My family and I decided to take a trip to Hakone. This town has moved to the top of my favorite weekend trip locations. The activities were so plentiful, yet the area was so scenic and serene it felt as if we had a relaxed trip where we did nothing at all—the perfect weekend trip, in my opinion.
Here are the activities we took part in as a family of four. You can use these as a day trip guide to Hakone.
Owakudani
Tel. 0460-84-8437
Starting with this active volcano site – Owakudani is a piece of land that encompasses a land depression caused by the last eruption of Mount Hakone. You will need to use the Hakone Ropeway to get to Owakudani from the Togendai Port. There are multiple trails that can be taken here – ranging from an easy 10-minute walk that leads to a volcanic zone where you can purchase the famous black eggs to a two-hour treacherous hike that leads to Mount Kamiyama and Mount Komagatake. Choose your level of comfort and try it out.
Sōunzan Station
Sōunzan Station is a cable car station that is primarily used to transport visitors from the Hakone Tazon Cable Car and the Hakone Ropeway. We arrived at the station by ropeway from the Togendai Station. Sounzan Station is a great stopping point for visits – offering not only a rest stop area but also shops and food. It’s the perfect place to take a quick break before moving onto the next exciting area.
Hakone Pirate Ship – Togendai Port
Tel. 0460-84-8618
Next on our list was the Hakone Pirate Ship located in Togendai Port. Here you will find the famous Hakone ship that you can climb aboard with plenty of opportunities for pictures. Each ship takes about 25-35 minutes to travel one way or about 70 minutes for a round trip. They travel between Hakone Town Port/Motohakone Port to Togendai Port and vice versa. This was such a fun experience.
Hakone Shrine
Tel. 0460-83-7123
Our final stops were the Hakone Shrine and the Open-Air Museum. The Hakone Shrine is situated at the base of Hakone Mountain and is hidden by a thick forest. You’ll be able to find the shrine reasonably easily by following the signs in the area.
Hakone Open-Air Museum
This museum is partially inside and partially outside. Outside you can find a sculpture garden that carefully balances art and nature together to create a fantastic spot. Inside, you’ll find multiple art exhibits and views of gorgeous stained glass windows. This is a must-see in this area.
Food Stops:
Of course, while visiting Hakone, you’ll need to stop and find some places to eat. Here are the locations we stopped at and a brief description of each. The Japanese convenience store is the perfect spot to stop and grab some food, snacks, and drinks to take along on the hike.
Togendai View Restaurant.
Located near the pirate ships, you’ll find yummy Japanese dishes here like a fluffy rice omelet or vegetarian curry. 
Café & Restaurant Lys
This was a cute little restaurant offering French food in the Lalique Museum.
Bakery and Table Hakone
. This is located right on Lake Ashi and offers delicious baked goods and coffee. It’s an excellent spot for a quick bite of food.
Accommodations:
We stayed in a great little spot on Lake Ashi, which we found on Airbnb. This put us ideally near to the activities and restaurant we visited while staying here.
How We Traveled to Hakone
Hakone is only a two-hour drive from Yokosuka, where we currently reside. This makes it super easy to commute here on the weekends. There are so many things to see that you may want to keep traveling to Hakone at least a few weekends in a row! This is the perfect weekend trip for anyone residing in the Yokosuka area or nearby. There’s an option to Travel by local train or the Shinkansen( Bullet Train)
