1. Hakodate: Private Customized Guided Tour
Explore Hakodate in your own way with a private licensed guide. Choose the 6 or 4 hour option depending on what fits with your schedule. Let the guide know what special requests you have for the day and they will tailor your itinerary accordingly. All guides hold the nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification. It is issued by the Japanese government and requires a good understanding of Japanese culture and history. Hakodate has a long history of international trade and is home to European-style buildings, churches, and red-brick warehouses, as well as nostalgic streetcars that makes their way around the city. Meet up with your guide at your hotel or anywhere convenient for you in Hakodate. First visit Goryokaku park to get in touch with Japanese history. This popular tourist attraction is a star-shaped fort that became famous as the final battleground in the civil war about 150 years ago. From Goryokaku Tower you have a great view of not only Goryokaku, but also the mountains and the strait between Hokkaido and Honshu. Stop for lunch at Hakodate Morning Market. Also known as Hakodate Asaichi, this market boasts approximately 250 stores offering seafood and souvenirs. Try the mouth-watering "seafood rice bowl", a local specialty. The final stop on the tour is Mount Hakodate, which you can reach by cable car. Admire the incredible views of the city and the sea far below.