Day Tours from TokyoHakone Free Pass: Prices, What It Covers and Whether It Pays Off
The Hakone Free Pass is Odakyu's all-in-one transport ticket for Hakone, sold in 2-day and 3-day versions from Shinjuku or from Odawara. This page breaks down the exact prices, every transport type the pass covers, what it leaves out, how to buy it as a digital or paper ticket, and whether the Hakone Free Pass is worth it for a single day trip. Figures come from Odakyu, Hakone Navi and japan-guide. If you would rather skip the ticket planning altogether, the comparison of day tours from Tokyo (day trips from Tokyo) has booked options that bundle the transport for you.
A Hakone Ropeway gondola passes in front of a snowy Mt Fuji. Photo: Ka23 13, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer The short answer
The 2-day Hakone Free Pass from Shinjuku costs 7,100 yen for adults and 1,600 yen for children. It covers the Odakyu Line round trip to Odawara, the Hakone Tozan train, the Tozan cable car, the Hakone Ropeway, the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise and designated Tozan, Odakyu Highway and Tokai buses. A 3-day pass from Shinjuku costs 7,500 yen for adults. The Romancecar limited express is not covered and needs a separate surcharge from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what is included and what is not in what the pass covers.
- Compare the 2-day and 3-day prices from Shinjuku and Odawara in the price table.
- Weigh the pass against single tickets in is it worth it.
- Prefer a booked option? The Mt Fuji, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi day tour costs $76 and includes a one-way ropeway fare.
What the Hakone Freepass Covers
Odakyu lists the covered transport on its official pass page. The pass works like an unlimited-ride ticket inside Hakone once you arrive, plus the train out and back if you start at Shinjuku.
Every Transport Type in the Pass
The Freepass bundles several operators and modes into one ticket. The table below lists each one, based on Odakyu's pass page and Hakone Navi. The Shinjuku version adds the Odakyu Line round trip to Odawara and back, so a rider from Shinjuku never buys a base fare to reach Hakone-Yumoto.
The Odawara version starts inside the region and does not include any Odakyu Line ticket.
| Transport | Covered | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Odakyu Line to Odawara | Yes, round trip, Shinjuku version only | The Odawara version includes no Odakyu Line ticket |
| Hakone Tozan train | Yes, unlimited | Hakone-Yumoto to Gora takes 35 minutes, every 15 to 20 minutes |
| Tozan cable car | Yes, unlimited | Gora to Sounzan, the start of the ropeway |
| Hakone Ropeway | Yes, unlimited | Full Sounzan to Togendai route |
| Hakone Sightseeing Cruise | Yes, unlimited | Crosses Lake Ashi in about 25 to 35 minutes one way |
| Hakone Tozan buses | Yes, in designated areas | Designated areas only |
| Odakyu Highway and Tokai buses | Yes, in designated areas | The Tourist Attraction Sightseeing Bus is also covered |
What the Pass Does Not Cover
Three gaps catch riders out. First, the Romancecar limited express from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto is never included. It needs a separate surcharge on top of the pass, and all its seats are reserved.
Second, the Izu-Hakone Bus cannot be used with the pass at all, per Hakone Navi. Third, the pass is transport only. Entry fees for museums, the Hakone Checkpoint and hot spring baths are paid separately, though some give pass holders a discount, covered in how to buy and use it.
Weather can also interrupt the ropeway, which stops in winds of 30 m/s or more, and cruise departures can be suspended in heavy fog or strong wind.
- Romancecar limited express: separate surcharge, 1,200 yen adults from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto
- Izu-Hakone Bus: not usable with the pass
- Entry fees: museums, the Hakone Checkpoint and onsen are extra, with discounts at about 70 facilities
Hakone Freepass Prices
Odakyu publishes adult and child prices for both starting points and both durations.
Current Prices from Shinjuku and Odawara
The table shows every published combination. The Shinjuku prices include the Odakyu Line round trip, which the Odawara versions do not. From Odawara the pass costs 6,000 yen for 2 days or 6,400 yen for 3 days for adults, with children at 1,500 yen and 1,750 yen.
| Pass | From Shinjuku | From Odawara | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days, adult | 7,100 yen | 6,000 yen | 1,600 yen (Shinjuku) / 1,500 yen (Odawara) |
| 3 days, adult | 7,500 yen | 6,400 yen | 1,850 yen (Shinjuku) / 1,750 yen (Odawara) |
The Price Change History
Hakone Freepass prices rose on 1 October. The 2-day pass from Shinjuku went from 6,100 yen to 7,100 yen, per Odakyu and Hakone Navi. The Odawara prices above are also stated as valid since that date.
