In this article, I will talk about 2 tourist spots nearby for you to visit close to Tokyo and near Mount Fuji. We will discuss the itinerary of Mount Hakone and the city of Gotemba and my experience in 2018 in this magnificent place.
Hakone [箱根] is a city near Mount Fuji that is situated among mountains. In this city, you have access to Mount Hakone, a giant volcano with a very long and unique cable car.
On the other side, you find Lake Ashi along with a pirate-themed boat ride. Followed by some tourist villages and other routes and neighboring cities that surround Mount Fuji. Hakone is not very close, but it provides one of the best views of this incredible Fujisan.
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My journey to Hakone
It all started in Tokyo Shinjuku, where I took a train to Odawara and bought the Hakone Free Pass, which lasts for 2 days and allows access to trains, buses, cable cars, gondolas, and boats around Hakone for only 4600 yen (150 reais).
The train ride in the city of Hakone is quite crazy, as the trains literally climb the mountain, needing to stop to change tracks and continue in a sort of Z to the top of the mountain.
In the city center, we can access a beautiful park and garden (Gora Park) in addition to some local establishments. After taking a stroll through the park, I took the gondola that went up to the cable car.
Hakone is also famous for the numerous Onsen and Ryokans that surround the mountains. If you come to Hakone, don’t forget to secure accommodation in the area to enjoy the baths in Japan’s hot springs.
Below you can see a video I recorded on the trains, gondolas, cable cars, and boats of Hakone. I hope you like it; I’m not very good at recording things alone.
After the cable car, I took the entire boat route to Hakone-Machi, another village nearby, until at the end of the day I took the onibûs to Hakone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see Mount Fuji that day. Fortunately, the next day in Gotenba, I was able to see it from the hotel window.
List of tourist spots in Hakone
Hakone is a great place, especially for the number of tourist spots and highlights that you can visit. We have already mentioned some, but now I want to make a list of all the tourist spots in Hakone and its surroundings.
- Gora Park;
- Open Air Museum;
- Owakudani (Volcanic Zone);
- Pola Museum;
- Hakone Shrine;
- Lake Ashinoko;
- Hakone Cable Car;
- Okada Museum of Art;
- Hakone Tozan Railway;
- Odawara Castle;
- Hakone Art Museum;
- Botanical Garden;
- Gora Park;
- Narukawa Art Museum;
- Gotemba Outlet Mall;
- Choanji Temple;
- Hakone Glass no Mori;
- Detached Palace;
Getting to know the city of Gotenba
Gotemba is a city near Mount Fuji and Hakone; it was the city where I stayed after leaving Hakone. I stayed in a hotel with a large room in front of the train station where the daily rate was only 100 reais.
The city of Gotemba is better known for its large shopping center called Gotemba Premium Outlets. The place has a beautiful view of Mount Fuji and has about 200 stores, 50 restaurants, and a Ferris wheel.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go to the Outlet in Gotenba. I ended up missing it by having a crazy idea of taking the train line back to Odawara in the hope of seeing Mount Fuji. To my surprise, I passed through many mountains without any decent view.
There are thousands of places to visit near Hakone and Gotemba. The other time, I had the opportunity to pass by the longest suspension bridge in Japan, the Mishima Skywalk. I hope you enjoyed these travel tips. If you liked it, don’t forget to share and leave your comments.
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