• Tokyo - Your driver will pick you up from your hotel or any preferred location in Tokyo.
• Yumoto - Renowned for its exceptional onsen, Yumoto is the perfect spot to unwind before or after exploring other areas of Hakone. It’s also enjoyable to explore without entering the hot springs. The souvenir shops and stunning mountain scenery around the station draw numerous visitors daily.
• Owaku-dani Valley - Formed by volcanic eruptions approximately 3,000 years ago, Owakudani showcases ongoing volcanic activity in Hakone. White smoke rises from the ground in this area. Due to its distinctive landscape, it was known as the “Valley of Hell” during the Edo Period. Owakudani is accessible via the Hakone Ropeway. On clear days, Mt. Fuji is visible from the ropeway and Owakudani area.
• Kamiyama Mountain Climbing Course - The Owakudani Nature Study Path is a unique walking trail through an active volcanic region, offering close-up views of Hakone’s geothermal activity. Advance reservations are required, and the entrance fee is 800 yen.
• Hakone Ropeway - The Hakone Ropeway (箱根ロ－プウエイ) is part of the Hakone Round Course, a popular way to explore Hakone. It links Sounzan Station (the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Cablecar) with Togendai Station (on the shore of Lake Ashinoko) and stops at Owakudani and Ubako stations along the way. The ropeway is fully covered by the Hakone Free Pass.

The ropeway’s gondolas depart every minute and accommodate around ten people each. The entire ropeway journey takes about 30 minutes. Passengers can enjoy views of the active, sulfuric hot spring sources of the Owakudani Valley between Sounzan and Owakudani, and of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji between Owakudani and Togendai, weather permitting. A gondola transfer is required at Owakudani, but not at Ubako.

• Gotemba Premium Outlets - Located in Gotemba City at the base of Mount Fuji, near Hakone, the Gotemba Premium Outlets are Japan’s most popular outlet mall. The mall features approximately 300 stores and restaurants, a food court, a hotel, and a public hot spring bath.

The outlets offer products from internationally renowned brands in fashion, sports, food, household goods, and electronics, ranging from everyday items to luxury goods. Many items are available for tax-free shopping.

• Hakone Shrine - Hakone-jinja Shrine is a serene place of worship with a history spanning over 12 centuries. Despite being destroyed by fire and rebuilt multiple times, the shrine and its surrounding forest maintain an atmosphere of peace and mystery.
• Lake Ashinoko - Lake Ashinoko (芦ノ湖, Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano’s last eruption 3,000 years ago. Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is a symbol of Hakone. The lake’s shores are mostly undeveloped, except for small towns in the east and north and a few lakeside resort hotels. The best views of the lake with Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from Moto-Hakone and the Hakone Detached Palace Garden.
• The Hakone Open-Air Museum - The Hakone Open-Air Museum is Japan’s first open-air art museum, established in Hakone to harmonize nature and art. Artworks are displayed throughout the expansive 70,000 square meter site, surrounded by beautiful trees, grass, and mountains. It is suitable for all ages, from families with children to solo adult travelers.
• Okada Museum of Art - The Okada Museum of Art is a privately-owned museum showcasing a vast collection of art pieces from antiquity to the modern era. Opened in 2013, the museum features a wide array of East Asian ceramics, sculptures, and paintings, housed in a spacious, modern facility surrounded by extensive grounds with a Japanese garden, a teahouse, and a cafe with a hot spring foot bath.

The museum’s collection is centered on its extensive collection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics and sculptures, which dominate the first two floors, including ancient Chinese bronzes, Tang and Ming porcelain, early Japanese pottery, and more. The upper floors focus on Japanese art, with various art forms and time periods represented. Most items on display are labeled with basic information in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

• Pola Museum of Art - The POLA group, a skincare and beauty products company, opened the POLA Museum of Art (ポーラ美術館, Pōla Bijutsukan) in 2002 to showcase the extensive private art collection of the company’s late owner, Suzuki Tsuneshi.

