Hakone Mt. Fuji Day Trip: Private Vehicle Lake Ropeway

One day covering a 1,260-year-old shrine, an art museum in the mountains, a volcanic valley, and the lake view of Mt. Fuji

A full-day private tour of Hakone in a luxury van with an English-speaking driver, covering the spiritual sites and natural landmarks that make the region famous. You visit Hakone Shrine, ride the ropeway over Owakudani's volcanic vents, cruise Lake Ashinoko with views toward Mt. Fuji, and explore the Hakone Open-Air Museum's modern sculptures and outdoor foot bath. The tour runs about ten hours with hotel pickup included, and the van seats up to eight passengers with luggage.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park45m
2. Lake Ashi1h
3. Hakone Ropeway1h
4. Hakone Open-Air Museum1h

Explore Hakone and Mt. Fuji sights

• Visit 1260-year-old shrine
• Take Lake Ashinoko cruise
• Ride Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani
• Observe volcanic activity and eat black eggs
• Explore Hakone Open-Air Museum
• Visit Gora Park and craft workshop
• Shop at Gotemba Premium Outlet

The experience

The day starts at your hotel and moves through Hakone's most visited stops without the hassle of public transit or navigating between them yourself. Your driver speaks English and handles all the routing, so you move from one attraction to the next without planning the connections. The shrine visit comes first: a 1,260-year-old site where visitors leave prayers for health, safe travel, and good fortune, and the grounds themselves are built into the forested landscape of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Lake Ashinoko is the centerpiece of the afternoon. You take a cruise across the water where the clearest views of Mt. Fuji appear on the far shore, then board the Hakone Ropeway at Togendai. The cable car climbs over Owakudani, a volcanic valley created 3,000 years ago, where sulfur vents and hot springs still release steam and gas into the air. At the valley floor, you can buy black eggs (boiled in the geothermal springs until their shells turn black from iron and sulfur), and walk among the active volcanic features. The ropeway descent gives you a second perspective of the landscape from above.

The Hakone Open-Air Museum occupies the final hours. Sculptures by Picasso, Henry Moore, Niki de Saint Phalle and others sit in the open grounds, and the museum includes a Picasso exhibition hall and a greenhouse with tropical plants. There's an outdoor foot bath where you can soak your feet in warm mineral water scented with floating oranges and lemons, and children can explore the Knitted Wonder Space and Curved Space-Diamond installations. The van includes air conditioning, bottled water, and room for luggage, so you travel without managing bags between stops.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned luxury van.
• hotel pickup and return.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• English-speaking driver for the full ten hours.

Options for this experience

2 options

Full-day private Hakone and Mt. Fuji tour with a bilingual driverUp to 4 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 07:00 and 08:00Includes pickup

Van: Toyota Vellfire or AlphardUp to 6 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 07:00 and 08:00The Toyota Vellfire or Alphard van is a luxury vehicle that can carry up to 7 passengers, including the driver. Sit back and enjoy the journey. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 10h, runs every day at 07:00 and 08:00, from JP¥ 60,000 per group, with a live guide in English, Japanese, Malay and Urdu, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00 and 08:00

Book up to1d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Japanese, Malay and Urdu

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteJP¥ 5,450

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tour Japan

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to cover Hakone's main attractions in a single day without managing trains and transfers between stops. The private van means you move at one pace with your group, and the ten-hour window fits all five major sites (shrine, lake cruise, ropeway, volcanic valley and museum) into one outing. Depending on which option you choose at checkout, the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Ropeway, Gora Park and lake cruise may be included or optional add-ons, so confirm what each package covers before booking.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Malay, Japanese and Urdu.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Hakone Open-Air Museum actually like?

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is an outdoor sculpture park established in 1969 with works by major modern artists including Picasso, Henry Moore, and Niki de Saint Phalle. The grounds include a Picasso exhibition hall, greenhouses with tropical and flower gardens, and an outdoor foot bath filled with warm mineral water scented with citrus where you can soak your feet on raised river pebbles. Children can explore climbing and crawling spaces designed into the landscape.

Can I see Mt. Fuji on this tour?

Mt. Fuji appears across Lake Ashinoko, and the best views come from the Moto-Hakone side of the lake during the cruise portion of the day. The ropeway ride over Owakudani also offers views of the surrounding peaks and volcanic landscape, though Mt. Fuji's visibility depends on weather and cloud cover.

What happens at Owakudani on the ropeway?

Owakudani is a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and hot springs where you can see steam and gas rising from the ground. The ropeway carries you over the valley, and at the base you can walk among the geothermal features and buy black eggs cooked in the hot spring waters: boiled eggs whose shells have turned black from the minerals in the springs.

How does the private vehicle work for a group?

You travel in a Toyota Vellfire or Alphard van that seats up to eight passengers with luggage, so a family or small group books one vehicle and travels together. The van is air-conditioned and includes bottled water. Your English-speaking driver handles all navigation and timing between the five main stops.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel pickup is included in the tour, so your driver collects you from your accommodation and returns you at the end of the ten-hour day. The van accommodates luggage, so you can store bags during the tour if needed.