World Expeditions curated a fantastic introductory trip to Japan for us. In addition to exploring past/present historical/cultural highlights at some major cities (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka), where we stayed in good hotels, we also hiked at Mount Fuji, along the old Nakasendo post road, and around the original capitals of Asuka and Nara, where we stayed in wonderful traditional Ryokens. Our Japanese guide smoothly managed in English a group with various ages, interests and fitness. The tour gave us broad exposure to Japanese food and traditions. We highly recommend the company, and plan to return soon.
10 days of bliss exploring Japan This was our first group tour - a lovely bunch of people. Hayley, our tour guide, has been a gem! She is very knowledgeable about Japan and kept us entertained. She made sure we had enough suggestions of activities to enjoy in our spare time. She was quick on her feet when we encountered issues far beyond anyone's control on the bullet train and kept her cool when plans needed to change. Hayley is very respectful of the Japanese culture and manners Things to bear in mind when considering this tour: Definitely forward your luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto - but that means bring a small carry on so you can have 3 days worth of clothing to take to Hakone and Takayama. For traveling after that - a backpack is the way to go. Leave enough space in your luggage for all the gifts you will be buying. Rooms are often shared - with the majority of bathrooms being shared. If a couple - bear in mind that the pods are separated by gendered dorms. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes - there is a lot of walking and climbing stairs Some of the experiences that have made an impact on me during this trip have included staying in a temple and having a meditation session with a monk while it was snowing outside. A Kendo class with a 4th generation Sumarai descendant. Learning how to make our own sushi and embracing the Japanese way of life
I had a fantastic time on my IntroTravel-Tour through Japan. The itinerary contained a lot of fun activities, great accommodation and awesome food. Even though the itinerary is packed with great activities we still had enough free time to explore the locations on our own and do extra activities that were not included. We were always given recommendations about what to do and where to eat in the area, so we didnt have to do a lot of research beforehand. Nevertheless there were some activities included that you probably wouldnt do when traveling on your own without an organized trip, such as the Koyasan temple stay which almost all of us enjoyed the most. It was so special! Thanks our great group leader Anna J.-C. we always travelled smoothly from A to B, never missed a bus or train and could enjoy our journey to the fullest without worrying about anything. Additionally she not only knows her facts but knows loads of fun games to play on the way or in the evenings while sitting together with a drink or two. And her Karaoke is a five star rating i¸ I was lucky to travel with a pretty small group of 8 people which made it easy to always do activities together and bond over our experiences. It made the trip extra special. All in all I enjoyed my time in Japan so much. I can definitely recommend this trip, it was worth every penny, and I am looking forward to my next adventure with IntroTravel! All thats left to say is thank you” Arigatou gozaimasu!