Hakone has been one of Japan's most popular hot spring resorts for centuries. Nowadays, more than a dozen springs provide hot spring water to the many bath houses and ryokan in the Hakone region. Yumoto, at the entrance to the Hakone area near Odawara, is Hakone's most famous hot spring with a particularly long history, high quality water and numerous baths and inns. Many more hot spring facilities are found across the hills and valleys of Hakone and along the shores of Lake Ashi.

The Hakone Open Air Museum (箱根彫刻の森美術館, Hakone Chōkoku No Mori Bijutsukan) successfully attempts to create a harmonic balance of nature and art by exhibiting various sculptures on its grounds in combination with views of the surrounding valley and mountains. The museum has various different sections and exhibition spaces outdoors and indoors. The Picasso Exhibition Hall is one such space and showcases two stories of paintings, sculptures and ceramic works by the artist in addition to photos of him at various points during his life.

Owakudani (大涌谷, Ōwakudani) is the area around a crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone some 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced. Additionally, Owakudani has good views of Mount Fuji on clear days. A short walking trail (about ten minutes one way) leads from the ropeway station into the volcanic zone to a number of steam vents and bubbling pools. Here you can purchase eggs, cooked in the naturally hot water, whose shells are blackened by the sulfur and which are said to prolong one's life by seven years.

Lake Ashinoko (芦ノ湖, Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago. Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone. The lake's shores are mostly undeveloped except for small towns in the east and north and a couple of lakeside resort hotels. The best views of the lake in combination with Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from Moto-Hakone (a few steps south from the sightseeing boat pier), from the Hakone Detached Palace Garden and from the sightseeing boats cruising the lake.

Hakone Shrine (箱根神社, Hakone Jinja) stands at the foot of Mount Hakone along the shores of Lake Ashi. The shrine buildings are hidden in the dense forest, but are well advertised by its huge torii gates, one standing prominently in the lake and two others over the main street of Moto-Hakone. A path leads from the torii gate in Lake Ashi up a series of steps flanked by lanterns through the forest to the main building of the shrine, which sits peacefully among the tall trees. The shrine is beautiful throughout the year, and is particularly breathtaking when shrouded in mist.

The POLA group, a skin care and beauty products company, opened the POLA Museum of Art (ポーラ美術館, Pōla Bijutsukan) in 2002 in order to display the extensive private art collection of the company's late owner, Suzuki Tsuneshi. The museum was built amid a forest of 300 year old beech trees, and although constructed of concrete and glass, it is designed so as not to disrupt the natural environment that surrounds it. To achieve this, the majority of the building is located underground.

The Okada Museum of Art (岡田美術館, Okada Bijutsukan) is a privately-owned museum showcasing a wide collection of art pieces dating from antiquity to the modern era. Opened in 2013 by casino mogul Okada Kazuo, the museum features a large array of East Asian ceramics, sculptures and paintings, all housed in a very spacious, modern facility surrounded by expansive grounds that feature a Japanese garden, a teahouse and a cafe with hot spring foot bath.

The Hakone Ropeway (箱根ロ－プウエイ) is part of the Hakone Round Course, a popular way to visit Hakone. It connects Sounzan Station (at the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Cablecar) with Togendai Station (at the shore of Lake Ashinoko) and stops at Owakudani and Ubako stations on the way. The ropeway is fully covered by the Hakone Free Pass. The ropeway's gondolas depart every minute and fit around ten people each. Traveling the full length of the ropeway takes around 30 minutes. Along the journey, passengers can enjoy views of the active, sulfuric hot spring sources of the Owakudani Valley between Sounzan and Owakudani and of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji between Owakudani and Togendai if visibility allows. A transfer of gondolas is necessary at Owakudani, but no transfer is needed at Ubako.

Odawara Castle (小田原城, Odawarajō) was originally built in the mid 15th century and soon fell into the hands of the Hojo Clan, one of the most powerful clans during the Warring States Era who used it as a base to control the region around modern day Tokyo. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the castle, and with the defeat of the Hojo Clan, reunited Japan. In 1703 the castle was destroyed by an earthquake but quickly rebuilt; yet in 1870, the castle keep and other buildings were dismantled and sold. The keep was rebuilt again in ferro-concrete in 1960 based on models and drawings from the Edo Period. Over the following years, the three major gates leading up to the castle were also restored. Today it is the closest castle keep to Tokyo.

A ride on the Hakone Tozan Railway (箱根登山電車, Hakone Tozan Densha), Japan's oldest mountain railway, is a treat for more than just railway fans. The small trains wind themselves through a narrow, densely wooded valley over many bridges and tunnels, stopping at small stations along the way and changing directions at three switchbacks. The Hakone Tozan Line consists of two sections. The lower section from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto is used by Odakyu trains from central Tokyo and is not particularly noteworthy. Far more spectacular is the upper section from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora, which is served by the small mountain trains. At Gora, many travelers transfer to the cablecar for Lake Ashi.

The Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands (箱根湿生花園, Hakone Shisseikaen) is a botanical garden in the highlands of Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. The park was founded in 1976 as a place to preserve and exhibit over 1700 varieties of marsh and alpine plants native to Japan. The garden offers a network of boardwalk paths through different types of marshland where you can learn about the plants that populate the wetlands. Information signs are in English and Japanese. The garden is popular during June when its Nikko Kisuge (daylily) are in full bloom, however it is closed during the winter months.

The Hakone Glass no Mori (箱根ガラスの森) features Italian styled buildings housing a museum and shops. Outside is a large strolling garden surrounding a canal like pond. The garden has a number of large glass sculptures laid about it, as well as a cafe with an open terrace at one end where live canzoni (Italian ballads) performances are held. The Glass no Mori's Venetian Glass Museum houses a collection of over 100 pieces of Venetian glassware. It displays both modern and classical works in all forms including vases, goblets, lamps and sculptures.

The Hakone Museum of Art (箱根美術館, Hakone Bijutsukan), located in Gora, was founded by Okada Mokichi in 1952. Its sister museum, the MOA Museum of Art was later built in Atami City on the Izu Peninsula. The museum displays mainly Japanese ceramics from prehistoric times through the Edo Period (1600-1868). These include a number of large earthenware and ceramic vessels such as a haniwa burial statue classified as an Important Cultural Property.

Hakone Detached Palace (旧箱根離宮, Kyū Hakone Rikyū) used to serve as a summer palace for the Imperial Family, but was later opened to the public. It is located at the southern shores of Lake Ashinoko on the peninsula between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi. Only a relatively small and simple building remains of the former palace complex. It is surrounded by a beautiful park, known as Onshi Hakone Park, which offers nice walking trails and scenic views of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji, if visibility permits. Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours.

Hakone used to be an important checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido (東海道, Tōkaidō), the highway which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo Period. Today, a short, cedar lined passage of the old Tokaido and a reconstruction of the Hakone Checkpoint (箱根関所, Hakone Sekisho) are located between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi along the shore of Lake Ashinoko.

Gora Park (強羅公園, Gōra Kōen) is a western style landscape park located on the steep slope above Gora Station. It is a relaxing place to unwind and enjoy the scenery and views of Hakone. Gora Park is primarily a French styled landscape park featuring a large fountain and a rose garden. The park also has two greenhouses, one housing a tropical botanical garden while the other contains a flower garden. Additionally, there is a restaurant overlooking the main fountain, as well as the Hakuun-do Chaen teahouse.

The Gotemba Premium Outlets are Japan's most popular outlet mall, located in Gotemba City at the base of Mount Fuji, not far from Hakone. The mall features over 200 stores along with a number of restaurants, a food court and a 50 meter high ferris wheel. The stores found at the Premium Outlets are the outlets of internationally known brands of fashion, sports, food, household goods and electronics, and range from everyday items to luxury goods. The prices are not ridiculously cheap, but they are better on average than what you will find at regular retail shops in Japan.

Choanji Temple (長安寺, Chōanji) is a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone. Established in 1356 in a quiet area at the base of a hill, the atmospheric temple has a small network of pleasant walking trails which wind through its wooded grounds and cemetery.

Covering a portion of the west slope of Mount Hakone in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone is a large, rolling field of pampas grass (susuki). Referred to as the Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field (仙石原すすき草原, Sengokuhara Susuki Kusahara), the tall grasses here cover the hillside for hundreds of meters, changing color with the seasons and offering stunning views. The field attracts visitors especially during the autumn when the grasses turn a shimmering, silvery gold color.

The Hakone Komagatake Ropeway (箱根駒ヶ岳ロープウェー), not to be confused with the Hakone Ropeway, leads from the shore of Lake Ashinoko to near the Komagatake peak of Mount Hakone. The ropeway is not covered by the Hakone Free Pass, although a discount is available. When visibility is good, panoramic views of Lake Ashinoko and Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from the ropeway's upper station. A short walk away, on the actual peak of Komagatake, stands the Hakone Shrine Mototsumiya, the original Hakone Shrine, whose main site is now located at the more easily accessible shores of Lake Ashinoko in Moto Hakone.

The Narukawa Museum of Art (成川美術館, Narukawa Bijutsukan) is a contemporary art museum dedicated to a style of painting known as nihonga. Literally meaning "Japanese-style painting", nihonga are paintings that adhere to traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques, tools and materials. The label was originally meant to simply distinguish the art from Western-style paintings, but artists have since expanded the scope of nihonga to also include Western techniques. Besides the art collection, the museum features an impressive panorama lounge and cafe with large windows overlooking Lake Ashinoko. On a clear day, it affords one of the best views of Mount Fuji, the lake and the floating torii gate of Hakone Shrine.