We have yet to see Mt Fuji so we wanted to view it this trip to Tokyo. Having read that you gotta be pretty lucky for Mt Fuji to show itself to you in Spring and Summer, we decided to visit
Hakone (one of the few spots to view Mt Fuji) so that we can enjoy the scenery and visit one of the many Onsens even if the weather let us down on that day.
In case you didn't know, the best times to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji is during the Autumn and Winter seasons, especially from Dec to Feb when the weather gets drier. Also, visibility tends to be better in the morning so do check the weather forecast before heading to Hakone to view the majestic Mt Fuji.
Anyway, we got our tickets for the 2 days
Hakone Free Pass at 5,000JPY each on the 1st day we arrived in Tokyo. Since we were staying in Shinjuku area already, it was very convenient to walk to the West Exit of the JR Shinjuku Station to get more information from the Hakone Sightseeing Service Counter.
Odakyu Sightseeing Service Counter @ Shinjuku
Odakyu Romance Car Ticket Counter
If you prefer, you can also top up 870JPY for a ride in the
Romance Car which will bring you to Hakone Yumoto by half an hour faster in 1.5 hours time.
We went for the normal Odakyu Express train, reaching Hakone in 2 hours instead.
Odakyu Line West Ground Gate Entrace @ Shinjuku
To get to the Odakyu Line, just look out for the West Ground Gate which is situated on the ground floor of the JR Shinjuku West Exit. We started our day very early the next morning taking the 7.01am train. To check the trains schedule, just go to
www.hyperdia.com as usual.
Shortly after getting on the train, we snoozed all the way to Odawara even though we had a cup of coffee each.
View On Train From Odawara to Hakone Yumoto
You'll need to get off and change train at Odawara to Haknoe Yumoto and this journey is a short 15 mins one.
The journey and rides from here onward are all scenic ones and it was a really enjoyable way to start the day, especially after napping in the first leg of our journey. Hehe...
Hakone Tozan Railway
We took the classic "
round course" way up but it wasn't a round course because we didn't take the same way back to Shinjuku, Tokyo. Instead, we were a little more ambitious and headed to
Gotemba Premium Outlets after Hakone.
You can refer to the round course and the estimated travel time from
here and this is our modified course:
- Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto 1150JPY
- Hakone-Yumoto to Gora 390JPY (We didn't get off to visit the museum etc. and continue to Sounzan)
- Gora to Sounzan 410JPY
- Sozan to Togendai 1330JPY
- Togendai to Moto-Hakone (we didn't get off the Pirate Boat at Haakone-machi) 970JPY
- Moto-Hakone to Togendai 970JPY
- Togendai to Gotemba Premium Outlets
- Gotemba Premium Outlets to Shinjuku
The transport cost without using the Hakone Free Pass is in red. Do a fast calculation and you'll realise it's cheaper buying the pass and definitely less of a hassle searching for cash to make payment.
On The Way Up To Gora
Gora Station
View From Hakone Tozan Cablecar
It is indeed a scenic route up to Hakone and I would highly recommend you give this a try instead of taking the bus.
On The Way Up!
Smells of Sulphur Surround Us
Famous Owakudani Black Eggs
There's both half boiled eggs and hard boiled eggs available at Owakudani. These eggs have a slight sulphur smell to them and it's believed that you'll live 7 years more with every eggs you eat.
Buying the Hard Boiled Eggs
View From The Top
After buying the eggs, you can eat them on the spot on the many benches available right in front of the black egg store.
Feeling somewhat overloaded with eggs, we traveled on to take the famous
Pirate Boat across Lake Ashi.
By the way, all our transport are covered by the Hakone Free Pass and it takes about 30 mins to cross Lake Ashi.
Hotel @ Moto-Hakone Pier
We didnt get off at Moto-Hakone and continued by boat onwards to Hakone-Machi. You can also walk to Hakone-machi from Moto-Hakone if you can spare the time. I'm sure it'll be a lovely walk and it takes about 20 to 30 mins only.
On good days, the magnificent Mt Fuji can be viewed on Lake Ashi but no such luck for us.
As you can see, dark clouds came our way by the time we reached Hakone-machi.
Feeling a little hungry, we had our lunch at one of the many restaurants along the street.
And I have eggs AGAIN for lunch. :S
With a hearty meal, we took our time to stroll along the lake to Hakone Shrine. I think we really enjoyed ourselves that day laughing and just relaxing as we walk along the lake. The air was fresh and the mood was calm. I really had fun!
To get to
Hakone Shrine, just walk along the lake after turning left from the pier.
You'll come to a long road leading to the bright orange Hakone Shrine gates.
Purification Fountain
You can read about how to visit a Japanese shrine
here.
The Hakone Shrine is beautiful with its bright orange and red colour and I went shutter crazy.
Chinese Influences
Torii Gates
We read about the Hakone Shrine
Torii gates
here and this was one of the reasons why we decided to visit the Hakone Shrine. The gates can be seen from the Pirate Boat when approaching Hakone-machi and it's bright and grand.
Lovely Path Leading Back To Pier
Satisfied with all our photo taking, we headed back to Togendai for the bus to Gotemba Premium Outlets. Do note the timing for the last boat out from Hakone-machi. If I remembered correctly, it is 4pm. If you cannot get out in time, you may need to spend an a slow and quiet night at Hakone. ;)
Upon reaching Togendai, just check with the information counter what bus to take to Gotemba Premium Outlets. The bus will take you to Gotemba Station where you're required to change to the free shuttle bus to the premium outlets. This bus is yet again covered by the Hakone Free Pass.
My favourite scenic route in Hakone is actually the ride from Togendai to Gotemba Premium Outlets. It is a pity that it was raining then and everywhere I looked was wet... But the Onsens and numerous Ryokens that was situated along the road was charming!
My Japanese friend told me that we should have stayed overnight or give the Onsen a try because Hakone is one of the best places for hot springs. Some Onsens even have views of Mt Fuji. Hhhhmmmm....bliss! But tattoos are banned in Onsens so no hot springs for us.
Anyway, we arrived in Gotemba while it was still raining and the cheaper umbrellas from the vending machine were sold out by then. To cross over from the East side to the West, I had no choice but to buy a cutesy polka dotted brolly.
Ta-da, it stopped raining after a while and I just had to pose with my new super thin brolly.
We had a quick bite before leaving and Mt Fuji came out to say bye. Although we didn't get to see the magnificent mountain at Lake Ashi, we saw its silhouette when crossing the bridge. And I think you can even make out the snow capped tip from the pic.
A surprise goodbye moment from Hakone.... =)
Do note that the last
Odakyu Bus out of Gotemba Station to Shinjuku is the 8pm bus. If you miss the bus, you can take the JR train back to Tokyo too. With the Hakone Free Pass, just top up 850JPY for the journey back to Shinjuku Bus Terminal and you can also reserve your seats in advance at the service counter.
I enjoyed my Hakone day trip and hope you'll have a good time there too!
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