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Mount Fuji. It was breathtaking.
The People. so polite. And very helpful
She was very good and helpful. Would have been helpful if she have had a small flag to hold up Because when ther was a lot off people I had trouble seeing her. Because she was small . But she was very good .
Yes gust go and see this beautiful country.
This was a superb holiday from start to finish. The itinerary was well thought out and we loved using the rail network rather than being stuck on busses. We were lucky to arrive at the peak of the cherry blossom, to have wonderful views of Mount Fuji and to arrive in Takayama on the day of the spring festival. The ryokans were great fun and we enjoyed the whole experience of the olsens. We found the Japanese people to be polite and helpful and we always felt very safe which made it a very stress free holiday.
The trip to Hiroshima. It made us feel very sad and we felt that every world leader should be forced to come there. But it was a vibrant city and it also made us hopeful that there can be forgiveness and a moving on. And the pancakes were amazing!
It was all made brilliant by our leader, Ayaka, who was a font of knowledge, efficient, funny and thoughtful, always making sure that we were getting the best from our holiday ( and not getting lost on the metro in Tokyo!) We cannot praise her enough.
Wear comfy shoes. There are a lot of steps and don't forget your umbrellas. The climate is as variable as it is in England. It is a cash society but we had no concerns about carrying lots of money about
A very comprehensive and inspirational trip ,though the travelling and walking was quite taxing in such a short time(2 weeks)
Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum
Ayaka Tsukamoto:cannot praise her highly enough:great people skills, full of all appropriate knowledge,coped with herding us on all sorts of transport-without losing anyone!, great sense of humour.
Although not billed as a walking holiday-there is quite a lot of walking involved including steep steps to shrines and in Subway.
Fascinating, full of interest and led by a very capable and knowledgeable guide
Visit to Hiroshima was the most inspirational and thought provoking but each day had its own highlight - visiting Philosophers path in Kyoto, various shrines and temples, seeing Geisha dance and tea ceremony, the cherry blossom, travelling on the bullet trains, seeing snow monkeys, gorgeous gardens, Hida folk village, festival in Takayama, Matsumoto castle, Mount Fuji and various shopping markets. Staying in ryokans and Japanese baths
Very good , helpful and knowledgeable , took very good care of her charges and made many suggestions to meet individual interests. She was excellent.
This trip was full on and requires good level of energy and reasonable fitness to cope with walking especially in cities
We had high expectations for our visit to Japan for the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season and they were exceeded. Not only did we get to see the beautiful blossom but also the old Japanese streets of Kyoto, dancing Geisha, the spring fair in Takayama, snow monkeys bathing and so much more.
We got to stay in a traditional ryokan with great dining which was a great Japanese experience. Over and above the standard tour, our group leader also arranged on our free days to see Mount Fuji (wonderful view from Lake Ashi) and the sumo wrestlers training.
We’ve been back a week and still processing all the wonderful experiences.
There were so many but four that come to mind are: - being in Takayama for the spring fair and seeing all of the giant shrines (yatai) in all their glory. - coming into Tsumago from the old Japanese Nakasendo highway. Like stepping back in time. - snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs. - a fantastic view of Mount Fuji from Lake Ashi (after not expecting any view at all!)
Ayaka was absolutely fantastic, organising everything wonderfully and going above and beyond on our free days to ensure everybody saw what they wanted. She even came with us to Mount Fuji on one of our free days in Tokyo and what a difference it made (not only did we see the mountain from a perfect viewpoint, she also took us down the Tokaido highway, arranged a presentation at the secret box shop and made sure we caught the pirate boat across the lake). You could tell that she really wanted to make sure everybody had the perfect trip.
Make sure to pack sturdy walking shoes as you will be on your feet a lot if you want to see everything this wonderful country has to offer. Assume you will be paying cash for everything and get the money before you go as ATMs accepting foreign cards are not prevalent. You can pay a little by credit card in Tokyo and Kyoto but, in general, everything is paid for in cash.
This trip was everything I had hoped for, AND so much more.
Our mid-March tour was a little too early for us to catch the cherry trees in full bloom, but meant we were able to view the first blossom without the crowds and queues.
Japan is full of stunning contrasts: from the tranquillity of the beautiful Golden Temple to the noise and bustle of the Tokyo fish market; from the dignified Peace Memorial at Hiroshima to the hilarious showmanship of a crazy pancake chef. Photo-opportunities are EVERYWHERE …
Breathtakingly beautiful scenes as we stood in a fairytale landscape – with snow still falling – watching the snow monkeys playing in the hot pools.
Throughout, our local guide led us confidently from bullet train to funicular, from tram, to bus, to ferry. He took us to places only a local would know about, including, at our request, to a karaoke bar on our last night!
Do heed the warnings in the Trip Notes about bringing cash instead of cards; and take warm clothes and sensible footwear to the mountains – we hit minus 4 one morning! The underground system in Tokyo is efficient and easy to navigate, with plenty of signs in English. You do need to be reasonably fit, however – there were lots of steps.
