Is the Hakone Freepass Worth It in 2026?

Hakone Freepass prices for 2026

Odakyu's official prices (in effect since October 2025):

• From Shinjuku, 2 days: ¥7,100 adult / ¥1,600 child

• From Shinjuku, 3 days: ¥7,500 adult / ¥1,850 child

• From Odawara, 2 days: ¥6,000 adult / ¥1,500 child

• From Odawara, 3 days: ¥6,400 adult / ¥1,750 child

The Shinjuku version includes a round trip on the Odakyu Line between Shinjuku and Odawara; the Odawara version covers only the Hakone area. Buy the Odawara version if you arrive by Shinkansen or on a JR Pass. The pass is sold online as a digital ticket through Odakyu's EMot service (one smartphone per traveler unless you use the group option) and as a paper ticket at Odakyu sightseeing service centers and ticket machines.

The Romancecar limited express seat fee is extra: ¥1,200 one way from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. Without it you ride ordinary Odakyu trains and change at Odawara, which takes longer but costs nothing extra on the pass.

What the Freepass covers: the Hakone loop

The pass covers eight forms of transport: the Odakyu Line (Shinjuku version), the Hakone Tozan Train from Odawara to Gora, the Hakone Tozan Cable Car from Gora to Sounzan, the Hakone Ropeway from Sounzan over Owakudani to Togendai, the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (the pirate ships) on Lake Ashi, and designated routes of the Hakone Tozan Bus, Odakyu Highway Bus and Tokai Bus, plus the sightseeing-facilities loop bus.

The classic loop runs Hakone-Yumoto → Gora by mountain train → Sounzan by cable car → Owakudani and Togendai by ropeway → Moto-Hakone or Hakone-machi by boat → back to Hakone-Yumoto by bus. It takes a full day with stops. The pass also gives discounts at about 70 facilities, including museums, onsen and restaurants, listed on Hakone Navi.

Break-even math: is it worth it?

At regular fares the ropeway costs ¥2,000 one way (¥3,000 return) and the Lake Ashi cruise ¥1,700 one way. Add the mountain train, cable car and the bus back to Hakone-Yumoto, and one loop from Odawara costs more than the ¥6,000 Odawara pass.

From Shinjuku, the ordinary Odakyu fare to Hakone-Yumoto is about ¥1,270 each way, or about ¥2,540 return. Put that together with the ropeway and cruise and you are already near ¥6,240, before the Tozan train, cable car and bus, so the ¥7,100 pass comes out ahead on a single loop. A 2-day pass also covers a second day of buses and trains around Hakone, which matters if you stay overnight at a ryokan in Gora or by the lake.

The pass is not worth it if you only go to Hakone-Yumoto for an onsen and back, or if you only ride one or two pieces of the loop. It is also weaker during the ropeway closures if you planned to ride the full ropeway, though replacement buses keep the loop possible.

Hakone Ropeway closures: December 2026 and January–February 2027

Odakyu Hakone has announced two maintenance closures with replacement buses:

• 7 December (Mon) to 24 December (Thu), 2026: Owakudani to Sounzan suspended. Togendai to Owakudani runs normally.

• 12 January (Tue) to 26 February (Fri), 2027: Togendai to Ubako to Owakudani suspended. Owakudani to Sounzan runs normally.

Replacement buses run about every 15 minutes during ropeway hours (about 10 minutes Owakudani–Sounzan, 15 minutes Togendai–Owakudani), and Freepass holders can ride them. The operator warns the buses will be very crowded and the Owakudani road may back up, and suggests reaching Owakudani on the section that is still running. Ropeway hours in December and January are 9:00 to 16:15. The ropeway also stops in strong wind or volcanic alerts at Owakudani, so check Hakone Navi on the morning you go.

Alternatives to the Freepass

If you want Hakone and Mount Fuji views in one trip, the Fuji Hakone Pass adds the Fuji Five Lakes area. For a single day focused on Kawaguchiko rather than Hakone, our Mount Fuji day trip guide compares the Romancecar, highway buses and tours.

For a short visit to Hakone-Yumoto only, pay as you go with a Suica or Pasmo, which work on Odakyu and Hakone Tozan trains and most local buses. Highway buses from Shinjuku Bus Terminal to Hakone are another option, but traffic can make them slower than the train. Fit Hakone into a wider Tokyo stay with our 3 days in Tokyo itinerary.

Frequently asked questions