Two days, one night
Two days in a campervan around Hakone, with a guide
from¥200,000
Request a quoteYou drive one campervan; the guide follows in another. One night at a lakeside campsite — firewood, cooking gear and bedding are already there, so the evening is only cooking and sitting by the fire. Fine for beginners and for families with children.
What's included
- The campervan, out of Tokyo and back
- The campsite booking and the setup
- Firewood, cooking gear and bedding
- An outdoor guide with you both days
- The Hakone walk
Not included
- Food is not in the price. The group stops at a supermarket and the guide advises on what to buy for the barbecue and breakfast.
How the day runs
Day 1 · 07:00
Meet the guide in Shibuya and take the keys. Two vans go out: you drive yours and the guide drives the other — which is why an international permit is required; see the conditions.
Day 1 · 07:30
Out of the city. The early start dodges the standing jam on the Tomei expressway; later means another ninety minutes sitting in it.
Day 1 · 09:30
The first stop on the way up — coffee, something to eat, photographs. It is also where you get used to the van before the road narrows into the pass.
Day 1 · 11:00
The Hakone stop: Lake Ashi, the sulphur vents at Owakudani, or somewhere the guide knows that the maps do not point at. Chosen by the weather that day rather than off a fixed list.
Day 1 · 12:30
Lunch at a local restaurant, regional food. Afterwards comes the supermarket stop for the barbecue and breakfast — the guide advises on what to buy, since food is not in the tour price.
Day 1 · 14:30
Into the campsite, with the awning and the outdoor table and chairs going up. The guide handles all the setting up — you are not expected to know how any of the equipment works, even if you have never camped.
Day 1 · 16:00
A walk down to the lake, or simply resting at camp — whichever you have the energy for. This stretch is deliberately left open: two days packed end to end stops being camping and turns back into a tour.
Day 1 · 18:00
Cooking outdoors on the van's own stove, the group doing it together. The guide lights the fire and takes over the grill if you would rather sit — how hands-on you are is your call.
Day 1 · 20:00
Sitting by the fire. Hakone is far enough from the city lights that on a clear night you see stars with the naked eye, which Tokyo never gives you.
Day 2 · 08:00
Breakfast at the camp, with coffee brewed outside while the mist is still on the water.
Day 2 · 09:30
An easy forest trail with the guide leading. Anyone who would rather sleep in stays with the van — this is the one part of the two days you can drop without unpicking the schedule.
Day 2 · 12:00
Break camp and start back, stopping for lunch along the way. Washing up, repacking the gear and clearing the rubbish are ours.
Day 2 · 15:00
A few last stops for photographs or something to take home before the city closes in again.
Day 2 · 17:00
Back in Shibuya and the vans go back. You carry off your own bags and nothing else.
What moves the price
- How many people and how many vans
- Which campsite
- The season
💴 This is an opening figure for a small group. The final price depends on the date, the party size and the supplier — we ask each of them and come back with a quote that itemises every line.
Conditions to know first
- A valid licence and international permit to drive the campervan
- Light rain and we still go. Heavy weather and we move the date or swap the experience — we do not leave a group sitting in a van all day.
- • How does booking work — is it instant?
- It is not an instant-confirm button. You send a request at the bottom of this page and we reply with a written quote: the final price, exactly what it covers, and the cancellation terms for that specific trip. The booking exists only once you accept that quote. Slower than a Book Now button, but nothing gets sold to you that is not actually available.
- • Will we be grouped with other travellers?
- No. Every tour in these two sections is private: your party only, your own vehicle, your own host. No sharing, no waiting on strangers.
- • Can we come if we have never camped?
- Yes, and most people who book this have never camped. The guide pitches the camp, lights the fire and cooks if you would rather sit — how much you take on is entirely your call. There is no piece of equipment you are expected to already know.
- • What should we bring and wear?
- Firewood, the stove, bedding and all the gear are already in the price. Bring your own things, a warm jacket, and trainers or walking shoes if you plan to join the trail. Dress in layers: Hakone sits higher than Tokyo and the night runs several degrees colder than the city, most noticeably in spring and autumn.
- • Is food included in the price?
- No, and we say so here rather than burying it at the bottom of the page. On the way to the campsite the group stops at a supermarket and the guide advises on the evening barbecue and the breakfast — that way you buy what you actually eat, at the level you want to spend, instead of paying for a set menu. Budget a few thousand yen per person for both meals.
- • What happens if the weather is bad?
- Whether it flies is the pilot's and the operator's call, not ours and not the guest's — it is a safety decision and it is not negotiable. If the operator cancels for weather you choose: move to another date, or take back the money for the flying leg. The road part of the day can still run if you want it.
- • What do I need in order to drive?
- Your original valid licence PLUS an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention — both as physical documents, phone photos are not accepted. Japan does not recognise Vienna Convention permits, so holders of some nationalities need an official translation instead. Put your nationality in the request so we can check it in advance rather than you finding out at the car.
- • Where does pickup and drop-off happen?
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel inside the central area of the city named on the tour, included in the price. Outside that area we can still collect you — the surcharge is written into the quote, never added when you get in the car.
- • Can the itinerary be changed?
- Yes. The hour-by-hour schedule above is the version that works best, not a fixed mould. More driving time, a different meal, an extra night, or dropping a leg — write it in your request; the price moves with it and the change is spelled out in the quote.
- • What languages does the team speak?
- Put the language you want in your request. The quote tells you whether someone who speaks it is free ON YOUR DATE — we do not promise a language and then tell you on the day that nobody is available.
- • When and how do we pay?
- You pay nothing before you have read and accepted the quote. Payment method, payment dates and which part needs a deposit to hold a third-party booking are all written into that quote. Nothing appears afterwards.
- • How far ahead should we book?
- The earlier the surer. Helicopters, ryokan rooms, supercars and tables at small restaurants all have very few slots a day — money does not conjure one up. Ask anyway if your dates are close: if it is open we will take it, and if it is not we will say so plainly.
Cancellation and date changes
The cancellation terms for your trip are written into your quote, and you read them BEFORE you pay anything.
We do not post one blanket rule like "cancel X days ahead for Y% back" across this section, because every trip holds different bookings: an aircraft charter, a ryokan room, a supercar, a table with a handful of seats. Each supplier has its own terms and most are paid up front. One shared number reads tidily and would be the wrong number on most trips.
The rule we hold to: anything not yet paid out to a supplier can be cancelled, and anything already paid that the supplier will not refund we call non-refundable out loud — at quote time, not at the moment you ask to cancel. If you want a different date, ask before cancelling: moving a booking usually costs far less than dropping it.
