Is the Hakone Freepass Worth It? Break-Even Fare Math for 2026
Yes, the Hakone Freepass is worth it if you ride the classic Hakone loop: train, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship and bus back. From Shinjuku that loop costs 8,340 yen paid fare by fare, against 7,100 yen for the 2-day Freepass, so you save 1,240 yen even on a day trip. If you only go to Gora or only to Lake Ashi and back, skip the pass: it costs about 2,100 to 3,600 yen more than paying as you go.
Quick answer
- Day trip from Shinjuku, full loop: buy the 2-day Freepass from Shinjuku (7,100 yen). It saves 1,240 yen.
- One night in Hakone: same pass. The second day of rides and the discounts are a bonus. The 3-day pass (7,500 yen) is only worth it for two nights.
- Arriving at Odawara (by JR or Shinkansen): buy the Freepass from Odawara (6,000 yen). It saves 520 yen on the same loop.
- Gora, the Open-Air Museum or Lake Ashi only: don’t buy it. Pay as you go.
- All prices are adult fares as of October 2026. The Romancecar seat fee is extra in every case.
Are the ropeway and boats running? (status checked October 9, 2026)
The loop only makes sense if every leg is running, so check this first.
- Hakone Ropeway: no suspension or restriction on the official status page on October 9, 2026 (checked in the evening, after the day’s last run). Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from February to November and 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in December and January.
- Planned ropeway closures for inspection: Sounzan to Owakudani is closed from December 7 to 24, 2026. Owakudani to Ubako to Togendai is closed from January 12 to February 26, 2027. Replacement buses run on the closed section, and the Freepass is valid on them.
- Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (the pirate ships): no suspension on the official status page on October 9, 2026, and no planned suspension announced. The operator says it sails all year, but it can change routes or cancel in thick fog or strong wind.
- Owakudani and the volcano: the Japan Meteorological Agency has Mount Hakone at alert level 1, the lowest level, as of October 2026. The ropeway also stops on its own when volcanic gas levels rise, as well as in strong wind, thunder or typhoons.
Status changes daily. On the morning of your trip, check the official Hakone Navi status page before you buy anything.
What the Hakone Freepass covers (and what it doesn’t)
The pass covers eight kinds of transport:
| Covered | Notes |
|---|---|
| Odakyu Line | One round trip between your starting station and Odawara (Shinjuku version only) |
| Hakone Tozan Train | Odawara to Gora, unlimited |
| Hakone Tozan Cable Car | Gora to Sounzan, unlimited |
| Hakone Ropeway | Sounzan to Owakudani to Togendai, unlimited |
| Hakone Sightseeing Cruise | All three ports on Lake Ashi, standard cabin, unlimited |
| Hakone Tozan Bus | Designated areas |
| “Kanko Shisetsu-Meguri” sightseeing bus | Covered |
| Odakyu Highway Bus and Tokai Bus | Designated areas only |
What it doesn’t cover:
- The Romancecar seat fee. The pass gets you onto regular Odakyu trains. A Romancecar seat from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto costs 1,200 yen more each way (1,150 yen online). LINK#17 Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone explains booking.
- The pirate ship’s special cabin. It costs extra every time you use it.
- Entry fees. Museums, onsen and Hakone Shrine’s treasure museum are paid separately, though many give a discount (see below).
- JR trains. Nothing on JR is included.
The classic Hakone loop: fare by fare vs the Freepass
This is the route most first-time visitors take: up by train and cable car, over Owakudani by ropeway, across Lake Ashi by boat, and back down by bus.
Here it is from Shinjuku, paid fare by fare (adult, paper ticket fares, as of October 2026):
| Ride | Fare |
|---|---|
| Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto (Odakyu, via Odawara) | 1,270 yen |
| Hakone-Yumoto to Gora (Hakone Tozan Train) | 460 yen |
| Gora to Sounzan (Hakone Tozan Cable Car) | 430 yen |
| Sounzan to Togendai (Hakone Ropeway, one way, stop at Owakudani allowed) | 2,000 yen |
| Togendai to Moto-Hakone-ko (sightseeing cruise, one way) | 1,700 yen |
| Moto-Hakone-ko to Hakone-Yumoto (Hakone Tozan Bus) | 1,210 yen |
| Hakone-Yumoto to Shinjuku (Odakyu) | 1,270 yen |
| Total | 8,340 yen |
The 2-day Freepass from Shinjuku costs 7,100 yen, so you save 1,240 yen. Add the Romancecar both ways and both totals go up by the same 2,400 yen, so the saving doesn’t change.
