← Best ryokans in Hakone

Hakone vs Kinugawa Onsen

Hakone is the closer of the two: about 80 minutes from Shinjuku on the Romancecar, against about two hours from Asakusa to Kinugawa Onsen on Tobu's limited expresses. Hakone Town counted about 634 places to stay in 2024; the Nikko City Tourism Association puts Kinugawa Onsen at over 80 hotels and ryokan.

Hakone's sights are Lake Ashi, the ropeway over Owakudani and, on clear days, Mt Fuji. Kinugawa Onsen sits on a river gorge about 30 minutes by car from Nikko's World Heritage shrines.

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The two side by side

Hakone and Kinugawa Onsen compared
HakoneKinugawa Onsen
Fastest train from TokyoOdakyu Romancecar, Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutesTobu limited express, Asakusa to Kinugawa-Onsen, 2 hours 2 minutes to 2 hours 11 minutes
Adult fare, one way¥2,470 (¥1,270 fare plus ¥1,200 limited express fee)¥3,240 on the Kinu or Revaty (¥1,590 fare plus ¥1,650 fee); ¥3,530 on the Spacia X
Japan Rail PassCovers the Shinkansen to Odawara; nothing inside HakoneCovers only the JR part of the through train from Shinjuku; Tobu trains from Asakusa need a Tobu ticket
Area passHakone Freepass, ¥7,100 for 2 days from Shinjuku; Romancecar fee extraTobu Nikko Pass, ¥3,000 for 2 days (World Heritage Area) or ¥8,000 for 4 days (All Area) from Asakusa; limited express fee extra
Hot spring water17 hot spring areas, about 20 spring types, about 25,000 tonnes a dayAlkaline simple spring
SizeAbout 634 lodging facilities in 2024, by Hakone Town’s countOver 80 hotels and ryokan, by the Nikko City Tourism Association’s count
NearbyLake Ashi cruise, the ropeway over Owakudani, Hakone Open-Air Museum; Mt Fuji from the ropeway on clear daysNikko’s World Heritage shrines about 30 minutes by car; Kinugawa river boat ride; Tobu World Square 5 minutes by bus
Ryokans we list14, with facts checked on each inn’s own site3: Kinugawa Kanaya Hotel, Kinugawa Onsen Hana no Yado Matsuya and Nanaeyae

From Odakyu, Tobu, Japan Rail Pass, Hakone Tourism Association, Hakone Town and Nikko City Tourism Association pages, read on October 20, 2026. Fares are adult, one way, on normal days. The two lodging counts use different scopes.

Getting to Kinugawa Onsen

Tobu trains need two tickets, the fare and the limited express fee. For Hakone, see getting to Hakone from Tokyo.

Trains from Tokyo to Kinugawa Onsen
TrainFromTimeAdult fare, one way
Tobu Spacia XAsakusaAbout 2 hours; two trains in the timetable run through to Kinugawa-Onsen¥3,530 standard seat (¥1,590 fare plus ¥1,940)
Tobu Kinu or RevatyAsakusa2 hours 4 minutes to 2 hours 11 minutes¥3,240 (¥1,590 fare plus ¥1,650)
JR and Tobu limited express KinugawaShinjukuAbout 2 hours 5 minutes, via Ikebukuro and Omiya¥4,140 (¥2,040 fare plus ¥2,100)

Ryokans in each

We list fourteen ryokans in Hakone; they are compared in Hakone ryokans with a private onsen, Hakone ryokans under $300 a night and Hakone ryokans for couples. At Kinugawa Onsen we list three: Kinugawa Kanaya Hotel, Kinugawa Onsen Hana no Yado Matsuya and Nanaeyae. We have checked Nanaeyae's facts on its own site.

Nanaeyae

Nanaeyae

Kinugawa Onsen, Nikko

Onsen in the room
Some rooms. Private open-air hot spring bath in two rooms facing the gorge, and a hot spring indoor bath in one Japanese-Western room
Kashikiri bath
2 baths, ¥3,850 per use, book a slot, 45 min
Meals
Dinner and breakfast. Kaiseki in a private dining room or the restaurant, depending on the plan; not in the room
Getting there
Kinugawa-Onsen Station, about 5 minutes on foot
Tattoos
Not allowed in the large and open-air baths; the inn does not say whether the private baths may be used
Children
Welcome, with a facility fee for ages 0 to 5
English
English website; phone line in Japanese only
Read the full listingSee Prices on Agoda
Detail of a Hiroshige woodblock print of Kiga, Hakone: an arched wooden bridge between thatched inns over a rocky river
Utagawa Hiroshige, Kiga, from Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (1852). Public domain; scan: National Diet Library, Japan.

To compare every place to stay in Hakone and Nikko, hotels included, search Agoda directly.

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Questions

Which is closer to Tokyo, Hakone or Kinugawa Onsen?

Hakone. The Odakyu Romancecar takes about 80 minutes from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. Tobu’s limited expresses take 2 hours 2 minutes to 2 hours 11 minutes from Asakusa to Kinugawa-Onsen, and the JR and Tobu through train from Shinjuku about 2 hours 5 minutes.

How much is the train from Tokyo to Kinugawa Onsen?

From Asakusa, ¥3,240 on the Kinu or Revaty and ¥3,530 in a standard seat on the Spacia X, on normal days; peak days add ¥200 and off-season days take ¥200 off the fee. From Shinjuku, the through train costs ¥4,140. The Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto costs ¥2,470.

Does the Japan Rail Pass cover Kinugawa Onsen?

Only part of the way. It covers the JR section of the through train from Shinjuku, as far as Kurihashi; the Tobu section to Kinugawa-Onsen needs a separate fare and fee. Tobu trains from Asakusa are not covered. For Hakone, it covers the Shinkansen to Odawara but nothing beyond.

How far is Kinugawa Onsen from Nikko’s shrines?

About 30 minutes by car, according to the Nikko City Tourism Association. By train, Tobu’s sample route takes 35 minutes from Kinugawa-Onsen to Tobu-Nikko, changing at Shimo-imaichi; from there the World Heritage loop bus takes about 10 minutes and Toshogu is about 5 minutes on foot.

Which has more places to stay?

Hakone. Hakone Town counted about 634 lodging facilities in 2024. The Nikko City Tourism Association puts Kinugawa Onsen at over 80 hotels and ryokan, with about 10 more at Kawaji Onsen upstream.

How do the hot springs compare?

Hakone has 17 hot spring areas and about 20 spring types, from alkaline simple to sodium chloride and calcium sulfate springs, according to the Hakone Tourism Association. Kinugawa Onsen’s water is alkaline simple spring, according to the Nikko City Tourism Association.

More on Hakone

Hakone ryokans with a private onsenHakone ryokans under $300 a nightHakone ryokans for couplesGetting to Hakone from TokyoBest ryokans in HakoneEvery Hakone inn we list, by ratingBest ryokans in NikkoNikko ryokan guideWeekend ryokan trips from Tokyo