Last Updated on July 20, 2025 by Laura
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There is something magical about day trips. The escape from routine, the sense of adventure and the excitement to visit a new location, even for just a day. When all of this is combined with a great starting point, such as Tokyo, it’s like having a winning lottery ticket. With its incredible intercity connections and super fast public transport, Tokyo is the perfect base for day tripping around Japan. In this blog, you will discover the best day trips from Tokyo by train. You can use this guide to fit them as part of your Japan itinerary, regardless if you can visit one or all of them.
Planning your first visit to Japan’s capital? Start with my Tokyo First-Timer’s Guide to learn where to stay, how to get around, and what to see.
Tokyo is absolutely one of my favourite cities in the world. It’s lively, colourful and full of things to do. It is also true that some first-time visitors and lovers of quiet find it a bit “too much”. For this reason, I agree to certain extent that Tokyo can be sometimes overwhelming. Therefore, stepping outside the city for a few day trips can be not only a way to discover different parts of Japan, but also take a break from Tokyo and its busy streets.
Day trips from Tokyo useful information
Day trips from Tokyo by train -View of Tokyo from Shibuya Sky
Here below you will find some useful information to know for your Tokyo day trips. I wish I had someone telling me before hand but I had to plan everything from scratch!
Is worth a day trip from Tokyo if I have only a few days?
If you have 5 or 7 days in Tokyo, I believe that having a day trip is still worth. You might not check out 20 different places but you can still see different realities at just a few train rides from Tokyo.
How many days do I have to add to my Tokyo itinerary to include day trips?
There isn’t really a fixed number of days you have to add in order to have a day trip from Tokyo. You can add 1 day or an extra week. This depends how many extra places out of Tokyo you want to visit. In my case, we stayed a total of 8 nights in Tokyo and we used 3 days for day trips.
Where is best to stay if I want to go on a day trip from Tokyo?
Tokyo is a huge metropolis. Probably no ones tells you, but where are you staying in the city has a huge impact in your day trips organisation. Indeed, there is a huge difference in departing from Asakusa vs departing from Shinjuku because this will translate in extra time and money used for your trip.
As soon as I started planning my day trips, I noted that 100% of my trains were departing from Shinjuku Station early in the morning. I originally booked a nice ryokan near Asakusa thinking to change accommodation mid stay with some other hotel near Ginza. But when I realised that each morning I had to add an extra travel hour to get to Shinjuku, I scrapped my whole itinerary and changed strategy. As I said before, Tokyo might be slightly overwhelming to first-time visitors. So, the first question I asked myself was “what place will allow me to travel outside Tokyo in the least stressful way but is still well-connected to the rest of the city?”.
The reply was in front of my eyes: Shinjuku. So, I cancelled all my hotel reservations and decided to find a place near the station. Believe me, you will be extremely thankful when you have a 7 am train to Mt. Fuji and don’t have to scramble to the station 3 hours before.
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Hotel Groove Shinjuku
We found the perfect accommodation at Hotel Groove Shinjuku. This was at 5/7 mins from Shinjuku Station entrance and it was our life saver! It was also a perfect spot to explore the city as all the metro lines were stopping there! What a lush!
If you’re planning to take the bullet train for longer excursions, check out my Beginner’s Guide to Shinkansen Trains for ticket tips and route advice.
How do I pay for my train day trips from Tokyo
This depends on the destination you are going. Most of the locations at 1/2 hours from Tokyo are connected by local trains. You can simply use your RC card (Suica/Pasmo) to pay for your tickets. Certain destinations, such as Hakone, have good discount passes (I will address this later) and they will allow you unlimited travels on local transport.
