Testimonials

Randi & Patsy

The itinerary was great. The hotels were very nice nice. I loved the wide variety of wonderful meals.

Michal M.

This was the best tour I have ever taken!

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.

Gayle, Davina & Doris

We enjoyed the "Reverse Cherry Blossom Tour" and many of the sights we were able to see, as well as the comfortable bus transporting us, and the meals and accommodations that were arranged. But the best part of the tour was the fantastic tour guides. Both Billy and Miharu are knowledgeable, humorous, and entertaining storytellers, showed great patience and care for the group, and have an obvious mastery of the logistics necessary to hold the tour together. I especially appreciated Billy being able to share his perspective and observations as an immigrant who has made Japan his home, and his diplomatic and honest responses to questions about culture, history, and current events. Miharu impressed us with her earnest presentation of information (and very helpful posters!), and endeared herself to us with her thoughtfulness and dexterity with the itinerary, which made it possible for my aunt - who needed a wheelchair or walker most of the time - to have extra support to enjoy more of the sights. We also appreciated the highly skilled bus driver(s) and their kindness and professionalism moving the wheelchair in and out of the bus at each stop.

Ms. & Mr. Dolby

Shu was a wonderful guide in all ways! I would do a tour with him anytime again! The driver was always on time and helpful in finding us for a quick pick/up.

Pierre R.

I had a good time. Great sightseeing, with two wonderful guides and great company

The Braun-Quinn Family

Overall the tour was well designed especially for an introduction to Japan in a short time period. We loved our guides. Tanya was with us only two days, but was a wealth of knowledge. Hiyori was with us for the majority of the trip. She and Ota the driver, took us to so many places. We arrived safely to all of our destinations and the drives were beautiful. Hiyori was very organized, had tickets for us to enter sites and got us around with ease. She was a pleasure to travel with and lots of fun.

Ms. & Mr. Clifford

Dong & Mai

Excellent tours and a fantastic experience of Japan and South Korea.

The Chinn Family

Billy is an excellent, knowledgeable and energetic tour guide. He shared history, customs, useful and helpful tips, and funny stories!