Is the Hakone Freepass Worth It? A Full-Loop Fare Comparison from Shinjuku or Odawara

For the Hakone loop priced below, individual adult tickets total ¥6,470 from Odawara, compared with ¥6,000 for the two-day Hakone Freepass. That makes the pass ¥470 cheaper for this particular route.

Your onward journey matters too. If you return to Shinjuku, the Shinjuku pass is the cheaper of the two pass options compared here. If you continue to Kyoto from Odawara, an Odawara pass plus a separate one-way Odakyu ticket costs slightly less.

These are calculations from official fares checked on November 6, 2026, not a report of a trip we took. They assume one adult, ordinary transport, and the exact route below. Accommodation, meals, admissions, special cabins and limited express supplements are excluded.

What the pass includes

Both versions cover designated Hakone transport. The Shinjuku version also includes one Odakyu round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara; the Odawara version does not. Neither is an unlimited pass for every service in the region. Official coverage and terms (Japanese)

Source: Odakyu's Hakone Freepass price page. A two-day pass can be used for a day trip; its value depends on your actual rides.

A complete Hakone loop: every fare included

This example starts and ends at Odawara. Take the train to Gora, changing at Hakone-Yumoto without leaving the ticket gates. Continue by cable car and ropeway to Togendai, cross Lake Ashi on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, then return via Moto-Hakone Port and Hakone-Yumoto.

Fare sources: train and cable car (Japanese), ropeway and cruise (Japanese), K-route bus fare table, revised October 1, 2025 (Japanese). The bus fare is also confirmed in the operator's fare-revision notice (Japanese).

¥6,470 − ¥6,000 = ¥470 saved with the Odawara two-day pass. All listed services are covered by the pass. This comparison counts one loop only, even if you spread it across the pass's validity period. Extra covered journeys may increase the saving; skipping rides may make individual tickets cheaper.

The train calculation matters: Odawara–Gora is ¥770 as a through journey. Buying separate Odawara–Hakone-Yumoto and Hakone-Yumoto–Gora tickets costs ¥360 + ¥460 = ¥820. If you leave the gates at Hakone-Yumoto to explore on the outward journey, use that split-ticket assumption instead: the loop becomes ¥6,520. Official train fares (Japanese)

This is a transport budget, not a timed itinerary. Check departure times and the last boat, ropeway and bus before traveling. A fare comparison does not guarantee that every connection will fit your day.

There is a convenience benefit too: for the covered rides on this loop, the Freepass saves you from buying a new ticket for each service. Even when the price difference is small, that may make the pass worthwhile for you. And if paper tickets have a habit of disappearing into your pockets, having one pass to keep track of may feel like a small holiday in itself. You still need to keep your pass accessible and show or scan it as required. Official usage guide

Starting in Shinjuku: returning there or continuing to Kyoto?

The following totals use that same ¥6,470 loop, plus adult paper-ticket fares of ¥910 each way on the Odakyu Line between Shinjuku and Odawara. Odakyu fare table (Japanese)

For the return trip to Shinjuku, its pass saves ¥1,190 against individual tickets, or ¥720 against the Odawara-pass combination. For onward travel to Kyoto, the Odawara-pass combination saves ¥470 against individual tickets and ¥190 against the Shinjuku pass. These are different comparisons, not interchangeable claims of a general saving.

IC fares change the arithmetic slightly: Shinjuku–Odawara is ¥901 by IC card. Using that amount for the access journeys gives ¥8,272 versus ¥7,802 versus ¥7,100 for the return trip, and ¥7,371 versus ¥6,901 versus ¥7,100 for the onward-trip comparison. Official IC and paper-ticket fares (Japanese)

All Kyoto-column totals stop at Odawara. Add a separate Odawara–Kyoto Shinkansen ticket to your travel budget; it is outside the Freepass area and excluded equally from each option. See JR Central's ticket guide.

Romancecar supplements are extra

The totals above use trains that do not require a limited express supplement. For the Romancecar, add a separate reserved-seat limited express ticket. Shinjuku–Hakone-Yumoto costs ¥1,200 in the standard fare table, or ¥1,150 ticketless; Shinjuku–Odawara costs ¥1,000 or ¥950 respectively. These are supplements, not the complete travel cost. Odakyu Romancecar fare table (Japanese)

For an English overview of the train and how to use it, see Odakyu's Romancecar guide in English. The detailed fare table linked above is in Japanese.

Buying and using your pass

You can buy a digital pass through EMot Online Tickets, or a paper pass at an Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center or ticket machine. The official digital guidance calls for a smartphone for each traveler. Check the departure station and displayed validity dates before paying. Official purchase guide

The Japanese conditions allow advance purchase from one month before use. A two-day pass is not a rolling 48-hour ticket. For advance purchases, check the selected travel date and the dates printed or displayed on your actual ticket. Purchase conditions (Japanese), validity FAQ

If a service is suspended, ask the seller about the applicable refund procedure. The official conditions provide for certain suspension-related refunds when the affected service was unused throughout the pass's validity; they do not promise an automatic full refund. Third-party ticket conditions may differ. Refund terms (Japanese)

When individual tickets may be better

The ¥470 Odawara saving depends on taking this complete loop. A short stay near Hakone-Yumoto with little transport use needs a different calculation. List your actual rides—including access from and back to Odawara—and compare them before buying. Recheck fares and operations close to your travel date.