7 day trips from Tokyo by train
Here below you will find 7 best locations you can visit outside Tokyo by train. Why 7 and not 10/11/15? Because it is not-realistic to expect tourists or short-time visitors to go on a full side detour of the outskirts of Tokyo. Especially when they are visiting for 1 to 3 weeks Japan. I was on the other side too, and realistically, on a 15 days trip, I could fit 3/4 day trips from Tokyo. For this reason, I choose to feature 7 locations. This is an ample amount of places allowing people to plan for an extra week based in Tokyo. but I think that having an ever ending list of places to visit creates more confusion rather than being helpful.
Mt Fuji and the Five Lakes
Day trips from Tokyo by train – View of Mt Fuji from Lake Saiko
There is a bit of a misunderstanding about Mt. Fuji day trips. I think this needs a clarification because there is a huge difference between “seeing Mt Fuji” and “climbing Mt. Fuji”. These are two different types of trips and activities. One that can be easily done in 1 day, the other not. As the scope of the article is taking you on one or more day trips from Tokyo, I won’t discuss details on how to climb Mt. Fuji. However, if you want to visit the Fuji area, and get some stunning pictures with Mt. Fuji in the background, we can have a chat.
The best (and nearest) place where to have a day trip to Mt Fuji is the area of the Five Lakes. Visiting the entire area would take probably a couple of days, but with a little organisation you can have a decent day trip covering different must-visit spots. A huge difference in this day trip is whether or not you decide to rent a car and which period you will visit. Let’s discuss this below.
When to visit the Fuji Five Lakes
For a better chance of spotting a crystalline view of Mt Fuji, winter is the best period. However, the area is incredibly beautiful all-year-around. Be mindful of peak periods (Golden Week – Sakura Week). During these days, the level of crowds increases dangerously to affect your visit. E.g. my visit to Chureito Pagoda took 4 hours instead of the 1h 30 mins planned due to the extreme crowd.
Car vs No Car to visit the Fuji Five Lakes
As I said before, the area of the Five Lakes it’s pretty big to be done fully in one day. Nevertheless, having a car (to be rented in loco) will maximise your visit and chances to see more places. For this I strongly recommend Mr Yoshimura at Yoshimura Rental Car. Very professional and their cars are spot on!
You can still tour the area by bus. Indeed, the blue, red and green sightseeing buses are purposely designed for this reason. Nevertheless, they have specific times, take long and are incredibly crowded during peak season.
How to get to the Fuji Five Lakes by train from Tokyo
Day trips from Tokyo by train – View of Mt Fuji from various sites around the Five Lakes
Take the Fuji Excursion Train (Limited Express) from Shinjuku Station to either Kawaguchiko Station or Shimoyoshida. The average journey is 1 h 57 mins. Therefore, it’s better to take the earliest train (7.30 am) to maximise your exploration time. Ticket prices start at $31. I warmly recommend to book in advance your tickets via Klook. Indeed, these gets sold out very quickly. However, Klook has a system that books them for you as soon as they are released by JR. In this way, you don’t miss your seat on the train! Use my code HISTORIAN25 for a discount on the tickets!
- KAWAGUCHIKO STATION STOP: best for Lake Kawaguchi, Mt. Fuji Ropeway, Oishi Park, Oshino bus connection.
- SHIMOYOSHIDA STATION STOP: best for Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida city, Honcho Street
Can I use the JR PASS on the Fuji Excursion Train?
Yes, the Japan Rail Pass can be used on the Fuji Excursion Limited Express train. However, this can be used only for the segments operated by JR. Indeed, train runs between Shinjuku and Kawaguchiko. The stretch from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko is managed by the Fujikyu Railway, which is not included in the JR Pass. For that section, you’ll need to buy a separate ticket. Ticket purchased on Klook are valid for the whole route.
Fuji Five Lakes 1 day itinerary
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Fujiyoshida, Chureto Pagoda and Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba
Either if you rent a car or go by public bus, is better to start your itinerary at Chureito Pagoda. This because there is a high chance you’ll need to queue for hours before setting a foot in the viewing platform where you can see the famous view of Mt. Fuji + the pagoda. I tell you this for experience, we arrived with the first train and only this activity took 3 hours and a half.
