As we had earlier purchased the Hakone Weekday Pass, we were eligible to travel on the pirated ship shaped Hakone Sightseeing Boats for free. I would advise future travellers to find out the last timing of the sightseeing cruise beforehand and work their itinerary around it. As for winter, the last boat leaves at 4pm.

After a long day of travelling, we had a great time sitting back and relaxing on the boat ride. We were fortunate that it was a clear day, which enabled us to gape at Mount Fuji and Hakone Shrine. All in all, it was a good 30-minute retreat before we disembarked at Hakone-machi to dash towards Hakone Detached Palace Garden.

There are several types of cruise boats to choose from; among the most popular are those resembling pirate ships. Unfortunately, the pirate ship replicas didn’t leave from the area near my hotel, so I ended up taking a catamaran. In the end I think that perhaps it was a better choice, because I ended up watching and photographing the other unique looking boats. The boat ride is not long, perhaps only about 20 minutes in the catamaran. Just enough time to grab a snack or beverage and take a few photographs. If the day is clear, Mt Fuji provides a magnificent backdrop for photos. In my opinion one of the best places to be to take pictures would be on the very top deck. The trip one way will cost about 800Y.