Day trip route
Hakone sits about 90 minutes from Tokyo and is the classic first escape from the city: Lake Ashi, open air art, sulphur vents and Mount Fuji views on a clear day. There are two main ways in, and only one of them is covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
The Romancecar runs Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes with no changes. It is a private railway, so it is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. A one way limited express ticket is roughly 2,470 yen.
If you already hold a Japan Rail Pass, the shinkansen to Odawara is the cheaper choice because the long leg is free.
A day trip works if you leave Tokyo before 08:00 and skip the ropeway queues. An overnight in a Hakone onsen ryokan is the better experience, and it lets you catch clear morning air when Fuji is most likely to be visible.
Quick answers to common questions.
The shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara is covered. Transport inside Hakone, including the Tozan railway, ropeway and boat, is not JR and needs a separate ticket.
About 40 minutes to Odawara by shinkansen, or about 85 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto on the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku.
Yes if you plan to do the sightseeing loop. It covers the railway, cable car, ropeway and boat, which the JR Pass does not.
On clear days, best from the Lake Ashi boat and the Owakudani ropeway. Visibility is highest in winter mornings.
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