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
- 9:00 Meet up @ Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora
- 9:00 – 9:15 Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora → Gora Station (Transport: On foot)
- 9:21 – 9:32 Gora Station → Sounzan Station (Transport: Hakone Cable Car)
- 9:32 – 9:50 Sounzan CU-MO Terrace, mailing postcards, etc.
- 9:50 – 10:05 Sounzan Station → Owakudani (Transport: Hakone Ropeway)
- 10:05 – 10:35 Stay at Owakudani (Taking photos, buying black eggs)
- 10:35 – 11:00 Owakudani Station → Togendai Station (Transport: Hakone Ropeway)
- 11:25 – 11:50 Togendai → Hakonemachi Port (Transport: Hakone Pirate Ship)
- 12:00 – 12:15 Buying yosegi marquetry @ Uchihara
- 12:15- 12:35 Uchihara → Motohakone Port (Transport: On foot, via the "Old Tokaido Cedar Avenue" along the way)
- 12:40 – 13:10 Lunch @ Fukao Soba
- 13:15 – 13:30 Motohakone Port → Hakone Shrine (Transport: On foot)
- 13:35 – 14:15 @ Hakone Shrine, worship, taking photos
- 14:15 – 14:30 Hakone Shrine → Motohakone Port (Transport: On foot)
- 14:38 – 14:58 Motohakone Port → In front of hotel (Transport: Hakone Tozan Bus)
- 15:05 – 15:08 In front of hotel → Miyaginobashi (Transport: Hakone Tozan Bus)
Title: What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani and Hakone Shrine
The guests today were a group from North America. Since the Hotel was a location I was visiting for the first time, when we walked from the Hotel toward Gora Station, we immediately saw a sign reading "Gora Station Shortcut," so we chose that route. It turned out to be quite a steep uphill climb, and all three of us arrived at the station out of breath. I couldn't help but laugh and say, "That was a good workout for the morning!" With the great weather and such a friendly, cheerful atmosphere, it was a wonderful start to the day. At Owakudani, we were also able to see Mount Fuji beautifully, with clouds only lingering around the base, which was rare and truly spectacular. After that, we enjoyed the Old Tokaido Road and Hakone Shrine before returning to the Hotel. Since I had heard that there would be no guide available for their first day in Kyoto the following day, I recommended a yakitori restaurant not too far from the Hotel where they would be staying. They were very pleased with the suggestion.
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 | Gora Station～Sounzan Station | 430JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Sounzan Station～Togendai Station | 1,500JPY |
| Section 3 | Ferry | Togendai Port～Hakonemachi Port | 1,200JPY |
| Section 4 | Bus | Motohakone Port～In front of hotel | 750JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | In front of hotel～Miyaginobashi | 230JPY |
| Total | 4,110JPY | ||
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
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Great way to start a trip
Hidecki reached out a couple of…
May 31, 2026
Carol_S
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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.
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Alain_V
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Belle visite
Merci beaucoup à notre guide Ideaki qui nous a permis…
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Alain_V
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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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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.
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Jeff_M
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Short tour of a huge city
Hideiki obviously wanted to give us…
Mar 25, 2026
Jeff_M
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Short tour of a huge city
Hideiki obviously wanted to give us the best experience possible, asking many questions
about our interests and priorities.