Explore Hakodate with a local native-English-speaking guide who also speaks Japanese, on a private 5-hour tour. Hakodate Tours is new here, so reviews can be seen at https://www.hakodatetours.com/reviews. This is a walking and tram-based tour, rather than a coach tour. Choose between the 'Hakodate Highlights' tour, featuring iconic sites like Mount Hakodate, the historic Motomachi district, the Goryokaku star-fort, and the morning seafood market, or the 'Hidden Hakodate' tour, where you can interact with local culture through activities like grilling dango, making plastic food or trying on kimono. Enjoy lunch at a Japanese restaurant and ensure a timely return.
- Private tours accommodate up to 5 guests, perfect for small groups.
- Enjoy a flexible itinerary based on your preferences and walking pace.
- Guaranteed return on time.
- Hakodate cruise terminal pickup and return (Wakamatsucho only; there's a free shuttle bus service to Wakamatsucho for other docks) or hotel pickup.
The guide (Gary) will meet visitors inside the cruise terminal building at Wakamatsucho. He'll be wearing a baseball cap with the words 'Locals Only'. Please note: If your ship is scheduled to arrive at a different wharf, there is a free shuttle bus to Wakamatsucho.
Hakodate Morning Market offers a lively introduction to Hakodate's seafood culture. Visitors can wander through the market's many stalls, browsing fresh local seafood, fruit, vegetables and regional produce. The market is particularly famous for its seafood breakfasts, with restaurants serving fresh sashimi, grilled fish and kaisendon – bowls of rice topped with assorted raw seafood. At some stalls, visitors can choose their own seafood and have it prepared to order. The market is also known for its squid-fishing experience, where visitors can catch a live squid from a tank before having it prepared immediately. Beyond seafood, there are shops selling dried fish, crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, Hokkaido produce and souvenirs. The market is at its liveliest in the morning, making it a popular place to explore, eat breakfast and experience the atmosphere of Hakodate's working food culture.
The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses are one of Hakodate's most distinctive waterfront landmarks. Built in the late nineteenth century as warehouses for the city's growing international trade, the handsome brick buildings have been preserved and transformed into a lively complex of shops, cafés and restaurants. The surrounding Bay Area is also home to historic churches, former consulates and other reminders of Hakodate's early opening to international trade. It is an easy place to explore at a relaxed pace, with plenty of opportunities for photographs, shopping and refreshments. The combination of nineteenth-century architecture, harbour scenery and modern shops makes Kanemori a natural part of any first visit to Hakodate.
Mount Hakodate rises above the city and is famous for its spectacular panoramic views. From the summit, visitors can look across the narrow strip of land connecting the mountain to the mainland, with Hakodate Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. At the summit there is a café and facilities where visitors can take time to enjoy the scenery.
If time permits, Goryokaku Park is a must-see, one of Hakodate's most remarkable landmarks, a five-pointed Western-style fortress built in the final years of the Edo period. Its distinctive layout was intended to make the fort easier to defend against modern artillery. Today, the former fortress is a peaceful public park surrounded by trees, with a moat that traces its unusual geometric shape. Visitors can walk along the old fortifications, cross the bridges and explore the grounds while learning about the dramatic events that took place here during Japan's transition from the shogunate to the modern state. Goryokaku was the site of the final battle of the Boshin War in 1869, when the forces of the former shogunate made their last stand. The nearby Tower provides an elevated view of the entire star-shaped fortress and the surrounding city. In spring, the park is especially popular for its cherry blossoms, while the changing foliage provides a different atmosphere later in the year.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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