Josh Hutcherson on the ‘Hunger Games’ Co-star That Makes the Best Travel Companion—and the North Carolina City He Loves

From the time Josh Hutcherson was 9 years old, he has taken Hollywood by storm, starring in films like “Little Manhattan” (2005), “Bridge to Terabithia” (2007), and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (2008), leading up to his best-known role in The Hunger Games franchise as Peeta Mellark, a character he’s reportedly reprising in the 2026 prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping.” This year has been no exception, as he’s capped it off with both the HBO comedy series I Love L.A. and the film “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.” So, when he does have a moment of downtime, he prefers to lean into serenity. 

“My life is very chaotic, so when I get time to actually travel, I want to disconnect from it all,” the 33-year-old actor told Travel + Leisure. “I don’t like to overbook things or plan things out too much. I like to pick neighborhoods and sit in a park or square and just take in the life around me.”

That philosophy paired perfectly with a recent visit to the Japanese mountain town Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo. It’s an area known for its serene landscapes, inviting onsens, and meditative temples. There, he filmed the second short film of his collaboration with The Ritz-Carlton and Madrid fashion brand Late Checkout, produced by Little Spain.

“I’ve idolized Japanese culture—the fashion, food, music, and all of it—my whole life,” he said, having last visited when he was about 13 during the “Bridge to Terabithia” press tour. “To go there as an adult and enjoy the scene was just great.”

Filming exclusively within The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko—home to the luxury brand’s only hot springs—he helped showcase the collaboration’s capsule collection, donning items like the RC hoodie ($260), short parka ($390), and logo robe ($360), among others.

The zen 6-minute film followed the first chapter, where he played a doting concierge at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. “That was incredible, but it’s a metropolis, and we shot inside the hotel for six days straight,” he said of the debut short that won a 2025 Cannes Lions Gold Lion. “What’s great about this one is that we really got to get out into nature and breathe it in.”

The project took him to a trio of Ritz-Carlton properties—all with distinct energies. The “magical forest vibes” in Nikko took “a total gear shift” when he got to Tokyo, while Kyoto was “an in-between with temples and beautiful places.”

The art of slow travel is one that Hutcherson has embraced, down to its details. “As soon as I get into a hotel room, I unpack everything because I want to feel like I’m living there,” he said of immediately designating drawers for underwear, socks, T-shirts, and pants for any stay longer than one night. “My girlfriend finds it stressful because you have to repack it. But I’m like, it’s fine.”

He also sets the vibe by always traveling with incense, usually “Nag Champa because my grandpa used to always have that lit.” He also picked up some boxes of Japanese incense when he was in Kyoto because he found the scents “superior.”

When he’s not on set, the Kentucky-born actor now splits his time between Los Angeles and Madrid, since his longtime girlfriend Claudia Traisac is Spanish. 

“Madrid is so amazing,” he said. “It’s such a walkable city—it’s this major European metropolis, but it feels very manageable.” For first-time visitors, he recommends letting the adventure unfold and “getting lost” in neighborhoods like La Latina, Malasaña, Justicia, and Opera. “Stumble across a great cafe and a square to sit in, and just have some sangria and tapas.” He also raves about the Spanish capital’s art museums, particularly Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Museo Reina Sofía, which are all “next-level.”

“But for me, the one thing I love about Madrid so much is that go-with-the-flow feeling that you never know what’s gonna happen,” the Spanish-speaking star said. “You run into some people on the street, they’ll be like, ‘Hey, let’s go over there.’ Then you go over there. There’s a constant movement in the city that’s very cool.” 

Hutcherson has also recently been spotlighting the lifestyle of his other home on I Love L.A., which premiered last month. He admitted the Southern California traffic can be challenging for visitors, but that it’s also a good time to put on a new album or listen to a podcast. “You can’t let it stress you out,” he said. “It’s just part of existence—and you can’t escape it.”

The trick? Picking a few neighborhoods, parking there, and just enjoying the area before going on to the next—and always making sure you have reservations, he said. Among his favorites are the eastside enclaves of Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Downtown, and Chinatown, the last of which he said is “popping off right now with some really good restaurants and bars.” 

His work often takes him away from those home bases, giving him the opportunity to revel in new destinations. “I love when you go somewhere to shoot, and you kind of feel like you get to live there for a long period of time,” he said. “It’s a nice experience.” His favorites include some of his earliest, like New Zealand, where he filmed “Bridge to Terabithia,” and Iceland for parts of “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

And of course, there was North Carolina, where The Hunger Games trilogy was filmed. “I’m a big fan of Asheville,” Hutcherson said, especially of its “great food and amazing mountains.” While there, he enjoyed experiencing the Blue Ridge Parkway, which he called “incredible,” and frequented the “great breakfast spot” Early Girl Eatery and Asheville Retrocade. 

But no matter where his adventures take him, Hutcherson is all about taking in the moments that matter most, especially now that he has a dual European and American view of travel. “A lot of my American friends tend to over-plan and be like, we have one hour to go to this museum,” he said. “It’s like, chill. In my experience, some of my European friends tend to be more open to flowing—that’s a pretty big difference.”