Review

Jamieson Thomas

Best of Japan

Itinerary

My husband and I chose this specific tour to see as much as possible and we were aware that the itinerary is ambitious. I must emphasize that there is little or no down time, and most of us were so tired at the end of the day, we were simply too tired to go out to explore. The optional tours are fantastic, and we did them all and were glad that we did. That said, we were very happy that we had build in time on the front end and back end of the itinerary to explore and revisit places. The additional itineraries supplied by the tour guides were very helpful. Some were more informative than others and a few guides drew out personal maps for each of us, going above and beyond.

Lodging

The variety of accommodations was excellent. We loved the ryokan and onsens and the opportunity to stay in a Buddhist Temple. I loved Hakone Yumoto Onsen and the beautiful gardens and shrine, and Asunaro in Takayama was exceptionally beautiful with a view of the distant snow capped alps in the distance (we got lucky and opened the window and looked out) Ryoso Kawaguchi in Miajima was incredible with his 500 year history in the family and Yoko and her husband were incredibly gracious. The Onyado Nono in Kyoto and Osaka were a good choice for the group. The only hotel I was not thrilled with was the Prince Shinagawa. I understand why we stayed there as a starting point, but it sets quite a different tone than the rest of the trip, is a bit of a train ride from other areas and is enormous, full of tour groups and a bit dated. After the group tour, we stayed at the Benessee Park in Naoshima and it was glorious.

Food

We were served a variety of foods from simple to elegant and most were artistically served. We didn\'t love everything, but we learned about different culinary experiences with each unique cuisine. I would have loved to have a detailed description of the different food preparations and the unique foods (gluten, nattō, etc) prior to arriving. I missed this in my research prior to the trip and would have benefitted from a more thorough understanding of each unique preparation, and the history behind the regional and traditional methodologies.

Guides

Each guide was specific to the area, generally very knowledgable, and provided an itinerary for their time with us. Most guides used headsets and all should have due to the volume of their voices and external noise. Charlie (Tokyo) was organized, charming, entertaining and endearing from the Godzilla demos to singing a farewell song. JJ (Koyasan, Osaka, Himeji) was truly a delight with her graceful mannerisms and passion for art and culture. Mr. Tanashi, Takayama shared endearing stories about people, homes and businesses from his childhood in the afternoon optional tour. ShinkanKen (Kyoto & Nara) was personable, knowledgable, and thoughtful. He listened well and provided great answers to questions about the culture of Japan past and present. Once we were on our own, we really appreciated how well we were instructed about the use of the public transportation. We navigated from Naoshima to Teshima, back to Tokyo and all around tokyo for two days without a hiccup.

Pre-Tour Handbook

Overall, the information was informative. Some of the information is dated and should be re-read and updated. We researched quite a bit before our trip but the sheer volume of shrines, temples and historic sites didn\'t sink in. It would be great to note exactly why the tour highlights what it did and emphasizes that it is a highlight tour with little time to explore. It would be very helpful to list hotels the same page as the itinerary with address and phone. Many of us found ourselves out exploring with the itinerary for the day and didn\'t have the hotel information with us! Please make sure to include and emphasize that each person should bring personal earbuds for the headsets. Charlie had a few on hand, but with 12 people, most of us had to scramble to buy them.

Tour Organization

Extraordinary. We packed a lot into 13 days and the logisical precision was exceptional. We didn\'t miss a single train and were not late for a single event. It was a lot to pack in and could not have happened without the precision of the schedule and attentiveness of tour guides.

Tour Transportation

Shockingly seamless with so many connections and tight schedules. We covered almost every form of transportation available except bicycles and scooters! Using public transportation allowed us to experience life and customs with locals and while it was sometimes hectic, it was enriching. I was impressed with our guides ability to keep our group of 12 , who traveled at different paces, together with perfect aplomb despite the busy agenda and crowds.

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

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