Nippon Rent-A-Car
Yokohama Station West Exit
About 1 minute on foot from Yokohama Station north-west exit, across Tsuruya Bridge.
Area
Hakone Driving Guide: Lake Ashi, Owakudani and Sengokuhara Route with Map
How to drive around Hakone: a one-day loop of Lake Ashi, Owakudani and Sengokuhara, tolls and hours of the Hakone Turnpike and Ashinoko Skyline (no ETC), parking at each stop, autumn leaf and pampas grass seasons, crowds and how to get there.
Edited by Drive Scape Japan · Updated: · Sources verified:
- Best first drive
Climb from Odawara to Lake Ashi by the Hakone Shindo and loop the Hakone Checkpoint, Onshi-Hakone Park, Hakone Shrine, Owakudani and Sengokuhara in a day (about 61 km, about 1 h 50 min of driving, no tolls)
- Where to enter
About 40 minutes from Odawara-nishi IC to the Hakone Checkpoint; about 25 minutes from Gotemba IC to Sengokuhara
- Rules now
Owakudani is at volcanic alert level 1; the road past the junction closes 17:00–9:00. The Hakone Turnpike does not take ETC. No winter closures, but winter tyres are requested December–March
As of 26 October 2026.
Driving time
- From Tokyo Station
- about 1 h 40 min100 km
- From Odawara Stationif you rent a car on arrival
- about 30 min19 km
Times to Michi-no-Eki Hakone-toge, calculated from map data without traffic.
Check before you go
Closures and weather change day by day, so check these pages before you set off.
Driving routes in Kanagawa
Places & scenic roads
Pickup locations in this prefecture
View all 8 locations →Nippon Rent-A-Car
Shin-Yokohama Prince PePe
Building photo ↗運転太郎 · CC BY 3.0 · Source · 2015-08-08
About 2 minutes on foot from Shin-Yokohama Station.
Nippon Rent-A-Car
Keikyu Kawasaki Station
About 2 minutes on foot from Keikyu Kawasaki Station central exit.
Nippon Rent-A-Car
Sakuragicho Minatomirai
About 1 minute on foot from JR Sakuragicho east exit or subway North Exit 2, opposite the Washington Hotel.
Hakone is a mountain resort area in Kanagawa Prefecture, centred on the town of Hakone. Lake Ashi, the volcanic valley of Owakudani, the Sengokuhara highlands and mountain passes with views of Mt. Fuji are all close together. You can reach it in under an hour from both Odawara-nishi IC and Gotemba IC. This page sets out a one-day loop of Lake Ashi, Owakudani and Sengokuhara, a few scenic drives, and lists the roads and places to stop.
Map of the Hakone area
- Views and nature
- Roadside stations
- 1Michi-no-Eki Hakone-toge
- 2Hakone Checkpoint
- 3Onshi Hakone Park
- 4Hakone Shrine and Moto-Hakone
- 5Togendai and Kojiri
- 6Owakudani
- 7Sengokuhara pampas grass field
- 8Taikanzan
- 9Lakeview rest house
Line: Odawara → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → Miyanoshita → Odawara
The map could not be loaded. Use the junction-by-junction directions below.
The line on the map is the route described below under "First visit: one day around Lake Ashi, Owakudani and Sengokuhara". The numbers are places to stop: green for views and nature, blue for roadside stations (michi-no-eki). Hover over or tap a number to see its name.
Recommended drives
First visit: one day around Lake Ashi, Owakudani and Sengokuhara
From Odawara, climb the Hakone Shindo bypass to Hakone Pass, then take in Michi-no-Eki Hakone Toge, the Hakone Checkpoint, Onshi-Hakone Park and Hakone Shrine on the south side of Lake Ashi. Drive up the east shore to Togendai, go through Owakudani and Sengokuhara, and come back down Route 1 from Miyanoshita to Odawara. The loop is about 61 km and about 1 hour 50 minutes of driving. Distance and time are calculated from map data and do not include traffic.
The Owakudani car park closes at 16:20 (16:00 in December and January), and the road beyond the Owakudani junction is closed from 17:00 to 9:00 the next morning. On busy days the wait for the car park is long, so aim to arrive by early afternoon. This loop uses no toll roads.
For views: Hakone Turnpike up to Taikanzan
From Odawara, the Hakone Turnpike (13.8 km, ¥900 for a standard car) climbs to Taikanzan, with Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi on one side and the sea, Hatsushima and Oshima on the other. From Taikanzan you can go down Prefectural Road 75 to Lake Ashi, stop at Onshi-Hakone Park and the Hakone Checkpoint, and return by the Hakone Shindo. ETC cards cannot be used on the Turnpike; pay at the toll booth.
