1 Day Round Course Hakone

Around last week, I went for a trip to Hakone, alone. Yet another impulsive trip I've decided to take, since I got 2 consecutive days of holiday from my work which is a very rare chance to have,  I spent 1 (tiring) day in Hakone and another day to rest at home.

I have to say, Hakone trip from Tokyo without staying, is quite cheap!

For my one day trip, I brought 2 days Hakone Pass for around 5000 yen (they didn't sell the one day pass, I think), which covered almost 90% transportation to, in, and from Hakone. That 5000 yen covers 1 round trip from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto (the first main station in Hakone) and vice verse, plus all the buses, cable car, rope-way, sightseeing boat which is mostly all the main attractions in Hakone. Just wow.  If I didn't shop or buying things such as souvenirs and stuffs, 5000 yen will be the net price for having a trip to Hakone. But... I buy things. Ohhooo.

There’s no trip without shopping in my dictionary. At least souvenirs. Like magnets, key holder, etc that contains that place's memories.

I follow this suggested 1 day round course from this website.

You can gain most all of the info from that website which I found unbelievably very easy to follow. From how to get the ticket, go from one spot to another is all written on the site. Checked it.

Since all the infos were covered on the web, I think I will try to cover the time schedule. I cannot remember the details but I hope It’ll give you all the image of how tight it will be to do round course or is it suitable to be tried or not.

However, I have to say that even the schedule is very tight for me, mainly because I don’t want to miss the last bus from Moto Hakone to Hakone Yumoto which is around 16.30. I skipped lunch at that day, lucky I brought mega big cheese bread from the day before so I binged that all the way from one destination to another in the bus. Saved, by the bread.

And I went alone, some more. YES. Alone. One spot bored, move, move, and move. Always moving. Imagine going with 5 people. Duuuude. Have to be mentally prepared!

I'm so kind before beginning my trip details, here is the route I mainly take in Hakone. Courtesy of Japan Guide too of course.

And from here goes my schedule at that day (time is estimated, I suppose it will be around 85% accurate):

06.30 – 09.00 à Taking the train from Shinjuku and reach Hakone Yumoto on 08.30, with a transfer in Odawara. Usually It takes around 2 and half hours on the train. I spent around 30 minutes to search and buy Kairo, a stick-on heat pack to stick on my foot because it was so damn cold my feet freezing.

Reach Hakone Yumoto directly greeted with mountain sceneries. Holiday mood up!!

09.00 - 10.00 à taking the Tozan Railway from Hakone Yumoto to Chokoku no Mori Station (one stop before a station called Gora), to visit the Open Air Museum Hakone. It was super recommended!! Ticket for normal adult 1600 yen, showing the Hakone Free Pass and get discounted to 1400 yen.  

All the art, good weather, plus all the surrounding mountains scenery were just so breathtaking; it was so calm I cannot believe how noisy Tokyo is!!

Went up there and when reached the top, it scares the shit out of me. Directly went downstairs after that.

There were some indoor art too.

Here stands a quite big gallery dedicated to Picasso. There were other artists gallery too however I think the main gallery object is Picasso's.

And the rest of it.

I can literally spend the whole day here, however time isn't waiting for me, so I have to move on to the next gallery.

11.30 – 12.00 à Went by bus from Chokoku no Mori Bus stop to a bus stop called Kawamukai, right in front of the Museum of Little Prince. The ticket is 1450 yen with the Hakone Free Pass.

I have to say I’m kinda disappointed as nothing much to see here, as the museum size itself is quite small. However If you like the story of the Little Prince, I guess you will like this place a lot.

The nuance is very European chic.

To be honest, I went only because it seems to be cute, from all the photos from the website. A character museum in Japan, what can go wrong, after all?

And after I went there, I kinda like the stories of the Little Prince itself as the morale of the stories is kinda philosophical. And a little bit weird, autistic kind of stories. I like. How emo can I be.

Spent around 1 hour here, and I realize I have to keep move on to the main spot in Hakone, the cable-cars, rope-way and sightseeing boat. Unfortunately during winter, the last admission time for each transports is very short, mostly around 16.00 or 16.30, so, gotta be fast.

