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
- 10:10 Meet at the hotel
- 11:00 Owakudani
- 12:30 Gora Park
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:30 Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
- 16:30 Tour ends at the hotel
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Meeting at hotel at 10:10, the group explored Kanagawa until the tour ended at 16:30. The day ran to 6 hours and 20 minutes from start to finish. It included lunch at 13:00.
The itinerary covered Owakudani at 11:00, Gora Park at 12:30 and Hakone Venetian Glass Museum at 14:30.
What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like in the Rain? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan from North America, staying in Hakone on their way to Kyoto after several days in Tokyo. There had been no contact from the guests until the night before, and this morning, when I went to the hotel that had been designated in advance, I discovered that the guests were staying at a completely different hotel — on the opposite side of Lake Ashi, no less — and for a moment I was unsure what to do. Fortunately, that hotel drove me the 20 minutes to the guests' hotel by car, so we were able to meet up somehow. It was likely a mistake in the arrangements by the agency or a missed change notification, but since I could not reach the guests until the last minute, it was a stressful situation.
Hakone was rainy from the morning, and the rain was expected to grow even stronger in the afternoon, but I managed to take the guests to Owakudani. Even though we were in the clouds and could not see 100 meters ahead, they were able to sense the atmosphere of the place. After that, I took them to Gora Park, where the rose garden happened to be in full bloom, and they were delighted, taking many photos.
In the afternoon, after consulting with the guests, we headed to the Hakone Glass Forest Museum, where I believe they were able to enjoy the nature of Hakone despite the rain.
Finally, I recommended heading to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, but since it was raining heavily and the museum is outdoors, the guests wished to return to their hotel, so the tour ended a little early.
Click here for more details: Hakone Full-Day Customized Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Hello and welcome to Tokyo!
I have been working for business with American companies for many years. I have many experiences guiding customers from around the world in Japan and taking Japanese customers to the USA and Europe.
I now have a national license as a guiding interpreter, and I want to introduce the unique gigantic city of Tokyo and the traditional Japanese culture, which is not shown in the guidebooks, to people worldwide who are interested in it. In addition, I want to introduce various Japanese foods you can enjoy only in Japan.
Unique experiences such as the Sumo Training Viewing and Tea Ceremony are optionally available.
Depending on your preference and itinerary, I can guide you in Tokyo, Kamakura, and Hakone so that you can enjoy your time in Japan.
Jul 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time…
Jul 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time visit to Tokyo. Our guide Atsushi took great care to acclimate us with navigating through busy train stations efficiently with a group of eight family members. Along the way and at each site he explained various cultural practices and associated histories that made the tour very immersive and enjoyable. We will highly recommend Atsushi and Viator to our family and friends for future tours.
Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and…
Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and friendly tour guide. His knowledge allowed us to explore and get to the historical significance of the various locations we visited. His explanations were simple but comprehensive. The six hours flew by and included some off-the-beaten opportunities including coffee at a very austere but memorable location near the fish market. I would highly recommend him as well as this tour for anyone with limited time in Tokyo wanting see as much as possible
May 27, 2026
jackie m
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Walking tour of Tokyo
Our guide was really interesting and had…
May 27, 2026
jackie m
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Walking tour of Tokyo
Our guide was really interesting and had an amazing knowledge of culture and attractions!
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon walk! We also navigated through the Shinjuku station
which was no walk in the park! Thank you to Atsushi!
Apr 9, 2026
Lindsey_W
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Atsushi, was…
Our guide, Atsushi, was great! He met…
Apr 9, 2026
Lindsey_W
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Atsushi, was…
Our guide, Atsushi, was great! He met us at our hotel in Hakone and took us clockwise to tour all the sites. He was informative and taught us a lot. Our group was two adults and a 14 year old. We saw Mt Fuji from the rope way, but unfortunately the pirate ship was canceled because of high wind. We would absolutely use Atsushi again for this tour, or any other tour he provides.