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 Odawara Station 9:46 Take the mountain train to Yumoto Station After completing luggage delivery procedures, take the bus and get off at Motohakone Visit Hakone Shrine Take the bus and get off at Sekisho-ato Maruyama Bussan Tour Hakone Checkpoint Have lunch at this location 14:25 Pirate ship from Hakonemachi Port 15:05 Arrive at Togendai The ropeway was scheduled, but operations were suspended due to lightning Since there was no prospect of resumption, take the bus from Togendai to Hakone Yumoto Accompanied on foot to the hotel Hakone Parks Yoshino and disbanded 16:30

What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The original plan to meet at the Hotel at 11:00 was changed to a 9:30 meeting at Odawara Station, which allowed the rest of the itinerary to proceed efficiently and let the guests enjoy the day with peace of mind. At Hakone Shrine, I introduced how Shinto and Buddhism relate to our daily lives, and the guests listened with great interest. At Maruyama Bussan, they were impressed by the mechanical tricks such as the magic box and enjoyed trying them out. At the checkpoint, they experienced the atmosphere of the Edo period. Unfortunately, Mount Fuji was not visible, but on the sightseeing pirate ship they enjoyed the natural scenery from the deck, which was quite different from that of Oceania. Due to lightning, the ropeway was suddenly suspended, so we had no choice but to return to Hakone-Yumoto by bus.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1Free PassOdazara Station~Odawara Station5,000JPY
Total5,000JPY

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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