Testimonials

Connie & Kristin

Our tour was fantastic! Our guide Billy spoke excellent English, had an engaging personality, and tried to tailor this tour according to our wishes. The weather was perfect, and we found Japan to be a clean, organized, and welcoming country to visit. Our itinerary was quite varied, focusing on sites of historical and cultural significance interest and natural beauty. We visited many interesting temples and shrines. Three of the most memorable were 1) Meiji Shrine, where we took part in a Shinto ceremony for good luck and prosperity, 2) Todajii Temple where we saw a 165-foot high Buddha and freely roaming, tiny Sika deer and, 3) Fushimi Inari Shrine where we walked through thousands of bright- orange Torii gates. Other unique cultural/historical destinations included ancient castles (one was UNESCO-recognized), a wonderful modern art museum (which included several of Monet’s original Water Lillies series), and the Golden Pavilion with its 18-carat gold-leaf covered upper tiers glistening in the sunshine. Our tour also highlighted many areas of great natural beauty. We visited a flower park with giant wisteria and azaleas in bloom, a festival of moss phlox, which covered huge swaths of ground at the base of Mt. Fuji, and gardens rated to be the most exceptional by Japan. We also took ferries to 2 lovely Japanese Islands. For me, the real highlights of this trip were the many cultural activities in which we participated. We learned to play Taiko Drums, to fold origami into lovely shapes, to do calligraphy (this is CHALLENGING!!), to create Ikebana flower arrangements, and to make sushi. We also enjoyed a cultural show, took a rickshaw ride, toured a Sake Brewery and tasted their wares, strolled through UNESCO- listed old towns dating back to the Edo Period (17th-18th c.), learned how to practice Zen meditation, participated in a traditional green tea ceremony, and had dinner with a Maiko (a Geisha in training). I liked the tour so well, I am planning to return to Japan in the near future and have already recommended this tour to friends.

Sally & Robert

Fantastic in every way. Our guide Joyce did an incredible job. The itinerary was excellent and the other guests were a pleasure to be with.

Richard & Mary

Enjoyed doing the unexpected and interesting activities. Especially enjoyed the drum class, the dinner with the geiko and meditation with monk.

Mr. & Mrs. Bultitude

Excellent tour with only 10 people. Joyce, our guide, made the tour special. She was organized, knew her stuff, and had a great sense of humor. If Joyce didn’t know something she found the answer quickly, and on the rare occasion when something didn’t go as planned she had a plan B. She also gave suggestions for shopping and dining, and made reservations for restaurants, taxis, and onsens. The hotels used were of a high standard and the two Japanese style hotels were good. The tour was quite fast paced, but the small size of the group allowed us to do things larger groups couldn’t. It was almost like having a private guide. Fortunately everyone on the tour got along and we had a great time. Hiro, our driver for most of the tour, made us feel safe, especially on the mountain roads. Overall I felt that I got value for money with the accommodation, experiences, ( Taiko drums, kimono, Maiko dinner, calligraphy, bullet trains etc), but the quality of the guide is the thing which makes the difference. We could not have done better than Joyce. There is quite a lot of walking on this tour so a reasonable fitness level is required, and you need to have shoes which are easy to get on and off as many places require that you remove them.

Mrs. & Mr. Crosby

Barbara was an excellent guide. Her posters really helped me understand everything she told us. Our driver, Umino, was also outstanding - a careful, thoughtful driver and very pleasant.

Mr. & Mrs. O'Shea

Our tour was a small one with only six travelers. We all got along and shared many good memories and laughs together. Our tou, Youki, was a pleasure to be with. She was so sweet and went out of her way to help us in any way she could. Mr. Mewa was a great driver and was also very helpful. Youki also made a celebration of my birthday and made it very special. We’ve been on other tours, but this was the best by far the best mostly due to the small size of the group and our wonderful guide. We had a lot of free time and had plenty of time to shop and explore. Be prepared to walk a lot and have long full days filled with fun experiences.

Mr. Scott Perkins

It was well organized and the guides were knowledgable and informative. Some hotels were nicer than others .

Mr. Richard Marencic

Very thorough and detailed. We loved seeing the gardens, shrines, temples, museums, Naoshima, UNESCO sites and GEAR theatre. We also connected in a positive way with the Taiko drum and Ikebana activities. Our only request would be to have a less rigorous schedule. We would be happy to see fewer items and have two to three nights stays.

Mrs. Vita Land

Everyone prompt. Excellent guides and driers

Corrine from California

excellent guide and drivers. excellent itinerary. couldn't think of including anything else on this tour except some dedicated time for shopping/seeing other things, but would have to drop things already included on the tour. Yuca took special care of us as we were the 'seniors" on the trip. the kimono dress up day was much more fun than I expected !