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
- 9:00 Meet at the hotel
- 10:00 Hakone Shrine
- 11:30 Pirate ship from Motohakone to Togendai
- 13:00 Owakudani
- 15:00 End the tour at Gora
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 9:00 at hotel and ended at 15:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in Hakone Shrine at 10:00, Pirate ship from Motohakone to Togendai at 11:30 and Owakudani at 13:00.
Title: What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Hakone Shrine, the Pirate Ship, and Owakudani
Body:
The guests were a group of friends visiting from Europe. After staying in Tokyo, they came to Hakone, and after this they planned to travel to Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kurashiki, and Kyoto. They had researched the route thoroughly, and they said they had already had a wonderful time in Tokyo.
At Hakone Shrine, I first explained the differences between Shinto and Buddhism, the influence each has had on Japanese culture, and the differences in the ways of worship. The guests appreciated this, saying it helped them understand the source of the surprise they had felt when they first saw these things in Japan. Immediately after the explanation, they also purchased many "omamori" (protective amulets).
At Hakone Shrine, I explained the differences between Shinto and Buddhism, the influence both have had on Japanese culture, and the differences in the forms of worship. As a result, the guests were very pleased, saying the reasons for the surprise they had experienced during their first visit to Japan had become clear.
It was right in the middle of the autumn foliage season, and an extra pirate ship had even been added for group visitors, so it was very crowded and lively. However, although the weather had been perfectly clear in the morning, it became cloudy just as we arrived at the pirate ship and Owakudani, and unfortunately we could not get a good view of Mount Fuji, which was a bit disappointing. That said, they seemed to already know about the "black eggs," and they enjoyed trying one.
At the end, there happened to be a direct bus to the hotel at Gora Station, so we concluded the tour there.
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.