The Hakone Loop: Boats, Busses & Autom… Trains
April 27th marked our second day in Odawara, Japan, and it was the day we tackled the increasingly famous Hakone Loop. What started as a self-inflictedly-confusing journey turned into one of the most memorable days of our trip—filled with stunning views, mis-judged stop choices, and one very black egg. More on that later! But, most importantly for you, lots of learnings on how to go about the loop if you’re thinking about trying it yourself.
So, let’s get into it – the Hakone loop, from start to finish. Or round and round, at least!
The Early Start and the Confusing Beginning
We woke up at 8:00 AM, determined to see the whole loop in a day. The first challenge? Figuring out the starting leg…. For those unfamiliar, the loop is a series of interconnected transport options—trains, buses, boats, cable cars, and even a funicular – all of which team up to take you through the breath-taking Hakone region and around Lake Ashi.
The catch, though? There are eight different legs to the loop, and it’s not immediately clear how to get to the start.
After some head-scratching at Odawara Station, we finally figured out our first move: a train to the starting point of the loop. You can either pay a bit extra to get the interestingly named Romancecar (romantic gestures not required), or just take the standard train (the OH – Hakonetozan line) from Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto, and this is where the loop starts proper.
I discovered there’s a range of buses can get you right up the hill, too, if you prefer that option – the H route in particular (the busses have their route name written in Japanese text on the front, but a big English-language letter to start, so you can find it!). So if that’s an easier jump-on point from your accommodation, then go for it. It would have been a better choice for us had I figured that out a little earlier… saving us a walk to the station.
Anyway, once you make that first jump to the Hakone-Yumoto stop, you can either grab a bus up the hill to Gora to go counter clockwise, or get a bus over the pass to Hakone checkpoint to go clockwise. We decided to go counterclockwise, which meant starting with a bus ride up into the hills.
Why counter-clockwise? Because the forecast was great in the morning, so we thought it best to hit the boat ride as early as possible. Plus, I had an inkling we might spend a while at the open air museum in Gora, so I wanted to leave that towards the end, so we weren’t time-pressed.
The Bus Ride: A Rollercoaster with a View
The bus ride was… an experience. The road was wiggly, to say the least, with some top-class, hair-raising, clifftop driving that had us seriously clenching out butts. But the views? Absolutely worth it. The hillsides were jagged and dramatic, covered in dense, jungle-like foliage. It was so much greener and more varied than the forests back home – no endless evergreens here, for sure. There should have been monkeys and bears out there aplenty, and we played around pretending we could spot them. But no real furry creature spots for us. Too much foliage in the way!
After about 30 minutes of white-knuckle driving, we arrived at Lake Ashi. We got off at the first stop, which turned out to be our first stop-choice mistake. The second stop is where the famous floating Torii Gate is sited, and would be first choice for many. But… even from the boat we could see the queue for the Torii was insane. Lines and lines of people queuing up for their perfect ‘Insta’ shot.
To be fair, it’s a spectacular view – giant, majestic red gate framing deep blue water and jagged green hills. But, worth an hour wait? Not sure… So, we shrugged it off and got on with the journey. Turns out we could have gotten off at that stop anyway, so keep that in mind if you get there early to beat the queues!
The Checkpoint Gate and the Pirate Ship
At Hakone checkpoint, before you get on the boat, worth noting that we stumbled upon a great little checkpoint gate, which was historically used to control access between Hakone and Edo (modern-day Tokyo). It was a cool spot to imagine travelers from centuries past showing their ID papers. There are a few cafes here, and one place selling mochi-onna-stick, coated with sweet soy sauce. I’m still not used to that weird jelly mochi texture, and even less so paired with soy sauce, but it was worth the try. And there seemed to be plenty of others enjoying it far more than me! Made a great little activity for the kids anyway, testing it out and either making disgusted noises (our eldest) or yummy ones (youngest).
Next up: the pirate ship. Yes, you read that right – time to sail the seven seas. Or the one little lake, at least. This is one of those bonkers Japanese experiences that makes little sense, but who cares. I got to sail across a lake in a pirate ship!
We paid a little extra for first class, and it was worth every yen (a mere 600 per person). We got to sit at the front of the ship, which was quieter and had the best views. The ship itself was a sight to behold—lavishly decorated with wood paneling and named the Queen Antonia. There were three decks, and we made our way to prow on the top. We walked out onto the gangplank-feeling extension on the front, as if we were in that scene from Titanic.