Proceed by visiting the lovely city of Fujiyoshida. There are some nice shrines and I’m pretty sure you want to check-out also the photogenic Honcho Street. Take your time to explore also some side alleys that are nice as well! If you have a car, you can directly drive to Lake Kawaguchi/Oishi Park. If you are on public transport, you can take the train back to Kawaguchi Station and from there take one of the sightseeing buses.
Make sure you have a nice lunch stop. The traditional dish of that area is Hoto Fudo Noodles. However, there are also some nice cafes worth a stop such as FabCafe Fuji.
In the afternoon, you can either decide to drive (or take the bus to Oshino) or go to Lake Saiko. There you can visit the photogenic Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba Traditional Village. We opted for the second option because it’s not reachable without a car. Depending on the time of your return train, you can add a few other stops. However, if you have to return also the car, make sure to head back in time! Streets are particularly crowded in that area.
Nikko
Located in the Tochigi Prefecture, Nikko is one of the nicest day trips one can do from Tokyo. Differently than the Five Lakes Area that sees its peak during Spring, Nikko is particularly famous for autumn foliage. Indeed, the Shinkyo bridge is one of the most photographed places featuring the golden leaves of the Japanese autumn season.
How to get to Nikko by train from Tokyo
Differently than the Fuji area, that is served by trains from the Shinjuku Station, Nikko can have multiple points of departure within Tokyo.
If you have a JR Pass or staying in Shinjuku, the best train is the Limited Express Train Nikko21 from Shinjuku to Tōbu-nikkō. Travel time is about 2 h. If you are staying in the area of Asakusa and want a special train ride, I would recommend to book the newly Spacia X train. This is a special luxury designed train offering various types of seats, including private rooms, sofa seats, and lounge-type seats. Journey is on average 1h 50 mins with prices starting at $15 for standard seats. You can book your tickets via Klook and use HISTORIAN25 for a discount!
Nikko Passes
People who think to use multiple means of transport or want to extend their stay to more than one day, might take advantage of one of the Nikko passes. There are two different type ones:
- Nikkō World Heritage Area Pass. This is valid up to two days. It includes unlimited rides in: Tobu Bus lines within the world heritage area; All Tobu Railway lines between Shimo-Imaichi, Tobu-Nikko and Shin-Fujiwara stations. If you book a limited express train, don’t forget to pay the surcharge! Price is 3,000 YEN (about $20/£15). NOTE: This pass doesn’t extend to the Kegon Falls, Chuzenji Lake, Kinugawa Onsen areas.
- Nikko Pass (all area) – This is a 4-day pass. This includes: Lake Chuzenji sightseeing cruise(mid-April to November 30); All Tobu Railway lines between Shimo-Imaichi, Tobu-Nikko and Shin-Fujiwara stations. All Tobu Bus lines in Nikko; Nikko Edomura shuttle bus. Nikko-Kinugawa Onsen Bus（Operates only on Saturdays and holidays). Hybrid bus(Odashirogahara area access bus, mid-April to November 30). Nikko Astraea Hotel Day-Use Onsen (Available Year-Round, only usable once.). One 4-ride lift ticket for Nikko Yumoto Ski Resort (Available only in winter season). Price is 8,000 YEN ($54/£40).
Nikko 1 day itinerary
Your train will stop at Tōbu-nikkō. This is conveniently located near(ish) the countryside attractions, but a little bit far from the city. Therefore, is better to start off your day with the major attractions! Start your itinerary from the stunning Nikkō Tōshogū shrine. This is at 36 mins walk from the station or you can catch the bus leaving you at the entrance of the shrine. If you are in a rush, grab a cab as this is just a 5 mins drive. The shrine grounds are quite lengthy to explore and include the scenic Shinkyō Bridge and the Nikko Toshogu Hōmotsukan Museum. If you are up for a walk surrounded by beautiful scenery, I would recommend heading to a scenic point called Kanmangafuchi Abyss.
