Cheap Accommodation In Hakone, Japan
Hakone sits in the mountains southwest of Tokyo, tucked inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and it has been a favourite retreat for travellers for centuries, long before it became a popular day trip or overnight escape for visitors flying in from Australia. The drawcard is simple: natural hot spring baths, views of Mt Fuji on a clear day, a scenic lake, and a network of trains, cable cars and boats that make getting around part of the fun rather than a chore. The good news for budget travellers is that Hakone doesn’t require a five-star ryokan and a huge bill to enjoy properly – there are plenty of simpler guesthouses, business hotels and modest inns that let you soak in an onsen and wake up to mountain air without blowing the travel budget. Use the search box above to compare accommodation options in Hakone and find the best deal for your dates.
Getting There: Cheap Ways to Reach Hakone
Most travellers reach Hakone from Tokyo, and the most straightforward route is the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku Station. The Romancecar limited express is comfortable and reasonably quick, taking around 85 minutes, but if you’re watching every yen, the regular limited express and local trains cost less and only add a bit of extra travel time with a transfer or two. Odakyu also sells the Hakone Free Pass, which bundles the return trip from Shinjuku with unlimited use of the local buses, cable car, ropeway and boat within Hakone itself – for anyone planning to see more than one or two sights, this pass usually works out cheaper than paying for each ride separately.
There’s no airport in Hakone itself, so if you’re flying in from Australia you’ll land at either Narita or Haneda and then make your way into central Tokyo before catching the Odakyu Line out to Hakone. Haneda is the closer and generally cheaper option for onward travel. Coach and highway bus options also run from Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto and can be worth checking if you catch a discounted fare, though trains remain the more reliable choice for most visitors.
Best Time to Visit Hakone
Hakone gets busy with Tokyo day-trippers on weekends and public holidays, so accommodation prices climb accordingly during those periods, as well as during the cherry blossom weeks in spring and the autumn foliage season in November, which is arguably the most spectacular time to see the surrounding hills. If your dates are flexible, visiting on weekdays outside these peak windows is the simplest way to find lower room rates and thinner crowds at the major sights. Summer can be humid and prone to hazy skies that hide Mt Fuji from view, while winter is quieter and colder but offers some of the clearest mountain views of the year, along with noticeably better prices on rooms.
Top Attractions in Hakone
Lake Ashi is the centrepiece of the area, and simply walking along its shore or catching one of the sightseeing boats across the water costs very little and delivers some of the best views in the region, especially near the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine that appears to float just offshore. The Hakone Ropeway carries visitors over Owakudani, a volcanic valley still venting sulphurous steam, where you can buy the famous black eggs boiled in the hot springs and said to add years to your life. The Hakone Open-Air Museum, with its sculptures set among gardens and forest, is one of the more affordable cultural stops and works well as a half-day outing. History buffs can visit the reconstructed Hakone Checkpoint, a former Edo-period barrier post on the old Tokaido highway, for a modest entry fee.
For Families and Kids in Hakone
Hakone works well with children in tow, largely because much of the sightseeing happens on trains, cable cars and boats, which kids tend to enjoy as attractions in their own right rather than just transport. The pirate-ship-styled cruise boats on Lake Ashi are a reliable hit with younger travellers, and the open-air museum has enough space and sculpture to explore that kids aren’t confined to quiet galleries. The switchback Hakone Tozan Railway, which zigzags up the mountainside, is another simple pleasure that costs little and keeps children entertained during what would otherwise be a routine transfer.
Outdoors and Nature in Hakone
Being part of a national park, Hakone has walking trails ranging from short lakeside strolls to longer hikes into the hills, many of which are free and well signposted. The volcanic terrain around Owakudani is worth a look even if you don’t take the ropeway all the way, as steam vents and mineral-stained rock are visible from several vantage points nearby. On clear mornings, particularly in winter, the view of Mt Fuji from around the lake or from higher points in town is one of the best reasons to base yourself here overnight rather than rushing through on a day trip from Tokyo.
