First you float over a slope where nothing grows anymore.
Then you smell it: sulfur. The mountain underneath is awake.
At the end of the ride there is a quiet lake – and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji.
Scroll –
across the valley to the lake
Hakone is an active volcano. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has it at Alert Level 1 of 5, unchanged since 7 October 2019. The Ōwakudani site is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, free of charge. The fumarole field itself can only be entered on a guided walk – and for some people the whole valley is off limits.
Ropeway station, viewing area, the Kurotamago-kan with the black eggs, the Geomuseum and the information center. Reachable by ropeway, bus or car. If gas levels rise, the site is cleared by loudspeaker announcement – that can happen at any time.
Four slots a day (10:00, 11:30, 1:00, 2:30), 30 people at most per slot, about 40 minutes. Online reservation required, elementary-school age and up, and you have to be able to run in an emergency.
Runs year-round, February to November 9 am–5 pm, in December and January until 4:15 pm. Wind of 30 m/s or more, thunderstorms, raised gas levels and the annual overhaul shut it down. Today's operating status is shown only on hakonenavi.jp – we were unable to read it out on 21 September.
The trail from Bōgasawa to Sōunzan Station is fully closed, as is the nature observation trail from Ōwakudani to Kojiri – because of volcanic activity.
The prefecture, the park administration and the ropeway operator all give the same warning – and more bluntly than most travel guides pass it on. Even traces of sulfur dioxide can trigger an asthma attack.
Anyone with asthma, a bronchial, respiratory or lung condition, a heart condition or a pacemaker, or who is feeling unwell, should not visit Ōwakudani: the gas can be life-threatening. The ropeway does not carry these passengers on the ride over the valley; the park administration asks them to stay in the car.
These groups can react to even small amounts of gas. The operators ask them to consider the visit carefully. If you notice a strong smell or irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, leave the area immediately.
At 5 ppm sulfur dioxide or 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide, everyone has to go inside the buildings. At 10 ppm SO₂ or 50 ppm H₂S the site is cleared completely. The ropeway provides damp cloths for mouth and nose, and every station has a first-aid room.
Photo: Ka23 13 · CC BY 4.0
Ōwakudani was formed about 3,000 years ago in an explosion of the Hakone volcano. Today steam pours out of the slope without a break, the ground is yellow and bare, and the ropeway passes about 130 m (430 ft) above it.
You smell the valley before you see it. At the station it is cool even in summer, often foggy and windy – pack a jacket. The Kurotamago-kan sells kuro-tamago: eggs boiled in the sulfurous hot-spring water, which turns the shell black. Local lore promises seven extra years of life per egg.
In clear weather Mount Fuji stands behind the steam. Your chances are best from November to February and early in the morning – so take the first gondola at 9 am. In summer the mountain is usually in cloud.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 21 September 2026. Almost every day tour from Tokyo combines Hakone with Mount Fuji – so the same tours also appear on our Mount Fuji page. Whether the ropeway runs and whether Mount Fuji is visible is up to wind, gas and weather. Prices were collected in euros.
You do not visit Hakone at one spot; you ride a loop on four kinds of transport. The Hakone Free Pass covers all of them. Check the operating status on hakonenavi.jp first thing in the morning: if the ropeway is down for its annual overhaul, replacement buses run and the loop takes longer.
On the Odakyu Line. The Romancecar limited express runs direct in about 80 minutes, all seats reserved, ¥1,200 surcharge each way – on top of your ticket or Free Pass. Regular trains as far as Odawara are included in the pass.
The Hakone Tozan Railway climbs from Hakone-Yumoto up to Gōra. Included in the Free Pass.
From Gōra to the lower station of the ropeway. Included in the Free Pass.
One stop to Ōwakudani, where you change gondolas. Gondolas for 18 people roughly every minute, no reservation. Then on via Ubako down to Tōgendai on Lake Ashi.
Sightseeing ships leave from Tōgendai and cross the crater lake – also covered by the Free Pass. With Mount Fuji in the background when the sky is clear.
The Hakone Tozan Bus and the other bus lines inside the pass area are included. In December and January everything closes around 4 pm – start early.