Head back to your path and once again at the Shinkyō Bridge follow the directions for the Kirifuri Falls. This is a 10/15 mins walk up to the viewing platform. There is a very nice restaurant/cafe’ called Nikko Saryo on the way back to the station that is worth a lunch stop!
Depending on your return train time, you might want to reach a further stunning area of Nikko. This is at about 50 mins bus ride from the station and here you can visit the spectacular Kegon Waterfalls, the Chūzen-ji Temple and get on a scenic ride from the Akechidaira Ropeway. If you are short of time, don’t rush that further, just take it easy and enjoy nature in one of the lovely cafes near the waterfall.
Kamakura
Day trips from Tokyo by train -Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Kamakura was probably one of my favourite places I visited on a day trip in Japan. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with this city, but its beauty hit me like a sudden gust of wind! Ex Japan’s de facto capital and the seat of the Kamakura shogunate from 1185 to 1333, Kamakura historical value is second to no one. With dozen of shrines and temples, magnificent cherry blossom alleys and even unexpected hiking trails, Kamakura has it all.
I unexpectedly found myself in Kamakura during the peak days of the cherry blossom season and I admit my heart skipped a bit when I spotted a sea of pink trees leading to the stunning Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. It’s a moment I will never forget. Kamakura is quite close to Tokyo (about 1h train ride). This makes it an ideal location for a day trip.
When to visit Kamakura
Stunningly, Kamakura is amazing all-year-around. Maybe because it’s in a beautiful location near the coast but it delivers stunning landscapes in any season. Of course, as the rest of Japan, seasonality has an impact on crowds and accessibility with spring being one of the busiest periods. If you want to see some spectacular cherry blossoms, I believe this is one of the best places!
How to get to Kamakura by train from Tokyo
Similarly to Nikko, also Kamakura is connected by several lines all across Tokyo. If you travel from Tokyo Station, the JR Yokosuka Line connects directly with Kamakura station and you can use the JR Pass. If you travel from Shinjuku Station, you can either opt for the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line (OK JR Pass) or take the Odakyu Railway.
Kamakura-Enoshima Frepass
If you are travelling to Kamakura (and Enoshima), I warmly recommend you to buy a Kamakura – Enoshima pass. This will allow you unlimited trips between Tokyo/Kamakura and Enoshima on the Odakyu lines, unlimited use of the Enoden trains between Fujisawa, Enoshima and Kamakura and gives you also a few discounts. The best part? You can combine this with the Hakone Pass buying an ‘Hakone-Kamakura Pass”. This has a cost of 7,520 yen (about $50/£35) and it’s valid 3 days including also all the transportations to Hakone.
Even if you don’t use it the full 3 days, it’s still very worth the price. We saved lot of money with this pass! Single Kamakura Freepass cost 1,640 yen ($11/£8) and it’s valid 1 day.
Kamakura 1 day itinerary
Day trips from Tokyo by train -Sights around Kamakura
Arrive early to maximise your visit because there is a lot to see and walk! You can combine both Kamakura and Enoshima in one day but you’ll need to reduce the number of stops in Kamakura (I’ll tell you more of this later). Start your visit from the magnificent Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. This is at just 10 mins walk from the station. During the cherry blossom season the street leading to the shrine called “Dankazura” is entirely covered by cherry blossom. Continue your visit in the northern part of the city. There are some beautiful shrine next to each other that are really worth a visit: Kencho-ji, Meigetsu-in and Engaku-ji.
Now. If you decide to explore Enoshima later or don’t want to walk, is better to move quickly from one side to the other of the city. Therefore, in that area you can find the Kita- Kamakura station and take the Yokosuka Line + Enoden towards Hase Station (southern side of Kamakura).
