Hakone onsen areas compared: Where to stay in Hakone-Yumoto, Gora or Lake Ashi

For an overnight stay in Hakone, deciding on the transport role of your base is more important than choosing a hotel first. Based on the official Hakone transport station pages (checked on 2026-10-28), this article compares transfers and services in Hakone-Yumoto, Gora and the Lake Ashi area (Togendai, Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi). The official pages do not give accommodation prices for each area or tattoo policies for individual onsen facilities, so these are not included; ask your accommodation or onsen directly. Return to the Kanagawa travel guide; for a same-day trip from Tokyo, see the Hakone day trip.

Key points

• Hakone-Yumoto: a gateway at the foot of the mountains, with many transfers, luggage services and ryokan shuttle buses
• Gora: the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Train, with a cable car connection to Sounzan and buses towards the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Pola Museum of Art
• Lake Ashi area: Togendai, Moto-Hakone Port and Hakone-machi Port rely on buses or the ropeway; the official “Golden Route” runs Hakone-Yumoto → Gora → Owakudani → Lake Ashi
• The Freepass covers 8 modes of transport; the Romancecar requires an additional charge

Comparing three places to stay

Item	Hakone-Yumoto	Gora	Lake Ashi area
Transport role	Starting point of the Hakone Tozan Train; limited express (Romancecar) towards Odawara and Shinjuku uses platform 1; several Hakone Tozan Bus routes	Transfer point between the Hakone Tozan Train and cable car	Bus (routes H and T from Hakone-Yumoto) or ropeway
Luggage	Hakone Carry Service delivers luggage to accommodation; luggage storage is available at the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center	Not stated on the official page	Not stated on the official page
Ryokan shuttle	Onsen ryokan shuttle buses leave from stop 6; 200 yen per trip (prepaid)	Not stated on the official page	Not stated on the official page
Nearby facilities and connections	Hakone souvenir shop and cafe at the station	Buses towards the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kowakien, Yunessun, Pola Museum of Art and Glass Forest	Togendai, Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi

Practical information at Hakone-Yumoto Station

• Ticket gates are on the 2nd floor; the ticket counter operates from 7:00 to 21:00 and can add value to a PASMO card
• The Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center at Hakone-Yumoto operates from 9:00 to 19:00 year-round, sells Romancecar tickets and Hakone Freepasses, and provides luggage storage and currency exchange
• The Hakone-machi General Tourist Information Center offers services in English, Chinese and Korean
• The official site warns that some stations have no staff early in the morning or at night; contact them in advance if assistance is needed

Transfers at Gora Station

• Hakone Tozan Train: towards Hakone-Yumoto, Odawara and Shinjuku, platform 1
• Hakone Tozan Cable Car: towards Sounzan, around platform 2
• Buses: towards Ten-yu (via the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kowakien and Yunessun); towards the Pola Museum of Art, Glass Forest and Sengoku; towards Gotemba Premium Outlets, Gotemba Station and Togendai

How to choose

Your itinerary	Suggested base
You want fewer transfers, or will arrive late or leave early	Hakone-Yumoto
You want to take the cable car early and visit mountain attractions	Gora
You want to walk by Lake Ashi	Accommodation in Togendai, Moto-Hakone or Hakone-machi; check bus times first
You have large luggage	Hakone-Yumoto (luggage service)

• For ropeway suspensions, see the Hakone day trip
• The official description calls Hakone “suitable for a relaxing stay”; Yugawara is an older hot spring area, but this article has no transport information for it

Further reading: Kanagawa transport guide and Kanagawa attractions by area.