What to Do in Hakone-Yumoto (Best Food, Hotels, & Onsens)

Yumoto (often called Hakone-Yumoto) is the charming gateway town to Hakone—a vast area inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park comprising several small towns famous for its hot springs (onsens) and Mt Fuji views!

Many tourists arrive at the Hakone-Yumoto Station by train on a day trip from Tokyo and then scurry on to visit Gora and Lake Ashinoko or other top attractions and things to do in Hakone.

But I’m here to tell you not to overlook Yumoto!!

With multiple beautiful onsens to choose from, various delicious restaurants and cute shops, plus a convenient bus and train station, Yumoto is arguably the best town to base yourself in during a stay in Hakone.

Whether your ryokan or hotel is in Yumoto or you simply want to pass the time as you await your train, here is my insider’s guide for what to do in Hakone-Yumoto!

The Ultimate Guide to Yumoto, Hakone

🏡 Stay: Book your Yumoto ryokan with an onsen in advance (months, if possible!)

🚙 Getting around: You don’t necessarily need to rent a car to visit Hakone-Yumoto from Tokyo. Instead, you can get there by train and, from there, use the Hakone Freepass (buy an e-voucher on Klook)

📱 Data abroad: Easily get data in Japan with a 1GB or 2GB Japan e-sim.

Arriving at the Hakone-Yumoto Station

Knowing what to do next can feel overwhelming once you arrive at the Hakone-Yumoto Station via the Romancecar (or the Odakyu train) from Tokyo.

If you are in Hakone for an overnight stay, the first thing to do is check in to your hotel. Alternatively, you can store your luggage in the train station’s lockers for safekeeping to get a jumpstart on your day.

But once you arrive, you have several choices:

• Stick around and visit Yumoto town (this guide!).
• Take the bus toward Motohakone-ko to visit Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine, Hakone Checkpoint, and more.
• Take the train or bus toward Gora to visit museums, Gora Park, and more small towns and onsens.

If you want to do the “Hakone Loop” during your stay, save my Hakone 2-day itinerary. It details all the places to see in the larger Hakone area.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for the best onsens, food, and shops in the Hakone-Yumoto area, then keep reading!

What to Do in Hakone-Yumoto Area

To sit in all the onsens or eat my way through the town? Those were my first thoughts when arriving in Yumoto!

This cute town is framed by forested hills carved out by the Haya River, making for a picturesque Japanese countryside setting, especially in the spring when the plum trees and cherry blossoms bloom. Or even in winter under a blanket of snow or a light rain.

You could easily spend a full day in Yumoto alone between the restaurants, onsens, and specialty shops.

Here’s a quick overview of how to spend the day in Yumoto, Hakone:

• Shop for food delicacies and souvenirs downtown in Hakone-Yumoto Shotengai (e.g., Manju, hot spring buns, yam soba, wood mosaics, etc.!).
• Enjoy onsen (obviously!); several are in the town (list below).
• Try Hakone’s famous Yuba soup (tofu skin).
• Climb between the trees at the Forest Adventure Park (a 12-minute walk or a free, 3-minute shuttle from Hakone-Yumoto Station).
• Cozy up inside a Yumoto cafe—Café Timuny is my recommendation!
• Watch the locals go ayu fishing in the Haya River in the summer.
• Visit the Tamadare Shrine and small waterfall!

All of the above activities are reachable on foot while in Yumoto! However, a quick bus/shuttle ride (5-10 minutes) to Tonosawa Station will afford you even more fun things to do, such as the nearby Hakone Yuro hot spring resort, Kawa-zu-taki waterfall, and the beautiful Hayakawa Gorge.

Onsens in Hakone-Yumoto

As Hakone is one of Japan’s most well-known onsen towns, you must experience relaxing in a natural hot spring here.

While many of Hakone’s top-tier onsens are owned by the ryokan inns and hotels, there are several public onsens where you can go even as a non-guest or daytripper.

Lucky for you, the best ones (in my opinion) are located right in Yumoto!

First, I recommend going to the Tenzan Onsen (¥1350-1400) in Yumoto as they are tattoo-friendly, and the hot springs vary in temperature and are framed in a pretty natural setting!