For Mt. Fuji straight ahead: the Ashinoko Skyline
The Ashinoko Skyline (10.7 km, ¥1,000 for a standard car) runs along the ridge west of Lake Ashi, and from Mikuni Pass you see the whole of Mt. Fuji. The toll booths take cash only, and the road is open from 7:00 to 19:00. Past Kojiri Pass, the Hakone Skyline (5 km, ¥500) takes you down to Gotemba.
Roads you can drive
| Road | What it is | Length and toll | Hours and rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone Turnpike | Toll road from Hayakawa in Odawara up to Taikanzan | 13.8 km, ¥900 for a standard car. No ETC; pre-registered ETCX works | 5:30–22:30 (last entry 22:00). No motorcycles of 125 cc or less, mopeds or bicycles |
| Ashinoko Skyline | Toll road along the ridge west of Lake Ashi, from Hakone Pass to Kojiri Pass | 10.7 km, ¥1,000 (¥200 for the Kojiri section only). Cash only | 7:00–19:00; the main road is closed outside these hours |
| Hakone Skyline | Toll road from Kojiri Pass down to Gotemba | 5 km, ¥500. Cash, coupons or e-money (no ETC or credit cards) | Usually 8:30–17:30 on weekdays and 7:00–18:30 on weekends and holidays (varies by season) |
| Route 1 | From Hakone-Yumoto through Miyanoshita, Kowakudani and Moto-Hakone, over Hakone Pass to Mishima | Free | Yumoto–Gora–Hakone Pass often has traffic jams |
| Hakone Shindo | Route 1 bypass from the Odawara side up to Hakone Pass | Free | Wide road that climbs past the old winding road |
| Route 138 | From Miyanoshita through Sengokuhara, over Otome Pass to Gotemba | Free | — |
| Prefectural Road 75 | From Taikanzan down towards Hakone Pass, and along the east shore of Lake Ashi from Moto-Hakone to Kojiri | Free | Reaches Taikanzan without a toll road |
| Prefectural Road 732 (old Hakone road) | From Yumoto through Hatajuku, up the hairpins to Moto-Hakone | 10.7 km, free | Slightly narrow through the villages |
Routes 1 and 138 and Prefectural Roads 75 and 732 close when rain reaches 50 mm in an hour or 200 mm in total. No road here closes for winter.
Places to stop
Views and nature
The numbers match the map.
| No. | Place | Parking | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hakone Checkpoint | No car park of its own; use the town's Hatcho car park nearby (24 cars, free) | 9:00–17:00 (16:30 from December to February), adults ¥500. Allow about 45 minutes |
| 3 | Onshi-Hakone Park | 62 cars. ¥500 on weekdays, ¥1,000 on holidays (per visit). 7:00–21:00 (entry until 19:00) | Free entry. Views over the lake and Mt. Fuji |
| 4 | Hakone Shrine and Moto-Hakone | Car parks in the shrine grounds; the town's Hatcho car park (24 cars, free) | Traffic around the shrine is often heavy on holidays |
| 5 | Togendai and Kojiri | Kojiri port car park: free on weekdays, paid on weekends and holidays | North end of Lake Ashi; entrance to the Kojiri section of the Ashinoko Skyline |
| 6 | Owakudani | 147 cars. Up to ¥1,300 on weekdays, up to ¥2,600 on holidays. 9:00–16:20 (16:00 in December and January) | Volcanic alert level 1. The road beyond the junction closes 17:00–9:00 |
| 7 | Sengokuhara pampas grass fields | Free car park nearby | Pampas grass from late October to mid-November. 700 m walking path |
| 8 | Taikanzan | Car park at the Sky Lounge (number of spaces not published) | 1,011 m. Views of Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi and the sea. EV charger |
| 9 | Rest House Lake View | Free (Ashinoko Skyline toll applies) | Looks down on Lake Ashi and Mt. Komagatake. 9:00–17:00 |
| — | Mikuni Pass | Free (Ashinoko Skyline toll applies) | Best viewpoint on the Ashinoko Skyline, with the whole of Mt. Fuji |
At Owakudani, people with asthma or heart conditions, or who feel unwell, should not get out of the car. On windy days, hold the doors when you open them.
Roadside stations
| No. | Station | Parking | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michi-no-Eki Hakone Toge | 23 cars, 8 large vehicles, open 24 hours | 9:00–17:00, toilets 24 hours. The only roadside station in Hakone town |
Best seasons and crowds
| When | What to see |
|---|---|
| Spring | About 1,000 cherry trees line the Hakone Turnpike, with a cherry blossom tunnel between km 2 and 7 |
| Late October–November | Pampas grass at Sengokuhara; autumn leaves at Moto-Hakone in early to mid-November. Yumoto keeps its colour the longest |
| Winter | No road closes for winter. From 1 December to 31 March the prefecture asks drivers crossing Hakone to use winter tyres |
As of 22–23 October, the autumn leaves at Sengokuhara, Miyanoshita, Yumoto, Kojiri and Moto-Hakone were just starting to turn.
