Hakone is one of the most popular resort towns in Japan. Especially for people in Tokyo, it is easy to access and a great place to spend the weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the workweek. There are lovely hot spring Japanese-style ryokans in this area for overnight stays, but there is also much more to do. You can enjoy the beautiful nature shaped by volcanic activities from ancient times.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
At your hotel
- If you know how to come to Odakyu Shinjuku Station, we will meet there at 7:45.
On weekdays, we will take 8:11 Romance car, and on weekends, we will take 8:00 Romance car to go to Hakone Yumoto Station (arriving at 9:53 on weekdays, and at 9:24 on weekends).
*The Odakyu Romance Car is very popular among tourists heading to Hakone, so tickets are often booked quickly once sales open one month before the travel date. If seats are fully booked, we will take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station, which costs 3,280 yen per person.
We will take Hakone Tozan Railway and Hakone Cable car to go to Sounzan where we will take Hakone Rope way. While riding on a mountain train traversing the steepest railway in Japan, we can enjoy beautiful views of the Hakone mountain area.
From Sounzan Station at 1,200 meters above sea level, we take a ropeway down to Lake Ashi at 700 meters above sea level. Along the way, we stop at Owakudani, where clouds of volcanic steam rise from the desolate rocky landscape, while enjoying the views of the actively erupting Mount Hakone. From this ropeway, we can also enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Fuji.
At Togendai, we will take a lunch break at the restaurant where we can enjoy a nice view of Lake Ashi.
Lake Ashi is a caldera lake formed by volcanic activity of Mount Hakone. From the bottom of the caldera, you can enjoy the scenery of the outer rim of Mount Hakone, as well as the view of the summit of Mount Fuji beyond. First, we will enjoy a cruise from Togendai Port to Checkpoint Port.
The Old Tokaido Hakone-juku Cedar Avenue is a historic path lined with ancient cedar trees, offering a picturesque walk that showcases the natural beauty and historical significance of the area. We will walk from Checkpoint Port through Old Tokaido Avenue to Narikawa Museum.
The Narukawa Museum offers views of Mt. Fuji and features many traditional Japanese-style paintings. We will take a short break here. Since an admission fee is required to enter, we can alternatively rest at a nearby café and enjoy views of Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji.
We will continue to stroll along the coast of Lake Ashi after leaving Narukawa Museum, heading toward Hakone Shrine.
Hakone Shrine was founded in 757 after receiving a divine message from the deity of Hakone. Throughout history, famous warriors including Ieyasu Tokugawa prayed here for victory in battle. Strolling through the grounds of the Shrine, you may experience the divine spiritual atmosphere.
The Torii gate standing in the Lake Ashi is the one of most popular photogenic spots that people want to take a photo of themselves standing in front of it.
We will take a bus to Hakone Yumoto, arriving at 16:50, where we will board the Romance Car bound for Shinjuku. Alternatively, we may take a regular train instead of the Romance Car.
At Shinjuku Station, or at your hotel
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Guide fee and hotel pick-up within 23 wards in Tokyo
Transportation fees (for you and your guide)
Food and drinks (for you and your guide)
Entrance/ Admission Fee (for you and your guide)
<Note>
The total amount of additional fees for this tour, excluding the guiding fee, varies based on the options you select:
1. Standard additional fees: 8,500 yen per person (Hakone Free Pass: 6,100 yen + Round-trip Romance Car express tickets: 2,400 yen).
2. Without the express train on the return to Shinjuku: 7,300 yen per person (Hakone Free Pass: 6,100 yen + One-way Romance Car express ticket: 1,200 yen).
3. Narukawa Museum: In addition to the transportation fees mentioned above, the admission fee is required if we decide to visit (1,500 yen per adult, 1,000 yen per college/high school student, and 500 yen per junior high/elementary student).
* This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
* This tour is not recommended for those with severe back/knee problems.
* This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
* Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Hello. I am Keiko, a nationally licensed tour guide for English-speaking tourists. I love traveling to new places, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new people. When I was young, I embarked on a long journey to explore more about my life. I settled in a small town in Illinois, USA, enjoying a new life while studying at the state university, and then moved to Florida to work for a while.
After coming back to Japan, I have been working in downtown Tokyo since 2008, mainly as a translator and sometimes as an interpreter in various fields, including central government offices, TV stations, and a university. Seeing the increased opportunities around the Tokyo Olympics 2020, I transitioned into the tourism industry and am currently working as a tour guide, basically giving day tours of downtown Tokyo, Fuji & Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko.
I love meeting people from different backgrounds, talking with them, and learning new things. That's why I enjoy hosting guests from abroad who want to explore Japan. Many local people helped me during my journey, and now it's time for me to give back. Come and meet me here; I will show you around amazing places in Japan.
