Tokyo to Hakone in 24 Hours: Japan’s Most Iconic Day Trip

Just 90 minutes from Tokyo, there's a place where pirate ship sail, volcano steam, waterfalls flow, and Mount Fuji views that will leave you breathless. This is Hakone, the ultimate nature escape from the city. And today, I'm showing you how to experience the best of it in one super convenient day trip with tips and tricks to get the most out of your adventure here, Ohio. And good morning, my friends. I hope you are as excited as me because today we are doing one of Tokyo's most iconic day trips. Right now we're just around the corner from the Hakonei Yamoto station where you'll be arriving from the city. And check this out. The nature has already begun. I'm talking about terrace waterfalls, green mountains, and that beautiful blue sky. What a day we got. I really am very excited. And the nature here never stops. It is literally around every corner. So today we're going to be experiencing it in a bunch of different ways on buses, trains, a cable car, two different ropeways, and even a pirate ship. Yes, you heard that right. We are going to be taking a pirate ship today. Each one of these offers a unique way of experiencing this pristine nature here, which is amazing, but the prices can add up pretty quick. So, my first tip is to use the Cluke app to buy your Hakone free pass, which gives you unlimited access to all of the options I just said, as well as your roundtrip ticket from Shinjuku in Tokyo. It is a gamecher, timesaver, and will just upgrade your trip. So, I highly recommend it. I will put a link in the description down below. And right now we are going to go and use the digital pass that they issue you on the spot to hop on our first train of the day. And it is a special one. It goes on switchback tracks up the mountain through the nature to take us about halfway up. We're going to be going to our first stop. So I will see you there. Welcome to our first stop of the day. We are at the Hakone Open Air Museum. On the way up the mountain to where we're going, you can hop off at O56 and take a 2-minute walk over to this beautiful sculpture park. It is the first open air museum in Japan and is over 70,000 square meters. There are 120 sculptures that are scattered throughout the beautiful lawns and grounds. And the best part is there are no ceilings or walls to contain the beauty of the art, just the mountains and clouds all around us. There's a Picasso museum that has over 300 works that rotate throughout the year. So, you can come here anytime and it will always be a new experience. They also have some great places where you can sit down in the shade and just take in the art. And there's some excellent places where you can lay down and just relax in nature. But the highlight is where we are right now at the Symphonic Tower. When you walk inside and look up, it's like being inside of a kaleidoscope. It's 18 meters tall and you walk up this spiraling staircase to the top and come out to get this view we have right now, which is a pretty great way to start the day. They even say that on a clear day you can see Mount Fuji, but unfortunately the clouds are blocking that view today, but that's okay. And the best part of the park is that right next to that tower, they actually have a free hotring foot bath where you can come down, soak your feet, and just take in the beautiful nature all around you. It's pretty amazing. And I don't know if I mentioned it yet, but Hakone is actually a famous hotring town here in Japan. So, they never miss a chance to squeeze one in when they can. And this one is pretty special. Another cool thing is that if you didn't bring your own towel, they actually sell some souvenir ones for 100 yen, so you can dry off before you continue with your day. I really like it here. Right now, we are going to head back over to the train, ride for one stop to Gora Station, where we are going to hop on the cable car that's going to take us halfway up the mountain and then transfer over to the ropeway that's going to take us to the top. Along the way, you can expect to see some beautiful views of nature and the valley down below the calara that we're going to be exploring in a minute. And if we're lucky, some breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. Welcome to Ono Wakuani. This is one of the top places to visit while you're here. But before we talk about it, can you believe that Fuji view? I am literally shaking right now. I'm out of breath from it. I've been here three times and I have not seen it. It's been nothing but clouds. I didn't even know how far away it was. But on the way up here, it was so clear. I mean, wow. I I have goosebumps. I'm so excited. And that's one of the things that this town is famous for. It's the Fuji views and the hot springs. But that Fuji view just blew me away. And if you walk out of the station, just around the right there's a parking lot. You can actually see the cars coming up and down with the clouds down below it. Wow. Anyway, we are here at the volcanic valley, also known as the Great Boiling Valley. And as you can see down below me, there are sulfur vents that are bubbling up. This was formed over 3,000 years ago. And it is like the mountain is breathing. So, like I said, I've been here three times and each time has been completely different with different views. Yesterday, it was a little bit cloudy and the smoke from the sulfur