Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
Tour guides were very punctual. The Geisha tour was not too clear as how the passengers were going to return to hotel. The Holiday Inn gave us 3 rooms in different floors which made it difficult to have access to each other since room keys are accessible only to designated floor.
Simply Japan is pretty much as described in the trip notes, a full-on tour. Owing to the challenges of travelling by Minibus on Japan's highways the tour makes full use of Japan's Efficient rail network. Each location change is via train (Shinkansen or Ltd. Express). This would be more difficult without forwarding main luggage items by courier, hence living out of an overnight bag on 3 separate occasions during the tour.
All these travel arrangements and surviving the many city Metro and tram systems would be extremely daunting if it was not for the ceaseless attention of the tour guide. I could not praise our guide Henrik enough for his support. His enthusiasm and local knowledge was invaluable and clear instructions and morning briefings kept everyone in the group on track.
Almost every night he offered a group dinner option for those who wished to join him and he would take us to some less known local restaurant for authentic local cuisine. Even on the designated free time days Henrik (his designated days off), would offer to show anyone who wished to local places of interest.
All in all a wonderful experience. The only improvement I would suggest is that arranging an extra day in Tokyo at the beginning and in Osaka at the end would be highly beneficial (Some in the group had done this). Time is limited at the start and end of the tour and I certainly felt that I have not quite explored Tokyo and Osaka as much as I would have liked.
Lliasing with your tour group leader is very useful to plan visits to the most popular temples shrines and attractions. Most big tour groups tend to plan visits for opening time and pre lunch or post lunch. Visiting attractions at around 9:45, 13:00 or 15:00 generally avoids the massive peak-time coach tours.
Thank you Explore for another great travel experience
Train tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Kyoto, A
Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Kyoto, Arashiyama, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Hiroshima
Northern China’s tapestry of history and scenery is yours to discover on the "North China Getaway" tour, a 12-day journey from Beijing to Shanghai. This immersive trip weaves together the ancient and the modern, from the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors to the glittering cityscapes of Shanghai.
Travelers will experience curated local stays in village guesthouses, explore the misty peaks of Huangshan, and savor authentic cuisine along the way. The tour includes cultural highlights like Hongcun’s UNESCO-listed beauty and the vibrant pulse of China’s largest cities.
With moderate activity, this tour package is perfect for those seeking a balanced mix of sightseeing, local interaction, and cultural deep-dives. Its USP? Hand-picked experiences that take you beyond the tourist trail, offering a genuine taste of northern China’s rich diversity.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Sleeper Train, Guest House, Hostel
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Beijing, Shanghai, Hongcun, Grea
Beijing, Shanghai, Hongcun, Great Wall of China, Xian, Huangshan
Our third time with Expat Explore, value for money heaps to see. A fast pace tour with some long days, but if you're up to it, I would highly recommend. An enjoyable way to travel to cover Japan.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
10-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Takayam
Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Takayama, Kanazawa, Shizuoka, Iga, Osaka
The Japan Unrivalled trip was an amazing blend of hitting all the touristy hotspots, finding out of the way gems, learning all about the amazing history, and eating amazing food! Ikimasho!
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Koya
Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Koya, Hakone, Takayama, Hiroshima
David are your guide was superb . He always went the extra mile.
Most of the hotels were excellent and well located . Another tour day in the last stop would have been. Good
Cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Villa, Guest House
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tokyo, Fukuoka, Ikitsuki Island
Tokyo, Fukuoka, Ikitsuki Island, Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Dejima, Hirado Island
Japan in a week was incredible! The tour and the people were a blast and created memories ill cherish for the rest of my life! Tokyo and Kyoto were amazing, the Nara Deer park add on is well worth the money and day!
I do wish we spent a little more time in Osaka however
This was a top notch company and the climbing was great. The guide was completely safe and with high winds (too dangerous to climb) we worked together to amend the plans. This made me feel safe. (Note that these are high altitude climbs and one needs to have some climbing experience.) (Also in this time of the year it was cold and at times windy.) I cannot say enough about the Sherpa and the guide. An excellent time and a grand adventure.
ClimbingTrekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Private and Group Tour Private Tour with a few fixed group departures available.
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Eco Lodge, Guest House
Age Range
17-78 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche
Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche East Peak, Kathmandu, Kathmandu, Seto Pokhari, Amphu Labtsa pass, Island Peak Base Camp, Dingboche, Lobuche, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Lobuche Peak Base Camp, Lobuche High Camp, Lobuche Peak, Pangboche, Lukla, Chhuthang, Tuli Kharka, Kothe, Thanngnak, Mera Peak Base Camp, Mera Peak High Camp
Very passionate about making your experience as enjoyable as possible. My wife and I honeymooned in the Guilin and Yangshou area and again did a trip with this local travel specialist for our 10th anniversary.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Sleeper Train, Guest House
Age Range
6-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Xia
Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Xian, Yangshuo, Xi'an