Complete Guide to Hakone Through the Seasons: Best Times to Visit & Seasonal Highlights

About 90 minutes from Tokyo, Hakone is an attractive tourist destination colored by rich nature and hot springs, showing different expressions through the seasons.

Having visited Hakone for over 10 years, I can say that while it gets a bit crowded on weekends and during peak summer vacation seasons, if you visit on weekdays or early mornings, you'll encounter a quiet world with breathtaking views that feels entirely different.

In spring, you can enjoy a long cherry blossom viewing season thanks to the altitude differences. Summer offers a cool retreat 5 degrees cooler than Tokyo. Autumn presents a luxurious combination of autumn leaves and hot springs, while winter provides the indulgent experience of snowy landscapes and hot springs. You can enjoy views of Mount Fuji throughout the year. Among the hot spring areas near the Kanto region, there's no other place with such diverse attractions.

In this article, I'll introduce the charms of Hakone for each season.

Table of Contents
・When is the Best Season to Visit Hakone?
・Spring Highlights in Hakone
・Summer Attractions in Hakone
・Autumn Highlights in Hakone
・How to Enjoy Hakone in Winter
・Access Methods from Tokyo and Transportation Guide
・Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Best Season to Visit Hakone?

From my experience of visiting Hakone for over 10 years, I find the autumn foliage season to be the most beautiful. However, this is a personal opinion, and Hakone's charm actually varies greatly with each season.

Spring offers mild weather and cherry blossom scenery, making it easy for sightseeing. Especially on weekday mornings, there are few tourists, allowing you to enjoy cherry blossom viewing quietly. My favorite is viewing the cherry blossom-lined streets from the window of the Hakone Tozan Railway. The collaboration of the retro carriages and cherry blossoms makes for an excellent photo spot.

Summer is popular as a cool retreat, with various festivals being held. The fireworks display over Lake Ashi is beautiful, with fireworks reflecting on the lake surface, and can be viewed from the windows of ryokans in the hot spring town. It's especially cool in the morning and evening, suitable for walks and hiking, but it gets crowded with tourists during the day, so early morning sightseeing is recommended.

Autumn is particularly attractive with its combination of autumn leaves and hot springs. What I particularly like is the view of autumn leaves and Mount Fuji from Owakudani. The triple scenery of white smoke, autumn leaves, and Mount Fuji is breathtaking no matter how many times I see it. Also, the open-air baths during the autumn foliage season are exceptional, offering the luxury of soaking in warm water while viewing the colorful trees, an experience unique to Hakone.

Winter offers a special experience of hot springs and snowy landscapes. The snow-viewing open-air bath is pleasant with the contrast between the cold outside air and the warm water. Bathing while viewing the snow-covered landscape enveloped in silence is the essence of winter in Hakone. It's also the season when the air is clearest, offering the most beautiful views of Mount Fuji.

As Hakone has different attractions for each season, I recommend choosing the time to visit according to the purpose of your trip. However, early morning sightseeing is recommended in any season, as there are fewer tourists, allowing you to enjoy a quieter and more relaxed atmosphere.

Spring Highlights in Hakone

Spring in Hakone is characterized by a long cherry blossom viewing season utilizing the altitude differences and mild climate. You can enjoy cherry blossoms blooming for about a month from the foothills to the mountaintop. I'll introduce spots and activities to enjoy spring in Hakone to the fullest, based on my 10 years of experience.

Recommended Cherry Blossom Spots

The most impressive sight in spring Hakone is the cherry blossom-lined street of Miyagino Hayakawa Embankment. About 120 Somei Yoshino cherry trees bloom over 600 meters, and they're illuminated from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at night. I recommend visiting at dusk when you can enjoy the cherry blossoms illuminated by the setting sun and the gradual brightening of the illumination.

The area around Ohiradai Station is a special spot where you can enjoy a tunnel of cherry blossoms from the window of the Hakone Tozan Railway. The combination of retro carriages and cherry blossoms is popular as an excellent photo spot. If you take the early morning train, you can have the cherry blossom tunnel illuminated by the morning sun all to yourself.