cuz there was no wind was actually coming up right into us and it was really impressive. They have a little glass walkway over here on my left that you can go out on and take some photos. And right upstairs above the station is a viewpoint restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy some black curry that is unique to here and a nice local brew which I absolutely loved. There's also a little geology museum just next to it where you can learn a little bit more about the history. And trust me, you want to visit because it rocks. It is so windy up here right now. The weather changes in an instant. But something else you have to try when you're up here are the black eggs. You can purchase them right above the geology museum. They actually boil them right in the hot springs until the shells turn black. And they say that if you eat one, it gives you an additional 7 years on your life. So I got four 28 more years. But let's try one out and see what it's like. I got a little shelling station right here. Oh yeah. So we're going to peel this bad boy. All right. Peels pretty easy. Looks like a regular egg underneath. [Music] Tastes like a regular egg to me. But I think I'm feeling revitalized, which is excellent. Wow. I I don't want to leave. This is like one of the best views I think that you can get of the mountain unless you're actually at it. And it is so impressive. What a day we got today. This blue sky, those white clouds over the forest running down below it. And it's so close to Tokyo, which I absolutely love. Right now, as much as I don't want to leave, we are going to go and hop on another ropeway from the same station and we are going to ride down to Lake Ashi to board a pirate ship and hopefully get some more views of this amazing mountain. I know it's probably the only reason that I would leave because a pirate ship just sounds amazing. So, I'm going to go and hop on it right now and I will see you on the boat. Oh, ahoy there mies. This is such a beautiful day and what a great way to cross this amazing lake. The views are stunning. The forest is all around. And the ship that we're on is like a legit pirate ship. When you're up on the top deck, the wind is blowing in your face. The flags are flapping. They have actual cannons up there. And like I said, the weather here can change so quick. It just went from being so sunny to cloudy. If the clouds hadn't come, you can actually get another Fuji view from here. But you know what? I am not greedy. And I am so happy about that one we had up at the top. And right now, we are heading to the Hakone Shrine, which is one of the most iconic things here. So, I will see you when we get there. All right, we have arrived. And wow, the weather changed so much from the top with that Fuji view and the ride across the lake to complete clouds. It's still magical. You can see them kind of going up the mountain and you know that I love that. Right now we have about a 15-minute walk. That's 1 km over to the shrine. But you might be hungry right now. So I suggest going into the town where they have lots of restaurants and bars. But there is a special one right here called the bakery and table hakone that you can go up to the second level and get a view or sit down on the water with your feet in a foot bath and enjoy some of their delicious baked goods. It is so nice. And I even grabbed one for us to try right here. They are famous here for not only their baked goods, but one very specifically, and that is their curry bread. And when you look at it, it's kind of like a donut on the outside. It's really soft, really, you know, like tender to the touch. Let's try it out. I have no idea what's inside of it. I haven't tried it yet, so we'll do it together. Oh my. That is curry ripfic. I can't even tell you. It's like biting into a donut. Look in there. There's actually a whole egg right there. And the curry is actually sweet. Tastes kind of like a pork curry. Let me take one more bite just to be sure. M. Wow. And it's crunchy on the outside and so soft. And look at that egg in there. Wow. This might be my favorite thing that I've had. You have to stop by this place and grab one of these. And before we head over to the shrine, I thought I would give you a few tips here. Now, as I mentioned, the weather has changed pretty significantly in just a very short period of time. So, you're going to want to make sure that you use a weather app to kind of check what the weather's going to be like for the day. And depending on what's important to you, you can do this whole thing in reverse. So, if it's going to be nicer in the morning and less so in the afternoon, you can actually take a bus down here around 6:30 and experience the shrine we're going to before there are crowds there, as well as hop on the boat and head across the lake and up to the crater from that way. So, you'll be there much quicker. And then you can go to that open air museum on your way down where maybe the weather isn't quite so important to you. Either way, it's absolutely beautiful. I didn't mention it before, but the first train that leaves the station in the main town of Hakone leaves at like 8:03 to 8:05. So, you can start heading up the mountain then, but that open air museum doesn't open until 9:00. So, you'll get there around 8:40 and have to wait a little bit. So, it's okay if you want to leave a a little bit later. Now that our bellies are