World Wide Honeymoon Travel Podcast · Kat and Chris Butler

Travel to Hakone in Japan + Best Things to Do in Hakone

·41 min·2 clips

The pirate ship cruise on Lake Ashi is part of the Hakone Free Pass route.

1. World Wide Honeymoon Travel Podcast episode 351 focuses on Hakone in Japan as the last major stop in the hosts' Japan itinerary. 2. Chris and Kat host the show, and their travel choices matter because they stayed three nights in Hakone instead of taking the usual day trip from Tokyo. 3. The episode asks what Hakone offers travelers who want mountains, onsen, and an easier pace after Kyoto and Tokyo. 4. Kat says she researched the Japanese Alps, Nikko, and other main-island destinations before settling on Hakone. 5. Chris explains that Hakone was the most accessible option without renting a car and still close to Tokyo. 6. They say Hakone is usually reached from Tokyo in about 30 to 40 minutes to Odawara, which is why many visitors do it as a day trip. 7. The hosts describe the Hakone round course as a train-and-tram loop that also uses cable cars, a ropeway, a boat, and buses. 8. Kat says they stayed at Ryokan Hakone Jinnyu, a traditional ryokan with tatami mats, private onsen on the balcony, and traditional meals included. 9. Chris notes that the ryokan also had a public onsen, a spa, mountain views, and a restaurant, even though they ate dinner in their room. 10. They describe hiking a 5-kilometer waterfall route to Chisugi Falls, Hairu Falls, and Mount Takanosuyama. 11. Chris says the private onsen became part of their routine whenever they had free time, and Kat says the mountain setting would have been especially pretty in fall or spring. 12. The Hakone round course included the Hakone Open Air Museum, which Chris describes as an outdoor contemporary-art museum with mountain views and a Picasso exhibit. 13. Kat and Chris also mention Gora Park and the Hakone Craft House, where visitors can buy glass, pottery, and other souvenirs. 14. The ropeway to Owakudani gave them views of sulfur vents and volcanic activity, which they connect to the area's hot springs. 15. They say the Lake Ashi pirate-ship cruise is part of the Hakone Free Pass and can show Mount Fuji on a clear day. 16. Kat says the route ended at the Hakone checkpoint and Hakone Shrine before they caught a bus back and chose shaved ice over more hiking. 17. The conversation is casual, detail-heavy, and full of side comments about coffee, Negroni orders, and head bumps on low doorframes. 18. The pacing feels like a trip debrief rather than a guidebook, with practical logistics mixed with small personal stories and preferences. 19. People planning a Tokyo-to-nature side trip will get the most out of this episode. 20. People looking for fast-paced city recommendations or deep cultural history may skip it.

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