Hakone money guide 2026 — Yumoto, Gora, Lake Ashi exchange, ATMs, cards, ryokan hotels
⚡ 30-Second Answer: Hakone = 90-min onsen escape from Tokyo, 1-2 night budget ¥30-100K/person. Hakone Free Pass (2-day ¥6,100) covers ropeway, cruise, mountain railway. Ryokan ¥15-50K/night (breakfast+dinner), ¥10K cash + credit card + Suica works. Exchange at Hakone-Yumoto Sta credit union, 24h ATMs at Gora / Sengokuhara 7-Eleven.
Quick Reference
Value
Stay
1-2 nights
Budget
¥30-100K
Free Pass
2-day ¥6,100
Ryokan
¥15-50K/night
From Tokyo
Odakyu 90 min
Last verified
June 2026
📖7 min read
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The single-page pillar for handling money in Hakone. Hakone is a hot-spring resort 1.5 hours from Tokyo on the Odakyu Romancecar limited express, with one critical money quirk: there are effectively no currency exchange shops, and ATMs are limited. Exchange in Tokyo before you leave — that's the rule. On the upside, ryokan accept cards 90%+, the Hakone Free Pass covers most transit, and tourist sites are increasingly card-friendly, so ¥10,000-15,000 cash per person per day plus a card is plenty.
This page covers the Tokyo (Shinjuku) → Hakone-Yumoto → Gora / Lake Ashi → ryokan money flow across 6 axes.
TL;DR — your no-stress Hakone money playbook
Cash to carry: ¥10,000-15,000/day per person (onsen coins ¥1,000-2,500 / meals / souvenirs / bus add-ons)
Exchange in Tokyo: USD/EUR/CNY at Shinjuku WCS or Travelex before boarding. Hakone has essentially no exchange shops
Best ATM: Seven Bank ATM in Hakone-Yumoto Station, plus Lawson in Gora. With Wise/Revolut, mid-market
Hakone Free Pass: ¥6,100 / 2-day or ¥6,500 / 3-day from Shinjuku (train + bus + ropeway + pirate ship)
Hotels: Yumoto ¥15,000-30,000, Gora ¥25,000-50,000, Sengokuhara ¥40,000-100,000+. Compare Rakuten Travel / Agoda / Jalan / JTB
Tokyo → Hakone: Odakyu Romancecar Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto ¥2,470 (85 min) or Shinkansen → Odawara → transfer
Where the Romancecar terminates. The station-front street has convenience stores, souvenir shops, and onsen manju (steamed buns) stalls, but zero exchange shops, just one Seven Bank ATM in the station and a few konbini ATMs nearby. Top up cash here before climbing the mountain.
Gora (mid-elevation arts district)
Terminus of the Hakone Tozan rack railway, transfer to the cable car. Home to Pola Museum, Hakone Open-Air Museum, Okada Museum, and mid-tier high-end ryokan (Gora Kadan, Prince Hakone). ATM is just the Lawson in front of Gora Station.
Sengokuhara (highland resort)
Famous for pampas-grass plains and the Hakone Glass Forest Museum. Concentration of high-end resort ryokan (Hoshino Kai Hakone, Odakyu Hotel de Yama, etc.). No ATM physically present — top up at Yumoto.
Lake Ashi / Moto-Hakone (pirate ship and Mt. Fuji view)
Hakone Pirate Ship, Lake Ashi Skyline, Hakone Shrine. Mostly a day-trip area. Lawson near Hakone Shrine is the ATM anchor.
Owakudani (volcanic vents)
Black eggs, sulfur vents, ropeway station. ¥200-500 small change is the main spend here (black eggs are 5 for ¥500).
Which kind of traveler are you in Hakone?
The defining Hakone fact: there are basically no exchange counters in the mountains, and ryokan + sightseeing spots lean cash. Sort money in Tokyo first. Match your row.
If you're…
Hakone money move
Why
A day-tripper from Tokyo
Exchange in Tokyo before you board the Romancecar
Hakone has effectively no counters — arrive with the yen you need
Staying at an onsen ryokan
Confirm card vs cash at booking; carry a cash cushion
Many traditional ryokan and kaiseki dinners are cash-only
Carrying a Wise or Revolut card
Withdraw at a Hakone-Yumoto konbini ATM on arrival
No exchange counters, but Seven Bank ATMs near the station still work
Doing the ropeway / Owakudani / Lake Ashi loop
Carry ¥100–¥500 coins and small bills
Black eggs, pirate ship snacks and small spots run on small change
On a tight ryokan budget
Bring enough cash from Tokyo for the whole stay
ATMs thin out fast above Hakone-Yumoto; don't get caught short uphill
2. Exchange — none in Hakone, settle it in Tokyo
Exchange shops within Hakone (USD, May 2026)
Shop
Rate
Hours
Location
Hakone-Yumoto Station Tourist Info
mid −4 to −5% (poor)
09:00-17:00
Station front, emergency only
Odakyu Hakone Kogen Hotel front desk
mid −5 to −6%
guests only
Sengokuhara
Ryokan front desks (Yumoto / Gora)
varies (−5 to −7%)
check-in only
major chains only
Realistically, Hakone has no proper exchange shop.
If you forgot to exchange in Tokyo, Wise / Revolut card at the Seven Bank ATM in Hakone-Yumoto Station is the only mid-market path. Withdraw ¥20,000-30,000 in one go for fee efficiency.
3. ATMs — clustered in Yumoto and Gora, scarce elsewhere
Yumoto, Gora, and around Lake Ashi are full LTE, but Owakudani, the ropeway cabins, hiking trails, and parts of Sengokuhara go dark. Ryokan WiFi is reliable, so a ryokan-WiFi + eSIM-for-outings combination is enough.
Romancecar limited-express ticket: station counter or EMot app for advance booking
FAQ
Q: How much cash should I bring to Hakone?
A: ¥10,000-15,000 per person per day. Ryokan stay goes on card; onsen manju, black eggs, shrine charms, small bus top-ups burn through cash. For 2 nights, ¥30,000-40,000 is comfortable.
Q: Forgot to exchange in Tokyo, what now?
A: Use the Seven Bank ATM inside Hakone-Yumoto Station with Wise / Revolut. JCB / Visa debit works too, but you'll eat ¥220 + 1.6-2% foreign-use fee from the issuing bank. Bring a card, withdraw ¥30,000 at Yumoto is the practical answer.
Q: Hakone Free Pass — cash or card?
A: Odakyu counter at Shinjuku Station = card OK, EMot app = card OK, Hakone-Yumoto Station = cash / card both OK. Buying at Shinjuku is more convenient (you can use it on the train down).
Q: When do I pay at the ryokan?
A: Usually all together at checkout. Prepayment (online card charge) vs same-day depends on the booking site's setting. ¥30,000-50,000-tier ryokan typically take card on the day.
Q: Out of cash at Owakudani?
A: You have to go back down. There are no ATMs at Owakudani or the ropeway stations. You must descend to Gora. Carry ¥10,000 cash before going up.
Q: Ryokan says they don't take cards — now what?
A: This happens occasionally at room-only ryokan under ¥15,000. Always check the booking site's "Payment methods" field before booking. Pre-pay-via-card options on the booking site are the safest.