Lake Ashi Pirate Ships: Choosing the Right Port and Ticket
Before choosing a boat on Lake Ashi, decide where to board and where you want to go after getting off. The pirate ships link Togendai, Hakonemachi-ko and Moto-Hakone. Another operator on the same lake uses different piers and tickets.
Three pirate-ship ports, three different onward journeys
- Togendai: connects with the Hakone Ropeway, making it a natural arrival point from Owakudani.
- Hakonemachi-ko: suits a walk around the Hakone Checkpoint and Hakonemachi side before continuing by bus.
- Moto-Hakone: starts a walk on the Moto-Hakone lakeshore; choose it if you are heading towards Hakone Shrine.
The crossing between Togendai and Hakonemachi-ko or Moto-Hakone takes roughly 25–40 minutes, depending on the route. For a one-way journey, work out the onward bus or walk first. If you arrived by car, returning to the parking place is part of the itinerary.
One-way, return and short-hop fares
| Pirate ship standard cabin | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Togendai to Hakonemachi-ko or Moto-Hakone, one way | ¥1,700 | ¥850 |
| Return | ¥3,000 | ¥1,300 |
| Hakonemachi-ko to Moto-Hakone, one way | ¥600 | ¥300 |
The Hakone Freepass covers the standard cabin; the special cabin costs extra. Before buying a return ticket, make sure the evening journey works from the port you will use. Final departures vary with the season and service schedule, so keep that port’s official timetable handy.
Ordinary individual journeys are not reserved in advance. Official guidance says to reach the boarding area five to ten minutes before departure, but leave additional time for buying a ticket and queues. When wind or fog affects services, consider the next transport option rather than waiting indefinitely at the pier.
Not every Lake Ashi boat is a pirate ship
Hakone Yuransen is a separate service using Sekisho-ato, Moto-Hakone, Hakone-en and Kojiri. Current adult prices are ¥2,900 for a one-day hop-on, hop-off ticket, ¥2,400 for a 40-minute circular cruise and ¥2,900 for a 70-minute cruise. Neither the 40-minute nor the 70-minute circular cruise permits intermediate disembarking. Choose according to whether you need transport between stops or a cruise that returns you to the start.
For Hakone-en, check Hakone Yuransen’s route and the ticket that permits your intended journey; Hakone-en is not one of the three pirate-ship ports. The Freepass’s unlimited boat travel is on the pirate ships, not Hakone Yuransen. Even at Moto-Hakone, the operators use different piers: match the name on your ticket to the pier signs.
If the view from the boat is the point of the trip, avoid arranging an immediate dash to the next connection. Leave time for lunch by the water, a short walk or an early arrival at your accommodation.
Once the ports are settled, compare the Freepass with individual fares. For a lakeside stay, matching the route to your hotel’s nearest port can cut down on travelling with bags.
Information checked: October 5, 2026.
Official information
Photo credits
- Pirate-themed sightseeing Cruise at Lake Ashi, Hakone, Japan5.jpg — Joli Rumi / CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2025-11-07. Resized for display; image content unchanged.
- Hakone Pirate Ship – Hakone, Japan – DSC06056.jpg — Daderot / CC0 / Taken on 3 September 2016 23:23:54. Resized for display; image content unchanged.
Structure and selected guidance updated: October 15, 2026.