The best hotels in Hakone

Sengokuhara sits at the northern end of the Hakone caldera, above most of the tourist traffic. The pampas grass plateau along Prefectural Route 75 is famous in autumn, and the Pola Museum of Art is about 10 minutes on foot from the main road. You genuinely feel like you're in a different Hakone up here.

This is where Hakone Tent sits. the highest-rated property in our entire list, at a 9.1. And the Hyatt Regency Hakone is here too, which is the best option if you need reliable Wi-Fi, a spa, and a pool alongside your onsen. Prices in Sengokuhara run $145-300/night, which is justified by the views and the calm.

The trade-off is convenience. You're 20-30 minutes from Gora by bus, and bus frequency drops after 8pm. If you want to hop between Kowakidani and Gora easily, this location costs you time. But if you're here to decompress and see Fuji at dawn, there's nowhere better.

Gora is the end of the Hakone Tozan Railway line and the launch point for the funicular and ropeway to Owakudani. It has a compact, walkable center around Gora Station and Gora Park, which is worth 45 minutes of your time for the manicured gardens and teahouse. Kowakidani, one stop down, is home to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. one of Japan's best outdoor art spaces.

Gora Kadan sits in Gora and is the finest ryokan in our list at $480-900/night. It's a former imperial family villa converted to a high-end retreat. The kaiseki dinners here set the standard for the region. If you're going to splurge once in Japan, this is a worthy candidate.

Hakone Hotel Kowakien gives you the Kowakidani location at a much more accessible $110-180/night. The Hakone Open-Air Museum is a 5-minute walk, and Kowakidani Station puts you on the Tozan Railway for easy access to both Gora and Miyanoshita.

Miyanoshita is where Hakone's hotel history lives. The Fujiya Hotel opened in 1878 and hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to John Lennon. It sits right on National Route 1 above Miyanoshita Station, and the Western-Japanese hybrid architecture is genuinely worth seeing even if you're not staying there.

Pension Sakaeya is the best-value property in this neighborhood at $75-110/night. It's a small, family-run place with actual character. not a polished corporate hotel. Hakone Ginyu, also in Miyanoshita, is the luxury ryokan alternative at $520-1,100/night, with private open-air baths and food that competes with Gora Kadan.

The neighborhood is quieter than Yumoto and more central than Sengokuhara. Miyanoshita Station puts you 15 minutes down to Yumoto and 15 minutes up to Gora. The older town streets behind the Fujiya Hotel have a handful of small shops and a good coffee spot on the main lane near the post office.

These two villages sit at the southern end of Lake Ashi, connected by a 15-minute walk along the old Tokaido cedar avenue. Hakone Shrine is right here, with its famous torii gate rising from the lake. Hakonemachi Port runs the pirate ship ferry north to Togendai. The setting is flat-out stunning on a clear morning.

Moto-Hakone Guest House charges $130-195/night and earned the Best Location badge for good reason. You're walking distance to the shrine, the lake, and the cedar avenue along the old Tokaido road. The Hakone Prince Hotel Annex in Hakone-machi offers lake-facing rooms at $200-290/night with a private lakeshore and tennis courts.

Getting here from Gora or Sengokuhara requires the ropeway to Togendai and the ferry south, or a bus. It's not complicated, but budget 45 minutes from Gora. This area is better for your second or third night once you've done the ropeway loop. or as a base if the shrine and lake are your main priority.

Yumoto is where the Odakyu Line terminates and where most day-trippers arrive. The Hayakawa River runs through it, and there are a handful of public bath houses along the riverbank streets. It's accessible and cheap. That's about the full list of genuine advantages.

Hakone Guesthouse Tsuru is the legitimate budget option here at $55-85/night. It's clean, social, and the staff actually know Hakone well. The surrounding area is fine for one night, but the souvenir shop density and the crowds from Odawara day-trippers make it feel more like a transit hub than a destination.

From Yumoto, the Tozan Railway to Gora takes 40 minutes and costs ¥780. If you're on a tight budget and willing to commute, staying here can save you $50-100/night versus mid-mountain hotels. Just don't expect to walk out your door into Hakone's best scenery.