Review

Personally I\'d like a little more free time at the expense of extending the length of the tour. but I understand others cannot afford that extra tour time.

My favorite was the ryokan in Miyajima. It was extraordinary. It was nice that we were the only people in the Ryokan so we could gather in an area and have some nice group time. Since rooms are small in Japan, it was impossible to do that at any other hotels. No space for 6-10 to gather for cocktails or snacks and converse about the day. That was missed.

The 3 is only because it was hit or miss. Some of the food was EXCELLENT. But some was a under par. The food at the Ryokan was fantastic. The breakfast at the hotel in Kyoto was great. The limited Yen amount at some places was frustrating, and often the food left something to be desired. The vegetarian diet of the monks in Koyasan was interesting but not satisfying. The inconsistency of the food quality was really my only real complaint.

JJ was the absolute BEST. Loved her. By and large they were all good, but all walked too fast for our slowest member who struggled.

Good but took a long time to get. I loved the history section.

I am used to having a tour director that travels all the way with us. Local guides being employed for individual destinations. I can see how that might not work in Japan unless travelling on a tour bus. Difficult to do using various modes of public transportation. That being said, each guide was very helpful and able to solve any issues we had. They were also excellent at forwarding information ahead to the next guide.

The 4 is only because it was strenuous and difficult some times. Transportation was often very crowded and standing with luggage was difficult for many. Perhaps stressing the issues with luggage and transportation beforehand could help. Several of our group were clueless as to the actual expectation of hauling luggage on trains and subways. However, learning how the Japanese navigate their public transportation system was very worthwhile for me. A much more immersive experience than a tour bus. And amazingly the guides managed to keep track of us.