The views from the boat were stunning. Dramatic mountains, lush greenery, and, of course, Mount Fuji towering in the background. We even got a great view of the floating Torii Gate from the water, which made up for missing it earlier.
Lunch and the Cable Car Fiasco
After the boat ride, we were starving. We wandered around the lake and found a cozy little restaurant where we had udon dipping noodles and katsu udon. It was delicious and felt like proper homemade food.
Next, we hopped on the cable car to head up the mountain. Here’s where we made stop-choice mistake number 2. We got off at the first stop, thinking we’d get a view of Mount Fuji. Spoiler: we didn’t. Instead, we had to wait ages to get back on because the cable cars were packed. Lesson learned: don’t get off unless you’re sure!
When we finally made it to the top, the view was otherworldly. Steam vented from the ground, sulfur stains painted the landscape yellow, and it felt like we were on the moon. We also got a decent view of Mount Fuji here – it was so clear and massive.
Worth noting, though, it’s tricky to get round the visitor centre far enough to get a great photo, so try and get your shots from the cable car on the way up. Equally tricky to avoid the cables there too, though!
The Black Eggs and the Windy Descent
At the top, I bought the famous black eggs, cooked in the volcanic spring water. They were still warm and only 500 yen for four. A bargain, if you ask me. Although, if I’m honest, I only ate one! The family declined my black eggs, for some reason. Couldn’t say why.
The descent was full of good views, too. It was super windy, but we didn’t feel much of a sway. Kate was convinced we’d get stuck up there, as they apparently cancel it if the wind gets up too much. But we made it down to Gora Station, a cute little village, unscathed. We tried the ninja cafe, but it was a bit of a tourist trap, so we settled for milkshakes at the station cafe instead.
The Open Air Museum: A Hidden Gem
Our next stop was the Hakone Open Air Museum, which turned out to be a highlight of the day. It’s only a 10 to 15 minute walk down the hill from Gora. The museum is a massive outdoor space filled with sculptures that blend seamlessly into the natural surroundings. There was also a Picasso exhibit, showcasing his different styles, from cubism to ink drawings.
One of the coolest features was the foot bath. After a long day of walking, it was the perfect way to recharge. There was also a stained glass tower that was absolutely stunning. All-in-all, a great walk around and well worth an hour or more, depending on your appetite for starting at the sculptures.
The Train Ride
Our penultimate leg of the day was the train ride back down. Google Maps kept suggesting we take the bus, but I stubbornly opted for the train. Train beats Bus every time, eh? Big mistake. The train was abosolutely packed, shoulder to shoulder, and it moved at a snail’s pace, edging down the steep hill on switchbacks. It felt like we were on skis, zigzagging our way down.
Lots of back and forth, swaying around, elbows in the eye later, we finally made it, and jumped on the big train back into Odawara. Phew, seats on this one, and it wasn’t such a geriatric pace. Home in no time.
Dinner and the Ice Bucket Challenge
Back in Odawara, we had a simple but super-tasty Chinese dinner—gyoza, ramen, and zhao long bao. Then, the kids did their ice bucket challenge, which they’d been excited about all day (it’s doing the rounds again…). Watching them do it on the patio was well funny, and a nice close-out to the day.
The Super Bath: A Luxurious End
A little extra for me alone, after the family were settled down in bed, I popped out to the local super bath alone. It was so luxurious, with a massive onsen, sauna, cold bath, and even an outdoor roof pool. If you’re staying in central Odawara, I’d highly recommend as a wind-down after all that travel.
The only trouble was that there wasn’t an English sign in site – everything fully in Japanese – so I was a bit nervous I’d end up in the wrong bath! Normally it’s easy enough to translate, but I’ve heard the locals frown on pulling out your phone and snapping a pic while they’re ambling around naked 😆
I managed not to commit any big faux-pas though, and it was an amazing experience to top off the day.
Final Thoughts
I hadn’t heard of the Hakone Loop before we arrived in Japan, but I’m insanely glad we found it. If you’re looking for a day of transport adventure, spectacular sights, and no small amount of laughs, it completely fits the bill. From pirate ship voyages to volcanic black eggs, and windy cable cars to packed trains, every moment was a story waiting to be told. It’s days like these that remind me why I love traveling—because even the mess-ups turn into the best memories.
So, if you’re planning a trip to Hakone, embrace the chaos. You might just end up with a story as mis-adventurous as ours.
