as Tripadvisor's #1 tour in 2024.
For tourists visiting Tokyo, why not try a private car tour that lets you efficiently visit multiple attractions in a single day? With expert guides who know all the best spots, you can fully experience the region's traditions and rich food culture even in just one day.
These tours include hotel pickup and drop-off service, allowing you to visit attractions stress-free and efficiently. If you're interested in nature-rich destinations like Hakone and want to explore Japan's history and traditions while avoiding crowds, these tours are perfect for you.
・Hakone Full Day Chartered Private Tour: Art & Nature
・Mt. Fuji Full-day Nature Guided Tour with a Private Chartered Car & Guide
How to Choose a Hakone Tour! Select the One That Suits You from Various Options!
When choosing a tour, it's important to clarify what aspects you want to prioritize. Please select one that suits your preferences from the various options below!
Highly-Rated Tours Covering Hakone's Tourist Spots
If you want to visit as many popular tourist attractions as possible, choose a tour specializing in comprehensive sightseeing.
Hakone has numerous points of interest, and you might be confused about where to go, but that's precisely when hakone tours become most valuable. You can efficiently visit carefully selected tourist spots without worrying about time management.
To select a high-quality tour, consider checking reviews on official websites.
Tours Offering Hiking Around Hakone & Spectacular Mt. Fuji Views
For nature enthusiasts, tours featuring hiking opportunities and breathtaking views are recommended. The nature-rich Hakone and Mt. Fuji areas contain many wonderful spots that guidebooks cannot fully capture.
Local guides who thoroughly know the region can introduce you to beautiful hiking courses and exceptional scenic viewpoints that others might miss.
Recommended Bus Tours with Tokyo Shuttle Service
If Tokyo serves as your travel base, bus tours departing from Tokyo are ideal. You can easily participate without worrying about round-trip transportation. Compared to independent travel, knowing the required time and costs in advance makes planning your itinerary simpler.
The views from the large bus windows will surely become memorable highlights of your journey.
Private Tours with Customizable Itineraries
For those wanting to freely decide their schedule and destinations, private tours around hakone are recommended. Some include Tokyo pickup service with a dedicated driver and guide, allowing you to enjoy your journey comfortably without concerning yourself with other travelers.
You can decide where to go, what scenery to see, and what to eat while consulting with your guide, making your ideal trip a reality!
Affordable Tours Including Mt. Fuji Visits
For travelers wanting to visit both Hakone and Mt. Fuji in a single day, joining organized hakone tours is the best option. While Mt. Fuji is approximately 1.5 hours from Hakone by car, navigating public transportation between these destinations can be challenging.
Using a tour allows you to use your time more effectively and efficiently than traveling independently. You'll enjoy carefully selected tourist spots that are truly worth seeing.
Author's Carefully Selected Recommended Tours of Each Type
Highly-Rated Hakone Tours That Cover Popular Tourist Attractions
Here, I've selected recommended tours around Hakone for people who want to efficiently visit popular tourist spots. These hakone tours have been highly rated by visitors. Please use this as a reference for planning your trip.
Mt Fuji & Hakone Cruise, Drum Show Bullet Train 1 Day from Tokyo
Source:Viator
If you want to enjoy various activities at popular spots in Hakone, this tour departing from Tokyo by bus is recommended. A knowledgeable guide with a licensed interpreter qualification will guide you throughout one of the most comprehensive hakone tours available.
Tour Highlights:
* Magnificent views from Mt. Fuji's 5th Station at an altitude of 2300m
* Lake Ashi cruise on a spacious sightseeing boat
* Spectacular natural scenery of Hakone viewed from the Komagatake Ropeway
* Japanese food lunch while enjoying a taiko drum show
* Return journey to Tokyo by bullet train
My top recommendation point is the use of the bullet train. The experience of riding the bullet train, which boasts the second fastest speed in the world, will be an unforgettable memory of your trip.
This is a day trip where you can fully enjoy the Japanese experience, including Mt. Fuji, Hakone's nature, traditional performing arts, and the bullet train.
Meeting point: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo / Marunouchi-Kajibashi Parking
Tour area: Mt. Fuji 5th Station - Lake Ashi - Hakone Ropeway - Odawara Station
Start time: 8:00AM - 8:30AM
Hakone Full Day Chartered Private Tour: Art & Nature
This private tour allows you to enjoy a special journey that condenses the charm of Hakone. A dedicated driver & guide will guide you in a chartered car departing from and returning to Tokyo. When comparing tours around Hakone, this private option offers flexibility and personalized attention.
