Japan Cultural, religious and historic sites Trips

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.

If you have never been to Japan before and you are looking for a tour that will give you a taste of the country, this is the tour for you. I had an amazing time, thanks to our wonderful guide Geoffrey. Be prepared for a lot of walking and a few early morning starts as this is a discovery tour!

Excellent holiday. Andy our guide was friendly, very knowledgeable & managed the itinerary perfectly. The holiday was "full on" with lots of moving but we were fully aware of this from the itinerary it was all handled very smoothly.

Had a fantastic trip - Dean our guide was knowledgeable and approachable and thoroughly good company. The group of sixteen got on well together. The itinerary was excellent with a good balance of guided activities and free time. We covered a lot of ground from city to city but hardly scraped the surface of such a wonderful country - so much more to see and do!

Excellent itinerary !!!! The tour took us to so many interesting places…Mount Fuji and Hiroshima were the highlights for us. We also visited some beautiful shrines and temples and interesting markets. The “be my guest” lunches and dinner experiences were fantastic. We opted to join in the “optional experiences” (tea experience in Kyoto, and Japanese Garden experience in Hiroshima) and were very happy we did as they gave an added extra feeling for Japanese culture. There is plenty of free time in the evenings to go out and do some shopping. We had an amazing guide (Akiko) who went out of her way to make our experience in Japan the best we have ever done with Trafalgar. The hotels were very nice and centrally located , close to shopping , markets, resultants and subway stations. Overall, a fantastic tour !!!!

This was an excellent tour. Our tour guide, AKO, was organised, attentive and lively. She was accommodating to everyone on the tour, providing restaurant recommendations to travellers with Coeliac disease and organising small trips for travellers who had particular sites that they wanted to visit that were not part of the tour. She was the best tour guide that we have ever had!