Season by season
Spring (March–May)
Cherry blossom works its way up the valley through April, later at the lake. Azaleas follow in May. Mild days, cool evenings and heavy Golden Week traffic.
Summer (June–August)
Hydrangeas line the Tozan Railway from mid-June to mid-July, with evening illuminated trains. Summer is green, misty and much cooler than Tokyo, though Fuji is seldom visible.
Autumn (September–November)
Silver pampas grass waves across Sengokuhara from late September, and autumn colour peaks through November — the busiest time of year on the roads.
Winter (December–February)
Cold, dry and clear, with the best odds of seeing Fuji and the special pleasure of an outdoor bath in the cold. Occasional snow; the Hakone Ekiden relay closes roads on 2–3 January.
Month by month
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | -2°C | Quiet |
| February | 7°C | -1°C | Quiet |
| March | 10°C | 2°C | Busy |
| April | 15°C | 7°C | Very busy |
| May | 19°C | 11°C | Very busy |
| June | 22°C | 15°C | Busy |
| July | 25°C | 19°C | Very busy |
| August | 27°C | 20°C | Very busy |
| September | 23°C | 17°C | Busy |
| October | 18°C | 11°C | Very busy |
| November | 13°C | 6°C | Very busy |
| December | 9°C | 1°C | Quiet |
Temperatures are approximate long-term averages; individual years vary.
Festivals & events
- 2–3 January: Hakone Ekiden, the university relay race from Tokyo to Lake Ashi and back
- Mid-June–mid-July: hydrangea season and night-time “Hydrangea Train” services on the Tozan line
- 31 July–5 August: Lake Ashi summer festival week, with fireworks and a torii-burning ceremony
- 16 August: Daimonji bonfire on Mount Myojogatake above Gora
- 3 November: Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu, a feudal lord’s procession through Hakone-Yumoto
Our advice
Come on a weekday if you possibly can, start the loop before 9:00 and reverse it if the forecast is clearer in the morning. For Fuji views choose late autumn or winter; for the journey itself, hydrangea season in June is hard to beat.
