Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hiro
September, 2025
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.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Hotel meet. After the meeting, take the bus from Miyagino Bridge at 9:32 to Gora Station at 9:51. Take the cable car to Sounzan, then the ropeway to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai.
- 11:25 Pirate ship, 12:05 Motohakone Port, Hakone Shrine. Afterward, take the bus to Hakone Checkpoint Ruins. Maruyama Bussan, lunch at Donburi Chaya. After visiting the checkpoint ruins, take the bus from the checkpoint ruins at 14:36.
- Transfer to the train at Kowakidani, at 15:20 Gora Station request the hotel shuttle car, and disperse at the waiting area
Can You Do a Private Hakone Day Tour Even When Mt. Fuji Is Not Visible? A Licensed Guide's Report
I explained at the start that Mt. Fuji would not be visible, and we departed with that understanding. Perhaps because it was the gap between tourist seasons, the cable car has not been getting fully booked lately, so the guests were able to sit throughout, and the ropeway was practically private as well. However, Owakudani was completely hidden in fog too, but this had its own interesting charm. The boat allowed us to just barely see the scenery. Therefore, the guests enjoyed places that could be seen regardless of the fog, such as the checkpoint and the shrine. The same went for the presentation at the local product shop. At the donburi teahouse, both the udon and the soba took some time, but the guests almost finished everything. The guests were deeply interested in Japanese history and culture, and we talked about various topics such as kanji, religion, the emperor, and the shogun.
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～Odawara | 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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Aug 24, 2026
Deb_K
Viator review: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Well organised tour
Hiro is obviously an experienced guide.…
Aug 24, 2026
Deb_K
Viator review: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Well organised tour
Hiro is obviously an experienced guide. He answered any question we asked. He was well organised in dealing with our preferences and was able to taylor our itinerary to our interests. Overall a very enjoyable day. Would definitely recommend.
Aug 6, 2026
Marcus_J
Viator review: Hakone Full-Day Customized Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Had an amazing day with…
Had an amazing day with Hiro.…
Aug 6, 2026
Marcus_J
Viator review: Hakone Full-Day Customized Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Had an amazing day with…
Had an amazing day with Hiro. He gave us very comprehensive tour of Hakone. Did great explanation of history and explained a lot about culture of Japan. Very comprehensive.
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