The same loop starting from Odawara costs 6,520 yen paid fare by fare (360 yen each way between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto instead of the Odakyu fare from Shinjuku). The Freepass from Odawara is 6,000 yen, so you save 520 yen.
Watch out: tapping a credit card costs more here
Hakone’s trains, cable car, buses, ropeway and boats all accept contactless credit card payment. On the ropeway and the boat, though, a tap is always charged as a 1-day unlimited ticket: 3,000 yen for the ropeway and 3,000 yen for the boat. That’s the round-trip price.
On a one-way loop, tapping instead of buying one-way tickets at the window adds 2,300 yen. The loop above then costs 10,640 yen, and the Freepass saves 3,540 yen. If you skip the pass, buy one-way tickets at the ropeway and boat windows.
When the Freepass doesn’t pay off
The pass is a good deal only when the ropeway and the boat are both in your day. Without them, the math flips. All totals are round trips from Shinjuku, adult, as of October 2026:
| Your plan | Paid fare by fare | Freepass from Shinjuku | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone-Yumoto only (onsen, shops) | 2,540 yen | 7,100 yen | Pay as you go, 4,560 yen cheaper |
| Gora or the Open-Air Museum only (train to Chokoku-no-Mori and back) | 3,460 yen | 7,100 yen | Pay as you go, 3,640 yen cheaper |
| Lake Ashi only (bus from Hakone-Yumoto to Moto-Hakone-ko and back) | 4,960 yen | 7,100 yen | Pay as you go, 2,140 yen cheaper |
| Owakudani and back, no boat (train, cable car, ropeway round trip) | 7,320 yen | 7,100 yen | Freepass, 220 yen cheaper |
| Full loop (table above) | 8,340 yen | 7,100 yen | Freepass, 1,240 yen cheaper |
The Owakudani out-and-back is close to break-even. One discount, such as free entry to Hakone Gora Park (normally 650 yen for adults), tips it toward the pass.
Who should buy it, who shouldn’t
| You are… | Buy the Freepass? |
|---|---|
| Doing the full loop in one day from Shinjuku | Yes, 2-day from Shinjuku |
| Staying one night and riding the loop over two days | Yes, 2-day from Shinjuku |
| Staying two nights | Yes, 3-day (only 400 yen more than the 2-day) |
| Coming from Kyoto or Osaka by Shinkansen and leaving for Tokyo | Freepass from Odawara, plus a regular Odakyu ticket to Shinjuku |
| Only visiting Hakone-Yumoto’s onsen | No |
| Only visiting Gora and the Open-Air Museum | No |
| Only visiting Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine | No |
For a full plan built around the loop, see LINK#6 Hakone day trip itinerary from Tokyo. If you’re still deciding between a day trip and a night, see LINK#7 Hakone: day trip or overnight?.
2-day vs 3-day, from Shinjuku vs from Odawara
| Freepass | Adult | Child (6 to 11) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-day from Shinjuku | 7,100 yen | 1,600 yen |
| 3-day from Shinjuku | 7,500 yen | 1,850 yen |
| 2-day from Odawara (Hakone area only) | 6,000 yen | 1,500 yen |
| 3-day from Odawara (Hakone area only) | 6,400 yen | 1,750 yen |
Prices as of October 2026. Children under 6 don’t need a ticket.
From Shinjuku or from Odawara? The Shinjuku version includes one regular-train round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara for 1,100 yen more than the Odawara version. Buying that round trip separately costs 1,820 yen (910 yen each way), so if you start in Tokyo, the Shinjuku version saves 720 yen.
Odakyu also sells the pass from its other stations, at different prices. Check the purchase page if you start somewhere other than Shinjuku.
Where and how to buy it
You have two options, and both are sold by Odakyu.
Digital pass (EMot). Buy it on Odakyu’s EMot Online Tickets site and show the QR code at the gates. It works on smartphones only. Odakyu’s FAQ says each Digital Hakone Freepass must be on the traveler’s own phone, children included.
Paper pass. Buy it at an Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center or a ticket machine at the station, and show it at gates or when boarding buses and boats. At Hakone-Yumoto and Gora stations you can also pay by credit card at the window.
