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
- 9:25 Meet 9:35 Hotel shuttle to Kowakien 10:15 By bus Motohakone 10:35 Hakone Shrine 12:05 By bus to Sekisho-ato (checkpoint ruins) Maruyama Bussan Lunch at Donburi Chaya
- 13:10 Pirate ship from Hakonemachi Port 13:50 Togendai By ropeway Owakudani By ropeway to Sounzan 15:00 Hotel shuttle 15:15 Board and disband
Title: What's a Private Hakone Day Tour Like on a Cloudy Day? A Licensed Guide's Report
Body: The guests were a group visiting from North America. At the start, I explained that Mount Fuji would not be visible due to the weather, and they understood. Since it had rained earlier that morning and the fog was thick, there was a strong possibility that nothing would be visible from the ropeway due to the mist, so we decided to visit it later in the day and set off.
At Hakone Shrine, I introduced the Anzan Sugi (safe-childbirth cedar) and the guests took photos. At Maruyama Bussan, they enjoyed the presentation and purchased a karakuri puzzle box. At Donburi Chaya, they said the soba and Japanese food were very delicious. For the pirate ship, they requested first class, as their goal was to see the red torii gate from the boat.
On the ropeway, the fog at Owakudani was still thick, but we managed to see it. They enjoyed the famous black eggs just as they had hoped, and the tour concluded as scheduled.
[Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) is one of Japan's largest networks of government-licensed, English-speaking private tour guides, serving all 47 prefectures. Winner of Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
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 | Odawara Station～Odawara Station | 6,000JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Hakone-Yumoto Station／Izuhakone Bus～Midori-no-Mura Iriguchi／Izuhakone Bus | 650JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Kowakien／Izuhakone Bus～Hakone Sekisho-ato／Izuhakone Bus | 750JPY |
| Total | 7,400JPY | ||
I am Hiroki Morikawa :Hiro:, English guide living with my wife ,just a hop skip and jump from Hakone, Kamakura, Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji.
I am a friendly grandfather of 4 grandchildren.
I would love to help you enjoy Japan, using my 3 strong points.
First: I am used to dealing with any kind of matters. I have experienced various situations in the 40 years of my working life.
Second: I am good at making a friendly atmosphere between you and local people to help you enjoy Japan. I was raised in western Japan, studied in northern Japan and now live in central Japan. So I know various local cultures and dialects to communicate with a wide variety of people.
Third: I can explain things from a technical point of view.
For example, how the Great Buddha was constructed, because I am a master of engineering graduated from Hokkaido University.
Please enjoy Japan with me. See you soon!!
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Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with…
Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with our guide, Hiro. Despite the weather not cooperating (rain),
Hiro was great about making adjustments so that we could see as much as Hakone as
possible.
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was…
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was flexible for our first time in Hakone and the kids enjoyed it
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing…
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing us to the area of Hakone – leading us on a great tour of several requested destinations. We were lucky to see Mt. Fuji at the top of the ropeway, had a fun ride on a pirate ship on Lake Ashi, enjoyed a fantastic lunch at a local restaurant, and picked up some great souvenirs at a puzzle-box store which have wowed our family and friends. One of the great things that Hiro did throughout the day was to educate and amuse us with numerous pictures, stories, and lessons from his backpack. It felt like Hiro-san was part of our family that day and we can’t imagine having tried to experience Hakone’s great sites without him.
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed…
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed visiting the beautiful gardens and shrines. Hiro was a great guide. Having him guide us made the day stress free and much more enjoyable. It was interesting learning about Japan and the culture. I would definitely recommend this tour and visiting Kamakura.