Hakone Day Trip From Tokyo: Is the Freepass Worth It? (2026 Prices, Closures)

Short answer: the ¥7,100 Hakone Freepass saves about ¥1,190 only if you ride the whole loop (mountain train, cable car, ropeway, lake cruise and bus). If you plan only the mountain train and a museum or onsen, single tickets cost about ¥3,360, less than half. Prices rose on October 1, 2025, so many older guides show the wrong figures.

What changed in 2025 (and why old posts are wrong)

Hakone Navi and Odakyu Hakone's fare notice. Children's prices also rose (Shinjuku 2-day pass ¥1,100 to ¥1,600).

Is the pass worth it? The math

Here is the classic loop from Shinjuku, bought as single tickets:

Result: the pass is ¥1,190 cheaper than single tickets for this loop. Take the cruise (¥1,700) out of that sum and it is ¥6,590, below the ¥7,100 pass, so every ride in the loop has to be used. Without the ropeway and cruise, it is not close: Shinjuku to Odawara and back (¥1,820) plus Odawara to Gora and back (¥1,540) is ¥3,360.

• Worth it: one day or two covering the ropeway, the cruise and the bus back, or a stay with extra rides.
• Probably not: just Hakone-Yumoto, an onsen, the mountain train and a museum near Gora. Buy single tickets or an IC card.
• The pass also gives discounts at about 70 facilities (Odakyu), which this page did not price.

What the pass includes

• Unlimited rides in the designated area on eight kinds of transport: Hakone Tozan train, Hakone Tozan cable car, Hakone Ropeway, Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, Hakone Tozan bus (designated areas), the Kanko Shisetsu-Meguri sightseeing bus, Odakyu Highway Bus (designated areas) and Tokai Bus.
• One round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara on ordinary Odakyu trains, with stops along the way allowed (Shinjuku version only).
• Not included: the Romancecar limited express fee, Izu-Hakone Bus, and anything outside the designated area, which you pay for separately.
• Shinjuku to Gotemba highway bus: Hakone Navi says Shinjuku pass holders pay ¥1,000 instead of ¥2,000 on the Odakyu Highway Bus between Shinjuku and Gotemba.
• Bad weather: if a service is suspended, you can get a refund at your last station, but only for transport you did not use.

Prices

Getting there: Romancecar or ordinary train

• Booking: Romancecar seats go on sale at 10:00 a.m. (Japan time) one month before travel, at stations or on EMot Online Tickets.
• No ticket? Odakyu charges the surcharge plus ¥350 on board and gives no assigned seat.
• Changes: only before departure, to a train with free seats. After departure there are no changes or refunds. A ¥100 fee applies to refunds.
• Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto only: the Romancecar surcharge is ¥200, sold on the platform on the day if seats are free.
• Suitcases: the GSE has a large-luggage space and the EXEα a suitcase area; the EXE, EXEα and MSE have overhead shelves for carry-on bags. For hauling bags around, see sending luggage ahead and coin lockers.

Buying the pass

• On your phone: buy on EMot Online Tickets, open the ticket page and scan the QR code at gates, or show the screen to staff. Each person needs their own smartphone.
• At a station: the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centers at the West and South exits of Shinjuku Station, or a ticket machine, issue a paper pass.
• When: on sale from one month before your first day of use.

Closures and crowds to plan around

• Ropeway, Owakudani to Sounzan: closed December 7 to 24, 2026. A replacement bus takes about 10 minutes and leaves about every 15 minutes during ropeway hours. Freepass holders can ride it.
• Ropeway, Togendai to Ubako to Owakudani: closed January 12 to February 26, 2027, with a replacement bus of about 15 minutes.
• Odakyu Hakone warns the replacement buses will be very crowded and advises reaching Owakudani via ropeway sections that are running normally.
• Ropeway hours: 9:00 to 17:00 from February to November, and 9:00 to 16:15 in December and January. It can stop for strong wind, thunder or typhoons.
• Lake cruise: a winter timetable runs from December 1 to March 19, and some sailings take longer.
• Live status: Hakone Navi's status page shows operation and waiting times for each line.

November 21 and 22, 2026: autumn trials

• Paid fast lane on the ropeway: ¥500 per person (elementary school age and up), on top of the ropeway ticket. Sounzan to Owakudani 11:00 to 15:00 and Owakudani to Ubako/Togendai 11:00 to 16:00; 100 people per 15 minutes, up to 5 per booking. Free to cancel. You pay cash at the gate by showing your booking. Booking starts November 13 at 18:00 on Hakone Navi. It is a trial, and it is cancelled if the ropeway stops for weather.
• Free cable car priority boarding: Gora to Sounzan only, one scheduled train per hour from 11:00 to 14:59, 30 seats per train. Booking opened November 4 at 14:00 on Hakone Navi. Odakyu says it does not guarantee a seat.
• Ashinoko Liner (Hakone Tozan bus): on Saturdays and holidays, two trips each way with guaranteed seats, between Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto and Hakonemachi-ko, Moto-Hakone, Hakone Shrine and Yama no Hotel. With a Freepass it costs ¥500 (child ¥250); buy on EMot until 20 minutes before departure.

Left out (not confirmed on an official page today): the ¥1,210 bus fare from the operator, Owakudani's gas-related restrictions today, Fuji viewing conditions, queue lengths, opening hours of museums and onsen, and how the Freepass discount list works. Check Hakone Navi on the day.

Quick answers

Is the Hakone Freepass worth it?

Only if you ride the full loop. From Shinjuku the classic loop (mountain train, cable car, ropeway, lake cruise, bus) adds up to ¥8,290 in single tickets against ¥7,100 for the 2-day pass, so the pass saves ¥1,190. If you only take the mountain train and cable car, single tickets are cheaper: about ¥3,360 including the Shinjuku to Odawara return. The bus fare in that sum comes from a non-official site.

How much is the Hakone Freepass in 2026?

¥7,100 for 2 days and ¥7,500 for 3 days from Shinjuku (children 6 to 11: ¥1,600 and ¥1,850). From Odawara it is ¥6,000 and ¥6,400. These prices have applied since October 1, 2025; the Shinjuku 2-day pass was ¥6,100 before that, so older blog posts are out of date.

Does the Freepass include the Romancecar?

No. The pass includes one round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara on ordinary trains. The Romancecar needs a separate limited express ticket, ¥1,200 each way from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, and the trip takes about 80 minutes. Ordinary trains take about two hours.

Can I use the Freepass if I start from Kyoto, Osaka or Odawara?

Buy the Odawara version (¥6,000 for 2 days). It does not include any Odakyu train ticket, so you pay your fare to Odawara separately.

Is the ropeway closed in winter?

Parts of it close for inspection. Owakudani to Sounzan is closed December 7 to 24, 2026, and Togendai to Ubako to Owakudani is closed January 12 to February 26, 2027. Replacement buses run about every 15 minutes, and Freepass holders can ride them. The operator warns they will be very crowded.

What does 2-day mean? Is it 48 hours?

No. The day you start counts as day 1 whatever the hour, and the pass ends after the last train or bus service on the following day, according to Odakyu.

Is there a way to skip the ropeway queue in autumn?

On November 21 and 22, 2026 only, Odakyu Hakone is trialling a paid priority boarding for ¥500 per person, on top of the ropeway ticket. Bookings open on Hakone Navi at 18:00 on November 13. It is a trial for those two days; check Hakone Navi for what happens after.

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