At Onshi Hakone Park, cherry blossoms bloom with Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi in the background. The charm is that admission is free, and you can freely stroll through the vast park. My favorite is the view of Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms from the park's high ground.

Spring Activities

The Hakone Tozan Railway offers a special experience of viewing a tunnel of cherry blossoms from a train running through the mountains. The slowly passing window scenery gives you the feeling of swimming through cherry blossoms. Every year, I secure a seat in the front row to enjoy this special scenery.

The Lake Ashi cruise offers an excellent viewpoint of Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms. The first boat in the morning is particularly suitable for photography as the lake surface is calm. The sight of cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji in the morning mist is truly picturesque.

At Gora Park, you can enjoy the scenery of spring flowers and fresh greenery. Pottery and glasswork experience classes are also held, allowing you to feel the spring of Hakone through creative activities. For hiking courses with fresh greenery, I especially recommend the walking path along Lake Ashi, which creates a beautiful scenery with the contrast of Mount Fuji and fresh greenery.

Spring Hot Spring Experience

At the hot spring facilities in Hakone Yumoto, you can enjoy open-air baths while viewing cherry blossoms. You can indulge in the luxurious time of enjoying hot springs with the fresh spring air. From my 10 years of experience, I recommend bathing first thing in the morning. Bathing in hot springs in the morning mist provides a fantastical experience as if floating in cherry blossoms and fog.

Luxury ryokans overlooking Lake Ashi offer guest room open-air baths with views of fresh greenery and Mount Fuji. Taking advantage of the spring climate, which is cool in the morning and warm during the day, you can experience different atmospheres with morning and evening baths. Especially at dusk, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake surface and fresh greenery illuminated by the setting sun while soaking in the hot spring.

Summer Attractions in Hakone

Summer in Hakone attracts many tourists as a cool retreat about 5 degrees cooler than Tokyo. The temperature difference between day and night is also significant, making it especially comfortable in the morning and evening, allowing for leisurely sightseeing. Moreover, there are many special events unique to summer, such as festivals and fireworks displays.

Summer Festivals and Fireworks

The fireworks displays that color the summer nights in Hakone continue from the Lake Ashi Water Festival on July 31st to the Torii Burning Festival on August 5th. While Hakone usually has limited nighttime tourist spots, during this period, the fireworks illuminating the night sky and the bustle of festivals transform Hakone's nights into a special space.

I recommend watching the fireworks from a ryokan room along Lake Ashi. The fireworks reflecting on the lake surface and the scenery unique to a hot spring town will create unforgettable memories.

Summer Outdoor Experiences

Forest Adventure is a popular activity that enlivens Hakone's summer. You can experience gliding through the cool forest on various difficulty level athletic courses and zip lines set up in the treetops. Even though I've been visiting Hakone for 10 years, I challenge it with my family every summer, and it's comfortable to enjoy even in midsummer because the temperature is low in the forest.

Hiking in high-altitude places is also a unique way to enjoy Hakone in summer. With a maximum temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius and low humidity, you can comfortably enjoy nature. Also, in places with high altitude and little light pollution, you can enjoy stargazing, including the Summer Triangle and the Perseid meteor shower.

My favorite is early morning bird watching, where you can observe water birds and mountain birds around Lake Ashi and see bird activities up close during the cool hours.

Unique Ways to Enjoy a Cool Retreat

The Hakone-en Aquarium, located at an altitude of 723 meters, is known as the highest aquarium in Japan. It's close to the seals, and there are many special events for children during the summer vacation period. My relatives' children were very happy with the aquarium experience that can be enjoyed in the cool highland air.

At Hakone's museums, you can comfortably enjoy art appreciation in air-conditioned buildings. The charm is that you can spend elegant time with views of the gardens. I especially recommend museum tours on hot days.

In the evening, you can enjoy a lakeside stroll combined with cooling off. The pleasant lake breeze after the sun sets and enjoying the scenery of cruise ships and the lake surface is a luxury unique to a cool retreat.

Autumn Highlights in Hakone

Autumn in Hakone welcomes its most beautiful season from late October to late November when the mountains are dyed in autumn colors. For me, who has been visiting Hakone for over 10 years, the combination of autumn leaves and hot springs is a special experience that cannot be tasted in other tourist spots. I'll introduce you to the luxurious scenery of the contrast between the steam rising from the hot springs and the autumn leaves, and on clear days, you can also see Mount Fuji.

