The Hakone Loop in Reverse: Owakudani and Lake Ashi Without a Suitcase
Staying overnight in Hakone? The Hakone Carry Service, officially called the Hakone Luggage Transport Service, can send your suitcase from Hakone-Yumoto Station to participating accommodation. Leave it there before starting the loop, then choose whether to head towards Gora or Lake Ashi first.
If you are staying overnight, where to leave your suitcase matters just as much as the order of the journey.
The familiar route runs from Hakone-Yumoto through Gora and Owakudani to Lake Ashi. Hakone’s official website also suggests travelling in the opposite direction as one way to avoid crowds.
If the Owakudani side looks busy that morning, consider starting with Lake Ashi.
Hakone Carry Service: luggage delivery from Hakone-Yumoto
For a day around Hakone, sort out the luggage before setting off.
Hakone-Yumoto Station has the Hakone Luggage Transport Service, which offers same-day delivery to participating accommodation.
The official information checked on October 2, 2026 says that bags accepted at Hakone-Yumoto between 8:30 a.m. and noon can be collected at the accommodation from 3 p.m. Standard bags, up to 140 cm in combined dimensions and 15 kg, cost ¥1,500 each. Large bags, up to 200 cm and 30 kg, cost ¥2,500.
Delivery is limited to participating accommodation. Check that your booked property is included, and keep valuables, precision equipment, power banks and other excluded items with you.
Once the suitcase is handed over, you can travel with a small bag. That makes a noticeable difference on Hakone’s succession of cable cars and ropeways.
The loop from the Lake Ashi side
One example of the reverse route is:
Hakone-Yumoto
→ Moto-Hakone or Hakone-machi
→ Lake Ashi
→ Togendai
→ Owakudani
→ Sounzan
→ Gora
If Owakudani or the ropeway is busy in the morning, going to the lake first lets you reach them later.
Hakone’s transport is also sensitive to the weather. Decide whether to reverse the route after checking that day’s service information.
Before heading to the lake, compare Moto-Hakone, Hakonemachi and Togendai ports. Choose where to board and disembark around the places you want to walk afterwards.
Options when the ropeway is suspended
The Hakone Ropeway can suspend services because of strong wind, lightning, an approaching typhoon or inspections.
Avoid building a day that has no workable alternative if the ropeway is unavailable.
Hakone Navi provides live service information. Check it before leaving your hotel or when you reach Hakone-Yumoto.
If the ropeway stops, check bus services for another route, or spend time by the lake or at a museum instead. Check service information before taking a boat too.
Leaving room to change the order makes Hakone easier to navigate.
The Freepass is a choice, not an automatic purchase
The Hakone Freepass covers several local transport services, including the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and sightseeing cruise.
For a day combining trains, the ropeway and a boat, compare the pass price with separate fares.
The calculation depends on where you enter Hakone, whether you stay overnight and which services you actually plan to use.
Add up the transport you expect to use before buying. Include any applicable attraction discounts in the comparison.
Time at Owakudani
Owakudani is one of Hakone’s best-known stops, but a busy day can take more time than expected.
Let the view help you decide how long to stay.
With clear skies and a good view, spend a little longer. With thick cloud, move on earlier.
Even if your itinerary says “Owakudani: 30 minutes”, you can change it when you see the conditions.
Driving? Include the return to your car
A rental-car trip works differently from a public-transport circuit.
Once you park somewhere, you must return there at the end.
Following the sights in one direction can leave you with an extra journey back to the car in the evening.
For an overnight trip, consider the accommodation’s location; for a day trip, choose somewhere that fits the drive home.
Hakone is easier when you do not lock every stop into place that morning.
For related planning, see hotel-to-hotel luggage delivery and travelling during a typhoon.
Official information before you go
Information last checked and edited: September 30, 2026. Prices, services and opening hours may change. Follow official guidance for your travel date and local signs.
Photo credits
- The Queen Ashinoko sightseeing ship on Lake Ashi: T. Hanami / Photo source / CC0. Photographed: 2022-09-30. Resized for display only.
- Hakone Ropeway gondolas crossing the valley at Owakudani: inunami / Photo source / CC BY 2.0. Photographed: 2022-04-23 12:21. Resized for display only.
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