The 15 Best Hakone Tours & Ropeway Days

1.Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 218 reviews · from $175Our pick

Spend six hours with a licensed English-speaking guide and choose three or four Hakone sights that fit your interests. Guides such as Hiro, Yumi, Kate, and Yoshii have helped visitors manage the ropeway, pirate boat, buses, museums, and sudden weather changes. This is a walking tour, so transportation and entrance fees are extra.

“Yoshihiro was very informative and thoughtful as he took us to the various sites. He explained the history of each place we went and let us have some time to explore on our own. It was very easy to meet him at Togendai station and he prepared us well by asking us to buy the Hakone Free Pass in advance. We enjoyed our experience.”

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2.Custom Private Tour in Hakone with a Certified Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · from $300

Spend about seven hours exploring Hakone with a certified local guide and a private group of up to eight. Visit Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, the old cedar avenue, and a 400-year-old tea house. Lunch and tea are included. Ropeway rides and an open-air onsen are optional, while transport and some admission fees cost extra.

“She was absolutely amazing and made a rainy day into a wonderful day. She knew some secret places to take us out of rain. She was so knowledgeable about the region and shared personal experiences with us.”

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3.Hakone 8 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $201

Spend eight hours exploring Hakone with a government-licensed English-speaking guide and choose four or five sights that fit your interests. Build a day around Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, Owakudani, the Ropeway, museums, gardens, or a gentle walk. Guides such as Yoshi, Hide, Ryuta, and Fumiko are praised for adapting plans, explaining local culture, and helping with trains, buses, lunch, and timing.

“Ami was a wonderful guide and we all had a wonderful day. A real highlight of our Japan trip. It was a great trip and never rushed.”

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4.Private Tour – Hakone Day Trip! A Tour to Explore All Must-Sees!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $181

You’ll tour Hakone with only your own group, starting at Hakone-Yumoto Station and moving by local transport to shrines, Lake Ashi, Owakudani, the ropeway, cable car, and scenic viewpoints. Guides such as Tatsu, Nanako, Hori, and Max tailor the day to your interests, though transport, meals, and admissions cost extra.

“Mike our guide was great. He explained to us a number of things along our journey. Unfortunately due to the weather we were unable to see mt Fuji. Bye a great day overall. Definitely do the tour it was informative and had a few laughs along the way”

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5.Private Hakone Half-day Car Tour with Hotel Pickup – Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews

Explore Hakone in four to five hours with a private English-speaking guide such as Kumi, Sunny, Jon, or Daisuke. Your guide plans the route at pickup, matching your interests to stops such as Hakone Shrine, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, waterfalls, old cedar roads, and craft workshops. A private air-conditioned vehicle saves time on Hakone’s steep, winding roads.

“This tour was so much fun! I was able to hit all the items i wanted to see and customize the itinerary to match my interests and what I was hoping for with the tour. The guide was flexible and accommodating when setting up the tour. I highly recommend if you are visiting Hakone!”

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6.Hike Hakone Hachiri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $231

Join guide Tony for a private, full-day hike along Hakone Hachiri, a 12-kilometer section of the old Tokaido Highway. Visit the 13th-generation Amazake Chaya, walk beneath 400-year-old cedars, see Lake Ashi and Yamanaka Castle Ruins, and finish in Mishima. Expect history, stone paths, changing weather, and a demanding but rewarding day outdoors.

“The hike was beautiful, with waterfalls and huge trees! Exactly the workout we wanted away from the crowds of tourist! Tony was funny and very experienced! I highly recommend him!!”

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7.Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri with certified mountain guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · from $158

Follow the Edo-period Hachiri route from Hakone Yumoto to Mishima with guide Aki, also known as Akihiro. This seven-hour, 8-kilometer outing combines forest trails, Lake Ashi, the old cedar avenue, Hakone Checkpoint, Yamanaka Castle Ruins, and Genbe River. Expect local buses, a shared taxi, lunch at your own cost, and possible Mt Fuji views.

“Aki was knowledgeable, kind, and a wonderful host. He also took many photos of us as a family. The best!!”

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8.Odawara Castle Tenshukaku Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 30 reviews · from $3Best value

Enter Odawara Castle’s main keep and explore five floors of samurai swords, armor, and other artifacts tied to Odawara’s past. You can also stroll through the castle garden, then climb to the top for views across Sagami Bay. The ticket includes admission only, with no guide, food, or drinks, and all commentary is in Japanese.