If you don’t plan to visit Enoshima and are up for a nice easy hike, I would recommend you the stunning Daibutsu Hiking Trail that will take you from Kita-Kamakura all the way to the Great Buddha Statue passing through the peculiar Zeniarai Benten Shrine. This is a moderate 3.4 km hike that usually take 1h to 1h and 30 mins to complete. If you haven’t stop for lunch, I would recommend either the lovely Itsuki Garden (in the final part of the trail) or Antico Rondino Prosciutteria (near Hasedera).
Afternoon activities/southern side of Kamakura
The southern side of Kamakura is really stunning to visit and quite close to the sea. A must visit of this area is the Kotoku-in Temple and its Great Buddha Statue. Continue your visit at the stunning Hasedera Temple. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the enclosed Benten Cave! If you decide to move to Enoshima, you’ll need to take the Enoden line (read the Enoshima paragraph for more details). If you decide to stay in Kamakura, you can visit more sites such as the Goryo Shrine or Joju-in.
Enoshima
Day trips from Tokyo by train – View of Enoshima from the Ohashi bridge
Enoshima is a little island off the coast of Kamakura, at 15 mins train ride from Hase Station. Despite being such a little island is full of things to do. Therefore, you can either include it as part of your Kamakura day trip, or decide to have a separate full day exploring it. Enoshima is considered a sacred island in Japan and it’s home of some ancient Japanese tales.
Indeed, the whole island is dedicated to Benzaiten. The goddess of wealth, good fortune, knowledge and music. According to the legend in the Enoshima Engi, a two-parts historical account about the history of the island written in 1047 AD, villagers living on the shores of this part of Japan, were tormented by a five-headed dragon god called Gozuryu. Aware of the suffering of the villagers, Benzaiten arised the island of Enoshima from the sea and decided to move there.
Once Gozuryu met the goddes, he fell in love with her and asked her to merry him. She rejected the proposal by underlining how his wrongdoings were hurting the villagers. Ashamed of his behaviour, Gozuryu stopped the attacks and transformed himself in the hill currently facing Enoshima now known as “Dragon’s mouth hill”. This legend is still very much alive in the island full of shrines dedicated to both Benzaiten and Gozuryu.
How to get to Kamakura by train from Tokyo and from Kamakura
Getting to Enoshima from Tokyo is very easy thanks to the island’s two main stations. Indeed, Shinjuku Station connects to the Katase-Enoshima Station thanks to the Odakyu Railways. With a little surplus, you can also ride the stylish Romance Car and I quite recommend that! Travel time is usually 1 h 45 mins and cost 897 Yen (regular car). If you want to travel faster and book the Romance Car, travel time is about 1h 19 mins and cost 1,399 Yen. You can use your IC card for the basic fare on both trains but you’ll need the Limited Express ticket on top of the basic fare for the Romance Car. You can book this here. If you have the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass/ Hakone-Kamakura Freepass, your basic ride is included and you’ll need to buy just the LE ticket.
If you want a little more adventure you can connect from Tokyo Station to Ofuna Station and then take the Shonan Monorail to the Shonan-Enoshima Station. This is not the closest station to Enoshima (there will be a 20 mins walk to the island) but the Shonan monorail looks like it’s flying over the cities! Therefore is such a funny way to arrive. Cost is usually 1,144 Yen and you can use directly the IC card. Travel time is about 1h 32 mins.
If you are already in Kamakura and want to get to Enoshima, just board the Enoden Line to Enoshima Station. Travel time is about 25 mins and cost is 260 Yen. You can use your IC card or your Freepass.
Enoshima 1 day itinerary
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Enoshima Candle and Enoshima jinja.