Busy places and times
- Owakudani is very crowded on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, in Golden Week, the summer holidays and the autumn leaf season, with queues for the car park backing onto the road. The peak is from about 12:00 to 15:00, and it can take over an hour from the Owakudani junction.
- Onshi-Hakone Park is very busy on November weekends and holidays from about 11:00 to 14:00.
- Route 1 often jams between Yumoto, Gora and Hakone Pass.
- At New Year, heavy traffic builds around the Moto-Hakone junction. You can park near Hakone-machi, Sekishoato, Togendai or Hakone-en port and take the boat to Moto-Hakone.
Closures and restrictions (as of 26 October)
- The Hakone Turnpike, Ashinoko Skyline and Hakone Skyline have no closures today.
- The town's Miyanoshita car park cannot be used for hourly parking until 30 October because of works.
- The stone-paved footpath of the old Hakone road at Hatajuku Yamane is closed until 15 January 2027 (planned). Prefectural Road 732 itself is open.
- On 3 November the Hakone Daimyo Procession takes place in Yumoto.
- From 1 December to 31 March the prefecture asks drivers crossing Hakone to use winter tyres. Roads ice over most often from before dawn to early morning.
Getting there and fuel
| From | Time |
|---|---|
| Odawara-Atsugi Road, Odawara-nishi IC | About 40 minutes to the Hakone Checkpoint via the Hakone Shindo |
| Tomei Expressway, Gotemba IC | About 25 minutes to Sengokuhara, about 50 minutes to the Hakone Checkpoint |
| Route 1 from Mishima | About 40 minutes to the Hakone Checkpoint |
| Tomei Expressway, Numazu IC | About 28 minutes to Hakone via the Izu-Jukan Expressway |
From the Odawara side, Odawara-nishi IC to Hakone-guchi IC takes about 5 minutes; once on the Hakone Shindo you climb to Hakone Pass on a wide road. From the Gotemba side, take Route 138 over Otome Pass into Sengokuhara.
Do not count on finding a petrol station in the mountains; fill up in Odawara or Gotemba before you climb. There is an EV rapid charger at the Taikanzan Sky Lounge car park (5:30–22:30).
If you don't have a car
Seven rental shops operate around Odawara Station, and shops near Mishima Station serve the Gotemba side. Driving in Japan on a foreign licence needs a 1949 Geneva international driving permit or an official Japanese translation; see Driving in Japan on a Foreign License. If you are picking up a car at the airport, see Renting a Car at Haneda, Narita or Kansai Airport: Pickup and Return.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best one-day drive in Hakone?
Climb from Odawara to Lake Ashi by the Hakone Shindo, visit the Hakone Checkpoint, Onshi-Hakone Park and Hakone Shrine, then return via Owakudani and Sengokuhara. It is about 61 km and about 1 hour 50 minutes of driving, with no tolls.
Can I drive to Owakudani?
Yes. The volcanic alert level is 1, and the car park is open from 9:00 to 16:20 (16:00 in December and January). The road beyond the Owakudani junction is closed from 17:00 to 9:00, so you cannot go there at night.
Can I pay the toll roads with an ETC card?
No. The Hakone Turnpike does not take ETC (only pre-registered ETCX). The Ashinoko Skyline takes cash only, and the Hakone Skyline takes cash, coupons or e-money.
Can I drive in winter?
No road closes for winter, but from 1 December to 31 March the prefecture asks drivers crossing Hakone to use winter tyres. On snowy days a "chains or winter tyres required" notice is issued.
When are the autumn leaves?
Moto-Hakone is at its best from early to mid-November, and Yumoto keeps its colour the longest. The pampas grass at Sengokuhara is from late October to mid-November.
Nearby areas and guides
Sources & verification
Last verified: 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Prefecture (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Prefecture (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Town (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Prefecture (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Japan Meteorological Agency (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Town (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Park Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-25
- Hakone Turnpike (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Turnpike (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Turnpike (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Prefecture (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Turnpike (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Ashinoko Skyline (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Shizuoka Road Corporation (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Shizuoka Road Corporation (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Shizuoka Road Corporation (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Shizuoka Road Corporation (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Checkpoint (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Shrine (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- MLIT Yokohama National Highway Office (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Park Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Park Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Park Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Park Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Checkpoint (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Shrine (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Shrine (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Town (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Hakone Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanto Michi-no-Eki Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- Kanagawa Tourist Association (official page, in Japanese) · 2026-10-26
- OpenStreetMap (map positions and route; © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; route calculated with OSRM) · 2026-10-26
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