Hakone to Kyoto: price, time and JR Pass

The short answer

Budget ¥11,770 (about $75) per person and about 2 h. It is both the cheapest option and the fastest. The Japan Rail Pass covers this whole trip.

The two stations are 430 km (267 miles) apart by rail.

The only priced option

JR train

Tokaido Shinkansen

Odawara → Kyoto, unreserved seat

¥11,770 about $75 · per person

about 2 h on the Hikari, longer on the Kodama

Japan Rail Pass: yes Covered by the Japan Rail Pass.

Who runs it: JR The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else. Source
Which train: Shinkansen Shinkansen: The high-speed network. Several services run on the same line, each with its own name, and they differ by how many stops they make. Source

Covered by the Japan Rail Pass on the Tokaido line, Hikari and Kodama. A reserved seat costs slightly more, around ¥12,300 (about $78). Fare source

Last checked August 11, 2026. The dollar figure is worked out at the exchange rate of the site's last update and is never stored beside the yen.

This trip inside your whole itinerary

One trip on its own never tells you whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it. That depends on every other leg of the journey, and on the regional passes, which are far cheaper and cover only their own area.

See what the passes cost

Where to sleep at either end: Hakone, Kyoto.