Tour Highlights:
* 300-year-old cedar avenue and Hakone Shrine
* Hakone specialty cuisine such as tempura and udon
* Lake Ashi cruise on a sightseeing boat modeled after a pirate ship
* Spectacular views of Owakudani from the ropeway & the famous "black eggs"
* Experience Hakone-style art at The Hakone Open-air Museum
* Foot bath spots to soothe fatigue
Owakudani, where you can feel the breath of the earth, is my favorite spot. The black eggs boiled in hot springs are said to extend your lifespan by 7 years if you eat one.
This is a recommended tour where you can fully enjoy the charm of Hakone.
Meeting point: Shinjuku / Hotel
Tour area: Hakone Shrine - Lake Ashi - Owakudani area
Start time: 8:00AM
Hakone Private One Day Tour From Tokyo: Mt Fuji, Lake Ashi, Hakone National Park
Source:Tripadvisor
This is a day trip from Tokyo, touring Hakone's standard spots with a dedicated guide. Among the various hakone tours, this one stands out by offering a choice between public transportation or a private car as your means of transportation.
Tour Highlights:
* Majestic landscape of Owakudani
* Hakone Open-air Museum where Hakone's nature and art merge
* Spectacular views of Hakone from the ropeway
* Hakone Shrine with benefits for good luck
* Hakone Gora Park where you can appreciate seasonal plants
* Narukawa Museum where you can experience the beauty of Japanese gardens
The abundance of options that can be enjoyed for an additional fee is also an attractive point of this tour. My recommendation is the tea ceremony experience (¥500) that can be experienced at Gora Park. Please take this opportunity to participate!
Meeting point: Shinjuku
Tour area: Owakudani - Hakone Shrine - Gora area
Start time: 7:30AM
Tours Around Hakone: Enjoy the Natural Beauty & Spectacular Views of Mt. Fuji
If you're looking to experience natural beauty and breathtaking views, please check out these options. We introduce three Hakone tours that allow you to fully enjoy the unique natural environment of the region.
Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri with Certified Mountain Guide
Source:Viator
If you love the outdoors, this tour hiking the Hakone Hachiri, a Japanese Heritage site, is perfect for you. Hakone Hachiri refers to a historic road that was developed at the beginning of the Edo period (1604). On this tour, you'll walk approximately 8km with a knowledgeable guide.
Tour Highlights:
- Exclusive certified mountain guide
- Visit to a workshop featuring Hakone's famous wood crafts
- Sweet sake (amazake) and Japanese sweets at a 400-year-old traditional teahouse
- Avenue of 300-year-old cedar trees
- Yamanaka Castle ruins, a nationally designated cultural property
What I most recommend about this hakone tour is having your own certified mountain guide. During the hike, they will clearly explain Hakone's history and culture, allowing you to discover various charms of Hakone while walking.
Why not cross the mountains of Hakone feeling as if you've time-traveled to the Edo period when many travelers walked the Hakone Hachiri?
Meeting point: Hakone-Yumoto Station
Tour area: Hakone-Yumoto - Moto-Hakone - Mishima area
Start time: 9:00AM
Traverse Outer Rim of Hakone Caldera and Enjoy Onsen Hiking Tour
Source:Viator
This tour allows you to enjoy Hakone's grand nature, known as a caldera, on foot. A caldera is a geological formation that resembles a basin created by repeated volcanic eruptions. On this tour, you'll hike the mountains that rise around the caldera.
Tour Highlights:
- Magnificent views of the Hakone caldera from mountain summits
- Natural ridge trails with seasonal flowers and plants
- Lunch featuring local specialties like udon or soba noodles
- Hot springs to soothe your tired muscles after hiking
The greatest attraction of this tour is undoubtedly the impressive caldera landscape where you can feel the power of nature. Viewing the entire Hakone area from the mountaintop makes the unique caldera formation clearly visible, leaving you in awe of nature's power.
This tour, walking 8-9km with a qualified guide, is recommended for people who are confident in their physical fitness!
Meeting point: Hakone-Yumoto Station
Tour area: Sengokuhara - Maruyama - Lake Ashi - Togendai
Start time: 8:30AM
Hike Hakone Hachiri
Source:Viator
On this tour, you'll hike approximately 15km of the Hakone Hachiri. Since the meeting place is Hakone-Yumoto Station, this tour is recommended for people staying in Hakone.