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9.Traverse Outer Rim of Hakone Caldera and Enjoy Onsen Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $158

You’ll hike 8 to 9 km along Hakone’s outer caldera rim with a nationally certified guide, climbing 500 meters before a scenic ridge walk. Expect bamboo, birds, seasonal color, and possible Mount Fuji views. After descending to Sengokuhara, enjoy a Japanese lunch and a relaxing onsen. The hike requires strong fitness.

“This was a great day's hike. Good views and a very interesting and patient guide. I think it's best for active families or individuals and there is uneven terrain but it was delightful day. We are glad we did the hike even though it was foggy and we couldn't see Fuji.”

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10.Guided Ninja & Samurai Tour of Odawara Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 2h 30m · from $116

Meet an English-speaking guide at Odawara Castle’s Ninja Museum, then explore the park, Samurai Museum, and castle grounds. Guides such as Jeff and Naoya explain the Hojo clan and feudal Japan before instructor Shudo leads a hands-on class with shuriken, blow darts, sword practice, meditation, and ninja gestures. Ninja clothing is included.

“One of the best tours we’ve done. Was so interesting to learn about the ninja, practice the weapons, moving and focus techniques. Our tour guides customized it to what we cared about and shared interesting information about the town, the castle, history, and especially the ninja. Totally worth the day trip from Tokyo. Don’t miss this!!!”

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11.Kowakien Yunessun Hot Springs Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 23 reviews · 1 day · from $8

Spend a full day at Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, a swimsuit-friendly hot spring park with wine, coffee, green tea, and sake baths, plus pools, caves, waterfalls, and children’s play areas. Choose a swimsuit-only pass or add the traditional Mori no Yu hot spring area. Bring swimwear, a towel, and your QR code.

“We did not attend due to the clothing /swimsuit issue”

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12.Hakone Hachiri: Old Tokaido Highway Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 22 reviews · 7 hours · from $167

Walk about 8km of the historic Hakone Hachiri route with a certified mountain guide, usually Aki or Akihiro. You’ll follow forest paths and Edo-era cobbles, stop at Lake Ashi, the Hakone Checkpoint, Yamanaka Castle Ruins, Mishima Taisha, and Genbe River. The pace suits beginners, but expect 5 to 6 hours on foot.

“I liked the guide. He was informative and talked about the history of the old Tokaido highway he was flexible to adjust the tour to adapt to the bad weather we found on the day of the tour”

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13.Hakone Full-Day Private Tour(Tokyo DEP.) with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $279

Spend about 10 hours exploring Hakone with a government-licensed English-speaking guide. Choose roughly 3 to 4 sights, such as Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, Owakudani, the ropeway, or an art museum. Meet on foot in Tokyo, then pay separately for trains, local transport, meals, and admissions.

“All parts were memorable as we covered a lot of ground, with ten changes if transport, easily done due to friendly knowledgeable guide Nobu. Hekone region is good immersion in a lovely region.”

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14.Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri (Half Day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $114

Walk 2 to 3 hours along Hakone’s best-preserved Tokaido paths with a certified National Mountain Guide. You’ll pass Hatajuku’s woodcraft village, ride a short bus section around the steepest climb, sip amasake at a 400-year-old teahouse, and finish at Lake Ashi near the Hakone Checkpoint. Guides such as Akihiro and Aki add clear local and Edo-era context.

“With Aki as guide, my daughter and I enjoyed hiking this beautiful trail. Aki did a wonderful job giving us historical context of this trail, stopping at a village for some barley tea and traditional rice dessert for a quick rest and snack. We also stoppRead more”

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15.Hakone Full Day Customizable Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 10 hours

Travel from your Tokyo hotel to Hakone in a private car for up to five people. Your English or Japanese-speaking driver can adjust the day around weather, traffic, and your interests, with stops such as Hakone Shrine, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, the ropeway, and the Open-Air Museum. Ahmed and Ahmad are among the drivers named in recent bookings.

“We had the best experience traveling from our hotel to Hakone! Our driver was honestly the nicest person ever. He arrived well before time, greeted with big smile and made the journey so easy. Throughout the drive explained everything we passed from local sights to bits of Japanese culture. He was amazing with my kids. We actually hired two cars, and both drivers were equally wonderful — same level of professionalism, warmth, and care. They even stopped at the best photo spots, took lovely pictures, and helped carry our luggage without asking. One moment that truly stood out was when the driver kindly took a small bag of rubbish from…”

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