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
- 9:50 Meet 10:11 Hakone-Yumoto Station, mountain railway 11:18 Gora Station, special direct service, cable car 11:25 arrive at Sounzan 12:00 ropeway departs (30 min wait) to Owakudani 12:30 depart Owakudani 13:15 arrive at Togendai (30 min wait) 13:55 pirate ship 14:20 Hakonemachi Port, lunch at Hotoriya Cafe, Maruyama Bussan, checkpoint entrance 15:20 by bus from Hakonemachi Port to Motohakone, stop by Hakone Shrine red torii gate 15:55 from Motohakone by express bus 16:20 arrive at Hakone-Yumoto, disband
What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Mount Fuji, Lake Ashi, and Owakudani
The guests were on the final leg of a longer trip through Japan, spending three days at their last destination, with this being the first of those days. Since the weather was not expected to be favorable over the next couple of days, I really wanted to make sure they could see Mount Fuji. Fortunately, the upper half of the mountain revealed itself, and they took many photos. The scenery at Owakudani seemed to leave a strong impression. They mentioned that Lake Ashi resembled a lake near their home, and the fresh greenery was truly beautiful. They had not been familiar with the marquetry (yosegi-zaiku) woodwork at the local shop, but they enjoyed the presentation and purchased a puzzle box. They thanked me for guiding them to such a special place. Thinking that touring some art museums over the next two days might be enjoyable, I introduced the Hakone Open-Air Museum, the Pola Museum of Art, and the Hakone Museum of Glass. (The Okada Museum would also be good, but it is closed until the 30th.)
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 |
| Total | 6,000JPY | ||
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.