- Days
- 4
- Participants
- 20 to 40 participants
- Cities
- Tokyo
Objectives
- Reward a small group with a ryokan stay, a format rarely offered in incentives
- Combine the energy of Tokyo and the quiet of the Hakone mountains in one trip
- Introduce onsen, kaiseki and Japanese hospitality in the right conditions
- Keep time for discussion with the leadership team in a setting that suits it
Participant profile
Sales challenge winners, top partners or a VIP client circle, often traveling as couples, looking for something more personal than a large city hotel. Guests should be comfortable with ryokan customs (shared single-sex baths, yukata, set dinner times).
Day by day
- 1
Day 1
Day 1 — Arrival in Tokyo and welcome dinner
- Meet-and-greet at Haneda (45 to 60 min transfer) or Narita (about 90 min), minibus or coach transfer to Hilton Tokyo in Nishi-Shinjuku, a few minutes from the station where the Romancecar departs
- 4:00 pm — Check-in, travel booklet and a short ryokan guide: what to pack, bath etiquette
- 6:00 pm — Main suitcases go into our luggage van, which delivers them straight to the ryokan the next day; guests keep a small bag for the journey
- 7:00 pm — Welcome dinner in a private space at Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu: soba, yakitori and tempura to share, welcome words from the leadership team
- 9:30 pm — Return to the hotel
Shinjuku - 2
Day 2
Day 2 — Romancecar, Lake Ashi and Owakudani
- 9:00 am — Wagashi workshop with a master confectioner: each guest shapes two seasonal sweets, tasted with green tea
- 11:30 am — Romancecar from Shinjuku, reserved seats for the whole group, bento served on board; arrival at Hakone-Yumoto around 1:00 pm
- 1:15 pm — Private coach to Moto-Hakone (about 35 min) and a short walk to the Hakone Shrine torii on the water's edge
- 2:30 pm — Lake Ashi crossing to Togendai (about 40 min) aboard a Hakone pirate ship, in the special-class cabin reserved for the group or on a private charter (except December 1–March 19), with Mount Fuji in view on a clear day
- 3:30 pm — Hakone Ropeway up to Owakudani, steam vents and black eggs boiled in the spring; if it is closed due to volcanic gas, a visit to the Hakone Open-Air Museum instead
- 5:00 pm — Arrival in Gōra, check-in at Hakone G-tei (and at Gora Kadan for part of the group if needed), in-room bath fed by the Owakudani spring
- 7:00 pm — Kaiseki dinner at the ryokan, drinks included in the rate
Lake Ashi - 3
Day 3
Day 3 — Work session, art and awards
- 7:00 am — Free early bath, sauna and the ryokan's outdoor cold plunge
- 9:30 am — 2-hour discussion session with the leadership team in Myōjō, Gora Kadan's 55-tatami Japanese banquet room (24 seated); for a larger group, the session runs in two groups or uses the Hakone G-tei lounge as well; portable screen provided
- 12:00 pm — Handmade soba lunch at a Gōra restaurant reserved for the group
- 1:30 pm — Guided visit of the Hakone Open-Air Museum, one stop from Gōra on the mountain railway, or the Pola Museum depending on the group's tastes
- 3:30 pm — Free time at the ryokan: bath, rest, a walk through the Gōra villa district
- 6:30 pm — Aperitif and awards in the reserved lounge, followed by the kaiseki dinner
三日目 · Hakone Open-Air Museum - 4
Day 4
Day 4 — Return to Tokyo and departure
- Japanese breakfast at the ryokan, check-out around 10:00 am
- Option A: direct coach to Haneda (about 2 hours depending on traffic) for afternoon flights
- Option B: Romancecar to Shinjuku for a last night in Tokyo, or the Shinkansen from Odawara (30 min from Gōra) to reach Kyoto in about 2 hours
- Check-in assistance and departure
Hakone
Budget
From €4,200 per person, excluding flights
Indicative rate based on 30 participants in double rooms: 1 night in a 5-star Tokyo hotel and 2 nights in a high-end ryokan on an all-inclusive basis (dinner, breakfast, drinks). Included: transfers, reserved Romancecar seats, luggage van, cruise and ropeway, activities, work space, guides and staff. Not included: international flights, single supplement, extras. Hakone G-tei opens on 30 October 2026, so the program is offered from November 2026. Weekends, the autumn foliage season (November) and New Year are the most expensive periods for ryokan.
Quick estimate
2040
€126,000
i.e. €4,200 per person, excluding flights
Indicative estimate based on the per-person rate shown for this programme. The exact quote follows your brief.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 23-room ryokan host 40 people?
Yes, if most guests share a room, as couples or in pairs. With single rooms, Hakone G-tei sleeps about twenty people; we then house the rest of the group at Gora Kadan (42 rooms), a few minutes away in Gōra, and bring everyone together for the awards. For top achievers, Hakone Ginyu in Miyanoshita (20 rooms with outdoor baths, two stops down the line) is an alternative.
Can we take the Romancecar with suitcases?
Luggage space on board is limited. For a group, we move suitcases separately by van from Tokyo to the ryokan, then from the ryokan to the departure airport or station. Guests travel with a small bag.
What if Owakudani is closed?
The ropeway and Owakudani site sometimes close when volcanic gas levels rise. We check on the morning itself and replace this stop with the Hakone Open-Air Museum or the Pola Museum, without changing the rest of the day.
Are tattoos a problem at the ryokan?
Many properties still do not admit tattooed guests to their shared baths. At Hakone G-tei, every room has its own hot-spring bath, which solves the issue. We flag cases in advance and check each property's rule.
When is the best time for Hakone?
November (autumn foliage) and late winter offer the best visibility of Mount Fuji. Spring is mild, summer more humid and often cloudy. Avoid Japanese long weekends, when traffic and rates rise sharply.
