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 Meeting place: Kinnotake Tonosawa
- 9:10 Departure from Hotel
- (MiniVan)
- Arrival at Sounzan Station
- (Hakone Ropeway)
- 9:30 Arrival at Owakudani Station
- Owakudani Owakudani Observatory
- Owakudani Black Egg House
- 10:30 Departure from Owakudani Station
- (Hakone Ropeway)
- 10:50 Arrival at Togendai Station
- 11:25 Departure from Togendai Port
- (Hakone Pirate Ship)
- 11:50 Arrival at Hakonemachi Port
- 11:55 Departure from Hakonemachi Port
- (MiniVan)
- 12:00 Hakone Checkpoint Ruins
- Hakonemachi Hakone Checkpoint Ruins
- Yosegi Zaiku / Maruyama Bussan
- 12:40 Departure from Hakonemachi
- (MiniVan)
- 13:00 Motohakone Port Bus Stop
- Motohakone Hakone Shrine
- Lunch: Fukao Soba
- Convenience Store
- 14:00 Departure from Motohakone
- (MiniVan)
- Arrival at Amazake Chaya
- Rest Amazake Chaya
- 14:30 Departure from Amazake Chaya
- (MiniVan)
- 15:00 Arrival at Tonosawa
- 15:00 Dismissal: Kinnotake Tonosawa
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Kanagawa began at 9:00, when the guide met the guests at Kinnotake Tonosawa, and finished at 15:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish.
From there the group visited Owakudani Station at 9:30, Togendai Station at 10:50, Togendai Port at 11:25, Hakonemachi Port at 11:50, Hakone Checkpoint Ruins at 12:00, Hakonemachi at 12:40, Motohakone Port Bus Stop at 13:00, Motohakone at 14:00, Amazake Chaya at 14:30 and Tonosawa at 15:00.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Sounzan to Togendai (2,000JPY); Togendai Port to Hakonemachi Port (1,700JPY). Across 2 sections the fare came to 3,700JPY per person.
What's a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine
The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. This was a 14-day trip to Japan. They stayed in Tokyo, then traveled to Hokkaido (as they wanted to visit the Sapporo Beer Garden), followed by Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, arriving in Hakone the previous night.
They said that despite a typhoon, they had managed to arrive with only a slight delay.
Today they would stay one more night, and the following morning they planned to travel from Odawara to Tokyo before returning home together.
This trip to Japan was a celebration.
They said, "We really wanted to see Mount Fuji from Hakone," and "We wanted to try soaking in an onsen." It was cloudy, so we were unable to view Mount Fuji.
First, we took a minivan to Sounzan. From there we took the ropeway to Owakudani. I explained "how Hakone was formed" and "the overview and history of Owakudani." There were questions such as "Is Owakudani an active volcano? Has it ever erupted?" and "Is Mount Fuji also an active volcano? When did it erupt?" They purchased and tried the "black eggs," commenting, "The smell of sulfur is incredible."
We then took the ropeway to Togendai and boarded the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. I explained "the history and current state of Lake Ashi." It was a little chilly, but we went up to the top observation deck. They said, "It's a beautiful lake and feels wonderful." There was also a question, "What kinds of fish live here?"
We arrived at Hakonemachi Port. By minivan, we went to the Hakone Checkpoint ruins. I explained "the history of Edo and Tokyo," "the five highways of the Edo period," and "the meaning of the checkpoints." There was a question, "Is it the same as airport immigration?" After that, we visited a shop specializing in "yosegi marquetry" and watched a demonstration. They purchased a "yosegi marquetry tray" as a souvenir.
By minivan, we went to Moto-Hakone and Hakone Shrine. I explained "the history of Hakone Shrine." We visited the main hall, and I explained the method of worship. At the torii gate over the lake, the line happened to be short, so after a short wait, the whole group took a commemorative photo together.
We returned to Moto-Hakone Port and had lunch at a soba restaurant. They enjoyed dishes such as the "wakasagi set meal" and "curry soba." They also said, "There's nothing sold at the shop in the Hotel," so they bought a large amount of snacks and drinks at a nearby convenience store.
We went to the Amazake Chaya. They sampled "amazake," saying, "It has an interesting flavor." We also strolled a little along the nearby old highway. They said, "We couldn't see Mount Fuji, but there's a beautiful lake and it's a wonderful place." They also commented, "Everywhere in Japan the towns are clean. There's no litter on the ground," and "Everyone is polite."
I saw them off to the Hotel, and we parted ways.
Click here for more details: Hakone in 1 Day by Private Car with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Other | Sounzan～Togendai | 2,000JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Togendai Port～Hakonemachi Port | 1,700JPY |
| Total | 3,700JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Kanagawa tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Kinnotake Tonosawa at 9:00, and the tour finished at : Kinnotake Tonosawa at 15:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 6 hours in total, from 9:00 to 15:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Owakudani Station, Togendai Station, Togendai Port, Hakonemachi Port, Hakone Checkpoint Ruins, Hakonemachi, Motohakone Port Bus Stop, Motohakone, Amazake Chaya and Tonosawa.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 3,700JPY per person across 2 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Masa is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kanagawa itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.
Jul 21, 2026
Christelle_G
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour guide
Masa san is extremely knowledgeable and…
Jul 21, 2026
Christelle_G
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour guide
Masa san is extremely knowledgeable and lovely company. My 13-yr-old daughter and I had a great day walking around the sites we had picked with him. He tooks his time to explain all the history and then kindly walked us to the spot of our next booking as it was quite confusing. I would very highly recommend him. Of all the tours we did in Tokyo Masa Sam was my favourite tour guide.
Jul 1, 2026
97TexAg
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing day in Tokyo
Masa was our tour guide. Masa was an…
Jul 1, 2026
97TexAg
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing day in Tokyo
Masa was our tour guide. Masa was an amazing tour guide that communicated extremely well ahead of time about the sites we would like to see in Tokyo, picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, was very friendly and well prepared and finally but most importantly made our day in Tokyo very memorable.
We went to the Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Meiji Shinto Temple, imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen National Gatden, and Shibuya Crossing. All were great and amazing suggestions by Masa.
Would highly recommend this tour as it was a private tour guide for a full day and provided discretion on which 5-6 sites you want to see. Also highly recommend our tour guide Masa who was a wealth of knowledge and very friendly and charming.
15/10 would do again.
Jun 2, 2026
Tagare S
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour and guide!
This is a great tour, and our…
Jun 2, 2026
Tagare S
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour and guide!
This is a great tour, and our guide, Masa was really great. Although it was raining, he had no
hesitations in completing his tour and showing us great places around Tokyo. If you are still
on the fence about this, please don’t, you won’t regret it. Thank you, Masa!
Jun 1, 2026
Lisa_A
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Adler Family Tour
Our tour with Masa was…
Jun 1, 2026
Lisa_A
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Adler Family Tour
Our tour with Masa was incredible and filled with interesting facts and history, he gave us incredible insight on each location. We loved that we were able to choose 3-4 sites from a large selection and really spend enough time at each spot. Masa was kind and knowledgable and even helped us with a restaurant reservation for later in the evening when were unable to find one.