Tour Highlights:
- Delicious amazake at a traditional teahouse continued for 13 generations
- Avenue of 300-year-old cedar trees with about 400 trees
- Yamanaka Castle ruins, recognized as one of Japan's 100 Famous Castles
- Hakone Checkpoint Museum where you can learn about Hakone Hachiri history
"Amasake Chaya," where you can enjoy amazake and light Japanese snacks, is my favorite shop. The gently sweet and nutritious amazake has been charging the energy of travelers walking the Hakone Hachiri for centuries.
Many of the cedar trees along Lake Ashi were planted in the early 1600s. Cool down while walking in the refreshing breeze under the shade of these trees.
If you're interested in Hakone's nature and history, please join one of these tours around Hakone!
Meeting point: Hakone-Yumoto Station
Tour area: Hakone route (Lake Ashi, Hakone Checkpoint, Mishima, etc.)
Start time: 8:30AM
Tours with Bus and Bullet Train Pickup from Tokyo
If you're planning to stay in Tokyo, we recommend hakone tours with pickup from Tokyo. Here we'll introduce two day trip tours that include bus or bullet train options.
FANTASTIC FUJI & HAKONE 1 Day Bus Tour
Source:Official website
If price is your priority, we recommend a bus tour. This Tokyo round-trip tour allows you to choose your departure point from two major areas in Tokyo: Shinjuku and Ginza. It's a popular option among hakone tours where you can enjoy both Mt. Fuji and Hakone in one day.
After being impressed by the panoramic view from Mt. Fuji's 5th station, you'll enjoy a buffet lunch featuring local specialties at a restaurant at the foot of the mountain. In Hakone, you'll fully experience the charm of nature at popular spots such as Owakudani and Lake Ashi.
The appeal of the bus tour I'd like to recommend is that it reduces transportation costs and effort compared to other means of transportation. A pleasant point about this tour is that it comes with audio guidance in 7 languages.
Enjoy a comfortable journey on a large bus equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi!
Meeting point: Shinjuku/Ginza
Tour area: Mt. Fuji - Hakone - Lake Ashi - Owakudani
Start time: 7:20-7:50AM (depending on meeting place)
Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Trip From Tokyo with Bullet Train Option
Source:Viator
For a day trip from Tokyo, this is another excellent choice among tours around Hakone. It's a popular tour that takes you to the must-visit tourist spots of Mt. Fuji and Hakone.
With fun activities such as a cruise on Lake Ashi and a ropeway at Owakudani, both children and adults will surely be satisfied. At Mt. Fuji's 5th station, enjoy limited-sale melon bread and local beer.
My recommended point is that you can choose the bullet train as your return transportation. It takes about 35 minutes from Odawara to Tokyo, which greatly reduces travel time. The guide won't ride the bullet train with you, but they will kindly advise you on how to ride and how to get to your hotel after disembarking, so there's no need to worry.
Please consider this if you want to use your time effectively!
Meeting point: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo/Marunouchi-Kajibashi Parking
Tour area: Mt. Fuji 5th Station - Owakudani - Lake Ashi - Odawara Station
Start time: 8:30AM
Private Tours for Families and Those Who Want to Enjoy at a Leisurely Pace
Private tours around Hakone where you can freely arrange your itinerary are recommended for families with small children or those who want to enjoy at their own pace without worrying about others.
We've selected three hakone tours where you can freely choose your departure time and meeting place, or have a qualified guide show you around thoroughly. Please choose according to your preferences!
Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Source:Viator
This is a walking tour that takes you around various places in Hakone. Departing from hotels in Hakone, you'll sightsee with a licensed guide. Car pickup is not included.
The charm of this tour is that you can walk around a customized course to your liking. Pick 3-4 places you want to visit and build your course while consulting with the guide. Enjoy the deep charm of Hakone that can only be discovered by walking around thoroughly. Depending on the places you visit, it's also possible to effectively use local buses or taxis.
Another point I recommend is that you can choose your departure time between 9:00-11:00. It's also recommended for people who want to spend a relaxed morning at their hotel and depart for sightseeing at a leisurely pace!
Meeting point: Various hotels in Hakone
Tour area: Lake Ashi - Hakone Ropeway - Owakudani - Sengokuhara - Gora, etc.
