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
- 9:30 Meet at the hotel
- 10:30 Owakudani
- 12:30 Hakone Shrine
- 13:50 Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
- 15:30 End of the tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Meeting at hotel at 9:30, the group explored Kanagawa until the tour ended at 15:30. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish.
The itinerary covered Owakudani at 10:30, Hakone Shrine at 12:30 and Hakone Venetian Glass Museum at 13:50.
What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Hakone Shrine, and the Glass Forest Museum
The guests were visitors from Europe. They had already stayed in Osaka and Kyoto before coming to Hakone. They had thoroughly enjoyed their time in Japan and praised the wonderful hotel where they were staying in Hakone. Among all the places they had traveled to around the world, they said Japan was especially wonderful.
We first headed from the hotel in Gora to Owakudani. Unfortunately, the following day was forecast to be rainy, so they were disappointed that they would not be able to view Mount Fuji, but they were delighted to buy the famous "black eggs" to eat back at the hotel. Next, at Hakone Shrine, I explained Shinto in detail, and they seemed to understand and appreciate it.
Partly for that reason, they purchased six omamori (protective charms), including one for "safety of the home," to take home as souvenirs for their family. For lunch, they requested ramen, something they had wanted to eat since arriving in Japan but had not yet had the chance to try, and they enjoyed it.
In the afternoon, we visited the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum (Glass Forest Museum), where they enjoyed the artworks along with a violin concert being held inside.
Although the weather was poor and I was not able to show them beautiful scenery on this Hakone tour, we instead spent a great deal of time discussing Japanese religion, culture, and customs in depth. In the end, the guests seemed deeply moved as the tour came to a close.
Click here for more details: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Hello and welcome to Tokyo!
I have been working for business with American companies for many years. I have many experiences guiding customers from around the world in Japan and taking Japanese customers to the USA and Europe.
I now have a national license as a guiding interpreter, and I want to introduce the unique gigantic city of Tokyo and the traditional Japanese culture, which is not shown in the guidebooks, to people worldwide who are interested in it. In addition, I want to introduce various Japanese foods you can enjoy only in Japan.
Unique experiences such as the Sumo Training Viewing and Tea Ceremony are optionally available.
Depending on your preference and itinerary, I can guide you in Tokyo, Kamakura, and Hakone so that you can enjoy your time in Japan.
Jul 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time…
Jul 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time visit to Tokyo. Our guide Atsushi took great care to acclimate us with navigating through busy train stations efficiently with a group of eight family members. Along the way and at each site he explained various cultural practices and associated histories that made the tour very immersive and enjoyable. We will highly recommend Atsushi and Viator to our family and friends for future tours.
Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and…
Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and friendly tour guide. His knowledge allowed us to explore and get to the historical significance of the various locations we visited. His explanations were simple but comprehensive. The six hours flew by and included some off-the-beaten opportunities including coffee at a very austere but memorable location near the fish market. I would highly recommend him as well as this tour for anyone with limited time in Tokyo wanting see as much as possible
May 27, 2026
jackie m
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Walking tour of Tokyo
Our guide was really interesting and had…
May 27, 2026
jackie m
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Walking tour of Tokyo
Our guide was really interesting and had an amazing knowledge of culture and attractions!
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon walk! We also navigated through the Shinjuku station
which was no walk in the park! Thank you to Atsushi!
Apr 9, 2026
Lindsey_W
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Atsushi, was…
Our guide, Atsushi, was great! He met…
Apr 9, 2026
Lindsey_W
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Atsushi, was…
Our guide, Atsushi, was great! He met us at our hotel in Hakone and took us clockwise to tour all the sites. He was informative and taught us a lot. Our group was two adults and a 14 year old. We saw Mt Fuji from the rope way, but unfortunately the pirate ship was canceled because of high wind. We would absolutely use Atsushi again for this tour, or any other tour he provides.