If you read an older guide quoting 6,100 yen from Shinjuku, it is out of date.
- 2-day from Shinjuku: 6,100 yen before, 7,100 yen now
- Odawara versions priced since the same date: 6,000 yen for 2 days, 6,400 yen for 3 days
The Romancecar Surcharge on Top
The Romancecar is the comfortable reserved-seat limited express that reaches Hakone-Yumoto from Shinjuku in about 80 minutes. It is never part of the Freepass. The surcharge is paid on top of the pass.
Odakyu's pages and a later notice differ slightly on the exact figure, so check the current amount with Odakyu before you buy. The EMot online service sells the Romancecar ticket for less than the station price. Without the Romancecar, the same Odakyu Line journey is covered by the pass and takes longer with a normal local or express train.
Sources: Odakyu pass page and Hakone Navi
Hakone Free Pass Travel Guide: Sightseeing Loop + Romancecar from Shinjuku
Using the Freepass on each leg of the Hakone loop. Third-party video by Kensho Quest. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Is the Hakone Freepass Worth It for a Day Trip?
The honest way to answer this is to put the pass price next to the published single fares and let you add up your own route. Hakone is a loop of train, cable car, ropeway and cruise.
Single Fares for the Hakone Loop
The table lists the one-way adult fares for each covered service, all from Hakone Navi and japan-guide. Note that the ropeway and cruise fares also rose on 1 October. The bus fares matter because a bus is the common way to reach Hakone Shrine or to shortcut the loop when the ropeway is suspended.
Maintenance closures of ropeway sections come with substitute buses about every 15 minutes, which Freepass holders can ride.
| Ticket | Single fare |
|---|---|
| 2-day Freepass from Shinjuku (comparison line) | 7,100 yen |
| Hakone Ropeway, full route one way | 2,000 yen |
| Hakone Ropeway, round trip | 3,000 yen |
| Sightseeing Cruise, Togendai to Hakone-machi or Moto-Hakone, one way | 1,700 yen |
| Sightseeing Cruise, round trip | 3,000 yen |
| Cruise hop, Hakone-machi to Moto-Hakone | 600 yen |
| Tozan train, Hakone-Yumoto to Gora (sources differ) | 400 to 460 yen, depending on the source |
| Tozan bus H, Hakone-Yumoto to Moto-Hakone (35 min) | 1,210 yen |
| Tozan bus, Odawara to Moto-Hakone (about 50 min) | 1,510 yen |
| Line T bus, Odawara to Togendai (about 50 min) | 1,620 yen |
How to Decide
Add the one-way fares for the legs you would actually ride, plus the Shinjuku-Odawara round trip if you start in Tokyo, and compare that against 7,100 yen. Riders who do the full loop of ropeway plus cruise plus Tozan train, with a bus leg, should run the numbers against the table above. Riders who only want one ropeway ride and the cruise may find the pass is more than they need.
Odakyu also sells narrower alternatives: the Owakudani 2-Day Pass costs 5,000 yen and now covers the full ropeway from Sounzan to Togendai, and a 1-day Sightseeing Cruise and Ropeway Pass costs 5,000 yen. Odakyu's 3-day Hakone Kamakura Pass costs 8,520 yen if you want both destinations. The pass also cuts entry fees at about 70 facilities, which tips the math for museum visitors.
If You Do Not Want to Plan the Loop at All
A booked tour removes the ticketing decision entirely. For the route itself, station by station, see tokyo to hakone by train, and for an hour-by-hour plan see the day trip from Tokyo to Hakone guide.
Sources: Hakone Navi fare PDF and japan-guide Hakone
A Hakone Tozan bus runs along Route 1 in the Hakone hills. Photo: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to Buy and Use It
Odakyu sells the Freepass in two formats with identical coverage. The trap is the validity clock, which starts the moment you buy.
Digital on EMot or Paper at the Station
The digital Hakone Freepass is a smartphone QR ticket bought through Odakyu's EMot online ticket service. The paper version is sold at Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centers and at station ticket machines. Both are per Odakyu's official pass page.
EMot is also where the Romancecar ticket is cheaper than at the station. The sightseeing service centers at Shinjuku West and Shinjuku South can help in person before departure.
