Visiting the Izu peninsula? See the best of it on a private Izu tour with a friendly and experienced ToursByLocals guide!

Find the perfect itinerary below, or customize your own tour and see and do exactly what you want, at your own pace.

If you want to visit a mountain area where you can see Mt. Fuji, this tour is perfect for you!

I'm an experienced national government licensed guide familiar with the mountain area, Hakone.

Hakone is a popular destination for a day trip from Tokyo and Yokohama, located approximately 60 miles or 100 kilometers southwest of the cities. The beauties of nature - steep forested mountains, gorges, volcanic activities, and a crater lake - feature Hakone.
We'll go around Hakone, using various means of transportation to explore the mountainous area, dropping in at must-see spots.

Weather permitting, we'll enjoy magnificent views of Mt. Fuji from those areas. Even if we can not see Mt. Fuji, we will enjoy the grand views of nature.

This tour can be customized according to your requests. I will offer you a tailor-made itinerary. Please let me know your ideas in advance.

I'm looking forward to touring with you!

Explore a popular natural park where you can see Mt. Fuji!

One-Day Hakone Highlights Tour

Welcome to Mt. Fuji! Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, and its almost perfect cone shape is worldwide famous for its beauty. It's a symbol of Japan! Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2013, and the Mt. Fuji area is full of wonderful places worth visiting.
In this tour, you can choose three or four places you would like to visit and get around with a cheerful and knowledgeable local guide. Let's enjoy your customized private tour in a relaxed mood!! You can choose your transportation between a chartered taxi and local bus. Enjoy seeing and feeling nature and history of Mt. Fuji. Of course, let's enjoy local food too!!

a view of Mt. Fuji seen from Komitake Shrine at Mt. Fuji 5th station

Ice Pillars in Fugaku Fuketsu Wind Cave (early spring)

soft ice cream flavored with strawberry produced in Yamanashi Prefecture, the home of Mt. Fuji

Shiba-sakura Festival in spring (near Lake Motosuko)

Let's enjoy your customized tour around Mt. Fuji at your relaxed pace with a local guide!

Mt. Fuji Private Highlight Tour

*Please send a message BEFORE booking.

What comes to mind when you think of "Hakone"? Volcanic landscapes, beautiful lake, shrines, museums, stunning views of Mt. Fuji. Hakone is filled with a lot of attractions.

This tour is designed to provide first-time visitors to Hakone with a well-balanced and efficient one-day tour of the famous sights, using a car with a chauffeur. However, I can customize the tour to suit your interests and propose the best tour for you.

*Private car rate will be charged separately. (I'm not a driver)
*Estimated rate for a car with a chauffeur (Tokyo -> Hakone ->Tokyo): around 650USD, at an exchange rate of 150 yen/US dollar
* The car rate varies depending on exchange rate, time and distance.

Explore Hakone's spectacular scenery with a local!

Hakone Highlights - Full Day Private Tour by car with a chauffeur

Shimizu, located just center between Tokyo and Osaka, has been developed as a port town since 1800's. It started to export green tea and tangerine oranges to the world, but now deals machinery for automobile and industrial parts mainly. Also the largest amount of landing tuna in Japan.

Shimizu port has been admired as one of the three beautiful ports in Japan along with Kobe and Nagasaki, for its scenery and mild climate. The view of Mt. Fuji with the ocean and tea plantation is breathtaking, which symbolizes Japanese beauty. Even in winter, there is no snow and oranges of the trees are glittered by warm sunshine.

I used to live in Shimizu for years and know A to Z, from major tourist sights to secret local ones.

Let's explore such an attractive city with me!

-All my tours can be customized, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions -

Feel the cozy mood of a local port city of Shimizu, with the great view of Mt.Fuji

Shimizu day tour

Hakone is one of the most popular destination from Tokyo with rich nature, hot spring, historical spots and interesting museums. You can enjoy the great nature and culture. You may be able to see Mt. Fuji if the weather is good.

This is a customized tour just for you. You will see popular tourist spots and feel local atomosphere. I listed popular places to visit below. Please let me know 3 - 4 places you would like to visit. I can arrange the best plan for you.

Hakone Ropeway
Owakudani (active volcanic valley)
Cruise on Lake Ashi
Hakone Shrine
Open Air museum
Hakone museum
Narukawa museum
Hakone Check Point
Old Tokaido road

*Please send a message BEFORE booking.

Explore the nature and culture in Hakone with a private guide

Hakone One-day Highlight Tour

From Shimizu port, observe marvellous Mt. Fuji!

Generally speaking, tourists from abroad would love to see Mt. Fuji for once in their life time. Fortunately, here is a chance to make your dream come true!