Either if you arrive from Tokyo or Kamakura, your journey to Enoshima will start from the lovely Enoshima-ohashi bridge. A 389 mt long bridge connecting the small island to the mainland. Unless you arrive by boat, this is the only pedestrian way to the island and gives you direct access to Enoshima’s main street Nakamise Dori (don’t confuse this with the one in Asakusa, Tokyo). Starting from an unique Bronze Torii, this is an up-hill road with many lovely shops and restaurants. Some popular shops on the street are 湘南デニムストリート テイクアウトコーナー, selling the blue “denin” ice cream and Asahi Honten, selling the island’s speciality: octopus cracker. The queue here is always quite long, so make sure you take this in consideration if you have timed tickets.
Nakamise Dori street connects directly to the beautiful Zuishinmon, the elevated gate of Enoshima-jinja. The site, entirely dedicated to Benzaiten is quite extensive and made of 3 different main shrines (and some other smaller ones) across the island: He-tsu-miya, Naka-tsu-miya and Oku-tsu-miya. There is a very steep staircase to get on the first shrine but for those who don’t want to climb different flights of stairs, there is a convenient escalator arriving on the top (100 yen to access well worthy!).
Once you have explored all the big and smaller shrines, don’t go back but head towards the Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden. This is a lovely space full of flowers and plants with a beautiful view on the island. It’s free to access and I would recommend also a stop at the lovely Loncafe for their delicious French Toast. If you like observation towers, climb the lovely Enoshima Sea Candle (500 yen). While in that area, don’t forget a photo memory with the Dragon Love bell.
Afternoon activities in Enoshima
After this intense exploration, I would recommend stopping for lunch. The upper part of the island has some beautiful restaurants with sea-view. The most famous are Yurantei and Cafe Madu. After lunch, proceed with your final stop, the beautiful Enoshima Iwaya Caves. If the weather is good and the tide is low, check also the Chigogafuchi Abyss. To return to mainland (station) from that point you can either walk back or take the Enoshima Ferryboat.
Kawagoe
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Kashiya Yochoko
Located in the beautiful Saitama Prefecture, Kawagoe is often called “Little Edo” because of the many historical sites dating to the Edo period and resembling ancient Tokyo (Edo). Kawagoe is a nice and easy day trip to do from Tokyo as the city is at about 60 mins from the capital by train.
How to get to Kawagoe by train from Tokyo
Kawagoe is well-connected to Tokyo with both rapid trains and JR lines. The cheapest way to arrive from Tokyo is to take any of the metro lines to Ikeburo Station and from there take the Tobu line to Kawagoe (30 mins). The cost is about 481 yen + metro fare. If you don’t want to change line and have a direct trip, is better to opt for either the Seibu Shinjuku line “Koedo” to Hon-Kawagoe. This is about 45 mins ride (Limited Express Train) and cost about 1,013 yen. Or if you have a JR pass the JR Saikyo line from Shinjuku to Kawagoe Station (60 mins). The cost is 770 yen for those without JR pass.
Kawagoe 1 day itinerary
Either you arrive in Hon-Kawagoe or main Kawagoe Station, you can start your visit from the peaceful Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. This is a small shrine but it has over 1000 years history. From here, I would recommend doing a loop starting from the historical temples side: Nakain, Semba Tōshō-gū, Kita- in. Walk an additional 12 mins to visit the ruins of the Kawagoe-Castle and complete this part of the tour at the beautiful Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. If you arrive early in the morning, it would be probably lunchtime when you finish this part of the walk.
It’s now time to complete the loop but not before a lunch stop. The area of Kashiya Yokocho is full of nice restaurants and cafes. A few favourites: Sobadokoro Aikawa, Koedo Coffee mame zou and Bakery Raku Raku. Proceed then to the Kawagoe Kurazukuri Museum to discover Japanese traditional architecture, do also a photo-stop at the lovely Toki no Kane. before proceeding to the picturesque Taisho Roman Yume-dori. If you still have time, don’t miss the nearby Renkeiji Temple and Kawagoe Kumano Shrine. Go back to the station via the Crea mall shopping street.
