Assessing the Hakone Free Pass

Hakone is one of the most popular day trips you can make from Tokyo. Located two hours southwest of the capital, it’s a beautiful onsen town that offers spectacular views of Mt Fuji.

I had seen the Lake Ashi pictures and read about its hot springs and many art museums, but until my visit, I didn’t realize that Hakone’s transportation network was a tourist attraction in its own right.

More than just a means to get you from point A to point B, the Hakone Loop is an extensive network of trains, funiculars, ropeways, buses, and cruise ships that take visitors on a sightseeing trip around the Hakone area. Designed to make the journey as scenic and enjoyable as possible, it offers stunning views of Hakone’s mountainous landscape, steaming volcanic vents, and, on clear days, the iconic silhouette of Mt Fuji.

You can purchase single-ride tickets on the spot for any part of the Hakone Loop, but visitors may find the Hakone Free Pass to be a more convenient and cost-effective option. In this article, we’ll explore the pass’ benefits and why it can be a worthwhile investment.

GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT IS THE HAKONE FREE PASS?

Offered by Odakyu Railway, the Hakone Free Pass gives you unlimited use of the vast transportation network in Hakone along with discounts to select tourist attractions for two or three consecutive days.

The Hakone Free Pass is available with or without roundtrip transportation between Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station and Hakone. If you opt for a pass with roundtrip transportation, then you’re entitled to one roundtrip using local Odakyu trains. For an additional fee, you can upgrade to the faster and more comfortable limited express Romancecar. Romancecar tickets can be purchased at Odakyu stations or online through the Odakyu website.

Available in digital or physical formats, you can purchase a Hakone Free Pass at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, at select metro stations in Hakone, or in advance through Klook. Please note that passes purchased in Hakone will not include transportation to and from Tokyo.

Here’s the pricing structure for the Hakone Free Pass (March 2025):

	2-Day Pass	3-Day Pass
With Roundtrip Transportation From Shinjuku Station*	JPY 6,100	JPY 6,500
Without Roundtrip Transportation	JPY 5,000	JPY 5,400

The following map** shows the routes and stations covered by the Hakone Free Pass. Pass holders can travel along these routes as often as they want within the validity period of their pass. Jump to the FAQs section of this guide for more information on the Hakone Free Pass.

**Please note that the map above is a simplified version to help you visualize available routes. You can visit the Odakyu website to see all lines and stops covered by the Hakone Free Pass.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE HAKONE FREE PASS?

The Hakone Free Pas is used primarily to save on transportation costs, but it does offer discounts to a number of attractions in Hakone as well.

TRANSPORTATION

Roundtrip Transportation From Tokyo

If you purchase a Hakone Free Pass with roundtrip transportation from Tokyo, then you’re entitled to one roundtrip on local Odakyu Railway trains between Shinjuku Station and Hakone.

People who purchase a pass with roundtrip transportation have the option of upgrading to the limited express Romancecar for an additional fee. The cost is JPY 1,200 each way (March 2025) if you purchase a ticket at an Odakyu ticketing machine or ticketing office. If you purchase it online through the Odakyu website, then the price is slightly lower at JPY 1,150.

The Romancecar has reserved seats and will get you into Hakone around 30-40 minutes faster than local trains. More on the Romancecar in the FAQs section of this guide.

Hakone Tozan Railway

The Hakone Tozan Railway is Japan’s oldest mountain railway. It runs between Odawara and Gora stations and offers a scenic journey through the lush forested landscape of Hakone.

The Hakone Tozan Railway is essentially your entryway into the Hakone area. Riding these trains will make you realize that Hakone is anything but flat. It’ll climb steep inclines and navigate sharp curves and switchbacks while passing through dense forests, tunnels, and hydrangea-lined tracks.

Hakone Tozan Cable Car

The Hakone Tozan Cable Car is a short funicular ride that takes you between Gora and Sounzan stations. It covers a distance of 1.2 km (0.75 miles) in roughly ten minutes.

Hakone Ropeway

The Hakone Ropeway is one of the most scenic legs of the Hakone Loop. It travels between Sounzan and Togendai stations while offering panoramic views of Mt Fuji and Lake Ashinoko (or Lake Ashi for short).

Covering a distance of 4 km (2.5 miles) in around thirty minutes, the Hakone Ropeway takes visitors to Togendai Station where they can catch a sightseeing cruise to the southern point of Lake Ashinoko.

Owakudani, the station between Sounzan and Togendai, is an interesting stop. You can watch sulfurous fumes rising from volcanic vents before snacking on black eggs boiled in natural hot springs.

Hakone Sightseeing Boats

These ornate, somewhat garish sightseeing ships won’t fail to grab your attention. Resembling pirate ships, they take visitors on a scenic thirty minute cruise from Togendai to Hakonemachi-ko and Motohakone-ko ports in southern Lake Ashinoko.

Hakone’s European-inspired “pirate ships” look entirely out of place on a lake in Japan, but they’ve nonetheless become a symbol of Lake Ashi, maybe even of Hakone itself.

Hakone Buses

Hakone is home to a network of buses that can take you almost anywhere. Looking at the map, every station in Hakone is accessible by bus except for Sounzan and Owakudani stations.

It isn’t the sexiest way of getting around but traveling by bus is probably the quickest way to get from point A to point B in Hakone.

