Most Hakone day trips are a race: Romancecar, mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship, bus, Romancecar. You see a great deal and rest not at all. This page is the other kind of day. One forest, one hot spring, one good meal, and the train home. Two versions, depending on how much you want to walk.
Plan A includes travel from Tokyo. The 09:00 version of Plan B suits guests already staying in Hakone; visitors travelling from Tokyo that morning can choose an afternoon forest-bathing session and adapt the rest of the day.
Before you go: three things to book
- The forest bathing walk. Small groups fill up, especially October–November and cherry-blossom season. Book on the walk page; payment is handled by our parent company, Coconuts Hike Japan. The four walks →
- The Romancecar seat. All seats are reserved. Tickets open one month ahead at 10:00 Japan time on emot-tickets.jp. Choose a train that allows time to reach your specific meeting point, including onward transport and a buffer. Book the return too — evening trains sell out on weekends.
- Nothing else. The onsen and lunch below do not need reservations on weekdays. Weekends: arrive early.
For the Temple walk, bring about ¥6,000 cash per person for the local train, lunch and onsen. Small onsen and restaurants may not take cards.
Plan A — The full day: temple forest, lunch, onsen (Odawara)
This is our Temple Forest Walk and Onsen, with the travel around it. Six hours with the guide, about ten hours door to door. Moderate walking: gradual stone steps, some uneven.
07:30 — Leave Tokyo. Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station (or Shinagawa) to Odawara, 35 minutes. Kodama trains stop at Odawara; so do some Hikari. Japan Rail Pass holders ride free. Or the Romancecar from Shinjuku to Odawara, about 70–75 minutes, reserved seats.
08:30 — Coffee at Odawara Station. There is time. The station has a bakery and a convenience store; buy water here.
09:00 — Meet Aki. Inside the station at the spot in your confirmation. A short local train ride into the hills, about 25 minutes, a few hundred yen paid on the day.
09:45 — Into the temple forest. The paths were laid for monks. Cedars around six hundred years old. We climb slowly, stopping every few minutes to listen, to touch bark, to feel the cold air off the stones. There is a long silence in the oldest part of the forest, and a rest on mats if the ground allows. This is not sightseeing. You will pass temple buildings, but you will remember the trees.
12:15 — Lunch. A simple, seasonal set meal at a small local place near the temple. Roughly ¥1,500–2,500, paid on the day. Nobody hurries you.
13:30 — Onsen. A hot-spring bath in the same valley. Roughly ¥1,000–2,000, towel rental available. Optional — some guests prefer to sit with tea. The onsen does not admit tattooed guests. Guests with tattoos can skip the bath and have tea instead; the tour price is unchanged.
15:00 — Finish at Daiyuzan Station. The local train back to Odawara takes about 20 minutes; from Odawara, continue by Shinkansen or Odakyu service.
15:15 — Choose your afternoon.
- Home early: Shinkansen to Tokyo, arriving before 16:00.
- One more slow thing: Odawara Castle is a ten-minute walk from the station; the castle park is quiet on a weekday afternoon. Then the 17:00 train.
- Stay the night: Hakone Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto (15 minutes) and a ryokan with its own bath. You have already done the hard part of the day; a second bath and a kaiseki dinner is the reward.
Cost for the day, per person, two people travelling together: walk US$120 · trains about ¥8,000 return by Shinkansen (less by Romancecar) · local train, lunch and onsen: bring about ¥6,000 cash. The Hakone Freepass does not help on this plan because the walk is on the Odawara side.
Plan B — The gentle day: lake, forest, shrine, onsen (Moto-Hakone)
This is our Introductory Shinrin-yoku inside a classic Lake Ashi day, minus the rush. Easy walking. Good for families, older travellers, and anyone who wants the hot spring to be at the end rather than the middle.
Travelling from Tokyo that morning? Consider an afternoon session for a more relaxed journey. The morning plan below suits guests already staying in Hakone who can reach the meeting point on time.
Before 09:00 — Travel to Moto-Hakone Port. If you’re staying in Hakone, ask your hotel about a suitable bus or taxi and allow extra time for traffic. Aim to arrive by 08:45.
