Ancient & Modern Japan

I've wanted to visit Japan for many years, and this more than lived up to expectations. There were times that I felt overwhelmed (Tokyo), and times that I was walking in the woods. A nice mix of free time and structured tours.

This is a really good tour. Starting in Kyoto where you visit a number of temples, then moving through the countryside to various locations, then to Hiroshima and finally to Tokyo for the modern part of the tour. By the end you get a really good sense of what Japan is. The group leader, Gary was excellent! With a few small tweaks with regards to some of the accommodation I'd have given 5 stars.

This train tour of many contrasting areas of Japan gives an excellent experience introduction to a beautiful exciting country. An excellent variety of accommodation close to transport hubs made exploring very easy.

A full programme that explores Japan both ancient and modern. The kindness and civility of all the people that we met was lovely

The holiday was an interesting introduction to a country with an intriguing culture

This is such a well designed itinerary to see the real Japan, from their rich history and Culture to the modern side it was amazing how you travel through their history along the trip. You get to see a LOT of places along the way in a manner that feels like you have accomplished a lot but not too quickly. I think anyone going to Japan has to be prepared for a lot of travelling and moving around, especially as almost everything is on public transport. Don't let this put you off as it is the best public transport in the world! So clean, always on time, friendly and respectful people - coming back to the UK after the trip was a real shock after we got experienced to the Japanese way.

My wife and I greatly enjoyed our trip to Japan. It was a wide ranging trip covering a good number of Japanese sites and experiences as much as you might expect in the time we were there.

An amazing trip to japan to see its wonder and it didn't disappoint. we were blessed with incredible weather which led to the blessing of seeing Mount Fuji fully during the day and at sunset which is mesmerising. the snow monkeys also came out to entertain us in such a beautiful location. we also had sakura viewings almost every day in abundance in the warm sunshine. spotting geisha wandering along and talking to each other as they were on the way to bookings was a lifelong tick of my list!! seeing a dance show complete with a comedy section which was totally relatable even if we couldn't understand Japanese eating the most amazing food lots I have never had before and seeing how the real people of japan eat out and drink sake.

A superb trip, exploring a wide variety of destinations and experiences. Very stimulating. Wonderful to travel on public transport. I never expected to see and do so much. I loved the traditional wooden buildings / hotels we stayed in in the mountain areas. All the accommodation was excellent.

This trip exceeded expectations in many ways - incredibly well-organised with a good balance between group activities and private exploration. The breadth of Japanese culture, both ancient and modern, was well covered, the accommodations were excellent, the food was extraordinary and the transport system very impressive. And the Japanese we met were always polite, respectful, friendly and calm. We came home with the feeling that the UK has a lot to learn!

You really couldn’t pack any more into 2 weeks! We walked round cities (lot of walking), visited temples, shrines, markets, gardens and castles and saw beautiful scenery from the trains. Our guide was very helpful and knowledgeable and always available for advice on what to do, where to go and where to eat in our free time.

This was a bucket list trip for me and I was really pleased with the pace and the amount we covered in two weeks. The travel dates that I chose were specifically to see the blossoms and although they were late this year, we were lucky to see them and experience their serenity in Tokyo. The trip has lots of other amazing things in it too.

It was great touring using public transport including bullet trains but it meant deadlines to catch trains. Because of this we sometimes felt rushed with not enough time to fully enjoy the sights we were visiting. But we certainly saw a slice of Japanese life.

A trip that enabled an effective, varied view of key parts of Japan

Wild deers, snow monkeys, cherry blossoms, temple cats, bullet trains, metros, lovely and friendly Japans in clean Japan.

Good holiday with an excellent guide called Keigo Ninomiya. He was always available and provided some fantastic optional trips such as the temple of a thousand budhas in Kyoto called Sanjusangen-do. I do not understand why this was not in the itinerary.

Japan is a must in regards to countries you should see in your lifetime. This itinerary covers a lot and you will get a comprehensive outlook on Japanese culture through it. Every single day was an experience of it's own. There is a lot to say about Japan: transport system is excellent, streets are spotlessly clean. The best costumer service you will get and one of the kindest/most efficient people you will have a pleasure to meet. The diversity between new and old that you can see so clearly just by visiting Kyoto and Tokio is so interesting to witness. I will definitely come back to Japan after this trip!

I have been on many trips, all over the world, during the past decade or so, including many with Exodus. This Exodus trip I would rank as one of the very best. From start to finish, it was a wonderful experience, with a great group of fellow travelers. Each day was filled with new delights. The Japanese people were consistently kind, friendly, welcoming, and polite. The transport system is absolutely superb. The spotlessness of every location - even side streets in huge cities - has to be experienced to be believed. I am absolutely adamant that I will return to Japan in the near future because I was so enthralled by my experience during this trip.

We loved Japan. The people were amazingly friendly and helpful, the food was an experience in itself. The different culture had to be witnessed. The lack of litter was refreshing. The punctuality of the trains had to be seen to be believed.

I really enjoyed the trip. Japan was everything I expected and more. So much so that I want to return in the next couple of years. I loved the fact that quite a few of the train journeys were made by bullet train. We were fortunate to be in Tokyo whilst the Cherry Blossom was in flower. Big tick on the bucket list.

I really enjoyed the trip. Japan was everything I expected and more. So much so that I want to return in the next couple of years. I loved the fact that quite a few of the train journeys were made by bullet train. We were fortunate to be in Tokyo whilst the Cherry Blossom was in flower. Big tick on the bucket list.

We had booked this trip to mark our 40th wedding anniversary and it did not disappoint. The travel arrangements all worked very well and our accommodation was of a very good standard. We had a brilliant guide, who introduced us to a series of memorable experiences, including our first taste of authentic Japanese cooking. The trip lived up to our expectations and was very much in line with what had been set out in the Trip Notes.

I loved this trip! We have seen a variety of places and we have learnt learn so much about the Japanese culture. Overall this trip is well organised and I thing that there is a good balance between free and organised time.

A good balance of the ancient and modern, as the trip title suggests. Travelling by public transport helps to convey the flavour of "normal" life in the country rather than a whistle-stop tour of "tourist" destinations.

A fantastic tour with so much to see in such a short time. Our group leader (Ayaka Tsukamoto) kept us informed of historical and cultural details throughout the tour and she also went out of her way to ensure that everybody was able to get what they wanted from the free time available..