Start time: 9:00AM-11:00AM
Custom Private Tour in Hakone with a Certified Local Guide
Source:Viator
How about this hakone tour for those who want to cover standard tourist spots while also adding a bit of their own preferences? The attractive point is that you can add your own preferred options to the plan carefully selected by a local guide.
In addition to visiting popular spots such as Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine, enjoy a visit to an atelier of "Yosegi-zaiku," a traditional craft of Hakone. As the knowledgeable guide explains thoroughly, you can learn more deeply about traditional culture.
An option I'd like you to add to your tours around Hakone is the hot spring experience by the river. Please soak in the hot spring while viewing the magnificent natural scenery and heal the fatigue of your trip.
This is a recommended tour for those who want to sightsee at their own pace without worrying about other groups.
Meeting point: Various hotels in Hakone
Tour area: Owakudani - Lake Ashi - Hakone Town - Hakone Shrine, etc.
Start time: 9:00AM
Mt. Fuji and Hakone Private Tour with English Speaking Guide
Source:Viator
This tour is recommended for those who want to enjoy a perfect trip tailored to their preferences. This journey with a dedicated vehicle transfer, driver, and guide will become an unforgettable day.
A local guide who knows Mt. Fuji and Hakone thoroughly will suggest the best course for your hakone tours experience. Please customize your itinerary according to your desired places, food preferences, and scenery you want to see.
One of the attractive points of a private tour is that you can adjust the time spent at the places you want to visit most. It's good to focus on specific spots and take your time exploring each one, or you can also try to fit in all the places you want to visit.
Build the best tour and enjoy your exclusive journey!
Meeting point: Within Tokyo
Tour area: Mt. Fuji area - Lake Kawaguchi - Hakone - Lake Ashi - Owakudani, etc.
Start time: 7:30AM-8:30AM
Tours that allow you to explore the Mt. Fuji area as well
"I want to enjoy both Hakone and Mt. Fuji!" Here we have selected tours recommended for such people. We will introduce two tours full of highlights for those interested in tours around Hakone.
Mt. Fuji 5th Station and Hakone Day Tour from Tokyo
Source:Viator
This is a bus tour departing from and returning to Tokyo that covers the standard tourist spots around Hakone and Mt. Fuji.
Tour Highlights:
- Lake Ashi specialty - Pirate Ship Cruise
- Homemade ramen making experience
- The spectacular view of Mt. Fuji and five-storied pagoda from Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine
- Oshino Hakkai, a spring water pond from Mt. Fuji
My top recommendation for this tour is the ramen-making experience near Lake Kawaguchi. After choosing the base flavor of the soup and toppings, you cook the noodles to your preferred firmness. The taste of ramen made from scratch by yourself is exceptional. Please enjoy the world of ramen, which can be called the national food of Japanese people!
This tour is recommended for those who want to experience Japanese culture and traditions.
Meeting point: Shinjuku
Tour area: Lake Ashi - Hakone - Mt. Fuji area (Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai, etc.)
Start time: 7:40AM
Private Sightseeing to Mt Fuji and Hakone GREEN NUMBER PLATES
Source:Viator
This is a private tour where you can choose between Hakone or the Mt. Fuji area to build your itinerary. You cannot mix tourist spots in both Hakone and Mt. Fuji.
Please try to customize your course to your liking while consulting with your guide. With a private tour, you have more opportunities to visit places that are difficult to access with large group tours.
The recommended point of this tour is that it includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel by a dedicated vehicle. When I introduced this tour to my foreign friends, they were particularly pleased with this point. You can go directly to your room when you arrive, so it's reassuring even if you're exhausted from sightseeing or have bought too many souvenirs to carry.
Please enjoy sightseeing to the fullest without worrying about your return!
Meeting point: Various hotels in Tokyo
Tour area: Mt. Fuji 5th Station - Lake Ashi - Hakone Ropeway - Odawara Station
Start time: Mt. Fuji area (5th Station, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai, etc.) - Hakone area (Lake Ashi, Owakudani, etc.)
Summary
How did you find our feature on 1-day hakone tours?
For tourist destinations like Hakone with many attractions, it is recommended to participate in guided tours around Hakone. Tours have many benefits such as not having to worry about transportation, being able to efficiently visit tourist spots, and listening to explanations from guides.
There are various tours available, so it's also attractive that you can freely choose the departure/arrival location, transportation method, departure time, etc. Please choose a tour that suits your budget and preferences. It will surely be an unforgettable day in Japan.
