Hakodate was one of the first Japanese cities to open to foreign traders, and Europeans left their mark, constructing churches, embassies and homes in the Motomatchi district. Today's visitors to Hakodate can admire the heritage sites, explore the harbour and feast on fresh seafood.

Take a Hakodate private tour and explore this Japanese city with a local guide.

Meet your guide at the train station, then dive into the <i>Asaichi</i> morning market for freshly-caught fish, squid and eels. Visit Goryokaku Park and the Magistrate's Office, then climb aboard the streetcar to the old British Consulate and the Catholic church. Be sure to treat yourself on Minatogaoka street, better known as 'soft serve ice cream street.'

Living by the water, Hakodate's residents favour seafood, so ask your guide for recommendations. Adventurous eaters can try the 'dancing squid' — don't ask, just chew. After dinner, take the cable car to the Mount Hakodate summit for panoramic views of the city lights.

Hakodate

The Best of Hakodate tour in 6hrs to your heart's content

This tour offers you the best tourist spots in Hakodate in six hours. Hakodate has a unique history, beautiful scenery, unique food, and exotic cityscape.

At Goryokaku Fort, you can share the battle history of the Fort and beautiful scenery. It was like the movie the Last Samurai. You can see the beautiful star-shaped fort from the Goryokaku Tower and experience samurai way of life and sense of beauty by visiting the restored Magistrate office.

In Motomachi, you can enjoy both exotic atmosphere and cityscape including many historical buildings and slopes. We just walk around this area sometimes dropping at famous churches, temples, and museums.

Finally, we go up to the top of Mt Hakodate by ropeway. You can get a magnificent view of the Whole city which is especially beautiful at night.

The first opened port city in Japan, Hakodate

My home town Hakodate attracts tourists for its history and food. 

 I'll take you to Goryokaku Tower. The tower enables us to see a breath-taking view of the star-shaped Goryokaku Fort. I'll explain what happened there 150 years ago. This historic fort is now a park with 1500 cherry trees, azaleas, and others planted. We will walk into the park to have a closer view of the Magistrate's Office.

Then, let's go up Mt. Hakodate by ropeway. A bird's-eye view of Hakodate is a breathtaking natural wonder.  

Next I'll take you to the Red Brick Warehouses area.  It is a shopping area, facing the harbor.  On the way, we will see Hakodate Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church and Episcopal Church. I'll take pictures of you with those buildings.



Goryokaku Tower, Mt Hakodate and Red Brick Warehouses

Hakodate - 5 Hours - Private Tour

Hakodate is a city first opened to the rest of the world after some 300 years' of isolation policy in Edo Era. So, Hakodate experienced contact with various foreign cultures, which you can see in the Western and Japanese mixed archtectures in the western part of he city. We had about 5, 000, 000 visitors last year, out of whom 340, 000 are from abroad. Hakodate also was chosen the most popular place in Japan in 2014, followed by Sapporo and Kyoto. Why so popular? People are attracted by its unique cityscapes, fresh seafood and marine products, a night view seen from the top of Mt. Hakodate, hot spring and its cultural history as well as beautiful nature!
Fresh squid, scallops, sea urchins, abalone, you can name it!
They say air in Hakodate is different from metropolitan areas. So a refreshing air! Here, you can feel carefree and breathe green air and enjoy strolling around the city, With myself, your cheerful guide who was born and brought up here!

Day Time View of Hakodate sandwitched by the Pacific ocean and the Japan Sea.

Goryokaku. the first Western style fortress in Japan

Morning Market where you can fish squid, try sea urchin, scallops what not.

Jewel-like View with Abundant Cutural History with a Private Guide.

Hakodate Private Tour with Keiko

On this tour, you can enjoy the scenic beauty and delicious local cuisine in Hakodate. Onuma quasi-national park is located in my hometown Nanae.

The volcanic activity of Mt Komagatake has produced three lakes dotted with 126 small islands. You can appreciate wildlife such as birds, plants, and trees, taking a leisurely walk along the promenade. Due to its scenic beauty, it is now regarded as one of the three new most famous scenic beauty in Japan and attracts many tourists from abroad every year. We can go to the park by renting a taxi or mini-van. It takes about 40 minutes from the pier(or Hakodate station) to Onuma Park.
Then we visit Gryoukaku Fort and go up the Goryokaku Tower. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the tower.

