Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hide
October, 2024
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 @ Hotel Hatsuhana
- 9:30 – 9:40 Hotel Hatsuhana → Hakone-Yumoto (Transport: Shuttle bus from hotel to Hakone-Yumoto Station)
- 9:42 – 10:16 Hakone-Yumoto Station → Gora Station (Transport: Hakone Tozan Line)
- 10:23 – 10:34 Gora Station → Sounzan (Transport: Hakone Cable Car) (Photo taking at Sounzan Terrace, etc.)
- 10:50 – 11:05 Sounzan → Owakudani (Transport: Hakone Ropeway)
- 11:05 – 11:35 Stay at Owakudani (Photo taking, buying black eggs, etc.)
- 11:35 – 12:05 Owakudani → Togendai (Transport: Hakone Ropeway)
- 12:40 – 13:20 Togendai → Motohakone Port (Transport: Hakone Pirate Ship)
- 13:30 – 14:00 Lunch @ Fukao Soba
- 14:00 – 14:15 Fukao Soba → Hakone Shrine (Transport: Walking)
- 14:15 – 15:15 Stroll around Hakone Shrine (Photo taking at the Torii of Peace, etc.)
- 15:35 – 15:53 Motohakone Port → In front of Hotel Hatsuhana (Transport: Hakone Tozan Bus)
- 16:15 Dismissal @ Hotel Hatsuhana
Title: What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were experienced travelers from overseas, having visited more than 50 countries. However, they had never been to Japan before; a trip they had planned before the pandemic had finally come to pass. They said their travel philosophy was to keep expectations low and simply enjoy whatever they encountered, and they were delighted to find that the food in Japan was wonderful. As noted in the pre-trip information, both preferred a diet centered on seafood, so I had planned to take them to a soba restaurant near Motohakone Port. We enjoyed a pleasant time with warm tempura soba, an additional assorted tempura platter, and some sake and beer. At Hakone Shrine, rather than making a formal visit, they wanted to take photos for social media at the "Peace Torii" gate. Undeterred by the long line, they waited their turn, and they seemed very satisfied with the photos they took, which was wonderful to see.
This private day tour of Hakone was arranged through [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), one of Japan's largest networks of government-licensed, English-speaking private tour guides, serving all 47 prefectures. [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) is a winner of the Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best.
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 | Train | Hakone-Yumoto～Gora | 460JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Gora～Sounzan | 430JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Sounzan～Owakudani | 1,500JPY |
| Section 4 | Ferry | Togendai～Motohakone Port | 2,000JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Motohakone Port～In front of Hotel Hatsuhana | 730JPY |
| Total | 5,120JPY | ||
I registered as a national guide in February 2015 and began working as an interpreter guide in 2019. I have been guiding throughout Tokyo (I was born and raised in Setagaya and went to elementary and junior high school in Aoyama, Minato-ku. I am familiar with sightseeing spots and gourmet food in this area, including Shibuya), and I now live in Kanagawa (Yokohama where I have lived more than 30 years, and Kamakura, Odawara, Hakone)
I worked for the Japanese branch of an American advertising company for over 30 years and, thus, have deep knowledge of marketing and branding.
My hobbies are travel (domestic and international) and bicycling (I have participated in the Tour de Okinawa citizens’ race every year since 2017. I ride approx. 7,000 kilometers a year). When traveling in Japan, I enjoy traditional crafts, local products, food, and sake from each region. I am also active in a band as a third hobby, performing live once a year for ten years.
As a guide, I mainly guide small groups (about 4-5 people), where I can communicate more closely and politely with them, rather than large groups.
My activity aims to deepen the understanding of Japanese traditional culture and the Japanese people among foreign visitors and to make a small contribution to making Japan the number one country to revisit in their hearts.
May 31, 2026
Carol_S
Viator review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great way to start a trip
Hidecki reached out a couple of…
May 31, 2026
Carol_S
Viator review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great way to start a trip
Hidecki reached out a couple of days to ask what landmarks we wanted to see, and then
came up with a great itinerary. Hidecki was an amazing guide, he was brilliant in imparting
the history of the areas. Cannot thank him enough. This was a great way to start our trip.
May 7, 2026
Alain_V
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Belle visite
Merci beaucoup à notre guide Ideaki qui nous a permis…
May 7, 2026
Alain_V
Viator review: Yokohama 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Belle visite
Merci beaucoup à notre guide Ideaki qui nous a permis de découvrir Yokohama. Toujours
bien présent pour parfaire nos demandes.
素晴らしい訪問でした。
横浜を案内してくれたガイドのIdeakiさんには大変感謝しています。私たちの要望にしっかり応えてくれ、常にきめ細やかに対応してくれました。
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Julia_S
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Excellent Guide made for an Excellent Tour
We enjoyed our…
Apr 16, 2026
Julia_S
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Excellent Guide made for an Excellent Tour
We enjoyed our tour because of the outstanding guide we had. Hide, our guide, contacted us in advance to determine what we wanted to see and do. Because we wanted a special lunch, he sent links for three restaurants that fit our criteria so we could select which would be best for us. He easily adjusted our itinerary if we wanted to spend a little more time somewhere or make a quick stop to buy a snack or souvenir. He gave great explanations of what sights we were visiting.
Mar 25, 2026
Jeff_M
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Short tour of a huge city
Hideiki obviously wanted to give us…
Mar 25, 2026
Jeff_M
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Short tour of a huge city
Hideiki obviously wanted to give us the best experience possible, asking many questions
about our interests and priorities.