Hike the beautiful Hakone Geopark

Excellent guide ! Excellent approach of this road and very good guide who permitted us to take our time and enjoy the travel and different views of the trek

Exploring Hidden Gems of Hakone: A Perfectly Crafted Hiking Tour 1. The Tour The tour follows a carefully composed route leading through a multitude of different sceneries and places that provide a versatile experience of the Hakone area, its sights, local shops, restaurants, and rich history. We participated in this 8-hour experience as a couple in July 2024. On the day of the trip, the temperature was about 27°C (80.6°F) with 80% humidity. Even though these weather conditions might seem suboptimal for such a long hike, our guide Akihiro made sure to select paths that provided a lot of shade and protection from the sun and heat, making the tour very enjoyable and not overly exhausting at all. Therefore, this tour is absolutely suitable for beginners. This is also due to the fact that some sections of the route are covered by public transport, providing good opportunities to recuperate and fortify for the following walking parts. On top of that, plenty of well-timed breaks to rest, enjoy a local snack, drink, or meal contributed to the overall excellent experience. We began and ended our tour at Hakone Yumoto Station, which was easy to find and conveniently located. Our group consisted of only two people on this day, creating a very personal atmosphere. This was especially due to the fact that hiking tours are not frequently requested during this time of the year. However, as mentioned above, this tour is very well-suited for hot summer days, so there is no need to fear booking it even in hot and humid weather conditions. The hike itself was not overly difficult, with mostly moderate elevation changes and a mix of paved paths and rocky trails. Akihiro was excellent in gauging our fitness level and adjusting the pace accordingly. The tour included numerous breaks, perfectly timed to allow us to rest, hydrate, and enjoy the scenery. On a clear day, you are even able to see Mount Fuji during the trip, which adds to the breathtaking views. For anyone considering this tour, we recommend wearing comfortable hiking shoes, bringing a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. Also, be aware that the costs of public transport, which is (as mentioned above) used for some sections of the tour, are not included in the booking price. This was unproblematic for us since we, like most visitors to Hakone, were in possession of the Hakone Freepass, which eliminates these extra costs. Snacks and meals at local restaurants and shops during the tour are also not included in the booking price, which should be self-explanatory. All in all, this tour is well worth the money and also provides insight into places that usually remain unseen by tourists, making this hike fantastic for experiencing the area in more depth and detail. 2. The Guide Akihiro, a National Certified Tour Guide, is an all-around professional, very friendly, and likable guide with a vast amount of experience, expertise, and knowledge. He took fantastic care of us and made sure that we had a memorable and enjoyable experience by asking and considering our preferences and special interests, thus providing different options for proceeding on the tour. He was happy to answer all of our questions patiently and professionally, making him not only a competent guide but also a great conversation partner throughout our journey through the area, which contributed to the tour being always entertaining and never feeling lengthy or boring. He also shared fascinating cultural and historical insights throughout the hike, enriching our understanding of Hakone. It is also worth mentioning that Akihiro speaks fantastic English, which ensured perfect understanding. On top of all of this, Akihiro took beautiful pictures during the hike, making them available to us for free after the tour (see attached example). He also provided snacks and tea for the breaks we had. Additionally, Akihiro was happy to give numerous recommendations for our stay in Hakone, including food, experiences, and other activities. Booking the tour was straightforward, with clear communication from the start. After the tour, Akihiro promptly sent us the photos he took, which was a wonderful touch that allowed us to relive the experience. Given the quality of the tour and the personalized attention we received, we found this tour to be excellent value for money. 3. Support a Small Business It is also worth noting that Coconuts Hike Japan is a two-person operation, which makes it especially worthwhile to support. The personalized attention and dedication from such a small, passionate team truly enhance the experience and make every effort feel genuine and heartfelt.

Excellent tour! Akihiro-san was an outstanding tour guide. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and its history and made it all fascinating to hear. Highly recommended!

History and nature intertwined in this fabulous hike! The hike was incredible, and Aki was a perfect guide. We traversed a portion of the old Tokaido “road” through the mountainous portions of Hakone, ending at Lake Ashi. It was a perfect mix of history and “bathing” in nature all in one. There are some steep portions of the hike but certainly doable for the average hiker. Definitely try the amasake at the tea house along the way! Highly recommend this tour!

Great day with Aki!! Aki was the nicest person we have met on our trip yet! The views were amazing of Lake Ashi and the whole trail! Loved the water falls on the way to the lake. The tea house/ museum was nice pit stop.

HHH- Happy Hiking Hakone! BEST HIKING TOUR! My wife and I booked this tour because we wanted to do forest bathing! This was nothing short of it. This hike was so unique and different- it was so picturesque not too hard. Aki our tour guide was amazing so friendly and knowledgeable. His English is great! He really painted an amazing picture for us about the road we were hiking on and its significance to Japan! I would highly recommend this tour and would actually use him again!!

Mt Fuji hid from us but we found a great time anyway! We had a great time. The guide moved at the pace of the group and showed us interesting things along the way. Great guy- very fun. We had a little snack and tea when we rested. The hike had beautiful views. After the hike we had at a nice noodle restaurant. This is a reliable, kind and honest guide. Very helpful the entire trip. The hike does take general good fitness though no particular hiking ability. Consider it like climbing stairs of dirt and if you can do that then you can do this hike. It's uneven surface naturally. Hiking stick wouldn't hurt but the guide did loan us some for the downhill bit as I had opted to not bring my own sticks. It was helpful on the downhill. We used a mix of good treaded tennis shoes and shoes with hiking grip. It can get muddy.

Great contrast program Akihiro is a really nice companion, there were only two of us that day and it was a really great tour! We took a short train ride and ended up in a small town where the climb began. It was pleasant and Akihiro also took photos along the way. There was some interesting information about trees, temples and Japanese customs and when we arrived at the temple, we could understand very well why this temple had so much Japanese mysticism. The stories surrounding the temple were really exciting and Akihiro even helped us translate our predictions. We then had something delicious to eat together before visiting the onsen and then he and my friend went to the natural onsen and I relaxed outside on a lounger. On the way back we were allowed to use the shuttle bus from the top of the mountain (where the onsen was) to the train station and were able to end the visit in a relaxed manner. All in all, a wonderful tour and a great contrast to Akihabara and Co.

Wonderful experience! Highly recommend! Highly recommend this activity. Aki is a very professional and nice guide. He took care of all the details to make us safe and comfortable during the whole trip. The ancient path and the forest are amazingly beautiful and the air in the mountain just let us get refreshed from city life and busy trip. Aki explained to us the history about the Hachiri road and also the life and tradition in Hakone since ancient times. Everything has been nice and satisfying even though we didn’t have the luck to see mountain fuji due to the weather. Will definitely join other Aki’s activity in the future!