Private Hakone Tour from Tokyo: Owakudani & Open-Air Museum

Customize your route through Hakone's shrines, museums and hot springs

A private Hakone tour from Tokyo with a licensed English-speaking guide covers Owakudani's volcanic landscape, the Open-Air Museum's sculpture collection, Lake Ashi, Hakone Shrine and a traditional hot spring bath. The tour runs 7.5 hours with hotel or central Tokyo pickup included. You choose which stops matter most and set the pace. Public transportation fares and museum entries are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Hakone Open-Air Museum1h 30m
2. Owakudani1h

Explore Hakone's nature and culture

• Arrive at Hakone-Yumoto Station
• Ride Hakone Cable Car
• Visit Hakone Open-Air Museum
• Explore Owakudani volcanic valley
• Shop at Daiso 100 yen store
• Enjoy Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise
• Visit Hakone Shrine
• Relax in Japanese hot springs

The Experience

The day starts at Hakone-Yumoto Station, the gateway to the Hakone area, and moves through stops you can adjust based on what draws you. The cable car climbs through forest to reach Owakudani, the volcanic valley formed 3,000 years ago where sulfurous fumes still rise from the ground. The site is famous for black eggs boiled in the hot springs, said to extend your life if you eat one. From there, Lake Ashi spreads below, and you can board a pirate ship replica to cross the water with Mt. Fuji reflected on the surface on clear days. The Open-Air Museum focuses on sculpture installations across its grounds, and Hakone Shrine sits on the lakeshore, known for blessings around matchmaking and safe travel.

Because this is a private tour, your guide adjusts the itinerary to match your interests. You might spend more time at the museum if sculpture matters to you, or skip it entirely to focus on nature and the shrine. The guide speaks English, and also Mandarin, Korean and Japanese if that helps your group. Transportation is included in the booking, so you don't arrange trains or taxis between stops. A traditional onsen (hot spring bath) is an option partway through the day, where you bathe in outdoor pools overlooking Hakone's seasonal landscape.

Museum entry fees, cable car and ship fares, and any food you buy are paid separately on the day. If your hotel is outside central Tokyo's 23 wards, a pickup fee applies. The tour suits families with children, and all areas are wheelchair accessible.

What’s included

• Private transportation from central Tokyo.
• a licensed guide fluent in English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese.
• one water bottle per person.
• pickup from your hotel or a central meeting point.

Days and timesDaily

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Discovery TOKYO!

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English fluently, so you follow the commentary and ask questions throughout the day without a language barrier. If your group includes Mandarin, Korean or Japanese speakers, the guide can switch between languages to keep everyone engaged.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

What is Owakudani and why is it worth visiting?

Owakudani is a volcanic valley formed when Hakone's highest peak erupted 3,000 years ago. It's one of Hakone's most famous viewing spots because sulfurous fumes still rise from the ground, and the site is known for black eggs boiled in the hot springs, which local tradition says will extend your life if you eat one.

Can I choose which attractions to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

The tour is private, so you can arrange it with your guide. You decide which stops matter most (the museum, the shrine, the cable car, the lake crossing), and set the pace throughout the day based on your interests.

Is food included in the tour price?

Food is not included. You'll have the chance to eat at restaurants the guide recommends, and you can buy the famous black eggs at Owakudani, but meals are your own cost.

How much do the attractions cost on top of the tour price?

The Open-Air Museum entrance is 2,000 yen, the cable car is 460 yen, the Lake Ashi pirate ship is 1,200 yen, and the hot spring bath is 2,500 yen. These are paid separately on the day, not included in the tour booking.