Hakone
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Heiwa no Torii
I loved, loved, loved Hakone!!! Located in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, this beautiful resort town is surrounded by a mountainous greenish landscape and incredible hot springs. It’s very easy to reach from Tokyo and ideal for a day trip! If you want a relaxing day away from the crowd, Hakone is the perfect destination!
How to get to Hakone by train from Tokyo
There are mainly 2 ways of reaching Hakone by train: with the Odakyu Railway or by JR train.
The Odakyu Railway takes you straight to the Hakone-Yumoto Station from Shinjuku station. The best and fastest train you can take is the Romance car. This will take you to Hakone in 1h 25 mins (cost is 2,461 yen). Slower regular Odakyu trains take you up to Odawara, there you’ll need to change with the local Hakonetozan Line. Trip is 1h 38 mins (cost is 2,261 yen). If you want to travel with the Odakyu lines, I warmly recommend buying an Hakone Freepass (more details later).
If you want to use the JR lines or you have a JR pass, the best way to go to Hakone is by either the JR Tokaido Shinkansen or the JR Tokaido Main Line from Tokyo Station to Odawara. Either trains require a change with the Hakonetozan Line to reach Hakone. The trip via Shinkansen takes 25/33 mins and cost about 3,588 Yen. The trip with the regular line takes 1h 50 mins and cost about 1,950 yen.
Hakone Freepass
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Hakone Freepass example and Romancecar
I want to dedicate a separate paragraph to the Hakone Freepass and how good it is! For those who want an all-inclusive ticket and don’t want the hassle of buying single tickets for each attraction in Hakone, this is a fantastic solution.
In fact, the Hakone freepass includes:
- Return train tickets from Shinjuku through all the Odakyu lines
- Hakone Tozan Train
- Hoken Tozan Cablecar
- Hakone Ropeway
- Hakone Sightseeing cruise
- Hakone Tozan bus
- Odakyu Highway Bus
- Tokai Bus
- Discounts at many facilities in Hakone
It’s valid 2 or 3 days and cost 6,100 yen ($41/£30). Nevertheless, even if you use it for 1 day is still worth it. Indeed, we realised that each of the stops in Hakone and their single tickets ended up costing us more than the pass.
TIP: We discovered that many Odakyu lines travel across Tokyo as part of the metro system. Therefore even if you don’t use the frepass in Hakone for 3 days, you can still use it to move around in Tokyo!
WHERE TO BUY THE HAKONE FREEPASS: You can buy your Hakone Freepass on Klook. Use the code HISTORIAN25 for a discount!
If you want to travel on the fastest Romance Car, you can do this by adding a limited express ticket on top of your pass (+1,200 yen pp).
Hakone 1 day itinerary
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Hakone Yurio, Owakudani and Lake Ashi
I have to say that after researching my itinerary, I discovered that people are generally confused on “how to do Hakone”. Indeed, the town can be approached from different sides and visitors get a little lost on what place hit first and then move around. If you have just one day in Hakone, the most efficient way of visiting Hakone is on a circular loop. Once arriving at the Hakone-Yumoto Station, you’ll need to take a bus to Motohakone. This is well-posted at the bus stop n.2, bus H Hakonemachi Line. It takes about 20/40 mins to reach Lake Ashi
The bus will stop at Motohakone but the closest stop to your first point is the one after on Jinja-dori street. From there, you’ll need to walk 5/10 mins for your first visit of the day: Hakone Shrine and the Heiwa no Torii. I would recommend heading to the Torii first, just because if you arrive early in the morning, there is still the chance you don’t need to queue for a photo more than 10 mins. Later in the day, you might queue for hours!
When completing your shrine visit, head back to Motohakone (15 mins walk). If you didn’t have breakfast (or you want a snack) there is one of my favourite bakeries just before the cruise terminal. It’s called Bakery & Table Hakone. Everything they have is delicious and inexpensive! Thank me later
At Motohakone, you can board your cruise crossing the beautiful Lake Ashi. Ticket for standard class is inclusive for Hakone Freepass holders. However, if you want to upgrade to the cruise’s first class, you can do this on the spot paying an additional 300 yen (recommended). Cruise is about 15/20 mins and it’s an opportunity to see the Heiwa no Torii from the ship.
