Hakone Private Tours

“Hakone Highlights with Tomoko”

Tomoko is an excellent guide. Not only did she know how the navigate the buses, trains, cable cars, and ferniculars in Hakone so that our one after there was not wasted waiting for transportation, she helped us fix a major issue. We had bought the Hakone Free Pass, but for the wrong dates, so she got on the phone with the company and came to a solution which we would never have imagined. At the same time while was ushering us onto various forms of transportation. She was very knowledgeable about the museums and the history of Hakone. OVERALL EXCELLENT.

Tomoko H.

(196 reviews)

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Haejin. There were a few unexpected happenings, but it was a very fun and enjoyable day. In Hakone, depending on the weather, cable cars and sightseeing boats may be suspended, or unexpected crowds can make it take a long time to board cable cars or buses—there are always unexpected things happening , so I try to stay attentive. Hower, this time, things got a little more complicated due to a mistake by the staff at Shinjuku Station, but I’m glad it was resolved in the end, and I learned a valuable lesson from the experience:) Thank you again for your patience and your spirit to have fun.- Tomoko

“We had an amazing day exploring Hakone with Kaneo, whose knowledgeable, thoughtful, and fun guidance made a seamless itinerary of the ropeway, black eggs, soba, Hakone Shrine, the Open-Air Museum, and stunning views even better.”

We had an absolutely fantastic day exploring the Hakone area with Kaneo as our guide. From start to finish, the itinerary was packed with unforgettable experiences, and everything ran seamlessly. Some of the highlights included riding the ropeway, eating the famous black eggs at the volcanic valley, enjoying delicious soba noodles, visiting the beautiful Hakone Shrine, relaxing with coffee while taking in a fabulous view, and exploring the incredible Open-Air Museum. One of the best parts was experiencing every mode of transport Hakone has to offer, which made the day even more fun and memorable. Kaneo was the perfect guide—knowledgeable, polite, funny, and incredibly thoughtful throughout the day. He shared fascinating insights about the area, answered all our questions, and made sure we were comfortable and enjoying every moment. He also turned out to be an excellent photographer, capturing so many wonderful memories for us along the way. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and would highly recommend Kaneo to anyone visiting Hakone. Thank you for making our day such a special and unforgettable experience!

Kaneo U.

(97 reviews)

Thank you for good and elaborating review. I feel so happy to know you really enjoyed my guide. I also enjoyed myself by spending time with you and your so smart son. I hope we can meet again someday in the future.

“A Potentially Good Day...that doesn't work in the rain.”

We had 3 tours with Yoshi (2 from Tokyo and this one in Hakone). His communications and coordination throughout our time in Japan (and beforehand) were perfect. Also, for each trip, he arrived punctually and was very polite/kind. For this trip to Hakone (which was due to follow his itinerary - see his listing), whilst it looked great on paper, heavy rain and wind meant that almost all of the attractions were closed. This meant that a wet-weather plan was needed and, sadly, that was quite thin. We managed to visit a shrine and a gallery but by lunchtime Yoshi was out of ideas and we sent him home early. Although we had a car, we did not visit many of the other locations in the Hakone area that might have been OK in the rain. This was a shame, as our previous tours with Yoshi had been really good trips. On reflection, this would have been a great trip if the weather had been good. However, with rain all day and no great suggestions for other activities (of which we found several on our own), it was not great value for money. So - if you are confident of the weather - go for this Hakone experience but, if you are not sure the sun will shine, have a think about a back-up plan. All that said, we are grateful for Yoshi's hosting for the 3-days we were with him in Japan.

Yoshi S.

(127 reviews)

Hi Andy, thank you for your frank feedback and for taking the time to write a review. Based on this experience, I will strive to improve my guiding services to better handle unexpected situations. However, the closure of Hakone’s main attractions—such as the sightseeing cruise and the ropeway—due to heavy rain and strong winds was beyond my control. While it would have been possible to continue the tour by visiting indoor attractions like art museums, souvenir shops, or cafes, I felt that such options would not offer good value for money. I believed it would be better for you to return to your hotel and rest well in preparation for the next day's tour. In hindsight, perhaps I should have presented these options and asked for your input before making that decision. Yoshi