Motomachi is located at the foot of Mt Hakodate. There used to be foreign settlements, churches, and consulates, where many foreign people were active in trading and missionary work, so you can see many historical buildings against the backdrop of beautiful slopes.

Enjoy scenic beauty and local cuisine with a Private Guide

Hakodate 8hr tour - Motomachi and Onuma park

We visit a town called Fukushima, 1. 5 hours by car from Hakodate and Hakodate's morning market.

First, we will visit the morning market. It is always bustling with tourists. You can see various kinds of seafood and also squid and octopus moving in tanks.

Then, we will head for Fukushima town. The town is the only one in Japan that has produced two yokozuna sumo wrestling champions. You can see various items that only the winner of the ground sumo tornament can own. It was also a base for the construction of the world longest undersea tunnel. We will see a video explaining how the longest undersea tunnel was constructed.

On the way to Fukushima, we might be able to arrange to watch a bullet train go into or come out of the tunnel. We also stop at the beautiful Monastery on the way back to Hakodate.

Trappist Monastery. Stretch your legs while eating the ice cream.

Discover Morning Market, Sumo Wrestling and Undersea Tunnel with private guide

Hakodate & Fukushima - 8hr Private Tour

This is a tour to enjoy exploring Onuma Quasi-National Park abounding in plants and water.
Most of the park is taken up by Mt. Komagatake and by the lakes at its foot. In the three lakes, there are 126 small islands created by the eruption of Mt. Komagatake in 1640.
You can enjoy Onuma in every season. Beautiful flowers including Asian skunk cabbages bloom in spring and the deep greens of summer with water lilies enhance the blues of the sky. Eye-catching are radiantly beautiful autumn leaves. And, in the crisp air, the snow-covered Mt. Komagatake is a winter wonderland.
The landscape of Onuma differ dramatically from season to season, and even from dawn to dusk. You're sure to find a spot just for you

Japanese smelt fish boats and Mt.Komagatake (1131m)

A Retreat for a Nature Lover with a Private Guide.

Lake Onuma with a Private Tour

Hakodate tour in 4hrs - Goryokaku and Motomachi

This tour offers you two must-see spots in Hakodate in four hours. This tour is suitable for tourists who don't have much time in Hakodate.

Many tourists visit Goryokaku fort because it is not Japanese-style but a beautiful star-shaped European-style fort. You can get a good bird's eye view when looking down from the Goryokaku Tower.

It is also designated as the only National historic site in Hokkaido. Before Japan's modernization, a fierce battle was fought here, you can get to know the rather tragic history and experience samurai way of life and sense of beauty by visiting the restored Magistrate's office.

After moving to Motomachi, you can enjoy both the exotic atmosphere and cityscape including many historical buildings and slopes. We just walk around this area sometimes dropping at the famous Greek Orthodox church, Higashi Honganji temple, Hatimanzaka slope, etc. You can savor good coffee and sweets nearby café if you want. There are good cafes around Motomachi.

The Best of best, Hakodate in four hours

Hakodate Highlights - 3.5 Hours - Private Tour

If you are a history buff, Goryokaku and Motomachi are must to visit in Hakodate. They make me fancy how the town was prosperous.

Let's get on the bus and I'll take you to Goryokaku Tower first. I am sure the view from the tower wows you. Goryokaku Fort is in a star shape, built by the samurai government 160 years ago. I will tell you what happened here. This historic fort is now a park famous for its cherry blossoms (from late April to early May) . Then let's walk into the park to have a closer view of the Magistrate's Office rebuilt 10 years ago. It's an easy 5-minute walk from the tower.

Next, we will go to JR Station and catch a bus. The bus goes through the Bay area where the Red Brick Warehouses and Meijikan are, and takes us to the Motomachi area. The area used to be the center of the town for a long time. We will stroll along a narrow street and stop at Higashi Honganji Temple, Roman Catholic Church, Japan Orthodox Church, and the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward.

Magistrate Office from Goryokaku Tower's observation floor

Discover Historic Hakodate with private guide

Easy Hiking of Mt. Hakodate with Keiko and two more

This tour offers you to enjoy basking in the nature of Mt. Hakodate, strolling Motomachi area, where foreign traders settled when Hakodate opened as one of the first Japanese ports after some 250 years of isolation policy of the Edo government. You'll enjoy houses which combine Western and Japanese styles of architecture on the cobblestone streets. The tour ends at the Northern People's Museum. Hokkaido was called Yezo before 1869 , where the indigenous people Ainu people prevailed from 1200 until around 1860. They had faith in the super natural presence, Kanui. You'll learn a lot about the Ainu people here.