The museum is built amid a forest of 300-year-old beech trees, and although constructed of concrete and glass, it is designed to blend with the natural environment. Most of the building is located underground to achieve this.

The museum features modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and glassware by mostly Japanese and European artists. In addition to temporary exhibits, the museum displays rotating exhibits from its permanent collection, including works by artists such as Cezanne, Monet, Picasso, and Renoir.

Admission: 1800 yen (1600 yen with the Hakone Free Pass)

• Sengokuhara - A field renowned for its long pampas grass, which is most beautiful in the fall.
• Hakone Museum of Art - The Hakone Museum of Art (箱根美術館, Hakone Bijutsukan), located in Gora, was founded by Okada Mokichi in 1952. Its sister museum, the MOA Museum of Art, was later built in Atami City on the Izu Peninsula.

The museum primarily displays Japanese ceramics from prehistoric times through the Edo Period (1600-1868). These include large earthenware and ceramic vessels, such as a haniwa burial statue classified as an Important Cultural Property.

• Choanji Temple - Choanji Temple (長安寺, Chōanji) is a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone. Established in 1356 in a tranquil area at the base of a hill, the atmospheric temple features a small network of pleasant walking trails winding through its wooded grounds and cemetery.

What gives Choanji its unique charm are the over two hundred statues of rakan (disciples of Buddha) scattered around the temple grounds. The statues began appearing in the 1980s and have been accumulating ever since. Each statue has a unique face and shape, some contemplative and serious, others casual and humorous, and many exhibit a modern edge in their artistic style and expressiveness compared to other collections of rakan statues.

In autumn, the temple grounds are also one of Hakone’s best spots to enjoy the autumn colors. The many color-changing trees here usually reach their peak color around mid-November.

• Narukawa Art Museum - The Narukawa Museum of Art (成川美術館, Narukawa Bijutsukan) is a contemporary art museum dedicated to a style of painting known as nihonga. Nihonga, meaning “Japanese-style painting,” adheres to traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques, tools, and materials. Initially, the label was meant to distinguish the art from Western-style paintings, but artists have since expanded the scope of nihonga to include Western techniques.

Besides the art collection, the museum features an impressive panorama lounge and cafe with large windows overlooking Lake Ashinoko. On a clear day, it offers one of the best views of Mount Fuji, the lake, and the floating torii gate of Hakone Shrine.

• Gora Park - Gora Park (強羅公園, Gōra Kōen) is a western-style landscape park located on the steep slope above Gora Station. It is a relaxing place to unwind and enjoy the scenery and views of Hakone.

Gora Park is primarily a French-styled landscape park featuring a large fountain and a rose garden. The park also has two greenhouses, one housing a tropical botanical garden and the other containing a flower garden. Additionally, there is a restaurant overlooking the main fountain, as well as the Hakuun-do Chaen teahouse.

In the Crafthouse, visitors can participate in craft activities such as glass blowing, glass etching, pottery, and dried flower arrangement. Activities range in cost from 1000 to 5000 yen and take from 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

• Private vehicle
• English speaking driver
• Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list’

• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
• Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Hakone Freepass

This is an optimal trip for self-guided explorers interested in experiencing Hakone at their own pace, but who appreciate the convenience of private transport and an English-speaking driver. Take a breather from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, immerse yourself in scenic shrines, an active volcano, and a tranquil lake, all offering stunning vistas of Mt. Fuji, all the while skipping the complexities of public transit. Absorb these wonderful sights at leisure in the comfort of a private vehicle. Following this, stop by the Gotemba Premium outlets for some retail therapy before returning to your Tokyo hotel. Don’t forget your passport for tax-free shopping opportunities!

Your English-speaking driver will provide full support throughout your Hakone and Gotemba Premium Outlets Shopping adventure. We look forward to hosting you soon!

Please note that the details of the tour can fluctuate based on traffic. Available vehicles include the Crown, Alphard, Hi-Ace, but specific requests cannot be guaranteed. The tour does not provide a guide. The maximum capacity is seven passengers.

• There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.