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
- 10:00 Owakudani
- 11:00 Gora Park
- 13:00 Hakone Shrine
- 15:30 Tour ends at Motohakone Port
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Kanagawa began at 9:30, when the guide met the guests at hotel, and finished at 15:30. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish.
From there the group visited Owakudani at 10:00, Gora Park at 11:00 and Hakone Shrine at 13:00.
Can You Do a Private Day Trip to Hakone? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Gora, and Local Crafts
The guests were a group visiting from North America. Due to strong winds in Hakone today, we managed to reach Owakudani but there was no telling when the ropeway might suspend service, so we left promptly — and just after that, operations were indeed halted, so we narrowly avoided being stranded. From Owakudani, however, they were able to see Mount Fuji in perfect form, and they seemed extremely pleased. They also enjoyed trying the famous "black eggs" and were delighted by them.
At the Craft House in Gora Park, they were thrilled with "Hakone marquetry (yosegi-zaiku)" and "pottery making," saying they would want to visit Japan again just for this experience alone.
At Gora Shrine, I explained the background of Shinto, its influence on Japanese culture, and the manner of worship, and they actually performed a prayer themselves. They had already traveled through Osaka and Kyoto but had not fully understood the difference between temples and shrines, so they were very grateful, saying it was extremely helpful.
In the afternoon, the strong winds grew even stronger, and even the pirate ship sightseeing boat suspended operations, so I saw the guests off to their hotel by taxi and concluded the tour.
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.