Learn why areas around Hakone are considered “power spots” on a guided hiking or cycling tour.

Learn why areas around Hakone are considered “power spots” on a guided hiking or cycling tour.

A mention of Hakone conjures up images of steaming open-air hot spring baths at mountain inns in deep green clefts. There’s a mineral tang to the air, along with a bracing bite. In winter, snowflakes evaporate as they meet steam rising from the baths, under graceful sweeps of reddening maple branches. But what Hakone also has to offer is a natural landscape filled with activities and outdoor challenges that will exhilarate and energize you.

The Hakone area is part of Fuji-Izu-Hakone National Park, and offers numerous trails and courses for hiking and cycling. Tour company Hakone Mountain Ripper has plenty of tours for those on foot or on wheels of Sengokuhara, Hakone’s wilderness area, ringed by mountains such as Mt. Kintoki and Mt. Marudake. One such tour takes mountain bikes into the forest along Lake Ashi to visit so-called “power spots,” places that are said to imbue the visitor with positive energy. The tour, which spans 18 kilometers and takes four hours, includes tea and shuttle service as well as an optional hot spring experience at the end.

Another tour offers hiking along the ridge of the Hakone Mountains with pristine views of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi. The tour guide will point out natural landmarks, navigate the best paths, and host tea time. A day spent exploring the Hakone countryside will fill your lungs with freshness while working your muscles, which can be soothed in the restorative water that runs underneath the whole area. The natural mineral hot springs after a hike or ride will feel all the sweeter.

Hakone Mountain Ripper

Hakone Mountain Ripper

Explore nature at its finest in Hakone, only a short trip from Tokyo or Yokohama by train.

 

And after you’ve had a moment to relax in the hot springs the region is known for, plan out your next destination using our model itineraries here!

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