I stayed here for about two hours, moving from bath to bath, and loved it.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, Hakone Yuryo is perhaps the most popular onsen in Yumoto because there is a free shuttle from the Hakone-Yumoto Station, but this onsen is not tattoo-friendly! Entrance costs ¥1600 (weekdays) and ¥1900 (weekends).

More onsens in Yumoto:

• Hakone Kammon Onsen has hot springs in ceramic pots; if that’s not cute, I don’t know what it is! Day access costs ¥1980.
• Hakone no Yu is also popular but not tattoo-friendly. Entrance costs ¥1250 (or ¥700 if you’re a guest at and purchase from Guesthouse Azito).
• Natural Onsen Izumi is, I think, tattoo-friendly, but I’m not 100% sure. Costs ¥1250.
• Yunosato Okada features multiple outdoor baths. Costs ¥1450.
• Komorebi no Yado Furusato is at a small, family-run Japanese inn (price unknown).
• Kappa Tengoku is a no-frills onsen located behind the Hakone-Yumoto Station. Costs ¥800.

Onsens in Hakone are a must-experience year-round. But if you visit Hakone in winter, then onsens are particularly satisfying when you’re chilled to the bone and need a hot soak.

Finally, here’s a glance at Japan’s onsen etiquette to follow if it’s your first time:

• Bathe naked!
• Wash thoroughly with soap and water before entering the hot springs.
• Keep your hair tied up out of the water.
• Take a face towel in the onsen (but keep it on your head and always out of the water).
• You can rent face/bath towels at locations for around ¥200-350.
• Bring cash for ticket machines (plus, some onsens accept cash only).
• Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap are usually provided.
• Photographs/cameras are prohibited inside the changing room or onsen area.
• Lockers in the changing room usually cost ¥100—you can wear the key around your wrist in the bath.
• Hair dryers are provided (I’ve seen them at every onsen and sento I’ve visited!).

Yumoto’s Top Ryokans & Hotels

If you stay overnight in Hakone-Yumoto, I recommend staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan inn with an onsen.

While you can save money by staying in a hotel without a hot spring, staying in a ryokan with a private onsen is kind of the thing to do here—if you have the budget!

If not, you can find accommodation in Yumoto for as low as $30-$40/night and visit one of the public onsens in Yumoto during the day instead for a cost of ¥1,300 – ¥2000.

🎒 Budget Core:

✨ Boutique / Mid-Range:

💎 Luxurious / High-End:

While these are all fabulous places to stay, you should also consider your Hakone itinerary and what you wish to do here.

I will say that I didn’t feel like I was missing out on the full Hakone experience by staying in a hostel and not a ryokan as a solo traveler. But, again, if this is your Japan vacation and you are traveling with family or friends, then a ryokan in Hakone is a great idea!

Best Food & Shops in Hakone-Yumoto

Walk down Hakone-Yumoto Shotengai (the covered shopping market street), and you’ll be spoilt for choice.

As you meander from store to store, look out for Hakone specialties!

At the Kikuwa Shoten store, you’ll find hot-spring stamped spongecakes filled with white bean paste. These “Castella-yaki Hakone Manju” cakes are the shop’s signature manju.

Other regional specialties include Hakone’s black eggs (cooked in Owakudani’s volcanic hot spring water), umeboshi (pickled dried plums), and wooden mosaic coasters (Hakone parquetry).

If you miss trying the black eggs at Owakudani, you can pick up chocolate versions in Yumoto. (Don’t try to bring the real black eggs home; they only last a day!)

You have several restaurant options around Hakone, but those in Yumoto consistently rank highest—and for a good reason!

• Kinosuke: Delicious charcoal-grilled fish meal sets for lunch or dinner.
• Yubadon Naokichi: Famous tofu “sushi” and boiling soup made with Hakone mountain water.
• Hatsuhana Soba Honten: A historic 1934 establishment serving locally-made hot and cold soba noodles.

I also ate out at a pizzeria called 808 Monsmare, the Stella gelato shop, and the Jyokamachi pudding store, which also served grilled pork skewers and giant onigiri.

Finally, don’t forget to pick up last-minute goodies and a bento box inside the Hakone-Yumoto Station for your ride back to the city!

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