Local Culture and Heritage in Hakone
Hakone’s role in Japanese history goes back to the Edo period, when it served as a checkpoint town on the Tokaido, the main road linking Edo (modern Tokyo) with Kyoto, and travellers were required to pass inspection here. The hot springs themselves have drawn visitors for centuries, and the tradition of the ryokan, a traditional inn built around communal or private onsen bathing, developed largely because of towns like this one. Even budget travellers can get a taste of this heritage by visiting a public bathhouse or choosing a smaller inn with its own modest bath, rather than assuming onsen culture is only accessible at the high end.
Eating in Hakone
Soba noodle shops are common throughout Hakone and tend to offer some of the best value meals in town, with simple noodle sets that won’t stretch the budget. Around Hakone-Yumoto, the main entry town, you’ll find casual eateries serving set lunches at fair prices, along with bakeries and small cafes good for a quick, cheap breakfast before a day of sightseeing. Convenience stores are, as anywhere in Japan, a genuinely solid option for budget travellers, with decent quality rice balls, sandwiches and hot food available at low cost. For a treat without a big splurge, look out for onsen manju, a steamed bun filled with sweet bean paste that’s sold in small shops around town and makes for a cheap, satisfying snack between sights.
Accommodation Options in Hakone
Accommodation in Hakone ranges from simple guesthouses to traditional ryokan with private baths, and knowing which style suits your budget makes the search a lot easier.
Budget & Cheapest Options
Hakone-Yumoto, the gateway town, has a handful of budget guesthouses and small family-run inns offering plain but clean rooms, often at a noticeably lower rate than the resort-style ryokan further into the hills. Business hotels around Odawara, the larger town just outside Hakone proper, are another reliable option if you don’t mind a short train ride each morning, since rates there tend to sit well below those inside the national park itself.
Family Accommodation
Larger guesthouses and some of the more straightforward ryokan offer family rooms or connecting rooms suited to parents travelling with children, and these tend to be better value than booking two separate rooms. Staying in or near Hakone-Yumoto keeps families close to the train station and main bus routes, which cuts down on transit time with tired kids in tow.
Romantic & Couples Accommodation
For couples, a smaller ryokan with a private in-room onsen bath is the classic Hakone experience, and while the well-known luxury properties can be expensive, there are more modest inns offering the same basic idea, a private soak and a quiet mountain setting, at a fraction of the price.
Luxury & Boutique Accommodation
Hakone does have a well-earned reputation for high-end ryokan and boutique hot spring retreats, particularly around Gora and the hills above the lake, for travellers wanting to splash out on one night of their trip even if the rest of the itinerary is budget-focused.
Shopping in Hakone
Hakone is known for yosegi zaiku, a traditional marquetry craft using different coloured woods to create intricate patterned boxes and puzzle boxes, and small workshops and stores around town sell these at a range of price points, making them an affordable and genuinely local souvenir. Hakone-Yumoto’s main street has a cluster of shops selling local snacks, pickles and craft items, and browsing here costs nothing even if you don’t end up buying.
Nightlife and Free Fun in Hakone
Hakone is a quiet town after dark rather than a nightlife destination, and most visitors are happy to spend evenings soaking in an onsen bath and having an early dinner. Many inns and guesthouses have their own bath facilities included in the room rate, so a relaxed soak is often already covered in what you’re paying for accommodation. Walking along the lakefront in the evening, when the day-trip crowds have thinned out, is a simple and free way to enjoy the scenery without spending anything at all.
Suggested Budget Itinerary for Hakone
A sensible one-night budget itinerary starts with the train out from Shinjuku using the Hakone Free Pass, arriving in Hakone-Yumoto by mid-morning. From there, take the switchback railway and ropeway up towards Owakudani, stopping to try the black eggs and take in the volcanic scenery, before continuing on to Lake Ashi for a boat crossing past the shrine’s torii gate. Check into a budget guesthouse or simple ryokan in the early afternoon, leaving time for a soak before dinner at a local soba shop. The next morning, a visit to the Hakone Open-Air Museum or a walk along the lakeshore rounds out the trip nicely before heading back to Tokyo, having covered the best of Hakone without needing a big budget to do it.