Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hiro
February, 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
- 10:20 Meet at Hakone-Yumoto Station. After assisting with luggage shipment, take the Izuhakone Bus at 10:35 to Owakudani. Arrive at Sounzan at 11:00. Take the ropeway to Owakudani. 11:50 Take the ropeway substitute bus to Togendai. Arrive at 12:00. 12:45 Pirate Ship. 13:10 Hakone-machi Port. Lunch at Donburi Chaya. After strolling through Hakone Checkpoint and the Tokaido cedar avenue, take the bus at 14:55 from Onshi Park to Moto-Hakone. After the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine, take the bus at 15:35 from Moto-Hakone Port via the new road. Arrive at Hakone-Yumoto at 16:00. Accompany to Hotel Airu. 16:20 Dismissal
What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. I already knew the ropeway would not be ideal in today's weather, and as expected, almost nothing was visible, which was unfortunate. Even so, the guests enjoyed the black eggs. On the pirate ship, despite the cold, we went up to the upper deck to observe the nature of Hakone. At a donburi restaurant, we enjoyed soba while at the same time talking about the Japanese language and daily culture, which the guests listened to with great interest, and we had a pleasant time. At the checkpoint and the cedar avenue, they experienced the atmosphere of Edo from 400 years ago. Since they had a dinner reservation from 5:00, I made sure to get them back to the Hotel in time. As they also wanted to try visiting Mount Fuji the next day, I gave them guidance on the route from the Hotel to the bus stop.
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 | Hakone-Yumoto Station / Izuhakone Bus～Sounzan Station Entrance / Izuhakone Bus | 750JPY |
| Total | 6,750JPY | ||
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.