Feel the atmosphere of Hakone volcano, and enjoy the beautiful view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi!
Owakudani and Lake Ashi were made by the volcanic activity of Mt. Hakone about 3,000 years ago. At Osakudani you can see the sulfur vapor blowing up and beautiful Mt. Fuji on sunny days.
From a boat on Lake Ashi you can enjoy beautiful scenery every season.
Hakone sekisho, which was built about 400 years ago, was a facility to investigate travelers. You can learn more about it in Hakone.
Your hotel
Pick up at your hotel.
Go to Hakone Owakudani by Odakyu Express "Romance Car", local train, cable car, and ropeway.
Owakudani is an explosion trail of a crater made by the last explosion of Hakone volcano about 3,000 years ago. White smoke has been laid on the desolate ground, and you can still feel the power of volcanic activity.
At Ohwakudani you can eat a black egg. It is said that if you eat one black egg, you will have a life expectancy of 7 years.
Enjoy the spectacular view of the sulfur smoke rising at Owakudani, and have lunch.
Lake Ashi is a long narrow lake with a circumference of about 19km. It was formed about 3,000 years ago in the Hakone volcano's caldera. From the boat you can enjoy beautiful scenery every season.
Tokugawa Shogunate placed 53 sekisho (facility to investigate travelers) on major roads across the nation to defend Edo (current Tokyo). Hakone Sekisho (Hakone Checkpoint) was one of the largest checkpoints among them. Hakone Sekisho was placed on the current location in 1619, at the beginning of Edo period. One of the main roles of sekisho was to control "incoming guns and outgoing women", which means to prevent weapons from being brought into Edo, and wives and children of feudal lords from fleeing from Edo.
Go back to Tokyo by bus and Odakyu Express "Romance Car".
End of the tour.
Your hotel
1. Guide fee
2. Hotel pick-up
* Hotel pick-up is included if your hotel is located near a station on JR Yamanote Line or inside the circle of JR Yamanote Line. If extra transportation fees are necessary for hotel pick-up, I will let you know.
1. Transportation fee (you and your guide):About 8,000 yen/adult including the express fee of Romance Car.
2. Admission fee (you and your guide):About 500 yen/adult.
3. Lunch (you and your guide)
4. Beverages (beer, juice, etc.)
Nothing speceial.
It takes about 3 hours from Shinjuku Station to Owakudani by Odakyu express train, Hakone local train. cable car, and ropeway.
*** FAQ ***
(Q) Can I use the Shinkansen bullet train to go to Hakone?
(A) Yes, you can. In this case I can meet you at your hotel or JR Odawara Station according to your request.
(Q) Can I add or delete places to visit?
(A) Yes, you can add or delete places to visit. If you have places you would like to visit, please let me know. I will customize the tour.
My recommendations are as follows:
(1) Hakone Shrine
Established in the middle of the 8th century, this shrine was dedicated to all the local gods of eastern Japan, and is believed to have the benefits of road safety, wish fulfillment, and warding off evil.
You can get to the red torii gate, Heiwa-no-torii, at the lakeshore of Ashi. This place is a good photo spot for travelers.
(2) Hakone Open-Air Museum
The Hakone Open-Air Museum opened in scenic Hakone in 1969. It is the first museum in Japan devoted to sculpture in the open-air. Situated on roughly 70,000 square meters of parkland, it harmonizes with the Hakone mountains and offers different scenery with each season.
It was a pleasure to meet Hiroshi. He was very informative about where we were going, how to get there and historical background. He designed the day to fit our interests. His English is excellent and my friend and I were very happy with our tour.
Thank you for writing a review of our tour. I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the tour in Tokyo. We visited the Imperial Palace and Ueno Park. At the Imperial Palace Museum, we were able to see wonderful paintings and sculptures owned by the Imperial Family. In Ueno Park, we visited shrines and temples to experience the Shinto and Buddhist atmosphere. You are very knowledgeable about art, and I enjoyed the tour with you and increased my knowledge about art. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan, and I look forward to meeting you again in the near future! Hiroshi
My son and I made a last minute decision to travel to Japan and opted for a guide in Tokyo. We found Hiroshi and were not disappointed at all. He responded quickly to all of my messages and went above and beyond with further explanations if I was ever confused. I am so happy we went with Hiroshi as he made inquiries about our interests and made itineraries based upon our likes/wants. We were able to enjoy Tokyo without worrying about the hassle of figuring out the subway system. We had great food and we were able to fit a lot of sites into a small amount of time. We also went to Nikko, which I highly recommend. Hiroshi made this such an easy day with taking the train and the bus to the UNESCO site. He also went above and beyond and showed my son and myself where we would catch the bullet train at Tokyo Station. He showed us the best entrance location and made it so easy to figure out. Thank you for a great time. We would definitely go with Hiroshi again as a tour guide if we would to return to Japan.
Thank you for your review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed our tour of Tokyo and Nikko. I know it was a hot and humid summer in Japan, but we were able to feel the atmosphere of the Shoguns and Emperors at the Imperial Palace and experience Buddhism and Shinto at Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Hie Shrine. In Nikko, we were able to enjoy the gorgeous Toshogu Shrine and beautiful nature. I also enjoyed the tour with you very much. If you have the opportunity to come to Japan again, I would appreciate it if you could contact me. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future in Japan! Hiroshi
Dear Hiroshi San, We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful tour you provided us in Tokyo. Your knowledge, enthusiasm, and attention to detail made our experience truly memorable. Thank you for sharing the rich history and vibrant culture of Tokyo with us. Your guidance and insights were invaluable, and we deeply appreciate the time and effort you put into making our visit special. Warm regards, Adam & Beata
Thank you for your review. The weather was fine on the day of the tour and we were able to enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree. It was also a hot day, but the Sumida River cruise was pleasant with the breeze on the river. I think Tokyo from the boat had a different flavor. Although this tour was a bit busy, there are still many wonderful places to visit in Tokyo. Nikko and Hakone are also recommended sightseeing spots. If you have a chance to visit Japan in the future, let's enjoy Japan together again! Hiroshi
Hiroshi-san has been really helpful from the get go. He is really knowledgable about the area, and have a lot of suggestions on how to make the day of the trip flow better. He helps in planning the trip, and made sure that the day of the trip progressing smoothly! Would recommend Hiroshi-san to anyone who comes to Hakone!
Thank you for your review to the tour in Hakone. I am very happy to hear our tour was enjoyable. We ate black eggs at Owakudani. I am sure we got a life expectancy of seven more years:-) In addition to Hakone, I can guide you in Nikko, Yokohama, Kamakura, central Tokyo, and so on. I would be very happy to meet you again somewhere other than Hakone!