DISCOUNTS

According to the Hakone website, the Hakone Free Pass entitles bearers to special offers and discounts to around seventy tourist attractions. Personally I used it to get free admission to Gora Park (pictured below), which would otherwise have cost me JPY 550 (March 2025).

Other notable perks include reduced onsen rates at Hakone Yuryo, a discount on the Mishima Skywalk, and reduced admission to the Hakone Open-Air Musuem. You can refer to the Hakone website for a complete list.

HAKONE FREE PASS FAQs

How much is the Hakone Free Pass and where can I buy it?

The Hakone Free Pass is available in physical or digital formats.

Physical tickets can be purchased from Odakyu ticketing machines or ticketing offices at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, or from select metro stations in Hakone like Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto, Gora, and Mishima.

If you’d prefer a digital ticket, then you can purchase one online through Klook. Klook also offers physical tickets, but you’ll need to redeem them from the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center at Shinjuku or Odawara stations.

Passes can be purchased with or without roundtrip transportation from Tokyo. Please note that physical tickets purchased in Hakone will not include transportation to and from Tokyo.

Here’s the pricing structure for the Hakone Free Pass (March 2025):

	2-Day Pass	3-Day Pass
With Roundtrip Transportation From Shinjuku Station*	JPY 6,100	JPY 6,500
Without Roundtrip Transportation	JPY 5,000	JPY 5,400

How long is it valid for?

The Hakone Free Pass is valid for two (2) or three (3) consecutive calendar days, not 24-hour periods. This means that even if you start using the pass at 11 PM on January 1st, January 1st will still count as your first full day.

When purchasing a pass, you must select a start date, which will be indicated on your pass. You won’t be able to use it outside of its validity period.

How do I use the pass?

I had a digital ticket on my mobile phone that I had to scan or show the driver or conductor each time I needed to use it. Only one digital ticket is allowed per smartphone so every person with a Hakone Free Pass needs to have their own smartphone.

Digital tickets are displayed through the EMot app, Odakyu’s official app. Staff won’t accept screenshots so you’ll need to show the pass through the app. For that reason, a reliable internet connection is a must.

If you have a physical ticket, you can show your pass to staff or insert it into the ticket slots when going through station gates. When inserting tickets into station gates, be sure to retrieve it as you pass through.

How do I do the Hakone Loop?

Hakone-Yumoto is the main station in Hakone and where you’ll be starting and ending the Hakone Loop. I went counter-clockwise, but you can go clockwise as well if you prefer. Here’s the route you’ll follow if you go counter-clockwise (map):

Hakone-Yumoto –> (by train to) Gora –> (by funicular to) Sounzan –> (by ropeway to) Owakudani –> (by ropeway to) Togendai –> (by ship to) Hakonemachi-ko –> (on foot to)* Motohakone-ko –> (by bus to) Hakone-Yumoto

I stayed at a ryokan near Sounzan Station so I did the loop over two days. If you go clockwise, then you can reverse the order of the route above.

*If you’d rather not walk between Hakonemachi-ko and Motohakone-ko ports, you can simply remain on the ship when it docks at Hakonemachi-ko and disembark at Motohakone-ko instead.

Is the Romancecar worth it?

Yes, I’d say so. The cost to upgrade isn’t that much, just JPY 1,200 each way for a physcial ticket or JPY 1,150 for an e-ticket. Not only is it faster and more comfortable, but you’re also guaranteed a reserved seat.

Local Odakyu trains are fine but they’re the same type of trains (with side-facing benches) you’d find on Tokyo’s metro. There are no reserved seats so you run the risk of standing for the entire 2+ hour journey. Plus, you’ll need to transfer trains between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto stations.

Limited express Romancecars make fewer stops and can go directly to Hakone-Yumoto Station (no need to transfer at Odawara) so the one-way journey takes around 90 minutes. Trains have more comfortable front-facing seats with foldable tables, all of which require reservations so you’re always guaranteed a seat.

Is there an alternative to the Hakone Free Pass?

Yes, the Fuji Hakone Pass offers similar perks as the Hakone Free Pass, but with coverage of the Fuji Five Lakes region. If you plan on visiting both Hakone and Kawaguchiko, then this is a good pass to consider.

If you have a valid JR Pass or Tokyo Wide Pass, then you can use them to travel between Tokyo and Hakone, but only until Odarawa Station. They aren’t valid on Hakone’s transportation network so you’ll need to purchase a Hakone Free Pass or pay for single-journey tickets to do the Hakone Loop.

Where can I get more information?

If you need more information about the Hakone Free Pass, then you can visit the Odakyu website.

IS THE HAKONE FREE PASS WORTH IT?

If you’re planning on doing the full Hakone Loop, then yes, absolutely. The 2-day pass will pay for itself, even on a day trip from Tokyo.

Based on fare estimates from Google Maps, completing the Hakone Loop with roundtrip transportation from Shinjuku Station will cost approximately JPY 6,960 without a pass. The 2-day Hakone Free Pass with roundtrip transportation costs JPY 6,100 (March 2025). That’s a savings of JPY 860, even if you only use it for one day!

Not only will the Hakone Free Pass save you money if you do the full loop, but it’ll save you the trouble of having to buy single-journey tickets each time. Add to that the discounts you’ll get on admission fees at select attractions, and the pass becomes an even better value.

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