Tailor-made Holidays in Japan Traveller Reviews

On my trip to Japan, I visited Tokyo before travelling by train to Kyoto. This would have been daunting to organise on my own, as I'm a nervous traveller, and having Inside Japan organise every part of the trip (including taxis from the airport to the hotel, and vice versa) made the whole thing so much more enjoyable and took away all my worries. In Tokyo, we stayed in The Gate Hotel in Asakusa. The transport links were perfect and we were able to get to a number of popular destinations quickly and easily. Inside Japan provided us with a transport card with money already on it, so we didn't have to worry about buying tickets. Just wondering around the streets without a set plan was perfect, as Tokyo is such a beautiful, exciting city. I must have taken hundreds of pictures of atmospheric alleys, hidden shrines tucked away between buildings, artwork dotted around the city, and even shop signs. As a woman I've never felt so safe in city, and my friend and I walked around at 2am without running into any trouble. If you're a female solo traveller, I can't recommend Tokyo more highly. We organised our luggage to be sent to our second hotel, which was a really simple thing to do, and not expensive at all. It saved us having to get a busy train with a load of suitcases, so again, would recommend this to other travellers. When we arrived in Kyoto we got a taxi to the Gracery Kyoto Sanjo - a cosy, welcoming hotel right in the middle of a shopping mall, and a short walk from the station. Kyoto is much less polished than Tokyo, which I actually really loved about. The locals were perhaps a little less welcoming to tourists (but it's Japan so they're still incredibly polite), but that's unsurprising considering how many there are. Inside Japan had a lot of advice on where to eat, where to go, and interesting day trips we could take. Needless to say I didn't have time to do everything I wanted to do. No wonder people keep going back to Japan. Inside Japan were so helpful from start to finish, and my trip wouldn't have been as successful if it wasn't booked through them. I couldn't recommend them more, and will definitely be using them again in the future.

It was a pleasure to plan my trip with Laura. I really felt like I got an inside insight on Japan. She was so generous with her advice, but I never felt pressured into booking anything or going for a more expensive option. In fact she actually recommended taking a day off my trip to Tokyo in order to save money, and because she was worried I’d go ‘stir-crazy’. I feel like most agents wouldn’t be concerned about this, so it was refreshing to have this kind of advice. The hotels she booked were perfect, and she really took into consideration what I wanted from this trip. The result was a perfectly tailored holiday that I’ll remember forever.

Japan is without doubt the greatest country in the world. From the sophistication and elegance found in every detail of the Japanese experience to the gentle and warm people. The incredible food and deep history and culture. The civility and sense of humanity in the Japanese way of life, to the unbridled creativity in the street culture and arts. Japan is simply on another level of evolution compared to the rest of the world.

Japan is the greatest country in the world and seeing it with Inside Japan Tours as your guide is the only way to travel. We have done two trips with the team at Inside Japan and they have succeeded in giving us a once in a lifetime experience - twice! Outstanding planning, itinerary creation and communications. Swift and responsive service that is friendly and knowledgable. Brilliant local knowledge and guiding revealing the inside local stuff that makes trips really memorable and not just tourist fare. Impeccable travel instructions and detail that makes moving around simple and stress free and great value for money. We feel we have seen the beauty of Japan and it's people from an insiders perspective twice now and can't wait to go back again.

We had a fantastic time experiencing Japan for two weeks with Inside Japan Tours self guided option. For first time travellers to Japan the information provided was excellent and made it very easy for us to travel around using public transport, visit the sites (some well known others not so well known), find places to eat or just to explore the local areas on our own at our own pace. The organised accommodation was excellent and we especially enjoyed the experience of staying at some traditional ryokan/inns. The food was fantastic.

Inside Japan Tours provided us with all the information we needed for each place we stayed at with individual info packs for each city/town. The advice re transport from city to city was valuable when using our Japan Rail pass. Knowing how we were going to get from A to B and where we were staying each day meant we could spend more time exploring and enjoying the local area.

My family with two adult daughters travelled in Japan for two weeks. We had many experiences which were very memorable from hot tubs in Hakkone to the Nara Deer Park and a food tour in Osaka. We got to see both the traditional side of Japanese culture as well as the great outdoors, beautiful gardens and country side. It was very easy to travel around with the Rail Pass and IC card and the pocket WiFi organised by Inside Japan gave us confidence to get around on our own with little stress.

They organised everything, suggested the itinerary’s and included our requests such as a Cat Cafe in Tokyo, a trip to Studio Ghibili and the Nara Deer Park. We had instructions on everything we needed to do to get where we needed to be in the easiest possible way. Our guides helped us get comfortable with the public transport in each city and were able to answer any questions we had to help us have a great time.

Our 33 day holiday was a fabulous insight into Japan. Our hands-on experiences provided us both with a real appreciation of the history, precision and craftsmanship demanded by Japanese culture. Living and travelling alongside the locals was a tremendous way to not only learn new skills, but experience wonderful hospitality and foods, being warmly welcomed wherever we went. Each day was interesting, with us learning crafts or visiting gardens and museums, and eating amazing foods that were as delicious as they were beautiful. We had a holiday that fed our souls, made our hearts sing and gave us new skills and allowed us to meet so many friendly, gentle people who were proud of their contributions to society and life. It was a joy to travel in Japan. We were very privileged to share in the life and culture of so many people we encountered.

