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Private Hakone - one day trip from Tokyo with Kaori

Hakone Shrine has been a protector of Hakone. Its Torii Gate on the lake shore.

Pirate boat on Lake Ashi

Hakone Ropeway gives you impressive sight, especially around Owakudani.

Black egg-shaped Kitty will welcome you.

Hakone Private Tour - Owakudani Valley is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes coming out. Enjoy black boiled egg, which is said to give you 7 years longevity each.

Owakudani Valley is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes coming out. Enjoy black boiled egg, which is said to give you 7 years longevity each.

Try black egg!

What's these? Let's find out at Owakudani.

Tozan Train (Mountain Tram) will take you to deep nature. Enjoyable throughout the year.

Cable Car can go up steep slope of mountain between Sounzan and Gora. Very pretty in hydrangea season.

Refer to the map for understanding the location.

(Option A) Hakone Open-air Museum : Incredibly uni

(Option A) Hakone Open-air Museum : Kids love playful art works.

(Option B) Gora park. There are a lot of beautiful parks and museums in Hakone.

(Option B) Hakone Art Museum boasts beautiful moss garden besides its art work displays.

(Option C) Hakone Checkpoint shows old barrier station on the main highway called Tokaido during Samurai period.

(Option C) Old cedar promenade

Hakone is so mountainous that we're not so surprised by white-out by fog there.

[Car Option] Amazake chaya

[Car Option] Try sweet sake (no alcohol)

【My Family Car is available with Photo Option ]

【Car OPTION】Spacious 7 seater van

Private Hakone - one day trip from Tokyo with Kaori

Day Trip

Joined 2019

Kaori S.

4.98 / 5

(124 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Hakone

Japanese (Native), English

11 hours

Private tour (only you and Kaori S.)

Up to 4 people

Private day trip to Hakone only for your group, starting from Tokyo. Surrounded by great nature with Mt.Fuji view, lots of museums and hot springs, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations as a break from Tokyo. By using ”Odakyu Hakone Freepass”, we can enjoy various types of transportations such as Ropeway, Lake Ashi Boat Cruise, cable cars and Tozan Train(mountain tram) to get around.

Car Option is recommended for smooth travel. Ending could be your accommodation in Hakone.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

07:30 AM

Meeting Point

At your hotel in Tokyo 23 wards or Shinjuku station

- I'll meet you at your hotel in Tokyo 23 wards. Or, Shinjuku station to take a train to Hakone. Following itinerary is【Basic Plan】by Romance Car with Hakone Freepass.

08:30 AM

Take Hakone Romance Car (1h45m)

Take Romance Car train from Shinjuku station :

8:31 Shinjuku to 10:18 Hakone-yumoto.

*All reserved seats rapid train.

10:20 AM

Hakone sightseeing

Hakone sightseeing is basically loop route. How to get around depends. You can rely on me to take either of clockwise or counterclockwise.

--- Basic itinerary to visit --- *Lunch flexible

- Hakone Tozan Train

- Cable car via Gora

- Ropeway via Owakudani

- Owakudani (Volcanic activity and eat black shelled eggs)

- Togendai (pier of boat cruise / ropeway station / restaurant)

- Pirate Boat Cruise on Ashi Lake

- Moto-Hakone (Lake shore area)

- Back to Hakone-yumoto

Important

Hakone is a very popular destination for both Japanese and overseas travelers. It gets crowded even on weekdays at peak season.

So, when we do counterclockwise, we want to take a taxi from Hakone-yumoto to Hakone Shrine (20-30min, approx. 6,000JPY/taxi up to 4 people) . Same with reverse (from Ashi Lake area to back to Hakone-yumoto station), as local buses are often awfully packed on this route.

05:00 PM

Take Romance Car from Hakone-yumoto to Shinjuku (1h30m)

Flexible time: Take Romance Car from Hakone-yumoto to Shinjuku. Ex. 17:02 Hakone-yumoto - 18:28 Shinjuku

06:30 PM

Back to Tokyo

I'll take you back to your hotel in Tokyo 23 wards, or we can end at Shinjuku Station for your dinner afterwards.

*End could be your hotel in Hakone area. Or, Odawara station end would be convenient for travelers heading to Kyoto after Hakone. Tour price would be the same, as guide goes back to Tokyo anyways. Let me know in advance.

(Option) Hakone Open Air Museum （Sculptures, Picasso Gallery, Foot-bath）

Open air museum with its nature as back drop. The most unique, loved spot in Hakone. *open year round

Admission (online) : Adult :1800 yen, University/High School Students: 1,400 yen, Jr. High/Elementary School Students: 600 yen

Free for Guide with a national license when accompanying you.

(Option) Hakone Art Museum + Gora Park

For art & garden lovers,

- Hakone Art Museum (Art with beautiful moss garden. Green Tea. )

- Gora Park（French-style garden and traditional Japanese Tea Garden)

*Closed on Thursdays

Admission :Hakone Art Museum : Adult 800 yen, High school/college students 400 yen, Children up to junior high school : Free of charge, Seniors aged over 65 :700yen

Gora Park is free of charge with Hakone Freepass holders

(Option) Hakone Checkpoint & Yosegi craftsman's shop

For history & culture enthusiasts,

Hakone Checkpoint

Admission : Hakone Checkpoint : Adult 400 yen, Child 150 yen with Hakone Freepass

Yosegi craftsman's shop - Yosegi is inlaid box, which is local special craft in Hakone.

