Hokkaido in One Day: Goryokaku Tower — Guide Kazu
October, 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.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Meet at Hakodate Port Terminal
- 9:40 Goryokaku Tower
- 10:30 Goryokaku Park
- 11:45 Lunch at Hakodate Morning Market
- 13:15 Former Soma Residence
- 14:10 Shopping at Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
- 15:10 Return to Hakodate Station and end the tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 9:00 at Hakodate Port Terminal and ended at 15:10. The day ran to 6 hours and 10 minutes from start to finish. It included lunch at Hakodate Morning Market at 11:45.
Over the course of the day the route took in Goryokaku Tower at 9:40, Goryokaku Park at 10:30, Former Soma Residence at 13:15 and Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse at 14:10.
Public transport for the day came to 800JPY per person.
Title: What's a Private Group Tour of Hakodate Like for Cruise Ship Guests? A Licensed Guide's Report
Body: The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. I first asked about any damage from the recent earthquake in their home region, and it seems no one had suffered any major damage. Their first language is Spanish, so one member of the group kindly interpreted the important points into Spanish for the others. The group got along very well and took many photos together. Everyone was cooperative, and they made lunch easy for me by coordinating their orders all together. After shopping at the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse, they took the streetcar all the way back to Hakodate Station. Before returning to the cruise ship, they wished to shop at a drugstore in front of the station. The photo was taken at Goryokaku Park.
A notable stop on the tour was Goryokaku Park in Hakodate. Goryokaku is a star-shaped fortress built in the late Edo period, and it was the first Western-style fort constructed in Japan. Today the surrounding area is a public park famous for its cherry blossoms in spring, and the distinctive star shape is best appreciated from the nearby Goryokaku Tower, which offers panoramic views of the fortress and the city of Hakodate below.
Click here for more details: Hakodate Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Free Pass | In front of Hakodate Station～In front of Hakodate Station | 800JPY |
| Total | 800JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Hokkaido tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Hakodate Port Terminal at 9:00, and the tour finished at Hakodate Station and end the tour at 15:10.
How long does the tour last?
About 6 hours and 10 minutes in total, from 9:00 to 15:10.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Goryokaku Tower, Goryokaku Park, Former Soma Residence and Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 800JPY per person across 1 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Kazu is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Hokkaido itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
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.