At the top of Nihondaira plateaur, you can command the full view of Mt. Fuji and its surrounding locations on the top of the mountain called NIHON DAIRA. You can take wonderful photos at "YUME (which means "dream terrace") on top of the plateau.

After fully enjoying the wonderful scenery, we will move to a traditional Shinto Shrine named TOSHOGU on another top of the mountain, which is one of Japan's national treasure. You can experience something Japanese atmosphere there because Shinto shrines are very familiar place to most of Japanese as well as important religious places.

On the way to the shrine, we use a rope-way (sky way) which connects two mountains only with 6 minutes. The panoramic view is also wonderful!

The most famous scenery of Japan is waiting for you!

For centuries Old Tokaido Foot Highway has linked Japan's modern capital of Tokyo with the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Osaka. A section of the Old Tokaido close to Tokyo known as Hakone Hachiri has recently been declared a Japan Heritage Area.

In Japanese, Hachi means 8 and ri is a unit of length equivalent to about 2. 5 miles. So Hakone Hachiri refers to the 20 mile stretch of Old Tokaido between Odawara and Mishima (a setting in James Clavell's epic novel "Shogun"), via Hakone.

Our day requires about 8 miles of actual walking. We hike the forest-clad parts of the Tokaido that have been preserved, and use modern public transport to skip over the less interesting parts that are now covered by a modern road.

Enjoy stunning views of Mt Fuji on clear days, although please note that Japan's weather only allows this about 30% of the time.

I look forward to sharing with you my passion for the natural and cultural heritage of this region. Let's have fun together exploring and understanding this popular area

Hike Old Tokaido Highway Through Hakone & Mt Fuji Areas

Full Day Tour Hiking Hakone Hachiri

This is the tour for you to visit and enjoy beautiful and interesting places of Hakone.
Hakone is one of the most popular and beautiful sightseeing spots, belonging to Hakone and Izu National Park, closely located from Tokyo. Every season has different charms to make us happy and peaceful. And since I was a little, Hakone has been one of my favorite destinatons. And I would like my clients to have a memorable and unforgettable day in Hakone to bring it back home as good memories.

The original plan includes "must to visit and see"places such as Lake Ashi, an exciting cable car ride to Owaku valley, historical Hakone Shrine with a floating Tori gate and hiddedn spots which only the local guide know.

There are many museums, hot springs, historical cedar old Hakone path to enjoy a short walk and lots more to enjoy.

Please take a look at the VIDEO "Beautiful Hakone" to get some feelings and ideas of the tour.

Highlight sightseeings spots in a beautiful hot spring resort of Hakone

Hakone customized day tour

This is the tour including most popular places, such as Chureito, five story pagoda, and Oshino Hakkai, which is famous for pure springs from Mt Fuji.

I will use my own car, therefore , you can save time.
I will show you around with telling about Mt Fuji worship.

Also, I am going to make a customized tour that you would like to go.
I will be flexible on your demand.
Please feel free to contact me.

Visiting popular spots in Mt Fuji area

Highlights in Mt Fuji

Visit the sacred places of Mt. Fuji worship - Oshino Hakkai ＆ Fuji Sengen Shrine

Mt. Fuji is known worldwide as a mountain brimming with natural beauty. Besides this, Mt. Fuji has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times. It is the symbolic object of nature worship.

The tour gives you a great opportunity to feel the essence of Mt. Fuji worship. You'll visit "Oshino Hakkai spring ponds", where the underground water of Mount Fuji is gushing out of and pilgrims used to purify themselves with its water, and "Fuji Sengen Shrine" which used to be the center of Mt. Fuji worship. The shrine with solemn atmosphere is worth visiting. These places are the cultural assets of Mt. Fuji World Cultural Heritage.

In addition, you will join the "Ryurei" (table seated style) tea ceremony at a temple near "Oshino Hakkai".

Through this tour, you will not only learn about a different aspect of Mt. Fuji as a sacred object, but also enjoy picturesque scenery with Mt. Fuji!

One of the biggest wooden Shinto gates in Japan

Learn the different aspect of Mt. Fuji as a sacred mountain and feel the essence of Mt. Fuji worship

Mt. Fuji is Japan's highest mountain, rising to 12, 388 feet (3, 776 meters) and it's much more than just a mountain to the Japanese. It has had a large influence on the way that Japanese people view nature.

There are five lakes at the foot of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko is the most easily accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes with direct train and bus connections from Tokyo. It is a fabulous spot for enjoying magnificent views of Mt Fuji reflected across the lake (weather permitting). Plus the region offers seasonal flowers, ancient shrines, soothing hot springs, and more!

The beauty of Mt. Fuji and the surrounding area changes from season to season. It's said that Mt. Fuji is very shy and only visible 90 days of the year. Visibility tends to be best in the early mornings and winter is the best time to view snow-capped Mt. Fuji clearly as the air is crisp.