(Option) Amasake Chaya tea house (Only when by Car Option)

One of my favorite places in Hakone, but access is limited due to its location and poor local public transportation. We visit only when we use hired car or my car option.

Amazake-chaya Tea House was founded 400 years ago. Their architecture of thatched roof still retains Samurai period atmosphere. Daimyo (feudal lords) took a rest at this type of rest house which served amazake to get re-charged when they traveled between Tokyo called Edo and their home town.

Amazake (sweet rice wine) is made with a recipe that has remained unchanged since opening. Also, their soft Mochi (rice cakes) is so nice to try.

Ending Point

At your hotel in Tokyo 23 wards or Shinjuku Station. Or, your accommodation in Hakone or Odawara Station for Shinaksen to Kyoto upon your request.

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

guide fee, hotel meet-up, send-off in Tokyo

What‘s not included

transportation fee (you and guide), food and drink (you and guide), admission (you and guide) *showed on itinerary above

[ Major transportation fees on tour day ]

【Basic Plan】By Romance Car total : Adult : 9,500 yen, Child : 2,800 yen

Details: Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku (Valid for 2 days・All inclusive ticket ) : Adult 7,100 yen, Child 1,600 yen

Romance Car Express charge : (Adult 1,200 yen, Child 600 yen) × round trip

---------------------------------------------------------------

【Shinkansen Plan】

With JR-pass : Adult 6,000 yen, Child 1,600 yen.

Without JR-pass : Adult 13,560 yen, Child 5,400 yen.

Details : With JR-pass, Shinkansen 0 yen +Hakone Freepass from Odawara

Details : Without JR-pass, Shinkansen (Tokyo - Odawara)

Adult 3,810yen × round trip = 7,620 yen,

Child 1,900 yen × round trip= 3,800 yen

+Hakone Freepass from Odawara (Valid for 2 days・All inclusive ticket ) : Adult 6,000 yen / Child 1,600 yen

---------------------------------------------------------------

【 Private Car Option from/to Tokyo 】

Car Tour Fee 160,000JPY

- My Family Car (Toyota Alphard 7 seater) : Only available with Photo Option with my husband, who is a professional photographer, as a driver. Can assure the best experience with the best flexibleness. I'm happy to send you a proposal of Mt.Fuji by my car (including fuel, toll fees, parking for a whole day from Tokyo). Feel free to contact me for availability of car.

Tour Important Information

- Important【Volcanic gas warning for people with diseases.】

Owakudani is a popular tourist site with volcanic activities. But for those people who have Heart diseases, Asthma, Respiratory diseases and other health prpblems are not supposed to use ropeway between Ubako and Sounzan (including Owakudani) . If your group have someone with health problems, please let me know in advance. I'll make a plan without visiting gas area.

- In case of extremely bad weather such as heavy rain, strong winds, storm, foggy and snow, the ropeways and Ashi Lake Boat Cruise might either be suspended or unable to operate as scheduled. Please understand that we'll take alternative transportations instead.

- We can enjoy the view of Mt.Fuji from many places in Hakone if the weather permits. Visibility is higher in winter time.

This tour is only available on Weekdays to escape from congestion in Hakone.

Important message from the supplier

- Kindly make an inquiry for my available days.

- I offer tours up to 4 People to maximize each person's experience.

- I'm Tokyo based. My tours basically start/end in Tokyo. If you like to start/end outside Tokyo 23 wards, kindly cover my transportation fee from/to there. Thank you for understanding.

- For Mt.Fuji or Hakone, refer to the map of location on gallery.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2019

Kaori S.

4.98 / 5

(124 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Kaori S.

Kon-ni-chi-wa. Hello! I'm Kaori, having lived in Tokyo for more than 20 years since I got married to a photographer who lives here. Originally from Shizuoka prefecture which has Mt.Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan. I took 2 working-holiday-visa stays in my younger days. One is in Toronto, Canada, and another is Australia touring by motorcycle. One year respectively.

I love travel both international and domestic. I myself love travel freely. That's how I love helping individual travelers like you. Love nature, gardens, trekking, greenery, also anime. My favorite is taking you to the off-the-beaten tracks where I love and sharing my seasonal favorites.

I'm happy to make tailor-made tours only for you (up to 4 people) upon your request.

・Half Day as you like (up to 4 hours) : 40,000 JPY

・Full Day as you like (up to 8 hours) : 64,000 JPY

・Extra hour over 8hours : 6,000 JPY/hour

I often spend multiple days with the same group to accommodate itinerary for multi days by including my seasonal favorites.

