Golden Route Tokyo to Kyoto Traveller Reviews

We stayed in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka with a visit to Miyajima and Hiroshima by bullet train from Osaka. We had a private guide for a day in each of the destinations which enabled us to see and learn so much more than we could have done on our own. The location of each of the hotels was a perfect base for exploring ourselves or for eating and drinking in the evening in the local areas. The traditional ryokan stay in Hakone with kaiseki meals was a memorable experience in itself and the meals were so beautifully presented. The hotel had it's own onsen with indoor and outdoor pools. We could have spent longer in Hiroshima visiting the Peace memorials and museum but again having a local guide was so helpful. A visit to Miyajima could also have been a full day long trip. We learnt so much about Japan and it's fascinating long history, about the Samurai, the temples and shrines, the beautiful gardens and the story of the Geisha. The food was delicious both in restaurants and as 'street' food and our chopstick skills greatly improved day by day. The people were lovely, completely respectful of each other and of the tourists. Despite using our limited Japanese language as much as possible we found that the Japanese were quite happy to speak English. if they could. All in all we had such a great time and would certainly consider another visit in the future.

We have travelled with East Travel on previous occasions to Thailand and Vietnam and now Japan. We have always valued their local knowledge and trusted their guidance when planning a trip. This would normally start with us saying we want to do particular experiences or visit particular places and would follow with us receiving a suggested itinery. This would include advice on hotels, the destination and what additional things or places that might interest us whilst there linked to our original request and budget. If appropriate it would normally include private tour guides to get the most out of the holiday. We have never been disappointed in any of these arrangements and our usual contact Dorothy Heng has always been very helpful and responsive to our many questions. We have no doubt that we will use East Travel again in the future for their experience in tailoring a very personal holiday experience.