Starting in Kyoto and then going into the countryside. Down to Hiroshima and then on to Tokyo.
Too many to mention. Japanese baths were lovely. The bullet train was quite an experience.
He was really good. He has so much to organise but makes it all look effortless.
Pack warm clothing. The snow monkies are actually in the snow!
An excellent trip that enabled us to experience a wide variety of regions from the old capital of Kyoto to the smaller towns and villages in the Japanese mountains and finishing with the hustle and bustle of vibrant Tokyo. The travelling was very comfortable in clean, punctual trains and there weren’t any ridiculously early morning starts. The Japanese people were friendly and extremely polite and it was great to learn about their culture and traditions. A great itinerary with a good balance between organised activities and free time to explore alone.
There were so many moments: Our first sight of Mount Fuji as we approached in on the train and the various perspectives of Mont Fuji from the Hakone region. The sight of Matsumoto Castle gloriously lit at night and the excellent tour of Matsumoto Castle by a knowledgeable volunteer guide in the day. Seeing the cherry blossom in Toko's Park and understanding the significance to the thousands of Japanese people having their picnics under the trees during the day and night. Fushimi inari-taisha shrine. Our day trip to Hiroshima. Walking along the sunlit path through the trees to see the 'Snow Monkeys' bathing in the hot springs. Bathing in the outdoor onsen in Yudanaka. The Hokusai Museum in Obuse.
We had a young Japanese group leader called Misa. She gave us a daily briefing of each day's activities and ensured that our travel arrangements ran smoothly by giving us timings, meeting places and train platforms. She was very helpful with the dietary requirements of the vegetarians and those with food allergies and always made sure that everyone in the group had suitable food. Misa was particularly good at giving us detailed information about the attractions we viewed and the Japanese culture for example how to wash at the shrines before praying and how to pray. She also made sure that we followed Japanese culture by being very quiet on the trains. It was clear that Misa was very proud of her country and was keen for us to get as much out of the trip as we could. I was also impressed with the way she made sure that any litter was taken with us or place in the trash cans. Misa went beyond her line of duty when she escorted us to the Hakone area on what was our free day in Tokyo. Having her with us make the trip far easier and more interesting than if we'd gone alone.
Read the trips notes, which are very accurate, carefully and think about your own limitations. You are travelling on public transport and whilst you have a seat on the longer journeys you often have to stand on the short journeys on very crowded trains. There is a certain amount of walking and climbing steps etc and if like us you love walking great but if you never walk you could find it tiring. Do try the onsens particularly the outdoor one in Yudanaka, this might be your only ever chance to do so. You do sleep on the floor and eat sitting on the floor in the Ryokans which was great and we felt immersed in the culture but some people with bad backs etc could find it problematic. If you are a vegetarian be prepared that you will not be eating the same amount of fruit and vegetables that you are used to and check carefully about the broth the noodles are cooked in. The fruit in Japan is extremely expensive in all the regions we visited. We shopped in the large supermarkets and apples were £1.50 each as were oranges. Bananas were 80p each. When we were served fruit as part of our breakfast we had a quarter of an orange.
I’d wanted to go to Japan for 20 years, having worked with Japanese students whose stories fired my enthusiasm. The tour more than met my expectations. It was well planned to ensure we experienced a wide variety of regions, travel, hotels, culture and food.
One day started in the mountains where the snow lay deep and the snow monkeys frolicked in the hot water springs; it ended 48 floors up in an observation floor, stunned by the city of Tokyo's lights shining as far as the eye could see.
We were very lucky to have Tatsuro as our group leader. He was calm, efficient and determined we should have as good a time as possible, taking us to restaurants we would never have found in a million years. I will remember the pancake bar in Hiroshima for ever!
Go!
A packed and very varied two weeks from the majesty and beauty of old Kyoto, through to the traditional ryokans in the Japanese mountains and finally the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo. The travelling was a joy in clean, comfortable and punctual trains. The Japanese people were friendly and polite and always happy to help.
The shrines, temples and breathtaking scenery were memorable but so was enjoying traditional Japanese restaurants and being introduced to a vast selection of street food.
Old Kyoto by moonlight. The first glimpse of the golden Pavillion surrounded by exquisite autumnal trees.
We had a young Japanese group leader. He made sure our travel arrangements ran smoothly which was appreciated. Taz also was very thoughtful about the dietary requirements of the vegetarians in the group and always made sure there was food they could eat. He introduced us to a range of Japanese experiences from street markets to beautiful parks and even karaoke! He was utterly reliable. We would, however have appreciated more detailed information about the attractions we viewed and the Japanese culture .
Layers of clothing as temperatures vary throughout the tour. Good shoes. A walking pole is not essential but a few of us found this helpful on the steep steps and some slopes.