Hakone
A nice getaway southwest of Tokyo, I would recommend visiting in the winter so that you can fully enjoy the hot springs. Our room at the ryokan had a private one that could fit one person, but there were also public ones for the guests (separate for men and women).
Getting here is a little adventure of its own. A relatively brief bullet train ride to local train to a cable car… I enjoyed it. Look into the Hakone Free Pass, which you should be able to get from Odawara Station. We did not, but sounds like you can ride a variety of transportation around Hakone!
Hotels
Gora Kansuirou
Name
Gora Kansuirou
Recommended
Highly
Notes
A short walk from Gora station, this ryokan is moderately priced (relatively) and was a lovely experience. Staff did not speak English at the time, so have Google Translate ready if you don’t speak Japanese! Very hospitable.
Scenic
Kurotamago & black sesame ice cream
Recommended
Highly
Notes
The ropeway itself wasn’t operating when we went, so we jumped on a bus that took us to the station. Owakudani is famous for its volcanic activity, active sulfur vents, and black hard-boiled eggs (boiled in the spring waters… the insides look normal, btw). The eggs are said to extend your life by 7 years. There is a strong smell of sulfur. If you have respiratory issues, it may be best to pass on this one. Reviews say you can get a nice view of Mt. Fuji, but I don’t recall seeing it, haha.
After heading up to Owakudani, we headed back down the other side to the port and caught a cruise (regular cruise boat, not the pirate ship in the link) across Lake Ashi down to the southeast end. We got dropped off at the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise Motohakone-ko Pier.
Highly
Once dropped off, we walked a bit south to get a nice view of the red torii gate across the water (Heiwa no Torii) and Mt. Fuji in the background. That is where I took the photo on the About page!
Highly
Shinto shrine with the red torii out in the water (that you can see from the pier mentioned above). From there, we walked back to the pier and caught a cab back to the ryokan! A full and enjoyable day.
Highly
Touristy
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Recommended
Highly
Notes
A fun sculpture park to wander through, with a Picasso museum and natural hot spring to rest your feet. They sell little towels to help you dry off after, which makes for a nice little souvenir.