Let's embark on a journey from Tokyo and witness the sacred volcano with your own eyes!

Admire the sacred volcano over Lake Kawaguchiko

Mt. Fuji and Kawaguchiko Trip from Tokyo

Let's enjoy a day in Hakone! A town located in Kanagawa, plenty of nature and a famous destination to see Mt. Fuji (weather permitting). One of the main areas is Ashinoko. The lake is also known for its forests with plenty of trees and historical sites. A nice sightseeing cruise (30" min) is also recommended for a panoramic view. We also have the old Tokaido road, the old route that connected Kyoto (former capital) and Edo (today's Tokyo). There are different trails spread all over the National Park and we may taste some short hiking trails used for centuries, so if you like a light hiking (easy one) we could do it! Owakudani is a volcanic mountain famous for Mt. Fuji view on clear days and kuro tamago (boiled black egg) a local specialty. If we have time, we might visit a beautiful local Garden or an amazing open air museum before returning to your hotel in Hakone or Odawara Station.

Go nature.. Go Hakone!

HAKONE’s highlights [No transportation is included]

1-day tour around the Mt. Fuji area (in Fuji five lakes area near Kawaguchiko, not Hakone)

Mt. Fuji is one of the most popular destinations in Japan. There are a lot of places worth visiting such as beautiful forests, lava caves and lakes with magnificent views of Mt. Fuji spread.

I can take my guests to not only the places well-known and famous but also the spots are known only by the local people like the one who has grown up here.

It is also worth to see the specific culture here. Mt. Fuji was registered as a world heritage in 2013. It is worth noting that it was designated a "cultural" rather than "natural" site and registered under the title, "Mt. Fuji: Object of Worship, Wellspring of Art. "

Culture, custom, major industry, local food…all the things which describe this district have been produced with the history of Mt. Fuji and I can show you a part of it by providing a one-day tour customized just for you.

I'm sure that Mt. Fuji and the surroundings attract you and all the tourists around the world.

Explore the town grown with Mt.Fuji

Hakone is a popular sightseeing place near Mt. Fuji, about 100 km west from Tokyo. It is famous for hot springs and natural beauty. There are many spectacular spots created by massive volcanic activities some 3000 years ago.

My favorite places to take travelers to are Lake Ashi and Oowakudani(Great boiling valley), because panoramic views from a ship on the lake are fantastic and amazing volcanic activity can be seen from a ropeway gondola. I will tell you all about the interesting history of how this volcanic area had been created.

At some spots such as historical sites and souvenir shops, I will introduce the traditions in food, art and culture that only a local like me can tell you.

We will take the Shinkansen bullet train which runs about 250 Km/h from Tokyo to Odawara that is an entrance town to Hakone. I would like you to enjoy the comfortable trip.

Enjoy Hakone hot spring resort from Tokyo

Hakone One Day Tour from Tokyo

In-Depth Full Day Tour from Shimizu Port i

This is a 6-hour trip dock-to-dock local Shimizu area.
We will visit the Toshogu Shinto shrine, worshipping the founder of the Edo era.
Right above the shrine is Nihondaira highland connected by a scenic ropeway.
Before going back to your cruise ship, we stop by the Miho-no-Matsubara pine tree coast with Mt. Fuji figure if the weather is fine.

A bigger group of more than 10 up to 19 can be conducted with a bigger vehicle (send me a message for a quote).

There is an option (no Sundays nor Saturdays due to heavy traffic) for longer stayover cruises. It is to go up Shin-go-gome(the new 5th stage) which is located on the south slope of Mt. Fuji. This option is available only when the weather is good, and the road is accessible. When this
the option is chosen, no other spots can be visited.

Enjoy Toshogu Shrine, Miho-no-Matsubara and the local aspects

Hakone is famous in all over the world because of nice view of Mt. Fuji and lake Ashi. But Hakone has much more aspects to enjoy and relief your tension in your daily life. By knowing deep part of Hakone, you will be captivated by its fascination.

In this tour you will visit a place to see volcanic activity and beautiful Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi cruise, historical site and amazing Hakone Yosegi- traditional wood craft manufacture's place. At the first part, you will see big scale of nature in Hakone followed by deepen your understanding of Japanese history. And at end, you will appreciate Japanese traditional technique to make one product.

The itinerary of this tour is just an example and can not cover whole part of Hakone. I will customize the tour based upon your requests.

This is a box of Hakone Yosegi. The color of this box is from wood itself

Torii gate of Hakone shrine standing in Lake Ashi

Cider tree road of Old road. You can enjoy short trekking and feel travelers of old days

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Meet your local guides in Arashiyama

Customize your tour