Review

Kristina Kitts

Best of Japan

Itinerary

I loved the places that we visited and enjoyed the fast pace -- most of the time. There were days when I would have preferred to go only to one place instead of two in the same morning, particularly when we had to hop back on the train to get to the second place. That said, I understand we were covering a lot of ground in 13 days. BUT, Samurai Tours does needs to change the number of stars for \"Pace\" and \"Physical Activity\" from 3 to 5 stars. I knew going in it was going to be a LOT of walking only because I had scoured the reviews before signing up. My sister-in-law and I were so exhausted that we fell asleep before 9pm every night. The flip side is that after walking what seemed like 5-10 miles a day, walking that mile and a half daily with my dog is now a breeze!

Lodging

Mostly everywhere was wonderful. Our hotel in Kyoto was an absolute wow! Its understated elegance and simplicity blew me away. My least favorite accommodations were in Miyajima. In fact, the host even apologized to us for giving us the \"little\" room. It felt like we were in an old broom closet that needed a new paint job.

Food

I don\'t like fish - raw or otherwise! I knew this aspect of the tour was going to be challenging for me. However, I managed just fine. I marveled at how beautifully everything was prepared, particularly in Miyajima, where our host went to great lengths to make it special for us. Upon learning of my dislike for fish, she quickly regrouped and served me vegetables or meat. I also appreciate the fact that our guide Ken arranged for the group to have two vegetarian meals -- a welcome change!

Guides

Charlie was hands down the best guide we had. He was organized, entertaining and memorable. His endearing \"Can you hear me? Can you hear me?\" still plays in my head. JJ was also wonderful. I loved how she gracefully used her hands to paint a story every time she spoke. Least effective was Mr. Tanashi. When touring Takayama, he either forgot or didn\'t know the history of certain landmarks/statues.

Pre-Tour Handbook

Overall, the information was informative. For planning purposes though, it would have been helpful to have the hotels listed on the same page as the itinerary. Also, we were not told ahead of the trip that we needed to bring earbuds with us for use with the headsets.

Tour Organization

Extremely organized!

Tour Transportation

This aspect of the tour made it truly immersive -- from riding the subway during the morning rush hour to traveling by Shinkansen. It was amazing how our guides kept all 12 of us together despite the crowds. And considering all of the various modes of transportation we used, getting our group to our destinations on time without any snafus was remarkable. Kudos!

Would you go on another tour operating by Samurai Tours: Yes!

Would you recommend Samurai Tours to friends or family: Yes!