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
- 8:45 Meet at hotel. After the meeting, at 9:16 take the mountain train at Miyanoshita to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. After sightseeing, depart at 11:31 for Gora Station. Then take the cable car and ropeway for sightseeing at Owakudani. Mt. Fuji was barely visible. Take the cable car to Togendai. At 12:45 take the pirate ship to Hakonemachi Port. Lunch at Hotoriya. Passing through the Hakone Checkpoint and the old Tokaido cedar avenue, viewed the direction of Hakone Shrine from the lakeside at Motohakone. Returned to Hakonemachi and departed at 15:15 by bus for Hakone-Yumoto, but due to road congestion, transferred to the train at Ohiradai and arrived at Hakone-Yumoto at 16:15. Furthermore, today due to an Odakyu accident, the Romancecar was suspended. Unavoidably took the mountain train to Odawara. From Odawara boarded the 16:42 rapid express bound for Shinjuku and finished. Instead of the Romancecar, the customer headed to Shinjuku by express and then on to Shibuya.
What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, the Open-Air Museum, and Lake Ashi
The guests were a group visiting from North America. They had a wonderful sense of humor and were very friendly, so we spent the whole day in a lively and enjoyable atmosphere. At the Hakone Open-Air Museum, surrounded by rich nature and trees, they remarked that although similar places exist in North America, this one was far cleaner and more beautiful. They especially loved the avenue of old cedar trees, finding the large trees rare and the quiet atmosphere to their taste. On the pirate ship, they were so absorbed in conversation over beers that they enjoyed the scenery only through the windows. From Owakudani, they were just barely able to catch a view of Mount Fuji, though not the whole mountain, and were satisfied. Although the Romancecar service was suspended, I confirmed with a station attendant that the fare would be automatically refunded and let everyone know.
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 | Free Pass | Odawara Station～Odawara Station | 5,000JPY |
| Total | 5,000JPY | ||
I am Hiroki Morikawa :Hiro:, English guide living with my wife ,just a hop skip and jump from Hakone, Kamakura, Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji.
I am a friendly grandfather of 4 grandchildren.
I would love to help you enjoy Japan, using my 3 strong points.
First: I am used to dealing with any kind of matters. I have experienced various situations in the 40 years of my working life.
Second: I am good at making a friendly atmosphere between you and local people to help you enjoy Japan. I was raised in western Japan, studied in northern Japan and now live in central Japan. So I know various local cultures and dialects to communicate with a wide variety of people.
Third: I can explain things from a technical point of view.
For example, how the Great Buddha was constructed, because I am a master of engineering graduated from Hokkaido University.
Please enjoy Japan with me. See you soon!!
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Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with…
Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with our guide, Hiro. Despite the weather not cooperating (rain),
Hiro was great about making adjustments so that we could see as much as Hakone as
possible.
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was…
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was flexible for our first time in Hakone and the kids enjoyed it
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing…
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing us to the area of Hakone – leading us on a great tour of several requested destinations. We were lucky to see Mt. Fuji at the top of the ropeway, had a fun ride on a pirate ship on Lake Ashi, enjoyed a fantastic lunch at a local restaurant, and picked up some great souvenirs at a puzzle-box store which have wowed our family and friends. One of the great things that Hiro did throughout the day was to educate and amuse us with numerous pictures, stories, and lessons from his backpack. It felt like Hiro-san was part of our family that day and we can’t imagine having tried to experience Hakone’s great sites without him.
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed…
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed visiting the beautiful gardens and shrines. Hiro was a great guide. Having him guide us made the day stress free and much more enjoyable. It was interesting learning about Japan and the culture. I would definitely recommend this tour and visiting Kamakura.