Osaka Trekking and Hiking Trips

Zachary was a knowledgeable and caring guide, well prepared and organized. I very much enjoyed the itinerary, particularly the backroads parts, walking through the countryside. The food and accommodations added greatly to the enjoyment of the trip. We were lucky to enjoy great weather for the duration of the trip, and the group was easy to be with. Taking public buses and trains between walks added to the experience of the culture. The hiking was more challenging than expected, but quite manageable. I very much recommend Backroads of Japan for anyone wanting a more intimate experience of Japanese culture.

My trip overall was wonderful. Our guide Zachary Kurtz was absolutely phenomenal! He was so attentive to every single detail. His great knowledge of Japanese history & culture and his fluency of the Japanese language, both speaking & writing. He was also excellent at being able to read people, physical ability & congeniality etc.

The trip was well designed providing time in both cities and smaller towns in the countryside. The walks were well planned and always interesting. Our guide, Zachary, was excellent and made sure we had the best experience possible in Japan.

We saw and learned so much on this tour, with its good mix of urban and rural, and focus on temples, shrines, and pilgrimage paths. Our tour leader (Jared) was excellent -- friendly, fun and extremely well organized. The stay at the ryokan and the Kumano Kudo sections were amazing. The majority of the accommodation was great, and I loved all our group lunches and dinners. The tour is full on, and I wonder if the itinerary could be tweaked a bit -- I sometimes felt a little rushed, such as the day of the hike on the Nakasendo Way, when we were hustling past the stunning scenery to catch the train. But these are small things and I would definitely book again with Explore!

A very well organised walking tour of Japan covering a lot of ground, the highlight being the 4 day Kumono Kodo pilgrimage trail. Our group was led by David Lam who was exceptionally well organised, friendly and responsive to group needs such that everything worked seamlessly.

Excellent tour leader and local guides on the trail, which really made the holiday. A very good mixture of walking and visiting towns to give a varied experience of Japan. Some hotel rooms are small and feel cramped, and three nights on a traditional futon on the floor using the Ibsen for showers was challenging. Although the walks are relatively short, the combination of humidity, climbs and irregular steps makes them harder than you would imagine from the distances. However everyone in our group was well prepared and enjoyed the pilgrimage. Overall, our highly organised tour leader, David Lam, and local guides on the pilgrimage, Jennifer and Tad, really made the trip.