Japan In Depth - Footsteps of the Shogun

We did the 9 days “Steps of the Shogun” tour with Explore. Booking process on the website was clear and staff were responsive in addressing additional concerns and questions we had. Our tour guide Zilola was top notch. She was friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and accommodating to the specific needs of the group. She provided daily itineraries with updates ad hoc. She suggested additional excursions based on individual interests and overall went above and beyond as a tour leader making the trip enjoyable, safe and unforgetable for all. The itinerary was for those who want to do the “must see” Japan highlights as well as the “off the beaten path” areas many tourists may miss. All transportation was well planned and activities were diverse and comprehensive to match any specific interests. Plenty of free time to “do your own thing”. Accommodations met our expectations. Safe, clean and centrally located. In Japan you need to pack light and account for small spaces- the rooms are for sleeping. 10/10 would recommend for those seeking a Japanese adventure that will check all your boxes and then some. Pace is moderate, be prepared to climb and walk a lot everyday. Nothing a thai massage in Nagasaki can’t fix! Overall, the trip of a lifeline.

Tour guide Irene excellent. Helped with questions and queries and did her best to solve any issues. Irene was fluent in Japanese and customs. I had expected a Japanese guide who would have given extra insight into all things Japanese and extra history. Accommodation was good despite being small. The last two hotels were the best with enough space to open suitcases. The traditional home that we visit was different and perhaps could be excluded from the tour. It was very tired looking. Irene has all the days mapped out and has all our tickets for travel sorted. Explanations of days were good. My only criticism was that the first day of the tour was extremely full on. All of us had had long journeys and no sleep. So to walk as much as we did on this day made us think if the whole tour would be like this. Enjoyed the tour nonetheless. Thank you

Really enjoyed the tour. It covered the main cities whilst also taking us off the busy tourist trail. The culture and lifestyle was brought to life by our excellent tour guide Zi who explained in depth the Japanese way of life. She made the tour. I highly recommend the trip especially if Zi is the guide. Can’t praise her enough.

This was a great trip which we would thoroughly recommend, made all the better by our exceptional tour leader Zi (Zilola). As well as the expected itinerary we also visited other sites and benefited from additional activities arranged by Zi. The many gardens (we hit peak cherry blossom time), the clear view of Mount Fuji, the many beautiful temples and the countryside in the far south were all highlights. The bullet trains were a new experience and the luggage forwarding worked well (the last one to Fukuoka is no longer necessary). We booked 3 nights in Tokyo before the tour began, which I would recommend as it allowed us to largely recover from jet lag and see a lot more of Tokyo. Changeable weather and quite a lot of walking so come prepared!