A few days into our Private Tour of Japan, our small group left the big crowded vibrant city of Tokyo and headed to the nature trails on Hakone. Here we enjoyed immersing ourselves in nature and taking in the essence of Japan while walking the Sukumogawa Nature Trail and Old Tokaido Highway Motohakone. These are easy and scenic walks for anyone visiting the Hakone area. The routes intersect and offer a blend of history and beauty.

We enjoyed a full day of sightseeing around Kanagawa, visited the Hakone Shrine situated on the shores of Lake Asha and took the Hakone Rope way over Owakudani. It was a sight to behold. Owakundani is a smoking crater which was caused by a phreatic eruption of the Hakone volcano 3,000 years ago! It was a beautiful clear day, so we were blessed with more fantastic views of Mount Fuji.

It has not just been nature we have immersed ourselves in, but also the Japanese way of life. Staying in a traditional Japanese Ryokan and sleeping on futons after bathing in an Onsen and wearing a Yukata to meals, was a truly unique experience.

Check out my Facebook Reel by clicking below for all the highlights!

We finished our stay amongst the Hakone Nature trails by hiking part of the Tokaido trail on an ancient cobblestone path under the canopy of gigantic cedar trees. Returning to our Ryokan we enjoyed a delicious Japanese meal at followed by a massage and open air hot bath! This was truly a fitting end to our fabulous 2 nights stay in Hakone.

Next we continued our journey by train to Yokohama to enjoy our final two days in Japan. I am taking so many notes along the way to make our 2025 tour absolutely amazing!

-Lyn