Autumn Foliage Spots

Owakudani is a classic spot for autumn leaf viewing in Hakone. From late October to early November, you can enjoy the contrast between white smoke and autumn leaves. On clear days, it becomes a triple scenic point where you can also see Mount Fuji. I recommend visiting early in the morning, where you can have the mystical scenery of morning mist, smoke, and autumn leaves all to yourself.

The walking path along Lake Ashi is at its best from mid to late November. The combination of autumn leaves reflected on the lake surface and Mount Fuji is truly spectacular. There are photo spots scattered along the path from Moto-Hakone Port to Hakone Shrine, allowing you to enjoy the lakeside autumn leaves from various angles. I recommend the first walk of the morning when the lake surface is as quiet as a mirror.

At Gora Park, you can enjoy autumn leaves and autumn roses simultaneously. The scenery where the garden and nature are in perfect harmony is a charm unique to autumn in Hakone. Especially at dusk, the autumn leaves illuminated by the setting sun shine golden, creating a fantastical atmosphere.

Autumn Hot Spring Experience

The open-air bath while viewing autumn leaves is the essence of autumn in Hakone. The contrast between the chilly air and warm water is pleasant, allowing you to fully enjoy the atmosphere of autumn leaves and hot spring steam. My favorite is the open-air bath at dusk, where the contrast between the autumn leaves illuminated by the setting sun and the rising hot spring steam is exceptional.

At hot spring ryokans that offer autumn delicacies, you can enjoy creative cuisine using seasonal ingredients such as matsutake mushrooms and chestnuts, along with a relaxing bath. From my 10 years of experience, I recommend a 1-night, 2-day stay plan where you enjoy the autumn leaves in different expressions with an afternoon hot spring right after check-in and a morning bath the next day.

Day trip hot spring facilities in the Hakone Yumoto area are well-equipped to soothe the fatigue after autumn leaf viewing. You can refresh both mind and body in the local famous hot springs at the end of your sightseeing.

How to Enjoy Hakone in Winter

Winter in Hakone is full of special charms woven by snowy landscapes and hot springs. As a luxurious tourist destination where you can enjoy snowy scenery rarely seen in Tokyo along with hot springs, it attracts many tourists. For me, who has been visiting Hakone for over 10 years, winter in Hakone is the most quiet and tasteful season.

Winter Illuminations

The Hakone Glass Forest Museum conducts a fantastical light-up centered on a crystal glass tree. Especially during the Christmas season, countless candles are lined up, creating an even more romantic atmosphere. I recommend visiting right after sunset. The fantastical scenery woven by the faint light still remaining in the sky and the illumination is a charm unique to winter in Hakone.

The winter illumination at Gora Park is also not to be missed. I especially recommend the night after it snows, where the snow-covered garden and the glow of the illumination create a space like a fairy tale world.

Snowy Landscape Spots

In Owakudani, the contrast between white smoke and snowy landscape is splendid. On clear days, it provides a special view where you can also see Mount Fuji. If you visit early in the morning, you might encounter a triple spectacular view of snowy landscape, smoke, and Mount Fuji shining in the morning sun. From my 10 years of experience, I always make sure to visit early in the morning.

The snow-covered scenery of Lake Ashi increases in beauty especially in the quietness of the first thing in the morning. The collaboration of Fuji and the snowy landscape is perfect for photography. From the Hakone Ropeway, you can overlook a panorama of snow-covered mountains from the air, providing a spectacular view point of a grand panorama of snowy landscape and Mount Fuji.

In winter, Mount Fuji is particularly clear with good visibility, and from high-altitude places, you can closely view the heroic figure of snow-capped Mount Fuji. My favorite shooting spot is the Hakone Skyline. While driving in the snowy landscape is a bit nerve-wracking, the spectacular view from the parking lot that doubles as an observatory more than makes up for the effort.