09:00 — Meet Aki and begin your forest-bathing session. Ninety minutes to two hours of very slow walking in the woodland above the lake. Less than a kilometre. Sitting, lying down if the ground is dry, one last invitation on the walk back. What happens in a session →
11:00 — Hakone Shrine. Ten minutes on foot along the shore. The cedar avenue up to the shrine is itself a small forest bath; walk it slowly. The red torii gate in the water is a five-minute queue for a photo on weekdays, longer on weekends. Skip the queue; the gate is better from the boat.
12:00 — Lunch by the lake. Moto-Hakone has soba, tonkatsu and a few cafés with lake views. Roughly ¥1,500. If you want quiet, walk five minutes away from the pier.
13:30 — The boat. Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise from Moto-Hakone to Togendai, about 30 minutes, covered by the Freepass. The "pirate ship" is silly and lovely. Sit outside.
14:00 — Ropeway, or not. From Togendai the ropeway climbs to Owakudani (the volcanic valley) and on to Sounzan. It is spectacular and busy. If you want to keep the day slow, skip it and take the bus from Togendai straight to Hakone-Yumoto (about 40 minutes). If you take the ropeway, allow two hours to Hakone-Yumoto by ropeway, cable car and Tozan Line.
15:30 — Onsen at Hakone-Yumoto. Several day-use baths are within walking distance or a short shuttle of the station; Tenzan is the best-known, with outdoor baths under trees (about ¥1,500; no tattoos). Ninety minutes is enough. Rent a towel.
17:30 — Romancecar home. Book this seat in the morning if you have not already. Shinjuku by 19:00.
Stay the night instead? Yes, if you can. Book a ryokan in Hakone-Yumoto or by the lake, do the onsen there, and take the Lakeshore walk (3–3.5 hours at Hakone-en) the next morning before the train back. Two walks in two days is the best version of Breathe Hakone.
Cost for the day, per person, two people travelling together: walk US$100 · lunch and onsen about ¥3,000 · transport depends on your hotel, route and choice of bus or taxi. For travel from Shinjuku, compare individual fares with the optional Freepass and any Romancecar supplements.
What to bring for either plan
- Shoes with grip. Trainers are fine for Plan B; something sturdier for Plan A's stone steps.
- A warm layer. Hakone is 300–700 metres up and a few degrees cooler than Tokyo, more by the lake.
- Rain jacket, not an umbrella. The forest walk goes ahead in light rain, and you will want your hands free.
- Water, and a small towel if you have one (rentals exist).
- A small day bag only. Coin lockers at Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara stations.
- Cash, as above.
When to do this
- Autumn (October–November): the best ground for lying down, colour in the trees, the onsen at its most welcome. Book everything two to four weeks ahead.
- Spring (late March–May): cherry blossom in Odawara, new green in Hakone, cool mornings.
- Winter (December–February): the clearest Mt Fuji across the lake, the quietest forest, and hot springs that feel earned. Dress warmly for the rests.
- Summer (June–September): humid; the forest is the coolest place you will be all day. Do the morning walk and keep the afternoon light. Hydrangeas along the Tozan Line in June.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a Hakone wellness day without a guide?
Yes. Walk the marked roads at the Hakone Ashinoko Forest Therapy Base near Hakone-en, then the shrine and an onsen. A guide is worth it if it is your first time forest bathing, or if you want the day held for you. Guided or on your own →
Is the Hakone Freepass worth it for these plans?
Plan B: yes, it covers the bus, boat and Tozan Line and pays for itself. Plan A: no — the walk is on the Odawara side, so buy ordinary tickets. Hakone Freepass explained →
What if it rains?
The forest walk runs in light rain when conditions are safe. If we cancel for unsafe conditions, you choose a full refund or a new date. The onsen is better in rain, not worse. Forest bathing on a wet day →
Can we make it a private day?
Yes. Choose the private option when booking, or message us on WhatsApp and we can shape the whole day — lunch place, onsen, timings — around your group.
We have small children. Which plan?
Plan B. The Introductory walk is the one we recommend for families, the boat is a hit, and Tenzan onsen admits children.
I do not want a hot spring. What replaces it?
In Plan A, a longer lunch and Odawara Castle park. In Plan B, the Hakone Open-Air Museum on the Tozan Line (about ¥2,000) — sculpture in a hillside garden, which is its own kind of slow.
Tour facts checked 10 October 2026. Transport, admission and restaurant prices are approximate; verify current operator prices before travelling.