When the weather is clear, you could see the view of the majestic Mount Fuji in Hakone. It is one of the popular spots to visit when one travels to Tokyo, Japan. Hakone is known for its hot springs, natural beauty and the view across Lake Ashinoko which is nearby to Mount Fuji.
The best way to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji in Hakone is by hopping on various transportation services available throughout the town itself. In this post, I will be sharing with you the 5 different types of transportation we took to circle around Hakone in one day.
How to get to Hakone from Shinjuku.
The journey from Shinjuku to Hakone takes approximately 75 minutes with the Odakyu Railway train. We chose Shinjuku station because it was the nearest to where we stayed for this trip. The tickets can be purchase at the Odakyu Railway counter inside Shinjuku, one day before departure. We bought a round-trip Hakone Free Pass, valid for two days inclusive of unlimited rides on all the transportations in Hakone.
Since this will be a return trip, we decided to go as early as possible to the train station, to experience Hakone to the max before we headed back to Tokyo. We packed some food (sandwiches, chips, water) in case of limited options and made sure to bring an umbrella, just in case it rains.
Tickets from Odakyu Line:¥5,140 (US $45 / RM190) per person for two days.
Arriving in Hakone-Yumoto.
We finally arrived in Hakone town and had a quick cafe at the stations' cafe before walking into the cold mountain breeze. There were a row of shops selling drinks and souvenirs outside of the station. We walked along these shops, taking mental note of knick knacks we wanted to bring back to Tokyo. We continued walking up a hilly road to and saw more cute shops along the way. Autumn is such a nice season to visit Hakone, what with colorful leaves scattered everywhere on the road. 
Taking the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora.
We walked back down the hill to take the Tozan Train to Gora. It is the only mountain railway train in Japan with views of the area. As the train started ascending the hill, we saw a man in a Ninja suit run aside us to promote his restaurant in town. He was fast but only managed to run just a few minutes up before he tired out. We waved until he disappeared from our view.
The journey on the Tozan Train takes 40 minutes to Gora which is 541 meters above sea level. Halfway up the line, the conductor changes shifts and the train switched to reverse its direction. We made sure to sit near the window to get a good view. The colorful leaves and flowers made me want to touch them.
Walking the streets in Hakone.
From Gora to Sounzan on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car.
If you want to spend some time in Gora, you can visit the Gora Park with various flowers blooming in season or the Hakone Open-Air Museum housing sculptures. We skipped both option due to time and took the Hakone Tozan Cable car to Sounzan station. The train ride was 10-minutes and it took us up the steep slope before arriving at the station.
People queueing up for the Hakone Tozan Cable Car. 
Taking the Ropeway to Togendai.
We're finally riding the cable car or ropeway as they call it in Hakone. This was our chance to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji as we suspend in the air. The ride took 30 minutes to the next station and along the way we saw the crystal-clear blue waters of Lake Ashi and the rising volcanic fumes of Owakudani below us. The burning smell was quite strong, therefore we covered our noses as our passenger car crossed the volcanic fumes. Unfortunately for us, the sun decided to hide and heavy clouds came out instead, blocking the view of Mount Fuji.
We spent some time at this station, walking over to the viewing deck to see a clearer view of Owakudani. This volcanic valley has active sulphur vents and hot springs since it was created during the eruption of Mount Hakone, around 3,000 years ago. We also tried the volcanic egg, which was cooked over the hot springs. It was nice to eat it hot, when the weather was cold.
The view of the volcanic sulphur of Owakudani from the viewing deck. 
Sailing on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise.
Imagine seeing a large pirate ship on Lake Ashi and being able to actually board it. The Sightseeing Cruise comes in three types of ship namely the Royal II, Victory, and the Vasa. Our cruise was the Royal II, built after a model of the first-rate gun ship Royal Louis from the 18th century. Most ships operate from Togendai to Hakone-machi and then continue to Moto-Hakone.
We arrived at the Hakone-machi and took the bus back to town for a quick souvenir shopping, stopping in shops for Japanese treats. It was already evening when we took home the snack goodies.
There was no sign of Mount Fuji on this day due to the weather, but we enjoyed the cruise ship nevertheless. 
Last thoughts on the Hakone Freepass.
There were more places which we could have experienced if we stayed there for another two or three days, but this was good nevertheless. The only thing that dampened the trip was the unpredictable weather which meant not being able to see Mount Fuji while we were there.
It was also a good decision to visit Hakone on weekday as the crowd could get pretty massive on weekends. I remember visiting Hakone more than 8 years ago on a weekend, with a queue so long that we were super tired out by the time we came back to the house.
Staying longer in Hakone could have given us more chances of seeing Mount Fuji from various viewpoints. Despite all this, the trip was still worth it as we go to enjoy the autumn weather, colorful leaves and green scenery along the way.
