Hakone: Relaxing Mountain Trails & Lake Ashi in Style – 5 Days

DISTANCE - BELOW AVERAGE

Distance is not a major consideration in your training program. However, you should still incorporate some long walks as it will increase your cardiovascular fitness.

ELEVATION - AVERAGE

Elevation training is a consideration in your overall training program. Try to include some form of elevation in more than 40% of your walking and prioritise resistance training, whilst incorporating stairs anytime you can. Walking up and down stairs at work, at a local oval with a grandstand or up and down small hills, boring as that sounds, is incredibly useful. Elevation is often the chief walk killer, not distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles. Ensure you can comfortably walk the average elevation per day displayed in the graph, at least one month before you undertake your hike.

TERRAIN - AVERAGE

FLAT TERRAIN 

Training for walking on flat, hard terrain primarily focuses on building endurance and ensuring you can maintain a comfortable pace. Start with regular walks on sidewalks, roads, or paved paths to acclimate to the surface. Maintain a proper posture and engage your core muscles to support your back and maintain a steady gait. Ensure that you have comfortable, supportive footwear with adequate cushioning. If endurance is important, consider incorporating low-impact cross-training activities like swimming or cycling into your routine

MOUNTAINOUS / UNDULATING- TERRAIN

As terrain associated with Mountain climbs is often somewhat uneven and or rocky balancing and core exercises are vital. Try to also include some form of elevation in more than 50% of your walking and prioritise resistance training, whilst incorporating stairs anytime you can. Walking up mountains or hills or up and down stairs at work, at a local oval with a grandstand or up and down small hills, boring as that sounds, is incredibly useful. Elevation is often the chief walk killer, not distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles. So concentrate on doing lots of squats and lunges to build your glute muscles.

HIGH SEASON CHARGES

In Japan, there are some periods when locals travel en masse as they are on holiday. These times are best avoided as the accommodation costs escalate considerably (more than double). It would make a lot of sense if you could avoid these times. Otherwise, see below for high-season periods. This could lead to the cost of the trip increasing by 30% or more. 

Golden Week: Usually between 29 April & 05 May
Obon Period: Mid-August (Between 10th & 20th)
Silver Week: Usually between 18 & 26 September

AVAILABILITY

This walk is available from April to November. Many people prefer to walk in spring to see the cherry blossoms, and in autumn because of the beautiful autumn colours and the good weather.

TRANSPORT

We organise a Hakone Pass for you, provided on Day 2 and valid for Days 3, 4 and 5, giving you free run of the local transport around Hakone and the trip back to Tokyo at the end of your walk.

HOW TO GET THERE AND AWAY

Hakone is about a 1.5-2hour train trip from Tokyo.

By Air: By far, the best option is to fly into Tokyo and take the train to Hakone. Return back to to Tokyo via train.

By rail: Japan has one of the best train systems in the world, so it’s very easy to catch a train to any destination in the country. An express train is the fastest way to travel to the area. Travelling in Japan on trains is a seamless experience, and it is not always necessary to pre-purchase tickets. There are plenty of rail staff who speak English well enough to direct you the right way and to converse with you about how to buy your ticket. We can provide more information if you wish, so please ask one of our destination consultants.

You will find the following website Japan Transit Planner really useful for catching trains in Japan. You can search train and bus timetables, departure and arrival stations, times and prices.

WALKING

This walk is easy to moderate. The walking is over well-maintained paths but expect each day to start with some reasonable elevation gains. For much of the time, you are walking under a forest canopy.

For what to bring, please refer to Gear Advice on our FAQ section.

WEATHER

From the end of  March, the temperature begins to increase. In summer, it’s quite warm and humid, but still good for walking, as the area is mountainous and cooler than Tokyo. If you enjoy warmer temperatures and taking a dip in a stream, then summer is a great time to walk.

The walk is not offered in winter. However, in autumn and early spring, soaking in an outside onsen in the cool of the night is one of those real, authentic Japanese experiences that you can look forward to after a big day on the track.

INSURANCE

We require that you have adequate travel insurance against potential losses, damage or injury, including cancellation costs and loss of luggage.

For all trips that require international travel, you must have purchased travel insurance that also includes medical evacuation coverage.

We also charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it to cover costs incurred from our suppliers and in the office.  See the FAQ section for more information.

INFORMATION PACK

For over 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.