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
- 8:30 Meet at Hakodate Port Terminal
- 8:45 Depart by chartered microbus
- 9:00 Goryokaku Tower
- 9:35 Goryokaku Park
- 11:00 Former Soma Family Residence
- 12:10 Lunch at a restaurant in the Motomachi district
- 13:15 Shopping at Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
- 14:20 Visit Hakodate Morning Market
- 14:35 End of tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Meeting at Hakodate Port Terminal at 8:30, the group explored Hokkaido until the tour ended at 14:35. The day ran to 6 hours and 5 minutes from start to finish. It included lunch at a restaurant in the Motomachi district at 12:10.
The itinerary covered by chartered microbus at 8:45, Goryokaku Tower at 9:00, Goryokaku Park at 9:35, Former Soma Family Residence at 11:00, Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse at 13:15 and Hakodate Morning Market at 14:20.
Title: What Is a Private Cruise Day Tour of Hakodate Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America, arriving by cruise ship. One of the guests worked at a travel agency. They requested a minibus, so as usual I shared the vehicle arrangement website, but their budget was quite tight, and I was asked to find a reasonably priced bus. I searched for a local bus company in Hakodate and managed to find one that fit within the budget. In the morning it took a little time for them to disembark from the cruise ship, but after that everyone was punctual, which was very helpful. Because it was the weekend, Goryokaku was extremely crowded and it took some time to board the elevator. The cherry blossoms at Goryokaku were in full bloom, and the guests were delighted to take photos. At the former Soma Residence, the guests were impressed by the ingenuity of the traditional Japanese house. After shopping at the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse, we had a little time left, so we visited the morning market before ending the tour. We were blessed with good weather, and it turned out to be a comfortable and pleasant tour. The photo was taken at Goryokaku Park.
Click here for more details: Hakodate Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.
Sep 28, 2026
Miguel_E
Amazing Service
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful time with Kazuo.…
Sep 28, 2026
Miguel_E
Amazing Service
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful time with Kazuo. He had such insightful knowledge of each area we wanted to visit and had all the best spots to take photos and was very patient with us.
Sep 27, 2026
T
TrailBlazer47194
Kazuo Sumi is a great guide.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Our guide Kazuo Sumi…
Sep 27, 2026
T
TrailBlazer47194
Kazuo Sumi is a great guide.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Our guide Kazuo Sumi was excellent. We had a wonderful time, learned a lot of new things about Japanese culture and history, practiced navigating transport, enjoyed a perfect lunch. Kazuo-San even facilitated a purchase of a UV blocking umbrella, which was much needed on that sunny day.
Sep 1, 2026
Steve6172014
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour…
Sep 1, 2026
Steve6172014
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour with Kazuo, our guide. Days before arrival he communicated directly with me to set up the tour according to sites we wanted to see and he made good suggestions. Besides listening to his Kyoto detailed knowledge, we enjoyed the local walking of streets, taking buses and trains between sites. Kazuo has excellent English and has travelled himself so being with him for the day was a pleasure. I highly recommend using him as your guide
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had…
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had a wonderful experience during our Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide. Our guide, Kazuo, was truly outstanding from start to finish. He shared an impressive amount of knowledge about Kyoto’s history, culture, temples, and daily life. You can feel how passionate he is about his city, and he explains everything with the calm, precision and kindness so typical of Japanese guides. His English was clear and easy to follow, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Kazuo was also extremely friendly, attentive and careful. He always made sure we were comfortable, took the time to answer all our questions, adapted the pace of the tour, and anticipated our needs without us even asking. Travelling by car made the experience smooth and relaxing, allowing us to see more places without rushing. We felt very well taken care of throughout the day, and we learned so much thanks to him. We highly recommend Kazuo to anyone looking for a personalized, insightful and stress‑free discovery of Kyoto.