Hakone Ropeway: 2026 Fares, Hours and Family Tips

What Is the Hakone Ropeway?

The Hakone Ropeway is the gondola line that carries you over the steaming volcanic valley of Owakudani and down to Lake Ashi. It runs about 4 km between Sounzan, where the cable car from Gora ends, and Togendai on the lake shore, with stops at Owakudani and Ubako.

Between Sounzan and Owakudani the valley floor is around 130 metres below the gondola.

It is the third leg of the Hakone loop, after the mountain train and the cable car, and the leg with the biggest view, with sulphur vents below and, on a clear day, Mt. Fuji ahead. The sections below give the 2026 fares, the hours, the volcanic gas rules and what parents need to know.

For the full day around it, see our Hakone day trip guide.

Route and Stations

The ropeway has four stations, and you change gondolas at Owakudani if you ride the whole line.

Station	What is there	Connects to
Sounzan	Upper end of the cable car	Hakone Tozan Cable Car to Gora
Owakudani	Volcanic valley, black eggs, restaurant	Change gondolas here
Ubako	Quiet stop in the woods	Buses
Togendai	Lake Ashi shore	Pirate ships, buses

Each of the three sections takes about 10 minutes. With the change at Owakudani, allow about 30 to 40 minutes from Sounzan to Togendai, more when there are queues.

You can get off at Owakudani or Ubako and continue later on the same ticket, as long as you keep going towards your destination.

Hakone Ropeway Fares in 2026

Since 1 October 2025 the ropeway has had a flat fare of ¥2,000 one way for adults and ¥700 for children, whether you ride one section or the whole line. Many websites still show the old ¥1,500 fare, or older section-by-section prices.

Ticket	Adult	Child (6 to 11)	Before Oct 2025 (adult)
One way, any section	¥2,000	¥700	¥1,500
Round trip	¥3,000	¥1,000	¥2,500

Adults are 12 and over. Children under 6 ride free, up to two for each paying adult or child. A six-year-old who has not started school still counts as an infant.

Because the fare is flat, a round trip from Sounzan to Owakudani and back costs the same as a round trip on the full line. For a family of two adults and two children aged 6 and 9, one ride from Sounzan to Togendai is ¥5,400.

Passes that cover the ropeway

• Hakone Freepass. It covers the ropeway, mountain train, cable car, pirate ship and most buses. From Shinjuku it is ¥7,100 for 2 days (child ¥1,600). See our Hakone Freepass guide.
• Owakudani 2-Day Pass. This covers the mountain train, cable car and the full ropeway from Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto for ¥5,000 (child ¥1,300).
• Sightseeing Cruise & Ropeway Pass. This gives one day on the ropeway and pirate ships for ¥5,000 (child ¥1,400).

Hours and How Often the Gondolas Run

The ropeway runs from 9:00 to 17:00 from February to November and from 9:00 to 16:15 in December and January, at all stations. A gondola for 18 people leaves about every minute, so you do not need a timetable.

There are no reservations and no priority boarding on the regular gondolas. You queue on the day. Watch the last departures, not the first.

If you plan to catch a pirate ship at Togendai, check the day's last sailing too, because missing it means taking the bus instead.

Getting Off at Owakudani, the Middle Station

Get off at Owakudani if everyone in your group is healthy. It is the reason most people ride. The station has a restaurant, a shop and the Owakudani Earth Valley observation area, opened in April 2025, looking straight down into the steaming valley.

Owakudani is also where the black eggs, boiled in the hot spring water, are sold. Our Owakudani guide covers the walking area and the food.

If the gas level is high, parts of the area can close at short notice even when the ropeway is running.

Volcanic Gas, Health Warnings and Closures

The ropeway measures volcanic gas all the time and stops the Sounzan to Ubako section, or the whole line, when the concentration rises. The decision is based on several readings at once, and the operator notes that the gas level is not directly tied to Japan's volcanic alert level.

The operator's own health guidance is stricter than most travel websites suggest.

• Do not ride. This applies to people with asthma or allergic asthma, bronchial or lung conditions, heart disease, a pacemaker, or anyone feeling unwell.
• Think carefully, including not riding. This applies to pregnant women, newborns and infants, people with allergies, and elderly passengers. Even a very small amount of gas can trigger an attack.

For safety, wet towels are handed out to cover the mouth and nose, each gondola carries oxygen and first-aid kits, and every station has a first-aid room. If you are travelling with a baby, plan the day so it still works without the Sounzan to Ubako section.

Hakone Tozan buses reach Togendai by road, and the pirate ship and the lake are away from the vents.

