This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 10:00 Meet at the hotel
- 10:30 – 12:00 Sightseeing at Hakone Shrine
- 12:10 – 12:30 Pirate ship (Motohakone ~ Togendai)
- 12:40 – 13:00 Ropeway (Togendai ~ Owakudani)
- 13:00 – 14:30 Owakudani sightseeing, lunch
- 14:40 – 14:50 Ropeway (Owakudani ~ Sounzan)
- 15:08 – 16:09 Cable car, mountain railway (Owakudani ~ Hakone-Yumoto)
- 16:09 – 16:30 Guiding around Yumoto, tour ends once the dinner restaurant is decided
What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like on a Rainy Day? A Licensed Guide's Report
Since rain was forecast to linger through the morning, I contacted the guests the day before and moved the tour start back by one hour to a 10:00 meeting. As a result of this change, we avoided being caught in the rain all day. With the whole of Hakone shrouded in mist, we started by visiting Hakone Shrine. The mist may have actually been good for visiting Hakone Shrine, as it created a more sacred atmosphere. By the time we boarded the pirate ship, the mist over the lake had cleared. The distance was still wrapped in clouds and Mount Fuji was never visible during the tour, but the guests seemed to greatly enjoy the lake scenery. Owakudani was also covered in mist so the views could not be enjoyed, but we had lunch at the spacious black-egg hall restaurant, ate the black eggs and light snacks, and took a rest at the table. I had been considering going to the Hakone Open-Air Museum after Owakudani, but changed the plan to shopping and dinner in Yumoto. I accompanied the guests to Yumoto, introduced the main shops, and once the guests entered a sushi restaurant, the tour ended. Although Mount Fuji could not be seen, the guests seemed to greatly enjoy the sightseeing in Hakone and the natural scenery.
Click here for more details: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Bus | In front of the hotel～Motohakone Port | 750JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Motohakone Port～Togendai | 2,000JPY |
| Section 3 | Other | Togendai～Sounzan | 0JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Sounzan～Hakone-Yumoto | 1,200JPY |
| Total | 3,950JPY | ||
My name is Hit Suzuki. I am a male National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter for English tours. I have been living in Tokyo for more than 30 years and worked at a company in the Shinjuku area, which is the western core active area of downtown Tokyo, for more than 20 years. Therefore, I am very familiar with Tokyo City. I am happy to guide you to wherever you want to visit, eat, and experience in Tokyo. In addition to Tokyo, I am also very familiar with Hakone and Nikko, which are wonderful excursion areas from Tokyo where you can enjoy beautiful scenery and Japanese history. If you are interested, I would be glad to guide you in those areas as well.
Aug 1, 2025
A
Alessandro_G
Our guide was called Hit…
Viator review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide was called Hit Suzuki…
Aug 1, 2025
A
Alessandro_G
Our guide was called Hit…
Viator review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide was called Hit Suzuki and we couldn’t have wished for anyone better. The whole experience was fantastic from start to finish and Hit had so many incredible stories to tell that helped bring the tour to life. I would highly recommend this to anyone who would like to spend a day in Nikko and learn more about the history of Japan and of this sacred place. The tour lasted six hours but Hit made it so interesting, that it could have gone on for another six! Thank you for a really special day!
Oct 21, 2024
619yukik
日光プライベートツアー6時間
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
ガイド鈴木さまのおかげで素晴らしい日光観光になりました。
もともと予定していたゴールデンルートがありましたが、天気の兼ね合いと私たちがハイキングしたいという要望に応えてくださり、直前にも関わらず臨機応変に対応してくださいました。豊富な知識と私たちの要望に応えてくださったお陰でとても充実した1日になりました。大大大満足です。本当にありがとうございました。
Oct 16, 2024
Erica_E
Awesome tour! Definitely recommend
Viator review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an awesome time on our private…
Oct 16, 2024
Erica_E
Awesome tour! Definitely recommend
Viator review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an awesome time on our private tour in Nikko. Our tour guide Hit was incredibly knowledgeable and a great tour guide. We learned a lot about Japan’s history that we wouldn’t have otherwise learned. Nikko was beautiful and Hit did a great job making sure we saw all of the spots we wanted to. Definitely recommend this tour!
Oct 13, 2024
H2475JJdavids
A wonderful day in Nikko
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hit was a fantastic guide. He was…
Oct 13, 2024
H2475JJdavids
A wonderful day in Nikko
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hit was a fantastic guide. He was knowledgeable of the area and history and designed a
perfect day around our requests and added some special sites that we enjoyed. A truly
wonderful day in Nikko.