Day Trip to Hakone

Another day trip that can be done from Tokyo is going to Hakone to check out Mt Fuji. We left early in the morning from Shinjuku station, from the ticket office. You will take the romance car  from Shinjuku to Odawara and from there you can take the bus to Hakone-machi (to get a view of Mt Fuji) with a stop at the Hakone Open Air Museum.

The Hakone Open Air Museum is really lovely and refreshing. I did not expect to like it but I actually did. All you have to do is follow the trail on the map and you will be sure to see all the works of art, no matter how hidden they are. There is also a Picasso Pavilion with pottery, sketches and paintings by Picasso.

As with Kamakura, take some flyers that there so you can check out the bus routes and the attractions on the way. One day is not enough to see everything you want in the Hakone area, especially as in winter, the day is shorter if you want to see Mt Fuji you kind of have to rush. Next time, I would probably dedicate 3 days to that area to fully enjoy the nature, the sightseeing and the hot springs! If you have time and maybe skip the Open Air Museum, you can take a small cruise on the lake.

On the way back, while waiting for the train, we had some soba noodles with tempura. I heard it is good luck to eat them in the Hakone area. While waiting for the train, I got myself some well deserved hot coffee, and that café was the cutest place, with toy trains on the tables! It was a shame that it close quite early and we had to wait at least one more hour for the train.

Have you been to Hakone? What would you recommend checking out there?