Forest Bathing in Temple and Enjoy onsen with healing power

Daiyuzan Saijoji Temple gives this outing its magic: you walk uphill through a 500-year-old cedar and cypress forest, then finish the day with a hot spring soak. It is a calm, physical alternative to temple hopping in central Tokyo or Kyoto.

I like two things right away. First, guide Akihiro-san can shape the walk around your interests, especially if you are the only person booked. Second, the day has a sensible rhythm: forest, temple stories, Japanese lunch, then onsen. The main catch is cost. The advertised price does not include transportation, lunch, or the onsen, so you should budget several thousand yen beyond the tour fee.

Key points at a glance

• A 600-year-old temple: Daiyuzan Saijoji, also called Doryoson, combines Buddhist buildings, local folklore, and a long cedar-lined approach.
• A real forest walk: This is not just a quick photo stop. You walk uphill among trees said to be more than 500 years old.
• A small group setting: The maximum group size is six, with a national certified guide who holds wilderness first aid certification.
• Lunch in the temple area: You can eat at a Japanese tea house in the forest or at the onsen facility, with lunch costing about 2,000 yen.
• A hot spring finale: The onsen is known for bathing connected with body and soul healing, and it gives your legs a welcome rest after the walk.
• A practical Odawara base: The tour begins and ends at Odawara Station, making it useful for a day away from the usual city sights.

Why this Odawara day trip feels different

Many temple visits involve a train, a gate, a few buildings, and a quick return to town. This one gives you time to notice the approach. The walk through the forest is part of the visit, not merely the route to it.

The term forest bathing refers to spending quiet, attentive time among trees. You are not signing up for a demanding mountain trek, but you should expect an uphill walk and enough time on your feet to make proper shoes important. The old cedar and cypress trees create the setting, while the guide adds meaning through stories about the temple and its folklore.

I especially like the way the day connects three Japanese traditions without rushing any of them. You get a historic religious site, a simple local meal, and a hot spring bath. Each part makes the next one feel more useful. The forest clears your head, the temple gives the walk a purpose, and the onsen takes the edge off tired legs.

The outing lasts about six hours and starts at 9:00 am. That makes it a substantial half-day experience, not a short add-on between other Odawara plans. You return to Odawara Station at the end, so you can continue by train afterward.

Meeting Akihiro-san at Odawara Station

The meeting point is Beck’s Coffee on the third floor of Odawara Station. This is a practical place to begin, since Odawara is easy to reach by public transportation and the tour returns to the same station.

You should arrive ready for a day outside. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, and warm clothing is recommended for the forest. Even if the weather feels mild at the station, the wooded route may feel cooler, especially when you stop to listen to stories or look closely at the trees.

The group is limited to six people. That matters here because the walk depends on conversation and a comfortable pace. Akihiro-san is a national certified guide with wilderness first aid certification. When the group is very small, he can tailor the outing to your interests. One solo participant found that flexibility especially useful while learning about the mountain, the cedar forest, and temple stories.

A small group also helps at the temple. You are less likely to feel hurried while looking at the buildings or listening to the folklore. At the same time, this is a guided walk rather than a private car excursion, so you will spend part of the morning using local train and bus connections.

Riding out to Daiyuzan Saijoji Temple

From Odawara, you travel by train and bus toward Minamiashigara, the guide’s hometown. The transport is part of the local character of the day. You are not simply being driven from one tourist stop to another. You see how the temple connects with the surrounding community.

The transportation fee is not included in the tour price. The exact amount is not provided, so plan to pay separately for your group. Bring some yen for this, lunch, and the bath. A mobile ticket is available, which is handy for keeping the booking details on your phone.

The journey also means you should judge the tour by its full experience, not just by the time spent at the temple. A private vehicle might be faster, but the train and bus make this feel more like a day trip you could build into your own Japan itinerary.

Walking beneath centuries-old cedar and cypress trees

The forest path leading toward Daiyuzan Saijoji is the heart of the outing. Huge trees, some more than 500 years old, line the route. Their age gives the walk a sense of scale that a newer park cannot copy.

You will stroll uphill rather than race through the woods. The guide can point out the setting and explain why this approach matters to the temple visit. The forest also offers a quieter contrast to Odawara’s station area and to Japan’s more heavily visited religious sites.

This section is best for people who enjoy walking at a measured pace. The tour information says most people can participate, but it also asks you to bring comfortable shoes and warm clothes. Those instructions tell you what you need to know: expect a genuine outdoor walk, not a flat paved promenade.

Summer can be hot and humid. A previous outing on a summer day ended with a refreshing rinse and onsen soak, which makes the bathing stop more than a decorative extra. If you dislike heat or are sensitive to humidity, consider the weather before booking.

The guide’s wilderness first aid certification is reassuring on a wooded route. It does not turn the outing into an adventure hike, but it adds a useful layer of preparation.

Daiyuzan Saijoji, a temple with stories to tell

Daiyuzan Saijoji has about 600 years of history and is also known as Doryoson. The buildings and shrines use cedar and cypress wood, tying the architecture to the forest around it.

Your visit includes folklore connected with the temple. This is where a guide adds real value. You can look at a gate or wooden structure on your own, but stories help explain why the place matters and how local belief shaped it.

The temple setting is not treated as a rushed photo stop. You have already walked through the trees, so the buildings feel like the destination of a pilgrimage-style approach. That gradual arrival gives the visit more weight.

