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
- 09:00 Meet at the hotel
- 09:05 Hakone Shrine
- 10:15 Pirate ship from Motohakone Port to Togendai
- 11:00 Hakone Ropeway from Togendai to Owakudani
- 11:40 Ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan
- 12:28 Hakone Cable Car from Sounzan to Gora
- 12:50 Lunch at Gora
- 13:30 Bus from Gora to Sengoku
- 13:50 Choanji Temple
- 14:20 Bus from Sengoku to Motohakone Port
- 15:00 Disband in front of the hotel
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Kanagawa began at 09:00, when the guide met the guests at hotel, and finished at 15:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish. It included lunch at Gora at 12:50.
From there the group visited Hakone Shrine at 09:05, Pirate ship from Motohakone Port to Togendai at 10:15, Hakone Ropeway from Togendai to Owakudani at 11:00, Ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan at 11:40, Hakone Cable Car from Sounzan to Gora at 12:28, Bus from Gora to Sengoku at 13:30, Choanji Temple at 13:50 and Bus from Sengoku to Motohakone Port at 14:20.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Motohakone Port to Togendai by Free Pass (6,000JPY); Togendai to Owakudani by Free Pass (0JPY); Owakudani to Sounzan by Free Pass (0JPY); Sounzan to Gora by Free Pass (0JPY); Gora to Sengoku by Free Pass (0JPY); Sengoku to In front of the hotel by Free Pass (0JPY); In front of the hotel to Motohakone Port by Free Pass (0JPY). Across 7 sections the fare came to 6,000JPY per person.
What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Hakone Shrine, the Ropeway, and Owakudani
The guests were a group visiting from North America. In the morning it was cloudy and Mount Fuji was not visible, but Mount Fuji became visible from the pirate ship along the way. They mentioned this was their second visit to Japan. I took great care, for example when walking along the roads with the lively members of the group. At Hakone Shrine, they purchased zodiac charms and ema votive tablets, wrote their wishes on the ema, and hung them up. On the pirate ship, they enjoyed the scenery from the upper deck. Mount Fuji was also visible from the Hakone Ropeway. At Owakudani, they purchased the famous black eggs. We then traveled to Gora and had lunch at Ninja Cafe Fuma. We took a bus to Sengoku and visited Choanji Temple. There were almost no other visitors and it was quiet, so they leisurely viewed the Five Hundred Rakan statues and other sights, which was very well received. Before the tour, they had requested ① Hakone Shrine, ② the Hakone Ropeway, ③ Owakudani, and ④ Choanji Temple, and we were able to visit all of them at a relaxed pace, which seemed to leave them very satisfied. Also, I had informed them in advance about the Hakone Free Pass, which they purchased, and this covered the entire itinerary. (Regarding my transportation costs, if tickets for the entire route had been purchased individually the total would have been 6,060 yen, so I would like to settle this with the Hakone Free Pass.)
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 | Motohakone Port～Togendai | 6,000JPY |
| Section 2 | Free Pass | Togendai～Owakudani | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Free Pass | Owakudani～Sounzan | 0JPY |
| Section 4 | Free Pass | Sounzan～Gora | 0JPY |
| Section 5 | Free Pass | Gora～Sengoku | 0JPY |
| Section 6 | Free Pass | Sengoku～In front of the hotel | 0JPY |
| Section 7 | Free Pass | In front of the hotel～Motohakone Port | 0JPY |
| Total | 6,000JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Kanagawa tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at hotel at 09:00, and the tour finished at front of the hotel at 15:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 6 hours in total, from 09:00 to 15:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Hakone Shrine, Pirate ship from Motohakone Port to Togendai, Hakone Ropeway from Togendai to Owakudani, Ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan, Hakone Cable Car from Sounzan to Gora, Bus from Gora to Sengoku, Choanji Temple and Bus from Sengoku to Motohakone Port.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 6,000JPY per person across 7 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?
Naoki 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 Kanagawa itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
English / Guide in English and German / Guiding areas are in Tokyo, Yokohama and my home town Okayama. (Since I’m based in Tokyo, I might not be able to guide in Okayama, depending on the timing.) My profile in German follows!
First of all, thank you very much for your taking time to have a look at my profile. My name is Naoki Shimono. Naoki would be fine. I’m a certified tour guide in English and German. After long years of work at Japanese electronics manufacturer, always in charge of international marketing, I’m focusing on tour guide and interpreter. As of now, I did tour guide more than 50 times in English and more than 50 times in German. Not only in Tokyo but also other cities, such as Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hakodate, Niigata, Shimizu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha etc. It is always a big pleasure for me to show around Japan to guests from abroad. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Japan!
Deutsch / Reiseleiter auf Deutsch und Englisch / In Tokio und Yokohama sowie in meiner Heimatstadt Okayama. (Da ich in Tokio ansässig bin, kann ich je nach Zeitpunkt möglicherweise nicht in Okayama als Reiseleiter tätig sein.)
Zunächst einmal vielen Dank, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, mein Profil anzusehen. Mein Name ist Naoki Shimono. Naoki wäre schön. Ich bin zertifizierter Reiseleiter in Englisch und Deutsch. Nach langjähriger Tätigkeit bei einem japanischen Elektronikhersteller, wo ich stets für das internationale Marketing verantwortlich war, konzentriere ich mich nun auf die Reiseleitung und Dolmetschertätigkeit. Bisher habe ich über 50 Mal auf Englisch und über 50 Mal auf Deutsch als Reiseleiter gearbeitet. Nicht nur in Tokio, sondern auch in anderen Städten wie Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hakodate, Niigata, Shimizu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha usw. Es ist mir immer eine große Freude, Gästen aus dem Ausland Japan zu zeigen. Ich freue mich darauf, Sie in Japan zu sehen!
Oct 16, 2025
Songqi_L
Highly recommend!
Viator review: Okayama Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Naoki san is a great guide. He’s very friendly, adaptive,…
Oct 16, 2025
Songqi_L
Highly recommend!
Viator review: Okayama Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Naoki san is a great guide. He’s very friendly, adaptive, and helpful. We ended up touring not only inside Okayama, but also Kurashiki area. And after knowing that I wanted to check out Kibitsu shrine and Naoshima island, he spent time writing down how to go to those places very carefully after our day trip. The additional help was much appreciated!
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Oct 11, 2025
Gizelle K
Wonderful Experience
Tripadvisor review: Okayama Half-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up…
Oct 11, 2025
Gizelle K
Wonderful Experience
Tripadvisor review: Okayama Half-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up at meeting place (train station) to drop off at
our accommodation. Our guide, Naoki has wealth of knowledge regarding the area and it’s
history, he covered a lot of ground in an allocated 4hr time frame.