- Digital: QR ticket on your phone via EMot
- Paper: Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centers and station ticket machines
- Same coverage and price either way
The Validity Rule
The day of purchase counts as day one of the pass, whatever time you buy it, per Odakyu. A 2-day pass therefore ends after the last train or bus on the following day. Buying the pass at 8 a.m. for a same-day departure gets the full two days.
Buying it late the night before burns half of day one for nothing. For a day trip this rule makes the pass effectively a same-day ticket, so buy it in the morning at Shinjuku or through EMot on the day.
What to Show and the Facility Discounts
Keep the paper pass or the QR code on your phone ready when you board. Beyond transport, the pass gives discounts at about 70 facilities, including hot springs, museums, shops and restaurants. The published examples: the Hakone Open-Air Museum charges 2,000 yen at the gate but 1,900 yen with the Freepass (1,800 yen online).
The Hakone Checkpoint drops from 500 yen to 400 yen with the pass. Hakone Gora Park is free for adults and elementary school children with the pass. Hakone Yuryo onsen is among the hot springs that give pass holders a discount.
Sources: Odakyu pass page and Odakyu discounts blog
Freepass or a Tour?
A tour trades some freedom for a coach seat, a guide and no ticket research. Here is what two budget Hakone coach tours from Tokyo actually include, and what they leave out.
The Hakone Coach Tours Compared
The Mt Fuji, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi day tour costs $76 and runs 10 hours by coach. It includes a one-way Hakone Ropeway fare and covers Owakudani, Hakone Shrine and Oshino Hakkai. Lunch is not included, and the Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise is optional at about 1,700 yen, which the guide can buy for you.
The bus can get back after 8 p.m. The Tokyo: Mt. Fuji Cruise and Hakone Ropeway Day Trip by Bus costs $83.48, runs 10 hours, takes up to 49 people and includes the Hakone Ropeway and the Lake Ashi cruise, with an 80-minute lunch stop at Moto-Hakone Port where you pay for your own meal. Neither tour includes hotel pickup.
Both allow free cancellation 24 hours ahead.
| Tour | Price | Ropeway | Lake Ashi cruise | Lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi day tour | $76 | One way included | Optional, about 1,700 yen | Not included |
| Mt. Fuji Cruise and Hakone Ropeway Day Trip | $83.48 | Included | Included | Not included |
The Honest Trade-off
A Freepass day costs you planning: choosing the loop direction, watching the ropeway and cruise status, and managing your own connections. A tour costs you flexibility, since you ride the coach schedule and a group of up to 49 people on the second option. The tour prices are fixed in dollars and bundle the ropeway, which costs 2,000 yen one way on its own.
Compare the full range of day tours from Tokyo including private Hakone days with hotel pickup if the coach format does not suit.
Hakone Free Pass FAQ
Is the Hakone Free Pass worth it?
For riders doing the full loop it usually is, but do the sum yourself. A full ropeway ride one way costs 2,000 yen and the cruise 1,700 yen one way, against a 2-day pass at 7,100 yen from Shinjuku that also bundles the Odakyu round trip and the buses. The pass additionally discounts about 70 facilities. Work through the single fares in is it worth it for your own route.
How much is the Hakone Freepass?
From Shinjuku it costs 7,100 yen for 2 days or 7,500 yen for 3 days for adults, and 1,600 yen or 1,850 yen for children. From Odawara it is 6,000 yen for 2 days or 6,400 yen for 3 days. All current combinations are in the price table.
How do I get a Hakone Freepass?
Buy the digital version as a smartphone QR ticket through Odakyu's EMot service, or buy the paper pass at Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centers or station ticket machines. Details of both formats and the discounts the pass unlocks are in how to buy and use it.
Does the pass cover the Romancecar from Shinjuku?
No. The Romancecar limited express always needs a separate surcharge, and its seats are all reserved. The online EMot service sells it for less than the station price. See what is not covered.
Does the Hakone Freepass include entry fees?
No, the pass is transport only. Museums, the Hakone Checkpoint and onsen are paid separately, though about 70 facilities give pass holders discounts, such as the Open-Air Museum at 1,900 yen instead of 2,000 yen and Gora Park free. The details are in how to buy and use it.
Can I use Suica in Hakone?
Suica, Pasmo, Icoca and seven other IC cards work across each other's networks in Japan per japan-guide, so an IC card can pay as you go, but on limited express services it covers only the base fare. For a full loop day, the Freepass is the purpose-built ticket, and the single fares to compare it with are listed in is it worth it.