On 1 October 2025 the Odakyu Group raised prices sharply: the Hakone Free Pass (officially “Freepass”) from Shinjuku went from ¥6,100 to ¥7,100, the ropeway one way from ¥1,500 to ¥2,000. Many guides still quote the old numbers. For the classic loop the pass still pays off almost every time – the round-trip ropeway ticket alone costs ¥3,000.
| Hakone Free Pass, 2 days from Shinjuku · children ¥1,600 | ¥7,100 |
| Hakone Free Pass, 3 days from Shinjuku · children ¥1,850 | ¥7,500 |
| Hakone Free Pass, 2 days from Odawara · children ¥1,500 | ¥6,000 |
| Romancecar surcharge Shinjuku – Hakone-Yumoto, one way · children ¥600 · not included in the Free Pass | ¥1,200 |
| Free Pass, 2 days from Shinjuku, plus Romancecar round trip | ¥9,500 |
| Hakone Ropeway one way · children ¥700 | ¥2,000 |
| Hakone Ropeway round trip, valid 2 days, stopovers allowed · children ¥1,000 | ¥3,000 |
| Guided Ōwakudani nature trail, per person, cashless only | ¥800 |
| Ōwakudani parking lot, car, daily maximum weekdays / weekends | ¥1,300 / ¥2,600 |
The ropeway and the visitor area need no reservation. The nature trail does – and if you drive, keep an eye on the clock.
| Hakone Ropeway · Sōunzan – Ōwakudani – Ubako – Tōgendai | February–November 9 am–5 pm, December–January 9 am–4:15 pm. One way ¥2,000, round trip ¥3,000, included in the Free Pass. Tickets at all four stations, also as a digital ticket with QR code; no time slots. Wheelchair users can board in their wheelchair. Dogs only in a closed carrier. |
| Guided nature trail · loop of about 700 m (0.4 miles), roughly 40 minutes | Daily at 10:00, 11:30, 1:00 and 2:30, 30 people per slot, two safety wardens per group. ¥800, card or IC card only. Reservation required with the Hakone Tourist Association. Meet at the Ōwakudani Information Center at least 20 minutes before. Whether a walk is canceled for weather or gas is decided 30 minutes before the start. |
| Car · Prefectural Road 734, parking lot with 147 spaces | The access road is open 9 am–5 pm only. Last entry 4:20 pm (December–January 4:00 pm), exit by 4:40 pm – after that the car is locked in. Weekdays ¥1,300 at most, weekends up to ¥2,600. No reservations; winter tires needed in winter. |
Photo: Jaspermatt · CC BY-SA 3.0
Without a car: From Tokyo's Shinjuku on the Odakyu Line. The Romancecar limited express runs direct to Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes; all seats are reserved, and you need a surcharge ticket (¥1,200 one way) plus a regular ticket or Freepass. The Hakone Freepass includes one round trip Shinjuku–Odawara on regular Odakyu trains and then unlimited rides on eight kinds of transport: Hakone Tozan Railway, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing ship on Lake Ashi, Hakone Tozan Bus, Odakyu Highway Bus and Tokai Bus within the pass area. To Ōwakudani: Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto–Gōra, cable car to Sōunzan, then one stop on the ropeway. The pass also gives discounts at around 70 baths, museums and restaurants.
By car: Access via Prefectural Road 734, open 9 am–5 pm only. 147 car spaces, no reservations; the park administration recommends weekdays because there is less traffic and the rate is half as high. Exit by 4:40 pm.
For the view of Mount Fuji from the ropeway and from Ōwakudani, the same patterns apply as at Mount Fuji itself: according to the long-term observations of the city of Fuji, the mountain is clear most often from November to February and least often from June to August, and more often in the morning than in the afternoon. So take the first gondola at 9 am. Weekdays are emptier and cheaper at the parking lot. In winter the ropeway goes out of service for several weeks for its section-by-section annual overhaul (2025: mid-January to end of February) – check the dates before a winter trip. In December and January everything closes around 4 pm.
If you ride the loop yourself, a pass is basically all you need. If you want Hakone and Mount Fuji in one day, a bus tour is faster – the pricier ones return by bullet train. These Fuji–Hakone tours also show up on our Mount Fuji page.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 21 September 2026. With the pass, check before booking which station it is valid from and whether the Romancecar surcharge is included – the official Freepass does not include it. Prices were collected in euros.
