Highlights of Japan

The Highlights of Japan tour was fantastic. In a short time, the itinerary gave us an opportunity to see the fascinating modern city of Tokyo, the gardens and samurai district of Kanazawa, the shrines and temples of Miyajima and Kyoto, the forests of the Japanese alps and the food district of Osaka. The organisation was superb and our guide, Zilola Kozimova, was amazing - knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. The hotels were very well-chosen, comfortable, convenient and in great locations.

The tour was fabulous and our tour leader, Zilola, was fantastic. The pace is full on and definitely delivers the highlights of Japan. Zilola added optional activities to get the most out of our short stays at each destination. In addition, she was always available to address any questions or concerns the group may have had. As we were visiting sites, she provided extensive background information which enhanced the experience. As others commented, be prepared for lots of walking! This is my third trip with Explore my favorite to date. I added on days in Kyoto and Tokyo and recommend this there is limited time at in both places. Highly recommend!

Excellent trip, full on but really well organised and perfect if you want to get a good sense of what Japan has to offer in a week. We absolutely loved it, Andrew our tour leader was knowledgeable, friendly, calm, and very organised. The group was a good mix of ages from 24-82. We all felt like we were in safe hands. Would highly recommend this trip.

Tour was excellent and our Group Leader/Guide, Andrew, was first class from start to finish. Our group varied in ages dramatically and everyone got on superbly well. A really great group! Tour was full on as was expected. It is quite fast paced and gives you a good taste of lots of amazing places to visit in Japan. Although you wish to have more time in each place it is only a highlights tour and it certainly produces a fantastic Japan experience which will make you want to come back and explore more of this amazing country again and again! I for one will be back asap!

An excellent and high paced tour (take your comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for a little mud underfoot when visiting the snow monkeys too). Marco added to the experience by sharing his insights and knowledge and taking us to local places that really made the tour.

Another fabulous tour with Explore. It was full on, super busy and packed but it gave me a taste of Japan and ideas of where to go back to one day. It was all organised well, the use of public transport was fun, the hotels were of a good standard and the 3 included meals (which I had forgotten about) were good. I wish I had added on a day at the start of the trip but it wasn’t possible due to work commitments. I highly recommend this tour.

Hannan the leader was the best part.

Enjoyed the trip though itinerary covered too much territory using too much public transportation in too little time. First trip to Japan so appreciate overview but found stop in Osaka unsatisfying. Suggest timing that might include a bunraku performance for which Osaka is famous rather than another street market, garrish lights, and not great food. Or skip altogether. Accommodations adequate except Tokyo hotel which had no real lobby and poor breakfast. Liked Kanazawa hotel’s lobby, room, and sentó and Hiroshima hotel view. Restaurants for group food outings could be improved. Loved group size and group. Hannon led, guided, informed, and advised with a great combination of assertiveness, knowledge, grace, and patience. She kept things moving and engaging even as she made inevitable adjustments. She’s a gem. Minor suggestion: She might have a map of local areas on her iPad, or hand out small city maps, and get everyone oriented for the day - sites, means of travel, food, etc.

Doni was an excellent tour guide and is very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. We were only a small group and through his leadership we immediately felt like a family. The only feedback I would like to leave is that it should be included that participants in this tour will be expected to walk 12000 steps on a daily basis, and not always on flat ground. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but may have reconsidered it due to my health issues.