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
- 8:40 Meet at HYT. Take the cable car to Sounzan. Take the ropeway to Owakudani. Sample black eggs. Take the ropeway to Togendai. 10:45 Board the pirate ship and disembark at Hakonemachi Port.
- Receive a marquetry (yosegi zaiku) presentation at Maruyama Bussan and go shopping. After visiting the Hakone Checkpoint, transfer by bus to Moto-Hakone. Visit and worship at Hakone Shrine. Afterwards, take a taxi from Moto-Hakone with a stop at the hotel, then disband at Moto-Hakone. 14:20 After the guests return to the hotel, they will head to Odawara Station (for Kyoto) by the 16:00 hire car.
Title: What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like for First-Time Visitors to Japan? A Licensed Guide's Report
After a long-awaited wait, having been interrupted by the pandemic, the guests finally made their dream trip from Europe to Japan. They said the scenery was completely different and the greenery was beautiful. At Owakudani, Mount Fuji became visible for just a moment, which delighted them greatly. The guests had an interest in Japanese culture, so, as on the previous day, I introduced topics such as the connection between Shinto, Buddhism, and lifestyle, the origins of kanji characters, and numbers and how they are read. There was shaved ice at a tea shop at the Hakone checkpoint, and when I asked, they said they had never tried it, so I had them sample it. I bought just one, and everyone shared it together. They also enjoyed a Japanese meal for lunch and, unusually, finished it completely. They enjoyed conversing with Japanese people, and I believe the exchange during the presentation at a local trading company was a valuable experience for them.
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 | Other | Sounzan～Togendai | 0JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Togendai～Hakonemachi Port | 0JPY |
| Total | 0JPY | ||
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.