I often do Mt.Fuji or Hakone tour. In many cases, the locations are mixed up between Mt.Fuji Five Lakes area and Hakone area, which are not the same place. Please refer to the map I uploaded on gallery to check the sites you are interested in. Also my blogs will help your understanding both areas - "The location difference of Mt.Fuji (Fuji Five Lakes) and Hakone".

As a national government licensed guide, I've got deep knowledge of Japanese culture and history. I really enjoy talking about the way of life with people from different cultures. I'm quite an outgoing person, ( but organized well! ), easy to get along with anybody, including small kids to teenagers. Can't wait to see you soon!

Reviews

Henry H.

5 / 5

Jul 23, 2026

2 day car tour to Mt.Fuji/Hakone & Izu for Henry-san family

Jul 23, 2026

Mount Fuji

2 days

Customized

“Our Second Amazing Tour with Kaori-san & Ichi-san.”

This was our second tour with Kaori-san and Ichi-san, and once again they delivered an unforgettable experience! On our first trip, they introduced us to many of Japan’s iconic destinations. This time, they created a completely different itinerary focused on the Mt. Fuji, Hakone, and Izu areas that we had missed before. We visited beautiful places including Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai, Mt. Komuro, and the Izu Shaboten Zoo, with breathtaking scenery throughout the journey. Although it rained at times, Kaori-san and Ichi-san adjusted the itinerary seamlessly and made sure our family enjoyed every moment. Their flexibility, local knowledge, and attention to detail turned what could have been a rainy day into one of the highlights of our Japan vacation. One of our favorite memories was the incredible food. From local specialties along the way to our memorable dinner at KIKKA-SO, every recommendation was outstanding and gave us a chance to experience Japanese cuisine beyond the usual tourist restaurants. We also truly appreciate the beautiful family photos they took throughout the trip. Those photos captured so many special moments and are memories we will cherish for years to come. What makes Kaori-san and Ichi-san exceptional is that they don’t simply drive you from one attraction to another. They thoughtfully customize the itinerary, share the history and local culture, and make you feel like you’re exploring Japan with longtime friends. Every part of the trip was smooth, relaxing, and completely worry-free. If you’re looking for a private guide in Japan, we cannot recommend Kaori-san and Ichi-san highly enough. This was our second tour with them, and it certainly won’t be our last. Thank you both for another wonderful journey. We wish you good health, happiness, and continued success. Our family already misses Japan, its warm hospitality, its breathtaking scenery, and of course its amazing food. We look forward to seeing you again on our next visit!

Kaori S.

Hello Henry-san, I cannot thank you enough for your taking time to give such a touching review for us. It was a great pleasure for us to meet and guide your family again just one year after we met on our first tour! Ichi is so happy as a professional photographer to hear you loved photos that much! We could do a lot in a relaxing pace to make your wishes come true, thanks to your taking the plan of 2 days by private car with staying one night at Hakone. Especially we loved taking you to drive around Izu peninsula, which was still lesser visited destination for abroad travelers. Izu Shaboten Zoo is a big fun! Your family's friendship makes our tour exceptional for us too. Also we are grateful your family's positiveness that you enjoy every moment together despite the weather. We cannot wait another adventure with your family. Stay health and happy until then! Arigatou gozaimasu. Big hugs, Kaori and Ichi

John L.

5 / 5

Jun 13, 2026

June 1, 2026 : Private tour for Ghibli Museum (Half Day) for John-san family

Jun 13, 2026

Tokyo

4 hours

Customized

“Ghibli Museum Tour”

We had a well planned and excellent visit with Kaori-san. She met us at our hotel, and she helped us navigate the Tokyo trains to the museum. Most importantly she secured tickets for our visit which sell out in hours from when they get released. It was a great tour and Kaori-san's guidance made it go very smoothly.

Kaori S.

Thank you so much for an excellent review, John-san. It was a great pleasure to support you to make your family’s wants happen. At the same time, it was great fun for me to enjoy the museum together as I'm also a Ghibli lover. I was so happy to see your lovely daughters enjoyed the museum. Enjoyed chatting with them. They are so cute (kawaii)!! Big hugs, Kaori

John L.

5 / 5

Jun 13, 2026

June 8th, 2026 : Private Mt.Fuji by car from Tokyo for John san family

Jun 13, 2026

Mount Fuji

12 hours

Customized

“Great Mt. Fuji Trip”

Our family of 4 persons took a 1-day private van excursion to Mt. Fuji with Kaori-san and her photographer husband. Kaori-san created a custom itinerary where we visited some great local spots (had the best ice cream ever) and overall we had a relaxing and informative trip. She arranged pick up and drop off from our hotel in central Tokyo, so the logistics were very smooth. Highly recommend this option for anyone who wants a more unique and simple Mt. Fuji experience.

Kaori S.

Thank you so much for giving an excellent review for our Mt.Fuji car tour. My husband and I appreciate you kindly took the family car option to make the most of our time leisurely way. Your warm recommendation means a lot to us. Thanks to your family's positiveness and friendliness we enjoyed the every moment all day long. It was a fun surprise that all of your family enjoyed a second helping ice cream cone!! We hope to see your family again for another adventure. Thank you again for choosing us as your guide. Big hugs, Kaori