Discounts that come with the pass
Show the pass at about 70 places in and around Hakone for a discount. A few from the official list, as of October 2026 (adult prices):
| Place | Normal | With Freepass |
|---|---|---|
| Hakone Gora Park | 650 yen | Free |
| The Hakone Open-Air Museum | 2,000 yen | 1,900 yen |
| Hakone Shrine Treasure Museum | 500 yen | 400 yen |
| Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun / Mori no Yu | 3,500 yen | 3,000 yen |
| Hakone Yuryo (day-use onsen, weekdays) | 1,700 yen | 1,500 yen |
The list also includes the Hakone Museum of Art, the Pola Museum of Art, the Hakone Checkpoint and many day-use onsen. Discounts vary and change, so check the full facility list on Hakone Navi before you go. Don’t buy the pass for the discounts alone: they are a bonus on top of the fare savings.
Tips
- Decide your route first. The pass pays off because of the ropeway and the boat. If either is closed on your date, redo the math.
- Ropeway one-way tickets allow a stop at Owakudani. If you pay as you go, buy one ticket to Togendai; you don’t need a new one after Owakudani.
- The Shinjuku version covers one Odakyu round trip. A second trip between Odawara and Tokyo during the pass’s validity costs extra.
- Romancecar seats are separate. Book them online for 50 yen less than at the station.
Related guides
- LINK#6 Hakone day trip itinerary from Tokyo
- LINK#7 Hakone: day trip or overnight?
- LINK#17 Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone
FAQ
Is there a 1-day Hakone Freepass?
No. Odakyu sells the Hakone Freepass as a 2-day or 3-day pass only. Even on a day trip, the 2-day pass from Shinjuku (7,100 yen) is cheaper than paying fare by fare if you ride the full Hakone loop.
Does the Hakone Freepass include the Romancecar?
No. The pass covers one round trip on regular Odakyu trains between Shinjuku and Odawara. For the Romancecar you pay an extra limited express fee, 1,200 yen each way between Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto (1,150 yen if you book online).
Can I use Suica in Hakone?
Partly. Suica and PASMO work on the Hakone Tozan train and every Hakone Tozan bus, but not on the cable car. At the ropeway and the sightseeing boats you buy a ticket at the window, and you can pay for it with Suica or PASMO there.
Is the JR Pass valid for Hakone?
No. The JR Pass only covers trains run by the JR Group. The Odakyu line and all the trains, cable car, ropeway, boats and buses inside Hakone belong to other companies. If you arrive at Odawara on JR, buy the Freepass version that starts from Odawara.
Can I buy Digital Hakone Freepasses for a group on one phone?
Check the EMot purchase screen before you pay. Odakyu's FAQ says each Digital Hakone Freepass must be on the traveler's own phone, children included, but other Odakyu pages describe group purchases differently.
Sources
Prices and opening hours on this page were checked on each official site on the dates below and can change.
- Hakone Freepass: prices, coverage, how to buy (Odakyu) (checked )
- Hakone Freepass details and discount facility list (Hakone Navi) (checked )
- Digital Hakone Freepass purchase page (EMot Online Tickets) (checked )
- Romancecar fees and Odakyu fares, Shinjuku to Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto (Odakyu, Japanese) (checked )
- Hakone Tozan train and cable car fare table (Hakone Navi, Japanese) (checked )
- Hakone Ropeway fares, hours and volcanic gas notes (Hakone Navi, Japanese) (checked )
- Hakone Sightseeing Cruise fares (Hakone Navi, Japanese) (checked )
- Hakone Tozan Bus fare revision from October 1, 2025 (Hakone Tozan Bus, Japanese PDF) (checked )
- Credit card tap payment in Hakone: ropeway and boat 1-day tickets (Hakone Navi, Japanese) (checked )
- Real-time operation status (Hakone Navi) (checked )
- Hakone Ropeway inspection closures and replacement buses, Dec 2026 to Feb 2027 (Odakyu Hakone, Japanese PDF) (checked )
- FAQ: IC cards, boat tickets, ropeway stopovers (Hakone Navi, Japanese) (checked )
- Mount Hakone volcanic activity and alert level (Japan Meteorological Agency, Japanese) (checked )
- About the JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group) (checked )
- Odawara Station guide: JR and Odakyu gates (Hakone Navi) (checked )