Ride the marvelous Hakone Ropeway!

Take a train to the Hakone-Yumoto (Hakone Highway) from the Shinjuku Station and then the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora Station. Transfer to the Hakone Tozan Cable Car, get off at Sounzan, and change to the Hakone Ropeway to travel to Owakudani. Enjoy the temperature dip as the elevation gradually increases. Sit by the door to soak in the magnificent scenery from the gondola with its 360° glass windows. On clear days, you can see Mount Fuji and the beautiful foliage.

Inhale the sulfur and savor the black eggs

Owakudani, the famous viewpoint, was created by a volcanic eruption 3,000 years ago. Grab a coffee, smell the sulfuric fumes in the area, and marvel at the spectacular sight of the blue sky and yellow smoke that still rises from the nearby volcano. Don’t miss the local specialty, the Kurotamago, or black eggs. Due to a chemical reaction with geothermal energy and volcanic gas, the shells of the eggs turn black. Visitors throng to buy them at Kurotamago House, as eating one of these eggs adds seven years to your life. Buy unique souvenirs and Japanese-style woven handkerchiefs and hand towels.

Enjoy the cruise on serene Lake Ashi and relish the local delicacy, Wakasagi fish

Take the Hakone Ropeway to reach Togendai and board the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. From the third floor of this pirate ship cruise, get a view of the entire serene Lake Ashi surrounded by mountains. Keep your camera ready to click pictures of the red Torii gates of the Hakone-jinja Shrine. Depart from the ship at Motohakone-ko. Enjoy the stunning lake views as you enjoy a local lunch of Wakasagi, a small fish caught in Lake Ashi, with rice, salad, local miso soup, and grape juice.

Pray for love and strong relationships at Hakone-jinja Shrine

After lunch, walk along the street, and a staircase along a large cedar avenue, Torii gates, and bright vermillion toro will take you to Hakone-jinja, a historic shrine. Kuzuryu Shrine Shingu is nearby. Are you looking for love? Then, this is just the shrine for you! Drink the water from Ryujin Suisha- water flows from the mouths of nine dragon heads and holds the power to cure impurities. Then, walk down the steps to the lake shore and take photos at the Torii Gates of Peace.

Retail therapy and sushi dinner

Board the Hakone Tozan Bus from Motohakone-ko to Gora Station for a 90-minute bus ride to the Gotemba Premium Outlets for some retail therapy. Don’t forget to gorge on some sushi. Try the Special Mount Fuji Nigiri, with miso soup, chutoro (medium-fatty tuna), salmon, sea urchin, anago (conger eel), or the Sungoi Salmon, a dish of salmon piled high on a plate. Bid goodbye to the spectacular hot springs excursion as you take the Odakyu Hakone Highway bus to return to Shinjuku.