Yes. The last, very small eruption was on 29–30 June 2015 at Ōwakudani, with ashfall up to about 1.2 km (0.75 miles) away. Alert Level 1 of 5 has applied since 7 October 2019. The fumaroles at Ōwakudani are permanently very active – hence the gas monitoring around the clock.
The site is open as normal at Alert Level 1. For people with asthma, lung or heart conditions, however, the gas can be life-threatening – the authorities say they should not go at all. At 5 ppm sulfur dioxide everyone has to go indoors; at 10 ppm the site is cleared. Follow announcements immediately.
A full day. The Romancecar alone takes about 80 minutes each way, and then come the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and ship. The ropeway does not start until 9 am and in December and January runs only until 4:15 pm.
Yes. The Kurotamago-kan is part of the freely accessible visitor area. Only the guided nature trail into the fumarole field has to be reserved.
The annual overhaul is done section by section over several weeks in winter – in 2025 from mid-January to the end of February, bridged by replacement buses. Dates for 2027 could not be found on 21 September 2026; check hakonenavi.jp before a winter trip.
On a bus tour from Tokyo, yes – many tours are built exactly that way. On your own it means two separate trips out of Shinjuku: highway bus or train to Kawaguchiko, Odakyu Line to Hakone. Better to plan two days.
As of 21 September 2026, yes: the Japan Meteorological Agency has Hakone at Alert Level 1, and the site is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. If gas levels rise, in storms or if the level is raised, it can be cleared or closed at short notice. The day's status is shown on hakonenavi.jp and on the Kanagawa Prefecture page.
Level 1 of 5 – that means no exclusion zone, but a reminder that this is an active volcano. It has applied since 7 October 2019. From Level 2, Ōwakudani would be closed and the ropeway over the valley suspended, as happened in 2015 and 2019.
The authorities clearly advise against it: with asthma, bronchial and lung conditions, heart conditions or a pacemaker, the volcanic gas can be life-threatening. The ropeway does not carry these passengers on the ride over the valley. Pregnant women, small children, older people and people with allergies should weigh up the visit carefully.
Not for the site, the ropeway station or buying eggs. Only the nature trail into the fumarole field requires a reservation: guided, four times a day, 30 people at most, ¥800. You book online with the Hakone Tourist Association.
From Shinjuku ¥7,100 for two days and ¥7,500 for three; children pay ¥1,600 and ¥1,850. From Odawara the two-day pass costs ¥6,000. These prices have applied since 1 October 2025.
For the classic loop, almost always. It covers the trip from Shinjuku, the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, ship and buses – the round-trip ropeway ticket alone costs ¥3,000. It also gives discounts at around 70 baths, museums and restaurants.
On the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku. The Romancecar takes about 80 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto and costs a ¥1,200 surcharge on top of a ticket or Freepass; all seats are reserved. Regular trains as far as Odawara are included in the Freepass.
In wind of 30 m/s or more, thunderstorms, raised gas levels or during the annual overhaul, the ropeway stops entirely or in sections. During the overhaul the operator runs replacement buses, which can be used with a Freepass or ropeway ticket. The current situation is on hakonenavi.jp.
From February to November 9 am to 5 pm, in December and January 9 am to 4:15 pm. The 18-person gondolas run roughly every minute, and you change at Ōwakudani. No reservation is needed.
In clear weather, yes, especially from the ropeway and from Ōwakudani. The chances are highest from November to February and early in the morning; in summer the mountain is usually covered in cloud. The view can never be promised.
Yes, with limits. The ropeway and the site are straightforward, and there are children's fares. For infants and toddlers the operators advise caution because of the gas, and children are allowed on the guided nature trail only from elementary-school age.
Yes, the access road is open from 9 am to 5 pm and the parking lot has 147 car spaces. It costs ¥1,300 at most on weekdays and up to ¥2,600 on weekends. Last entry is at 4:20 pm (4:00 pm in winter), and you have to be out again by 4:40 pm.
Sources · accessed on 21 September 2026
