Originally Posted by
OliverB
We're definitely planning to spend most of our time at Gora Kadan, enjoying the ryokan and onsen. We will really only explore Hakone on the day of arrival and departure. We might venture out for lunch on our second day, but not much more than that.
I definitely want to briefly visit the POLA Museum, even if just for 45 minutes to do a quick walkthrough. I love the modernist architecture and would like to see some of the impressionist painintgs.
Same with the Rodins, Miros, etc. at the Open-Air Museum. I don't mind spending a half hour just walking through the sculpture garden; it doesn't need to be an exhaustive afternoon excursion.
Perhaps on our second afternoon at Gora, we'll venture out for a few hours in the afternoon to eat and explore. I would absolutely like to visit Sekirakuen Garden and Moss Garden at Hakone Museum of Art. The autumn foliage is supposed to be brilliant this time of year and I would really like to see the painted slopes and fall colors over Gora with picturesque mountain streams running through and scenic views over the valley. It looks and sounds really beautiful.
On that same day, probably beforehand, we'd likely stop by Hatsuhana (historic soba noodle shop) for lunch followed by a short drop-in at Chimoto Yumochi Shop for wagashi and other confections. This is really the only time we'd venture out of Gora Kadan, apart from our day of arrival and departure. We could eat lunch and squeeze in a short museum visit, and maybe have tea at the Fujiya Hotel.
You say you're going to spend the most of your time enjoying Gora Kadan and that you're just going to venture out for a few hours on the second day. But in the same breath, you're listing so many things you want to accomplish that afternoon (gardens, Hakone MOA, noodle, Fujiya Hotel, shopping) and so your statements are at cross-purpose. And do you really want to head all the way down to Yumoto that day just to have lunch?
If it were me, I'd leave Tokyo Sta ~9.30a which would get you to Gora at 12.19p via 10a Romance Car from Shinjuku (per Yahoo Transit). I presume check-in time at Gora Kadan is some time between 2-4p. I would not check in any later than 4p. Spend the few hours before that to go tour Open Air Museum (as I said before, and as Laplap said, you need to allow 2hrs there). If that first day's a clear day, then time permitting, I would think about squeezing in a ride on Hakone Ropeway just up to Owakudani for the awesome sight of Mt.Fuji. If it happens to be a clear day, you'll want to take advantage of that, because Mt.Fuji may not be visible the next day or the day after. I will say that Mt.Fuji has been visible at one point or another in majority of my visits to Hakone... and I generally go to Hakone twice a year... maybe I've been lucky. Anyways, I understand that you want to get a good night's rest the night before. Well, you won't have to wake up that early if you could get yourself to just forget about the Tokyo Ramen Street and instead grab a bento or bread at Tokyo Station to eat on the Romance Car.
Komagatake Ropeway is kind of redundant if you've already done the Hakone Ropeway and been up to Owakudani and gotten the view of Mt.Fuji. Mt.Fuji looks the same whether from Owakudani or Komagatake Ropeway imo. The pirate ship on Ahinoko to me is nothing special, although some probably enjoy it more than others. Imho the Hakone checkpoint is nothing exciting.
I can admire your interest in so many things/places. I hope I'm not coming across as sounding critical. But you want to balance things out and make your trip feasible and not rushed.