Hakone: Mountain Trails & Lake Ashi in Style - 5 Day
JapanHakone

Hakone: Mountain Trails & Lake Ashi in Style - 5 Day

5 Days
Moderate

Hakone: Mountain Trails & Lake Ashi in Style - 5 Day

from $3,495 / person

Overview

Just 90 minutes from Tokyo you can swap the hustle and bustle for the calm, beautiful mountains of Hakone.  Taking in a little bit of history and nature, you will walk along the Old Tokaido Road, an ancient, stone-paved trail that used to be a main highway and is now lined with incredible 400-year-old cedar trees. It’s a truly atmospheric hike. You can also visit the iconic Hakone Shrine, with its floating red torii gate right on the edge of Lake Ashi. The scenery is absolutely stunning, with the famous Mount Fuji often visible rising majestically over the tranquil Lake Ashi. You can get some of the best views of Fuji from the sightseeing cruise and from the Hakone Ropeway as we move around the area to access the best walking. On this walk, you will combine different kinds of transport like trains, an old-time funicular cable car and a ropeway, all offering incredible views along the way. Hakone is famous for its onsen, so be sure to spend some time soaking in the healing waters at your accommodations.

Highlights

  • Wonderful scenic trains and cable cars
  • Walks on the old Tokaido Road
  • Magnificent views of Mount Fuji from Lake Ashi and the Ropeway
  • Soaking up the breathtaking mountains, lakes and waterfalls
  • Authentic Japanese onsen accommodations and Japanese meals
  • Including an extra night near Lake Ashi
  • Ride the ropeway over Owakudani, the 'Great Boiling Valley,' with views of Mount Fuji

Itinerary

Day 1

To Hakone Yumoto
4 km1-1.5h

Leave Tokyo behind and make your own way to Hakone Yumoto, a mountain town built along the river. Spend the afternoon exploring the streets or following the water on a few short walks, and notice how different the pace feels once the city is behind you. In the evening, sink into an onsen or take another walk through town.

Accommodation

4-star Ryokan in Hakone Yumoto

Meals

Dinner

What's Included

Accommodation

4-star Ryokan (4 nights)

Meals

4 breakfasts, and 4 dinners

Transfers

  • Luggage Transfers
  • Boat Ride
  • Cable Car
  • Train
  • Ropeway

Guidance & Support

  • Itinerary & Walk Notes
  • Walking App for Navigation
  • 24/7 on-trip support

How We Rate This Walk

3

Auswalk Walking Grade

Moderate

Rated by our team — we walk every route before we recommend it.

Expect some hills and longer walking days. A reasonable level of fitness will help you enjoy the experience.

View Fitness Guide

4

Days on the trail

4-22 km

Daily distance range

173-807 m

Daily ascent range

4/10

Trail difficulty

Where You'll Stay

Each night you'll stay in excellent ryokans or hotels. Ryokans are traditional Japanese guest houses, ranging from classic timber structures to modern hybrid hotels, with tatami mat rooms, shoji sliding doors and futons for sleeping (a few ryokans offer rooms with actual beds). Rooms come with ensuite toilets, and many even have heated toilet seats for a touch of luxury. The bathing area is often shared and is usually the pride of the ryokan, especially in an onsen area, where bathing is communal and separated by gender.

What You'll Eat

Meals are elaborate by Western standards, served in a traditional dining area. A Kaiseki set meal is often on offer, though many accommodations serve generous buffets instead. It's a feast for anyone who loves Japanese food, and you'll have plenty of walking ahead to work it off.

More About This Trip

In Japan, there are some periods when locals travel en masse as they are on holiday. These times are best avoided as the accommodation costs escalate considerably (more than double). It would make a lot of sense if you could avoid these times. Otherwise, see below for high-season periods. This could lead to the cost of the trip increasing by 30% or more.

Golden Week: Usually between 29 April & 05 May
Obon Period: Mid-August (Between 10th & 20th)
Silver Week: Usually between 18 & 26 September

Available April to November (not offered in winter). Spring is popular for cherry blossoms, autumn for the colours and good weather. Summer is warm and humid but still good for walking, since the mountains stay cooler than Tokyo. Worth avoiding Golden Week (29 Apr–5 May), Obon (10–20 Aug) and Silver Week (18–26 Sep), as accommodation costs can more than double.

We organise a Hakone Pass for you, provided on Day 2 and valid for Days 3, 4 and 5, giving you free run of the local transport around Hakone and the trip back to Tokyo at the end of your walk.

Hakone is about a 1.5 to 2 hour train trip from Tokyo. Fly into Tokyo, then take the train to Hakone to start, and take the train back to Tokyo at the end.

Moderate. Well-maintained paths, with each day typically starting with a reasonable elevation gain. Much of the walking is under forest canopy.

You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.

A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.

Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.

For over 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.

Dates & Pricing

Choose Your Start Date

Pick any available date — this is your trip, your schedule

August 2026

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Prices shown are per person, twin/double share basis.

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THE HAKONE EXPERIENCE

Wonder
Walk the Old Tokaido Road, a stone-paved highway laid down 400 years ago and still shaded by the towering cedars planted to guide samurai, merchants and pilgrims
Watch Mount Fuji rise over Lake Ashi from the trail, the sightseeing cruise and the Hakone Ropeway
Visit Hakone Shrine, where a red torii gate appears to float on the edge of the lake
Wellness
Soak in natural hot spring onsen every night, with set in traditional ryokans and hotels
Option to slow down with a built-in rest day to wander galleries, ride the ropeway or simply stay put
Savour kaiseki dining each evening, a multi-course ritual as restorative as the walking itself
Nature
Follow forest trails past Chisuji and Hiryu Falls, walking beneath the canopy for most of each day
Cross Owakudani by ropeway, a steaming volcanic valley still shaping the landscape below
Trace the quiet eastern shore of Lake Ashi, a crater lake ringed by the Hakone mountains