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View all Hakone toursOdawara: Castle, Samurai History and Local Food Walk in Hakone
Top rated4.3
Activity provider: Native Japan
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2.5-hour tour in Hakone, including Walking tour of Odawara and Visit to Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine. Run by Native Japan, booked direct rather than through a reseller.
Highlights
- Runs 2.5 hours
- Walking tour of Odawara
- Visit to Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine
- Visit to Kamaboko Street
- Local food tasting
- Photography opportunities
Odawara: Castle, Samurai History and Local Food Walk in Hakone: Key Facts
| Price | From $130 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2.5 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
This is a 2.5-hour experience in Hakone. It is run by Native Japan, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.
Hakone is the hot-spring resort in the mountains 90 minutes south-west of Tokyo, inside the caldera of an old volcano. The standard loop is the Hakone Ropeway over the Owakudani sulphur vents, where eggs are boiled black in the springs, a boat across Lake Ashi past the red torii of Hakone Shrine, and, on a clear day, Fuji over the lake. Onsen bathing follows the usual rules: wash before entering, no swimwear, and many baths still refuse tattoos or ask for a cover. The Hakone Free Pass covers the trains, cable car, ropeway and boat; the ropeway closes in high wind and when volcanic gas rises, which happens a few days a year.
The price covers Walking tour of Odawara, Visit to Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine, Visit to Kamaboko Street, food tasting and Photography opportunities. It does not cover Transportation to and from Odawara, Meals and drinks not specified in the tour and Personal expenses, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.
Native Japan sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Native Japan before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Includes
- Walking tour of Odawara
- Visit to Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine
- Visit to Kamaboko Street
- Local food tasting
- Photography opportunities
Excludes
- Transportation to and from Odawara
- Meals and drinks not specified in the tour
- Personal expenses
Important information
Meeting point
Native Japan sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 2.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible
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Main Tour Price
Starting from $130
$130
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Frequently Asked Questions
Native Japan sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover transportation to and from odawara, meals and drinks not specified in the tour and personal expenses. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Nobody can promise it. Fuji is clear on roughly a third of days, most often on winter mornings, and from June to September it is in cloud more often than not. The tour runs regardless and the lakes, the pagoda and the ropeway are planned to be worth the day without the summit. There is no refund for cloud.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Walking tour of Odawara, Visit to Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine, Visit to Kamaboko Street, Local food tasting, Photography opportunities
The duration of the Odawara: Castle, Samurai History and Local Food Walk in Hakone is typically 2.5 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Only during the official season, roughly early July to early September — exact dates are announced each year per route. Outside it the mountain huts close, and climbing becomes a serious mountaineering proposition rather than a hike. A mandatory climbing fee and a daily cap now apply on the Yoshida route, with the other routes following. Full detail in our guide to climbing Mount Fuji.
Counterintuitively, winter — the cold, dry air gives the clearest views, while humid summer haze often hides the mountain entirely. That means the climbing season is also the worst viewing season. Where and when to look is covered in our Mount Fuji viewpoints guide.
An Odakyu pass covering the whole Hakone loop — Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, Lake Ashi boats and buses — for less than buying the legs separately. How the loop works and which direction to travel it is in getting around Hakone.
It varies. Many traditional baths still refuse tattoos, some now allow them with cover stickers, and a private bath (kashikiri) is the reliable workaround. Bathing etiquette and how to find tattoo-friendly options are in our Hakone onsen guide.
It was listed in 2013 for its influence on art, literature and pilgrimage — not for its geology. That is why the listing includes places like Oshino Hakkai and the Sengen shrines, not just the peak itself. Background in our climbing Mount Fuji guide.
Two days lets you do the loop without rushing and still soak properly in an onsen — a single day works but means moving constantly. Our Hakone 2-day itinerary maps it out hour by hour.
Most Hakone and Mt. Fuji private tours here are priced for the whole party, not per traveller — the operator is providing a vehicle and a guide, so a group of four pays the same as a couple. The exceptions are the group summit climbs, which are genuinely per person. Each tour page states which model applies.