Japan Trip Highs & Lows
Japan | Apr 5 - Apr 14, 2024

S
Smita S.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Apr 16, 2024

What went well: 1) Shona did a great job planning our trip and making sure we were enjoying our itineraries every day! Our biggest highlight was being able to do all tourist special attractions in one trip across cities. 2) She added things to the itinerary, per our request (Team Labs Borderless), which we are so glad we did and a big thanks to her for organizing it! 3) Louisa (Tokyo guide) gave us some great restaurant recommendations. 4) And the location of hotel in Tokyo was AMAZING.

What could be better - 1) The tour guides we got were not very knowledgeable nor experienced. They were nice people, but it was hard to get much touristy/historical information from them about our destinations. Shu (Kyoto/Osaka guide) didn't even enter most of the places with us; he would just wait outside. We felt like we always had to ask him to explain history / significance of places we went to, as he offered very little details/stories. 2) For the amount of money we paid, we should have received much better and experienced guides. e.g., we met some other guides (via Viator) who have been doing this for more than 10 years and really knew about the history and cultural significance of places - we feel like we didn't get that at all! 3) We also felt like we walked needlessly to fill time in Kyoto / Nara - the distances were very spread out and we had to walk miles (within a single day at times) that we believe should have been a private car experience for the amount of money we paid. We were exhausted by the end of the trip given how much we had walked every single day. Plus, it was very hot in both Kyoto/Nara and Osaka. That wasn't value worth our money spent!

Overall, I think the trip was fine and Shona did a great job checking in and following up on our whereabouts and making sure we were comfortable. But, the guides (especially Shu) really made us think that we didn't get the experience we deserved!

Hotel Reviews
Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu
Tokyo

Location, location, location!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Amazing location, right in the heart of the city, next to a Metro
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA
Kyoto

Location is good but there were no in-house restaurants or bars!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu
Osaka

The Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu was conveniently located near the train station, but it felt slightly distant from key attractions like the fish market, and always needed to take a cab to move around. Overall, it was a satisfactory stay

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
Tokyo
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Her knowledge and storytelling
Transport
Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway
Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway
Kyoto

Sagano Scenic Railway was a fine day tour, but the train ride was not as spectacular as it seemed, the main attraction was supposed to be a boat ride which was canceled due to the weather conditions. Overall, it was a pleasant day.

Local specialist: Shona Zhang
Shona
Shona Zhang
Local specialist in Japan | Replied on Apr 17, 2024
Dear Smita, Warm greetings from Shona and thank you for sharing your thoughtful feedback with us. We're delighted to know that you have an enjoyable tour and are happy to be able to do all tourist special attractions in one trip across cities, especially with Team Labs Borderless. We're also glad that Louisa's restaurant recommendations and the fantastic location of the Tokyo hotel added to your experience. We are very sorry to know some of our guides didn’t meet your expectations and also... Read more

Dear Smita,

Warm greetings from Shona and thank you for sharing your thoughtful feedback with us. We're delighted to know that you have an enjoyable tour and are happy to be able to do all tourist special attractions in one trip across cities, especially with Team Labs Borderless. We're also glad that Louisa's restaurant recommendations and the fantastic location of the Tokyo hotel added to your experience.

We are very sorry to know some of our guides didn’t meet your expectations and also failed to uphold our service standards. We will arrange more specific training for them in the coming time to make sure they can be more experienced, helpful, and knowledgeable, especially with the history and culture.

We regret any inconvenience caused by the extensive walking in Kyoto, Nara, particularly in hot weather conditions. In Japan, As we talked about before, we usually provide three different travel styles, including Private Car + English-speaking driver, English-speaking Tour Guide + Local Transportation, and Private Car + Driver(Japanese only) + Tour Guide, which may be mixed and used in one tour. Private transfer in Japan is much more expensive compared to other countries, so the tour price can be very high if using private transfer for the whole trip. Therefore,to keep the budget in a suitable range , we usually recommend our travelers to use some public transportation in the major cities with convenient public transportation systems.

I'm glad to hear that you had a positive overall experience with your trip to Japan. It's my great pleasure to provide support by checking in on you and ensuring your comfort throughout. Thank you again for sharing your feedback, and we hope to welcome you back for more memorable adventures in the future

Wish you a happy life all the time.

Best regards,
Shona