Weather and scheduled maintenance

The ropeway also stops in wind of 30 m/s or more, thunderstorms and typhoons, and for annual inspections. The next scheduled closures, with replacement buses, are listed below.

Section closed	Dates
Owakudani to Sounzan	7 to 24 December 2026
Togendai to Ubako to Owakudani	12 January to 26 February 2027

During these periods you can still reach Owakudani on the section that is running. Check the Hakone Navi operation status page on the morning you travel.

ROPESTER, the Open-Air Gondola

ROPESTER is a gondola with no window glass that the ropeway runs only on announced dates, not every day. It has been offered for limited periods since March 2025.

The summer 2026 run was four days in August, between Owakudani and Togendai, booked in advance for up to 8 people per trip.

The summer 2026 price was ¥4,000 for adults and ¥2,000 for children, or ¥1,000 with a Freepass. Children under elementary-school age and pregnant women could not ride, and each child needed at least one adult in the same gondola. Watch Hakone Navi for future dates.

Hakone Ropeway with Kids and Strollers

The ropeway is easy with children who can walk. The gondolas are large, the stations are barrier-free and there are lifts. Wheelchair users can ride in their wheelchair, and wheelchairs are lent free at each station.

• Strollers. The operator does not publish a stroller rule for the gondolas. A folded stroller is simplest when the queue is long, and a baby carrier is easier through the change at Owakudani.
• Baby care. Each station has a baby rest area for nursing and nappy changes. Ask a staff member.
• Infants. See the health guidance above. The gas closures apply to the Sounzan to Ubako section. If you skip it, Ubako to Togendai still gives a view of the lake. Ask the staff on the day.
• Pets ride only in a closed carrier. Carriers can be rented at stations for ¥100.

Crowds and the Best Time to Ride

The ropeway is quietest at opening, from 9:00, and busiest from late morning to early afternoon at weekends, on holidays and in the autumn leaf season, when the queue at Sounzan can be long. Gondolas leave every minute, so the queue moves, but it can still take a while on a November Saturday.

• Go up early. Most visitors start the loop from Hakone-Yumoto mid-morning and reach Sounzan around midday.
• Ride in reverse from Togendai if you reach the lake by bus first. You then travel against the main flow of the loop.
• For Mt. Fuji, winter mornings give the clearest views. The summit is often in cloud in summer.

Hakone Ropeway vs Komagatake Ropeway

They are different lines. The Hakone Ropeway is the long gondola over Owakudani covered by the Freepass. The Hakone Komagatake Ropeway is a separate, short cable car from the Hakone-en area on the east shore of Lake Ashi up Mt. Komagatake, run by a different company and not on the Freepass.

If you want Owakudani, you want the Hakone Ropeway.

The Hakone Ropeway with Children

With young children, the ropeway queue and the change of gondola are the hardest part of the loop. Check the line status on the morning, and ride early before the queues build.

Our private tours are on foot in Tokyo and Yokohama. Your guide rides the trains with you, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card. See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

From Togendai the next leg is the Hakone pirate ship across Lake Ashi. The leg before is the cable car at the end of the Hakone Tozan Railway.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Hakone Ropeway in 2026?

It costs a flat ¥2,000 one way for adults and ¥700 for children, for any section. A round trip is ¥3,000 and ¥1,000. Children under 6 ride free. The Hakone Freepass covers it.

How long is the Hakone Ropeway ride?

Each of the three sections takes about 10 minutes. With the change at Owakudani, allow 30 to 40 minutes from Sounzan to Togendai, plus queueing at busy times.

Is the Hakone Ropeway open today?

Check the Hakone Navi operation status page on the day. The line stops for strong wind, high volcanic gas and maintenance, with replacement buses during planned closures.

Is the Hakone Ropeway safe for babies?

The operator asks parents of newborns and infants to think carefully before riding, because of volcanic gas around Owakudani. Healthy older children ride normally.

Do you need to book the Hakone Ropeway?

No. Regular gondolas cannot be reserved. You queue on the day. Only the special ROPESTER open-air gondola is booked in advance.

Can you see Mt. Fuji from the Hakone Ropeway?

Yes, on clear days, especially between Owakudani and Togendai. Winter mornings give the best chance.

Sources

https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-ropeway
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/hakone-ropeway/
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/transportation/ticket_info/fee/
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/re_price202510.pdf
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/volcanic_gas_info/caution/
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/601794b4e8984c16a9d6f9b85670836f.pdf
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/daa227c3f688604641c793352f37615d.pdf
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/faq/