Temple Forest Walk & Onsen in Hakone

From the time we booked this tour with Akihiro, until we met him at the Odawara Station, and throughout the entire tour, the entire experience has been nothing short of perfection. Akihiro always responded in a timely manner, and provided great detailed instruction about what to expect on the tour and where to meet. Once on the tour, it was clear he was an amazing guide with a vast array of knowledge and passion about this magnificent area. This tour may well have been the highlight of our entire trip and we can credit Akihiro for that.

Akin wss great. Perfect for the location, gracious and well prepared. Highly recommended for mid sixties active couples.

We had a wonderful time with our guide, Aki. The forest and temple where he brought us were not full of people so we were really able to soak in and feel the peace and beauty of it. The combination of towering cedar and cypress trees, the waterfalls and zen gardens, the ancient statues and traditional temples as well as the stories and culture Aki shared really made the trip magical. Afterwards, the Japanese traditional meal was delicious. Finally the onsen, sitting in nature in the thermal pools, was heaven. Very highly recommend it!

Absolutely wonderful — 5 stars. Our autumn forest-bathing hike to the serene temple in Odawara was unforgettable. Aki, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable about the local flora and temple history, and balanced informative stories with peaceful moments of silence. He was professional, very accommodating (even bringing snacks for everyone), and took stunning photos that truly highlighted the vibrant fall colors and the temple’s quiet beauty. I highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Odawara in autumn — it felt restorative, well-organized, and beautifully documented.

Just a wonderful time with our guide, Akihiro (https://coconutshikejapan.com/) who took us to a beautiful temple Saijo-ji (https://daiyuuzan.or.jp/) about 30 mins from Odawara station in Hakone. We went on a 2k walk up a gentle slope to the temple, and even though it was a holiday, the walk and temple were not crowded, only a few other people. And the leaves were in peak season with brilliant bursts of color. We felt like we were pilgrims walking up the path, isolated in a forest, and then reaching the temple with its beautiful colors and substantial buildings. Definitely worth the walk! Forest Bathing - this is a term for just inhaling the nature and trees along the trail to refresh the body and soul - it works! We appreciated the leaves and lack of crowds when we went to Kyoto two days later - where we decided not to go to some temples because of the crowds Akihiro is an experienced guide, who grew up in Hakone often just miles from our hike and also has over 20 years guiding travelers into hikes and camping. He served us coffee and snacks at the top. We learned about the forest, the trail and the temple on our way up the mountain. His English skills are excellent and he was a good companion on the walk explaining nuances of the forest and the temple's history. Finally, he took pictures of us on our walk which reflected his skill as a photographer (later uploaded to us on Google Drive). Our hike culminated in a discrete tea house "Jinoma" at the foot of the trails, serving a vegetarian meal and tea and sweets. What a magical end to the temple visit! Definitely one of the highlights of our 2 week Japan visit. Beauty, leaves like fire against a green background, and a true sense of Buddhist tranquility.