We stayed in a traditional Japanese Ryokan with a PRIVATE onsen!
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One of the top experiences we wanted to have in Japan was staying at a ryokan. These are traditional Japanese inns that feature tatami mat floors, Japanese style beds, elaborate kaiseki meals, and often have onsens (hot springs) to enjoy as well.
And one of the most popular towns to stay in a ryokan is Hakone! So for 48 hours we traded our mini campervan for a room at Hakone Suimeisou, a ryokan located right on the river, with our own private onsen on our patio. We enjoyed many relaxing soaks, sipped on tea, wore yukatas, ate beautiful 9 course dinners, and slept on futon beds on the floor.
It was a relaxing and rejuvenating couple of days, filled with many new experiences that made us feel more connected to Japanese culture.
📅 This video was filmed in mid October 2025
♨️ Stay at Hakone Suimeisou: https://booking.tpx.gr/dYiBj9rx
📍Locations in this video
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/3/edit?mid=1wuxKTWo1sKAxi6gdu5q-cPMKmE-mn4Q&usp=sharing
⌚Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Ryokan room tour
04:28 Things to know before booking a ryokan
05:11 Soaking on our PRIVATE onsen (+ rules to know!)
07:00 Our 9 course kaiseki dinner
10:25 We’re sleeping on the floor!
12:06 How did we sleep?
12:42 Trying our first traditional Japanese breakfast
14:20 Fun things to do in Hakone
15:05 Visiting Owakudani
19:07 A relaxing afternoon at the ryokan
20:00 Tackling another massive feast!
21:13 Our final thoughts on staying in a ryokan
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👋🏼 About us
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.
We help travelers spend less time (and stress!) planning their trip and more time enjoying it! Our detailed travel guides, YouTube videos, and travel resources share the must-visit local eats, popular and off the beaten path sights, and tons of tips to make planning your next adventure a whole lot easier.
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