Hakone delivers massive views, quiet forests, and historic footpaths with out demanding a full itinerary. Listed here are 4 trails that exhibit the area’s greatest.
(Picture: © Marco Bottigelli through Getty Pictures)
Up to date December 8, 2025 04:20PM
Simply an hour from Tokyo, there are mountains which might be unexpectedly huge. The wildness in Hakone, Japan, is light round its edges, a bit of muggy, winding, and mysterious — sufficiently big to swallow a day with out making an attempt. Coming from the neon crush of Shinjuku, the native prepare drops you right into a panorama that rewards curiosity greater than grit, which makes it the proper out of doors leg of any Tokyo journey. And if you happen to’re like plenty of different vacationers within the States proper now, you’re eyeing a visit to Japan in 2026: This April, the nation registered a historic 3,908,900 guests, greater than in any single month on report.
You don’t want technique, luck, or any particular information to expertise the very best of Hakone. This space is layered: ridges, shrines, cedar groves, crowds, and memento stands are stacked in a manner that feels each dense and calm. It’s compact sufficient that if you happen to wander, you’ll find yourself on a worthwhile path. However, as a result of buses circle the lake and join most trailheads, it’s simple to construct point-to-point days with out worrying about getting stranded.
If you’d like a spot to start out, I’d strive these winners from my journey in October.
Lake Ashinoko – Mt. Komagatake
If you’d like a summit with out sacrificing the entire day, Mt. Komagatake is a straightforward win. From the Hakone-en aspect of Lake Ashinoko, this path climbs by a thick cedar forest and opens onto a broad, steaming volcanic ridge. It’s the type of terrain that appears dramatic even while you’re not making an attempt to {photograph} it.
The hike is available in at about 5.8 miles point-to-point with roughly 2,700 ft of achieve if you happen to begin close to Lake Ashinoko. Most hikers deal with it as an out-and-back from the lakeshore, although you possibly can flip it right into a point-to-point if you happen to descend towards the ropeway station. On clear days, Fuji hovers close by, and on wetter ones, the crater rim is eerie and mythic. Should you’d quite skip the climb altogether, the Komagatake Ropeway carries you to the summit in minutes, the place a mellow loop circumnavigates the highest.
To get there: Take the Hakone Tozan Bus to the Hakone-en cease. The Komagatake trailhead and ropeway station sit simply above the lakeshore. There’s ample signage and straightforward to comply with maps in every single place.
Previous Tokaido Highway: Hakone Sekisho – Hatajuku
If you’d like a hike with extra historical past than elevation achieve, the Previous Tokaido Highway is it. Courting from the early 1600s, it’s a preserved stretch of the Edo-era freeway that when linked Kyoto and Tokyo. From the Hakone Sekisho begin, the path climbs simply over crumbling stones and thru cryptomeria groves towards Hatajuku.
This phase runs just below 4 miles one-way, with small, rolling hills quite than an intense summit push. In moist climate, the mossy stones get slick, however that’s a part of the enchantment: you possibly can really feel the age of the highway and picture the various who’ve walked it earlier than. Teahouses, markers, and little roadside shrines seem while you least anticipate them, and that sense of continuity is what makes the path particular.
To get there: Take the Hakone Tozan Bus to Hakone Sekisho and comply with the posted indicators for the Tōkaidō. The route is nicely marked, and you’ll catch one other bus again from Hatajuku while you end.
Mt. Kintoki Loop
If you’d like a small hike that feels substantial, Kintoki is a superb possibility. The path climbs by a thick, muggy forest in a gentle, no-nonsense manner earlier than breaking onto a naked, windy summit with wide-open views of Fuji. It’s the type of peak that feels massive though the stats aren’t making an attempt to impress you.
The traditional route is about 3.2 miles round-trip with roughly 1,900 ft of achieve, climbing steadily from Kintoki Shrine. On busier weekends, a tiny summit hut sells tea and snacks, the type of nod that makes this really feel like a spot locals truly go.
To get there: Take the Hakone Tozan Bus to the Kintoki-tozanguchi cease. Path indicators begin proper on the highway.
Lake Ashinoko Loop
For one thing quieter and nearer to the water, the Lake Ashinoko Loop is your low-key, scenic possibility. Hyperlink shoreline paths, forest singletrack, and quiet roads right into a roughly 12-mile circuit round Lake Ashinoko. The north shore is probably the most scenic stretch, with forest paths and constant lake views. It’s the type of half-day wander that pairs nicely with shrine visits, a ship journey, or a lakeside lunch.
To get there: Most individuals begin in both Moto-Hakone or Hakone-en and comply with the wayfinding indicators alongside the shoreline. Buses circle the lake, so you possibly can at all times lower the loop quick if you happen to’re trying to discover different areas.