Inside Japan tours pride themselves on the out of the ordinary and authentic experiences they provide to clients. Our individual itinerary was organised efficiently and ensured we had a huge range memorable activities - from woodblock printing to knife making classes, ikebana to visiting and learning about tea at the Obubu tea plantation, to a temple lodging stay in sacred Koyasan and cooking classes. It was a month of learning, of excitement, wonderful food, sights and sounds.

Japan lived up to all expectations with the combination of culture and history living side by side with modern high tec, and totally mad thrown in. Where else could you see a meerkat on a lead wearing a kimono

Provided excellent up front service, information and support.

Starting in the middle of May 2019, we enjoyed three wonderful weeks travelling independently, but fully supported by 'Inside Japan', across Honshu beginning and ending in Tokyo. To visit Japan had been at the very top of my travel agenda for many years and my wife and I travelled with high expectations which were more than fulfilled. In Tokyo we stayed initially in Asakusa visiting the awe-inspiring Senso-ji, the Imperial Palace and gardens, the old fish market, and the flamboyant shopping area of Harajuku with a local guide provided by the tour operator who also arranged for us to have a specialist guide to show us the dazzling, avant-garde architecture of areas such as Ginza. Tokyo offers so much that we also visited Ueno where we explored a quite brilliant art exhibition of Klimt's work before attending the Kabukiza Theatre to see a magical kabuki performance. Our itinerary after Tokyo included opportunities to experience a ryokan in Hakone and see the majestic, incomparable Mount Fuji; a stay in Kyoto to visit such wonderfully inspiring attractions as the Golden Pavilion, the Bamboo Forest and the atmospheric Fushimi Inari-Taisha and to explore memorable Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines; a visit to Himeji's iconic fairytale castle; a chance to visit Hiroshima's Peace Park and the Atomic Dome and catch the ferry to the island of Miyajima to see the floating Torii; and a culminating visit to Kanazawa to explore the delightful gardens of Kenroku-en, the fascinating Higashichaya geisha quarter and to travel high into the Japanese Alps to explore the quaint and distinctive gassho-zukuri farmhouses of Shirakawago. From talking to relatives of survivors of the Hiroshima bomb, to attending early morning services in a Buddhist temple on Mount Koya, to experiencing wonderful cuisine including the delicious Hiroshima okonomiyaki, to seeing eagles in Kanazawa, to encountering a geisha in Kyoto, to the excitement of travelling on bullet trains we've had an unforgettable holiday.

'Inside Japan' have been exemplary from start to finish. We felt well supported by a travel consultant in planning the particulars of a holiday itinerary matched to our needs. Prior to our departure, we received extensive advice and detailed, clearly written guidance about every location where we would be staying as well as a comprehensive guide to help us at every stage including travel advice. Nothing was left to chance or omitted. All our travel booking requirements were dealt with efficiently, excellent local and specialist guides were provided as requested, and special additions such as a booking for the kabuki handled particularly well ensuring we had very good seats. We particularly appreciated the loan of a dongle to allow us to communicate using our mobiles and the provision of pre-loaded ICT travel cards. Throughout our stay in Japan we had access to and used the company's Nagoya based support service which we found to be prompt and helpful in its responses. On our return, our travel consultant has rung us and taken a genuine interest in how we fared. We are so impressed with this company we plan to use them to help us with ouir next visit to the Far east probably next May.

We had a wonderful time in Japan! This was our second trip to Japan with Inside Japan tours. Our son has lived in Japan for four years. Naomi Norton, from Inside Japan Tours was excellent in helping us design a bespoke trip which encompassed a week with our son in Tokyo followed by a week in the Japanese Alps. She guided us through a range of alternative options before settling on the final package. Her advice was always helpful. She understood quickly what we were aiming for and therefore it was entirely suited to our needs. The information booklets and personal travel information is thorough and fun to read. It really sets Inside Japan apart from any other travel agents. Myself, my wife and daughter had a wonderful family time with our son in Tokyo. A second very successful holiday through Inside Japan Tours. We would wholeheartedly recommend them.

Inside Japan Tours are excellent for the more independtly minded traveller. This is our second trip with them. On both ocassions they have organised a bespoke package which has met our particular needs. Importantly for us, they don't hard sell their holidays. Their information pack and travel arrangements take the stress out of a holiday and make it fun!,

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Our first trip to Japan did not disappoint. We loved the contrast between modern city life and the ancient temples and shrines. The Japanese were without fail friendly and welcoming and despite lots of travelling and sightseeing everything went ultra smoothly. We did so much but still felt relaxed.

Inside Japan were just a mine of information and gave us lots of tips and ideas which made planning the holiday easy. All the accommodation and travel arrangements were excellent and really they covered everything from WiFi to sumo tickets. When we got back they seemed genuinely interested to know how we had got on.

We criss crossed the country - cleverly avoiding the Golden Week crowds - by train/bus/tram/hirecar and on foot. From the Kumano Kodo to the Dotonbori street area in Osaka, from the Golden Pavilion garden to the depths of the Iya Valley, from Hiroshima to Naoshima, from remote ryokan to tower block Tokyo smart hotel - we had a wealth of very varied experiences, culinary, artisctic, horticultural, cultural, historical, not to mention tragical and comical.

Inside Japan Tours "got" our party of 4 70-somethings immediately and accommodated our own ideas whilst adding good ones of their own. The trip planning and documentation was outstanding. For example, we always sat on the side of the train with the view, and miles away from the smoking room and none of that was accidental. Over 24 days every arrangement they made worked out as planned ; a significant achievement