“Wonderful time and auspicious encounters”
Touring with Keiko was like being shown around by a great friend. We paced ourselves carefully as I had a sore knee, but she made sure we took breaks and was careful not to lose us in the crowds. Meiji Jingu Shrine was so beautiful and we were so lucky as to attend during the Shichi Go San festival. So many adorable children in kimono and hakama. We also saw two traditional weddings there. Keiko explained how to follow tradition, the stories about the Tori gates, read and explained the Tanaka poems from the Emperor and Empress, and the history behind the shrine and surrounding forest. After taking a quick peek at Takeshita Street we moved on to Shibuya and enjoyed an awesome lunch of sukiyaki then got to experience the hustle of Shibuya Crossing ourselves. Afterwards she led us to a spot that we could get good pictures looking down at the crossing as well. Next was Shinjuku and the awesome 3D cat billboard we wanted to see and the Godzilla head. We took a break to people watch and she told us more about Kabukicho. We walked through Omoide Yokocho as she informed us of the storied history. A quick stop to look at Shimbashi station then our day finished at Odaiba with a look at the Statue of Liberty replica and some beautiful illuminations. She artfully led us through the maze of the train stations helping us to minimize stairs and when we wanted to take taxis, she led the way for us. If we had the time, this trip we would have absolutely done more of her tours. Next trip for sure.
Keiko T.
(6 reviews)Lorraine, thank you so much for your wonderful review. I truly enjoyed spending time with you as well. You are so kind and friendly, making it easy to talk to you and fun to be around. Walking tours in Tokyo can be challenging for those who find it difficult to walk long distances or navigate stairs, but I’m glad you were able to complete the tour and enjoy all the destinations we planned. Choosing to use a taxi alongside public transportation was a wise decision, as it helped us conserve energy for the walking we needed to do. As you experienced, Downtown Tokyo is vast and full of exciting places to explore. There’s always more to see! When you continue your journey with your family next autumn, I hope to see you again!
“Very knowledgeable guide. Speaks very good English. ”
Keiko was amazing. She knew so much about Japanese history and taught us so much about every location we visited. She spoke great English and we enjoyed our conversations with her very much. She moved at a very fast speed and covered a lot of ground on the tour. So if you have physical limitations like we do, it will be a very difficult tour. Thank you so much Keiko! We enjoyed your friendliness and the help you gave us even after our tour ended.
Keiko T.
(6 reviews)Dear Kevin and Moria I am glad to hear from you! I truly enjoyed our time together. You are a big fan of Japan and Japanese culture, which brought me a big smile and great motivation. It was an honor to show you around Tokyo on your honeymoon, and I truly wanted you to enjoy your time here. Since Downtown Tokyo is big and large, and we needed to cover a lot on foot at a brisk pace to visit the must-see places efficiently, I understand this can be very challenging, even for me. I hope you enjoyed your time during the rest of your trip feeling relaxed and without any pressure to hurry. I wish you a happy life together, filled with hope and joy for the future. Please stay in touch, and I hope you’ll visit Japan again someday! Keiko
“The Absolute Best Super Guide!”
Our first time visiting Japan this summer was an unforgettable experience, and we very much attribute those memories to our time with Keiko as our guide in Tokyo. We got very lucky that Keiko was available when we decided last minute to book a guide for our first time in Tokyo. From the get-go, she was quick to respond on email offering any help all the way up until the moment we met her at our hotel for our first day out on the town where she whipped out a typed-out itinerary. She narrated fun and interesting factoids for each landmark as if she was a relative who was hosting us. We knew right away that we hit the jackpot with such an experienced and professional guide. What we didn't expect was how fondly we would become attached to her. Her warmth, humor and down-to-Earth quality got us bonding through our shared meals and venturing the city. From being our translator to offering advice and tips on navigating the city's public transport, she was always looking out for us like a relative or friend. She literally went the distance in helping out when we sprinted on foot to the JR Station before it closed so she can help with last-minute train tix purchases. Then even after our verklempt goodbye, she continued to be available, checking in to see how were were faring at our next destination and advising on weather-related notices. If it weren't for her, we may have missed our flight and been stuck grounded by the typhoon. We could not have asked for a better, more caring and personable guide. Keiko's lasting impression on a family truly made this a special trip. I'm beyond grateful to have met her and can't wait to go back to see her again!
Keiko T.
(6 reviews)Hello, Jin. Great to hear from you!! How have you been since then? Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and wonderful review. I also truly enjoyed spending time with you and your family. I still remember each place we visited together. We had extremely hot weather here this summer. I imagine it must have been tough for you to do a walking tour in Tokyo under such conditions. However, I’m glad to hear that you still have unforgettable memories of your trip here despite it all. We are still in the middle of the typhoon season, and in fact September is actually the peak. If you have a chance to visit again, I highly recommend coming during the cherry blossom season or the beautiful autumn foliage season, when the weather is much milder. If I have the opportunity to show you around again, it would be wonderful.
$226/ per group
Reserve