Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hiro
August, 2026
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
- 8:40 Meet at hotel, 9:04 by Izuhakone Bus to Sounzan Station, by ropeway to Owakudani 10:00, by ropeway to Togendai, 10:45 by pirate ship, 11:25 Motohakone Port, visit Hakone Shrine, by bus arrive at Hakonemachi Lake 12:30, after strolling, Maruyama Bussan yosegi zaiku (marquetry) shopping, lunch at Donburi Chaya, visit Hakone Checkpoint, stroll along the cedar avenue, 14:17 from in front of Hakone Branch Office by bus, get off at Yunessun, disband in the hotel lobby at 14:44
What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and Traditional Crafts
The guests were a calm group visiting from Oceania. At Owakudani, they were interested in the famous black eggs but did not eat them, as they were still full from breakfast. The volcanic landscape of Owakudani and the green scenery viewed from the pirate ship left a strong impression on them. Mount Fuji was visible for a brief moment, though they mentioned it looked almost the same as what they had seen at Lake Kawaguchi the day before. They were not familiar with the Yosegi marquetry woodwork of Maruyama Bussan, so they took great interest in the presentation and purchased a puzzle box as a souvenir. For lunch, the guests shared their meal together and enjoyed listening to my explanation about kanji characters. At the old checkpoint and the cedar avenue, they were able to experience the atmosphere of Japan's Edo period, and I hope it will be a helpful part of the rest of their journey in Japan.
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 | 6,000JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Ten-yu / Izuhakone Bus～Sounzan Station Entrance / Izuhakone Bus | 270JPY |
| Total | 6,270JPY | ||
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.