Owakudani
The ship will dock in Togendai Station. This is the best starting place for a trip to Owakudani, the volcanic area of Hakone. At Togendai, you’ll have to take two cablecars (included in the freepass) and stop at Owakudani station. Please note the sulfur smell is quite strong in this area and the ropeway can close at any time in case of adverse weather conditions or dangerous volcanic activity. Owakudani is a volcanic area created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone some 3000 years ago. Is one of the most famous viewpoints in Hakone, where you can observe the intense volcanic activity from up close. Among the things one can try in this area I would recommend the black eggs cooked in the sulfurous waters of the area (hence the colour). These are sold inside the shopping area that sells also some lovely souvenirs.
Afternoon Activities
Since you have only 1 day in Hakone, you’ll need to decide what to do in the afternoon. The area is pretty big to cover in just one day. Therefore, despite the best efforts a choice is necessary. Our choice was to do something very typical of the area: an onsen bath! For our afternoon bath we opted for Hakone Yurio, an onsen that allows people with tattoos thanks to their private onsen rooms. It’s a bit on the pricey side but (we paid 13,000 yen for a room) but well worth the price. To reach it from Owakudani we had to take the Tozan train back to the area of the station and then walk 15 mins.
If you don’t want to try an Onsen, I would recommend going towards Gora and then take the Tozan line to visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum. If you still have time, you can try the nearby Hakonenomori Footbath that offers beautiful views on the valley. To return to the Hakone-Yumoto Station, just take the Tozan train back and complete the loop.
Mt Takao
Day trips from Tokyo by train – Yakuō-in Temple
If you don’t want to go too far but still want to visit a stunning place, Mt Takao is the perfect destination. Located in Hachiōji, Takao-san (aka Mt Takao) is juts at 50 mins from Shinjuku offering spectacular scenery and incredible hiking trails.
How to get to Mt Takao by train from Tokyo
The fastest way to get to Mt Takao is by catching the Keio Line from Shinjuku station. This ends at Takaosanguchi Station and arrives in about 40 mins (cost is 430 yen). JR pass doesn’t cover this line so you’ll need to use the IC card.
If you want to use the JR pass (or located in a different part of Tokyo), you can take the Chuo Line to Takao Station. This takes about 1h 7 mins and cost 945 yen.
To note that neither of the two lines arrives to Takaosan Station at the base of the hiking trails. if you want to get up to this spot, you’ll need to take the Takaotozan Cable car (6 mins).
Mt Takao 1 day itinerary
Mt Takao is the perfect destination for hiking lovers. If you are not into natural trails or hiking, this is probably not the correct destination as you’ll have to walk quite a lot. In fact, there are 6 main hiking trails + 2 special routes starting at the base of the mountain. Trail n.1 is the longest and most popular one. It is mostly paved and with several stops along the way (including the Kasumidai Observation Deck and the monkey park). Walking this trail you can stop also at the beautiful Yakuō-in Temple. Trail n.6 features various viewpoints and a scenic waterfall. If you feel tired and want a short hike, trail n. 2 is just 0.9 km. A nice activity to do in the area is taking the chairlift at Yaganami Station. This will save you some time going up and offer some nice photo opportunities.
TIP: one of the best way to go around is buying the Mt Takao 1 day ticket. This includes unlimited rides on the Keio Line, 1 Round-trip Mt. Takao Cable Car and Lift ticket, 1 Mt. Takao Monkey Park admission ticket, 1 Monkey food voucher and 1 Wild Plant Garden Admission ticket and 1 Keio Takao Mountain hot spring face towel voucher. This cost 2,250 yen ($ 15/ 10£) and it’s quite convenient if you want to visit multiple spots.
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