Hachimanzaka slope, jumping Keiko in the centeruntited 2

Enjoy the spectacular view of Hakodate and the exotic townscape of Motomachi area, and learn the Ainu culture

Hakodate - 2.5 Hours - Private Walking Tour

Port city Hakodate attracts many tourists for its historic buildings and exotic atmosphere. Let's go for a 2. 5-hour walk with me Fumiko. I started guiding work in this area more than 10 years ago. We don't use transportation but just our legs. Start at your hotel and walk to attractions. Your sightseeing becomes a line, not just dots. But you can take a bus if you like.

The morning market, Meiji-kan, Higashi Honganji Temple, Roman Catholic Church, Japan Orthodox Church, and the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, Motomachi Park, former British Consulate, and the Red Brick Warehouses are things to see. You can stop, take photos, and try some food anytime if you like.

The west foot of Mt. Hakodate is called Seibu-chiku, or the West District. It is popular for its slopes. We go up and down some of them. The area might remind you of some place you have visited.

Walking around Motomachi with your private guide

Discover Esashi, the northern terminal of Kitamae trading, with Private Guide for 8hrs

Esashi is located on the Sea of Japan side, taking 1. 5 hours by car from Hakodate.
It was the northern terminal of Kitamae trading, the artery of goods in the 19th century.
In spring, the town was said to be much busier than Edo, the capital of the last samurai era.

Esashi-oiwake is a folk song sung by boatmen. We will listen to the song sung by a professional singer. Let's practice singing the song. You might find the boatmen's feeling.

Then I will take you to Kamome-jima Island where the moorings site is. On the way, there is a rock towering above the sea. I will tell you an interesting myth about it.

You can't know about the Boshin Civil War without knowing what happened to the Kaiyomaru. It was the Tokugawa shogunate's warship built in Holland 150 years ago. She was stranded off the coast and sank. Hijikata mourned that. The ship-shaped museum has 3000 items recovered from the sunk warship.

If you like, I will take you to a local farmer who has about 100 bonsai. Appreciate their artificial wond

Folk songs, Kitamae trading, and Hijikata's grief

Komagatake Volcano - Shikabe Geyser - Jomon Museum - Private Tour

You notice a pointy mountain, Mt. Komagatake from Hakodate City.
We are going to visit Lake Onuma Park, located 50 minutes by car from Hakodate Station. The park consists of a volcano called Mt. Komagatake and three lakes that were created by its eruption 400 years ago. This scenery is one created by the volcano.

Shikabe geyser was discovered 100 years ago, still blowing off at 10 some minute intervals. The heat souce of the spring is from the volcano. You can relax by taking a hot spring foot bath. You can also enjoy cooking with the steam.

Jomon Museum exhibits artifacts in the Jomon period, one of Japanese historical divisions between 13000 years BCE and 400 years BCE. The ancient people settled here living on the abundance of the diversified environment created by the volcano eruptions. Jomon means cord pattern found on the side of earthen vessel made in the period. There are other tools that anciant people used. The museum boasts about a national treasure, a dogu clay figure.

Let's explore what this volcano brought about together

Hakodate - Food&Sake - 2 Hours - Private Tour

Tourist city Hakodate attracts many tourists for its fresh foods and sake is a trendy liquor around world.

Sit at table in a izakaya restaurant and get ready for fresh foods and Sake or seishu that go well with Japanese dishes. Sake or seishu is made from rice and is getting more and more popular in the world. Let me know what kind of sake you like, then I will order dishes that go well with it. You will also experience pairing sake with some cheese. Let's explore Japanese food culture.

Hakodate tours

Explore with 13 tours and 3 guides.

Akira M.

$ 264 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 198 (USD)

Keiko I.

$ 294 (USD)

Akira M.

$ 272 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 242 (USD)

Keiko I.

$ 220 (USD)

Akira M.

$ 197 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 161 (USD)

Keiko I.

$ 257 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 147 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 242 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 272 (USD)

Fumiko T.

$ 110 (USD)

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