It wasn’t until I visited Hakone that I realized the area has more types of transportation than I’d imagined! I took the Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora, transferred to the funicular, and then switched to the ropeway to Owakudani. Just getting around felt like a fun adventure. As the ropeway slowly climbed, the view outside became more expansive, with layers of mountain ranges, and on clear days, you may even get a distant view of Mount Fuji. Along the way, an announcement in the gondola pointed out the prominent character “大” on the mountain across from us. It turns out that it’s part of the traditional Hakone Daimonji-yaki event, held every year during Obon, when fires are lit on the mountainside to form the spectacular character. I didn’t expect a ropeway ride to also teach me about the local culture, adding some unexpected fun to the journey to Owakudani!
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Hakone Ropeway
Enjoy Hakone’s tour spot, the marvelous Owakudani valley from the sky for 4km.
From Sounzan to Togendai Station, a ropeway runs about 4km. You can ride in a gondola and look over the lush nature of Hakone mountains, Lake Ashinoko, Mt. Fuji and Sagami Bay. Enjoy a skywalk for about 24 minutes.
The most popular tourism spot, Owakudani, is on the route, spreading the deep valley 130m below with white steam and crystallized sulfur.
Upstairs of Sounzan Station has “cu-mo Hakone”, a terrace where you can view Hakone volcanic crater, Gora City, Sagami Bay and enjoy a free foot bath. The ropeway also runs a shop that offers sweets such as “Kumopan”, the bread as soft as clouds, or “nüvel”, the smoothie with cloud-like cotton candy on top. They sell original goods designed after the ropeway for a souvenir.
Highlights
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The ropeway provides a view over the popular spot Owakudani.
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Have a ride in a gondola and enjoy the beauty of Hakone mountains, Lake Ashinoko and Mt. Fuji.
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Relax in the shop on the 2nd floor of Sounzan Station.
Photos
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Looking over Lake Ashinoko from the gondola
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Exhilarating skywalk with a big panorama below
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On a clear day, Mt. Fuji looks so close
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Going right above Owakudani with powerful white steam rising
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“cu-mo Hakone”’s cute, original sweets, “Kumopan” and “nüvel”
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“cu-mo Hakone”’s terrace with a glorious view. A free foot bath is available.
Reviews
Some reviews are AI-translated.
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The Hakone Ropeway is a part of traveling around Hakone that’s well worth experiencing, especially the ride from Sounzan to Owakudani, where the scenery along the way is truly beautiful. As the gondola slowly rises, you can look down over Hakone’s mountain scenery, and when the weather is good, you may even see Mt. Fuji. The views are very expansive.
As you approach Owakudani, the scenery becomes quite distinctive. You can see white smoke constantly rising from the valley and even smell a faint scent of sulfur, making it very different from the scenery on a typical ropeway. The mountains, forests, and volcanic terrain overlap along the way, and it’s also great for taking photos.
I think the Hakone Ropeway is more than just transportation—it’s an interesting travel experience in itself. If you plan it together with Owakudani, Togendai, and Lake Ashi, your whole Hakone itinerary will be even more varied. In particular, slowly crossing the valleys inside the gondola really gives you the feeling of traveling.
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Riding the Hakone Ropeway was really fun! As the gondola slowly rises, you can look down from above and enjoy magnificent views of the Hakone mountains, with a chance to see Mt. Fuji too!
Passing over Owakudani was the most memorable part. You can see white smoke rising from the valley in the distance, and together with the volcanic landscape, it feels like entering another world. Seeing the natural scenery from above was truly breathtaking! -
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You have to ride the ropeway at least once when visiting Hakone! It's about 4 kilometers long and travels high above the valleys, with lush greenery all along the way and a bird's-eye view of the extremely popular Owakudani. As the gondola slowly moves along, the volcanic landscape with white smoke rising appears right before your eyes. It really feels like you're flying over Hakone!
The best part is that the Hakone Freepass includes the ropeway, so you can enjoy transportation and attractions together, making it a really great value! When the weather is good, the views are wide open, and you might even see Mount Fuji. This trip through the sky is absolutely worth it!
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This is pretty much a classic Hakone itinerary, and it’s hard to go wrong with it. It does feel a bit touristy overall, but the scenery is genuinely worth seeing.
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Details
- Name in Japanese
- 箱根ロープウェイ
- Postal Code
- 250-0408
- Address
- Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa
- Tel
- 0465-32-2205 (Hakone Ropeway Co. Ltd.)
- Closed
- Open every day (may not be in operation due to bad weather or maintenance)
- Hours
- 9:00am - 4:45pm (December-January 4:15pm)
- Fares
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One way: 2,000 yen
Round trip: 3,000 yen - Access
- from Hakone Tozan Cable car’s Sounzan Station, walk 1 min to the Ropeway’s Sounzan Station.
- Credit Cards
- Accepted
- Official Website
- Official Website(Japanese)