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Hakone with Kids: A Day with Fewer Transfers and More Time to Play

Mountain trains, a cable car, a ropeway and boats make Hakone sound ideal for children. Connecting all of them also means more queues and interchanges. Give the day one main event—a boat ride or a museum—so the fun happens before everyone is tired.

Gardens and sculptures at the Hakone Open-Air Museum

For time to play, centre the day on the Open-Air Museum

The museum combines outdoor sculptures with interactive works for children. The Woods of Net is for children up to primary-school age and cannot be used in bad weather. When the age and conditions suit your family, spending time in one place reduces repeated transfers.

It is still an outdoor museum, not an entirely indoor rainy-day play venue. Connect the indoor galleries, lunch and toilets into the visit, and leave enough flexibility to head to your accommodation rather than add another stop when children need sleep.

A pirate sightseeing ship on Lake Ashi

For a boat day, decide why you need a return journey

Choose the departure port and what you will do after landing before buying the ticket. A one-way crossing and a return to the same port serve different plans. Lunch by the lake and the journey home can be enough without adding shrine steps or a long circuit.

A stroller and luggage make changing transport more demanding. Even with two adults, someone needs to watch the children while the tickets come out. Keep money and tickets in an easy-to-reach bag, and leave larger luggage at your hotel or the station where practical.

Keep the stroller ready to fold on a bus

Hakone’s tourist association says strollers can be used on most local buses, but folding may be required when the bus is crowded, a wheelchair user is present, other strollers are aboard or the stroller is oversized. Tell the driver before boarding if you intend to keep it open. Wheelchairs have priority.

Think through holding your child, carrying bags and folding the stroller before departure. That can help you pack less. When booking accommodation, look for steps along the approach and any shuttle from the station or bus stop.

Settle lunch and the return, then follow the family’s energy

Visit the main attraction in the morning, then choose a short walk or your accommodation after lunch. This is a way to leave room for children, not a fixed timetable. Add a stop if everyone is energetic; rest in the room if not. When choosing a day trip or overnight stay, places to pause can matter more than the number of attractions.

Information checked: October 6, 2026.

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