Review

Fast-paced and yet nicely designed with occasional free days and time divided between lively cities and scenic smaller towns. I enjoyed our optional tours as well.

LOVED the lodging selections and in particular the ryokans and the Buddhist monastery with such delightful hospitality and the opportunity to interact with our hosts. It was also such a treat to experience the hot springs and learn the etiquette for use of the baths.

Excellent meals offered throughout the tour, with attention to members\' food preferences and sensitivities--thank you!

All of our guides were highly professional, engaged, knowledgeable, kind and considerate. In particular, I\'d like to recognize Amy in Kyoto & Nara whose educational focus went over and above.

Good material. Several areas where additional information would be helpful: (1) Providing restaurant suggestions, esp those with vegetarian options in the locales where we were on our own for meals. (2) Furnishing some recommendations for nice quality souvenirs for us to pursue in our free time (evenings) in major cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto (3) Including information about extensive steps at key tourist sites such as Himeji Castle and Mt Misen on Miyajimo Island.

Overall, very good from my standpoint. In terms of improvement, there were several times in which we were standing for over 30 minutes without any options for seating nearby, while waiting for the guide to get tickets for our group, while listening to a lengthy description/explanation and waiting for a bus. I would have appreciated better planning to avoid these situations. Also, the time given to use the restroom and also visit adjacent souvenir shops was necessarily limited. Due to the size of the crowds visiting the sights and long lines for women\'s restrooms, there was often little to no time to check out shops on the premises.

I am amazed by all the forms of transportation we took and they were all exceptional--clean, quiet, on time: bullet train, commuter train, subway, cable car, funicular/cog railroad, boat, ferry, and a sending car. No one got lost thanks to our great guides and this immersive experience was great!