13.00 – 13.30 à Went back to Gora station to catch the cable car that takes me to Sounzan to transfer to the rope-way. It only took 10 minutes from Gora to Sounzan.

13.40 – 14.00 à From Sounzan, take the rope-way to Owakudani.

WTF moment happened here. I was in a rope-way car together with a whole family from Hongkong that happened to be on the same car altogether. They all knew each other, take photos together, laughing together and I’m just “wtf that lonely girl doing, went to Hakone alone” kind of mood. Ooopsie. Awkwarrrrdddd.

But I take so many photos too though. Don’t care.  

The scenery was frickin' gorgeous!! 

Steam comes out from the crated of the mountain.

Reached Owakudani, I took several pictures and shop a little bit. Food, mostly, to be brought back to Tokyo. The view from the top is too damn pretty!!

14.45 – 15.00 à take the rope-way again to Togendai. From there take the sightseeing boat through Lake Ashinoko.

15.00 – 15.30 à enjoy the scenery from the sightseeing boat for around 30 minutes to Hakone Machi. The boat itself was very crowdeeeed. Ehm, its more of a ship actually. A very Chinese ship. Whyy??

  See the super small red shrine gate in the middle of the wood below!!

15.30 – 16.00 à I decided to stop at Hakone Machi as the website recommended to walk on the Cheddar Tree road which I found quite spooky in the end.

At this time I quite panicked though. The time for the last bus from Moto Hakone was around 16.30 and I didn't quite sure how long it will take for me walking from Hakone Machi to Moto Hakone. But lastly, luckily I can catch the last bus right on 16.35. I arrived on the bus stop around 16.15, and wait for a little bit.

Unfortunately I didn't have enough time more to explore the Hakone Shrine on near the Moto Hakone. Oh well. The red gate pic is more than enough, then.

16.35 – 18.30 à Following that round course schedule, I add my own preference for my last-before-last destination: before going back to Hakone Yumoto after finishing the course, I went for an onsen called Tenzan which located right between the Moto Hakone bus stop and Hakone Yumoto bus stop. I drop at a station called Okuyumoto Iriguchi and the onsen is right down the hill. Admission is 1200 yen with the Hakone Free Pass.

I think this is quite a recommended place to go, since several of my local friends recommended this place for enjoying onsen in Hakone. And not to mention so many foreign tourist went here too!!

Super. Satisfied.

After a long walking-all-day trip non stop, relaxing at an onsen was the best way to chill ever. I think I fell asleep on the powder room a while after the bath as it relaxed me so much.

18.30 - As the onsen itself has its own bus that delivered people to Hakone Yumoto until quite late, around 20.40 for the last bus, I can quite relax a bit at the onsen. Take off on 18.30 and from there to Hakone Yumoto, went back to Shinjuku with the same track; transfer at Odawara and from there was 1 and half hour to Shinjuku.

And that’s the end of my Hakone one day round trip.

As for me, I was very satisfied with this trip as it didn't cost me much money, and I can finish all the round trip in one day. And moreover, this is my first solo trip far from Tokyo and it was a big success!! I didn't get lost, can catch all the bus on time and had a quite high accuracy on the time estimation.

I think I should do another solo trip more!!

While I can say I covered almost all of the main attractions in Hakone which is mainly from the cable car to the sightseeing boat, I have to say that still, maybe 2 days trip were still the best options if you have more time. 1 day for the round course, and another day to visit several art museums available (so many interesting art museum in Hakone) and maybe even can visit the famous Gotemba Outlet that were famous for it’s Fuji Mountain scenery that can be seen during clear days while you shop. And it will be less tiring, of course, minus the time pressure.

However however!!

I’m glad I made it to Hakone and went back Tokyo safe and sound (since I was quite afraid I get lost, missed the last train and have to stay there for one night..I have no money left this month). What an exhilarating experience!!

See you on my next trip!!

Not so soon though.

Gotta breathe...

(and save money.)