full, let's head over to the shrine and check it out together. Welcome to the Hakone Shrine, one of the most iconic places here in the city. And it's like something out of a story book. As you enter through the Tory gate, you're surrounded by towering cedars and this lantern line path that takes you right into the heart of the forest. But the real star is the giant tory of peace, which is right on the shore of the lake. When you go by it on the boat, it looks like a gateway into a different world. It's one of the most photographed places here in Hakone. And depending on the time of the day that you come, you could wait 1 to two hours to get that photo. Pretty good stuff, right? Please leave me a comment down below and let me know what was your favorite thing so far. And speaking about things, there is so much more to do here. You can climb mountains, take nature hikes, there's museums, and lots of delicious food, which I'll tell you about a few options in just a minute. But I think that if you're only here for one day, that right now around 2 or 3:00 is the best time to head to an onen or hotring because that's really what this place is known for. And that volcano that we were at just now, the erupting crater, most of that water is actually, or not most of it, but a lot of that water is actually pumped down right into the hotels. And many of them will offer day passes starting around 1,500 yen, which will include things like your towels and robes while you're there. And just a heads up, when you do go to these places, they are completely naked. They're separated men's and women's, but you are naked and there's not an option to not be naked. Just suck it up and do it. It's very liberating. Trust me. It took me a while to get used to, but now that I've done it, it's amazing. And I haven't been to any of those onens here in this part of the town, but back where the train station is, I've been to two that I highly recommend. And those are the Tenzen onen for 1,450 yen for a day pass and the Hakone Yoryu for 1,700 to 2,000 depending on the day of the week. And unfortunately, I can't show you footage because they're naked inside and they don't allow phones, but trust me, they are good. And there's also a third one called the Tensen Ansen Hotel, but I haven't actually been there. What I have been to are the two beautiful waterfalls behind them that actually have koiish in them and are so beautiful. It's like a little nature escape in nature. I know that sounds weird, but you'll understand if you go and visit. And I definitely recommend that. And while we've been talking about this as a day trip, I think that if you have one or two days that you can spend here, it is definitely worth it so you can take your time and really experience all of it and relax because that's one of the best things to do here. If you're going to go to an onen, you don't want to be rushed. You want to be able to stay for as long as you want. There goes the boat. Bye-bye boat. And I did actually stay here for the last two nights. And I'm at the K's house, which actually is pretty affordable. I'm staying in the dormatory capsule part, but they also have an onen there and a great little viewing area and kitchen for you to use. And then because I have that Hakone free pass tomorrow, which is my third day, I can actually hop back on the train and use it to get back included in the pass, which I love. So definitely pick one of those up while you're here because it's going to make a huge difference and everyone I've met is using them. So again, I'll put that link in the pin comment or in the description down below. And speaking of town, there's actually some really cool little restaurants and stuff kind of all packed into a very small space. This morning when we left, nothing was open, but after the onsen, you can actually go over there and do some shopping and grab some delicious snacks. And the first one I highly recommend are the black sesame dangos. They are these rice dumplings that are kind of like soft and gooey and they cook them on a little wood fire. And then the ones that I got were actually dipped in a walnut soy sauce that was like mindblowing. Right next to that place, you can pick up some Wagyu curry and it was delicious. Especially when you wash it down with a local beer. And on the other side of that, this is like a food corner. They have some delicious gelato with some crazy flavors. I went with the caramel fresh fig one that blew my mind and I was totally happy until I saw that there was a quattro frogio one and it actually had blue cheese and bree all stuck in the gelato and I was like why didn't I get that? I want that. So after I'm done with the video I'm actually going to go back and do that. And to get back to town right now, you can either do it the way we came here, hop back on the boat and do the ropeway, cable car back down, or the quickest way is to hop on the bus, which the bus station is directly in front of the boat port that we just came into. So, when you're done at the Tory gates, just walk down here, hop on the bus, head back to town, and pick one of the onens. It doesn't have to be the one that I suggested, but just do one people. It is so good, and you are going to thank me later. If you enjoyed this video, please give me a big thumbs up, comment, subscribe, and don't forget to blinging ling the hakone. I will see you next time go and sayanara. [Music]