Winter Hot Spring Experience

Snow-viewing open-air baths are the essence of winter in Hakone. Especially in luxury ryokans, they offer the luxurious experience of having a private view of the snowy landscape from the guest room's open-air bath. The contrast between the cold outside air and warm water is pleasant, and bathing while viewing the snowy landscape is a special experience that can only be enjoyed in winter in Hakone.

Private baths with views of the snowy landscape require reservations, but they provide a special space where couples or families can have a snow-viewing bath all to themselves. I visit every year with my family, and the private open-air bath on a snowy night is as beautiful as a painting.

Access Methods from Tokyo and Transportation Guide

Access to Hakone is surprisingly easy and convenient. From my experience of visiting Hakone for over 10 years, I'll introduce the most efficient way to get there.

Using the Odakyu Romance Car from Shinjuku, you can reach Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes, although a limited express ticket is required. I recommend making reservations early, especially during tourist seasons. From Tokyo Station, it takes about 90 minutes via the Shinkansen and transferring at Odawara. From Odawara, take the Hakone Tozan Railway to Hakone-Yumoto.

If you want to tour Hakone efficiently, using the Hakone Free Pass is very convenient. With this pass, you can ride most transportation within the Hakone area unlimited times. Furthermore, it comes with discount benefits at major tourist facilities, so by choosing a 2-day or 3-day pass, you can enjoy sightseeing more economically.

Website: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/discount_passes/free_pass

Frequently Asked Questions

I'll answer in detail some common questions I often receive when planning a Hakone trip, based on my over 10 years of experience.

Is the Hakone Free Pass necessary?

I consider the Hakone Free Pass an essential item for Hakone sightseeing. If you're using multiple modes of transportation, it's far more economical than purchasing individual tickets.

You can choose between a 2-day or 3-day pass, and it comes with discount benefits at major tourist facilities. Being able to move freely within the area allows for flexible responses to sudden changes in plans. I can confidently recommend it as a transportation pass that offers value beyond its price.

How do I use hot springs and what are the manners?

There are several important manners when enjoying Hakone's hot springs. First, if you have tattoos, always check with the facility in advance. Wearing swimsuits is basically not allowed, and washing your body before entering the bath is mandatory. Also, don't put your towel in the bathtub.

From my 10 years of experience, I recommend not hesitating to ask the staff if you're unsure about anything.

How does the weather affect sightseeing?

Hakone's weather changes significantly with the seasons. In spring, temperature fluctuations are large, so bringing warm clothing is necessary. In summer, I recommend bringing a folding umbrella in case of sudden rain. In autumn, there's a big temperature difference between morning and evening, so clothes that can be layered are convenient. In winter, be cautious of icy roads, especially when moving early in the morning or at night. Preparation and measures appropriate to the season are key to comfortable sightseeing.

Is day trip sightseeing possible?

Taking advantage of its location about 85 minutes one-way from Shinjuku, Hakone can be fully enjoyed even on a day trip. Using the Hakone Free Pass allows for efficient sightseeing. I recommend taking the first train in the morning. This allows you to enjoy the quiet Hakone before tourists increase. It's realistic to visit 3-4 major spots, and you can fully enjoy hot springs even on a day trip.

Hakone is a special tourist destination with different charms in each season. In spring, you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing for an extended period thanks to the altitude differences. Summer offers a comfortable cool retreat 5 degrees cooler than Tokyo. In autumn, the mountains are dyed in autumn colors, and winter provides the luxurious experience of snowy landscapes and hot springs.

From my experience of visiting Hakone for over 10 years, please keep the following points in mind when planning your trip. First, early morning sightseeing is recommended. There are fewer tourists, allowing you to enjoy a quiet Hakone. Next, use the Hakone Free Pass. It allows for free movement within the area and economical sightseeing. And preparation according to the season is essential. Prepare clothing and items that can respond to weather changes.

Hakone is a special place where you can enjoy rich nature, hot springs, and spectacular views of Mount Fuji, despite being only about 90 minutes from Tokyo. While you can fully enjoy sightseeing even on a day trip, I'd like you to stay overnight if possible to enjoy the different aspects of morning and evening.

Create your own special memories in Hakone, which is full of charms in all four seasons. I'm sure it will become a place you'll want to visit many times, just like me!