I would not choose this tour if your main goal is to check off many famous sights in one morning. You visit one temple, and the reward comes from its forest setting, old trees, and stories rather than from a long list of monuments.

Lunch at a Japanese tea house

Lunch is taken near the temple, either at a Japanese tea house in the forest area or at the onsen facility. The tea house serves Japanese lunch, and its Japanese confectionery is well known locally.

The meal costs about 2,000 yen per person and is not included. That is a fair extra for a local-style break, but you should include it when comparing this tour with other guided outings. Alcohol and souvenirs are also personal expenses.

The tea house option suits the mood of the day. After a forest walk and temple visit, a simple Japanese meal in the same area keeps you connected to the place instead of sending you back to the station for food.

Still, lunch arrangements can depend on the day and the group. Since the available information gives two possible locations rather than a fixed menu, do not book this expecting a particular dish. Think of it as a convenient local meal built into the route.

The onsen finish near the temple

After lunch, you visit a nearby onsen in the same mountain area. The facility is associated with healing the body and soul, a tradition often described as toji, or hot spring treatment.

This is a particularly good ending. A forest walk can leave your legs tired, and soaking afterward changes the mood from active sightseeing to quiet recovery. The onsen fee is about 2,000 yen per person and is not included in the tour price.

You should be comfortable with ordinary Japanese bathing customs before booking. The supplied information does not explain the facility’s exact rules, changing-room setup, or whether towels are included, so bring only what you need and ask the guide about practical details on the day.

The onsen also makes this experience appealing in different seasons. On a hot summer day, rinsing off before soaking can feel wonderfully refreshing. In cooler weather, the contrast between the forest air and hot spring water should be especially pleasant, though the exact conditions depend on the date.

Lunch may take place at the onsen facility instead of the temple tea house. That option saves time and makes the final part of the outing simpler. Either way, the bath is not a token stop. It is one of the main reasons to choose this particular combination of activities.

What the $104.51 price really covers

The tour costs $104.51 per person. Included in that price is a national certified guide with wilderness first aid certification. The guide’s local connection and ability to adjust the walk are important parts of the value.

You must pay extra for three basic elements:

• Transportation for your group
• Lunch, about 2,000 yen per person
• Onsen entry, about 2,000 yen per person

That means the final cost will be noticeably higher than the headline price. The exact transportation charge is not listed, so I would leave room in your budget rather than planning down to the last yen.

The price makes the most sense for you if you want explanation and company in a small group. If you only want to reach the temple, eat lunch, and bathe, you may prefer to arrange the day independently. You would give up the guide’s folklore, local knowledge, and route planning.

Group discounts are available, which may improve the value for friends or families booking together. Since the maximum is six people, the outing remains fairly intimate even when discounted.

The experience receives a five out of five rating from 17 published ratings, with 100 percent recommending it. That strong record fits the tour’s clearest strengths: the beautiful walk, the temple, the bath, and the guide’s personal attention. It should not hide the extra charges or the need for decent walking fitness.

Who should book this forest-bathing tour

I would recommend it to you if you want a slower, more local day near Odawara. It suits people who enjoy old religious sites but prefer to reach them through trees and quiet paths rather than by taxi.

It is also a good match for anyone who likes a day with a clear physical arc. You walk, listen, eat, and soak. The schedule gives each part a purpose, and you do not need to plan separate transport between the temple and the bath.

Solo visitors may get a great deal from the flexible guiding. Couples and small groups should appreciate the six-person limit and the chance to receive more direct attention than on a large coach tour.

I would think twice if you need a completely flat route, dislike bathing in an onsen, or want all costs bundled into one payment. The cancellation terms are strict: the experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason, but poor weather may lead to a different date or a full refund.

Practical planning before you go

Leave luggage at Odawara Station if needed. The station has luggage storage, which lets you enjoy the forest without carrying a suitcase on the train, bus, and uphill path.

Wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes. Bring warm clothing for the forest, and carry money for transport, lunch, and the onsen. Since a mobile ticket is available, keeping the booking on your phone should be simple.

Service animals are allowed, and the activity is near public transportation. Most people can participate, but the walking and uphill sections still deserve honest consideration. Ask yourself if you can comfortably spend several hours moving between transport, forest paths, temple grounds, lunch, and the bath.

The tour begins at 9:00 am and ends back at Odawara Station after the onsen. A booking is confirmed at the time of purchase, and the experience is usually booked about 47 days ahead, so do not leave it until the last minute if your Japan schedule is fixed.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a quiet temple, an old-growth forest walk, and an onsen in one well-shaped day. The strongest reason to go is not any single attraction. It is the way Akihiro-san links the trees, temple folklore, local lunch, and hot spring into one experience.

Skip it if you want a low-cost outing with no added fees, a flat route, or a packed list of major sights. For the right person, though, this is a thoughtful Odawara day trip with real local texture and a very welcome bath at the end.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is Beck’s Coffee on the third floor of Odawara Station, at 9:00 am.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at Odawara Station after the onsen visit.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately six hours.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes a national certified guide with a wilderness first aid certificate.

Are transportation costs included?

No. Transportation for your group is not included, and the exact fee is not provided.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch costs about 2,000 yen per person. It may be served at a Japanese tea house in the temple area or at the onsen facility.

Is the onsen fee included?

No. The onsen fee is about 2,000 yen per person.

How large is the group?

The activity has a maximum of six travelers.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable walking shoes and warm clothes for the forest. Luggage storage is available at Odawara Station.

Can the tour be canceled for bad weather?

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered a different date or a full refund.