Tailor-made Holidays in Japan Traveller Reviews

Spent three weeks touring Japan in November. Visited the key sights and cities that make this such a wonderful country to visit. Took in the sights ,sounds and cuisine as my wife and I travelled around the country by the Shinkansen trains. Enjoyed walking in the Japanese Alps, particularly enjoying the glorious autumn colours as we experienced the splendour of the walk from Magome to Tsumago. We particularly enjoyed staying in iconic Japanese ryokans which allowed us to appreciate onsen bathing, sleeping on tatami mats. We visited Tokyo for five nights, walked around the palace gardens, ate street food off the Ginza, enjoyed the view from the Tokyo Tower, took a sushi lesson not to forget our visit to the temples of Nikko. Kyoto's temples, particularly the Golden Palace proved a big hit. Travelling on the Shinkansen was an experience in its own right. We took eighteen train journeys on our holiday and always left and arrived on time. It is quite an experience to be standing on the platform as a "bullet train" hurtles through at over 100 mph. We stayed in Hiroshima for two nights so that we could visit the Peace Park Memorial and visit the famous tori gate at Miyajima.

Our holiday was arranged through Inside Japan. Their travel operator Lily discussed our requirements and made up an itinerary that would allow us to maximise our time in Japan. Lily was in regular communication with us as we asked for changes here and there. We wanted an operator who had experience of building an individualised travel programme and whose travel consultants had experience of living in the country and this was the case. We also wanted a company that had a successful record and our dealings with Inside Japan confirmed that.

We went to Japan with InsideJapan Tours. Their organisation, attention to detail and understanding of our requirements (despite us not knowing much about Japan or what we wanted) was superlative. We travelled independently but all our accommodation and travel was booked, with really thorough supporting information provided, so we didn’t have to worry about them, and were just able to concentrate on making the most of our time in Japan. We aren’t wealthy travellers so to spend this much on our holiday was quite something for us, and the holiday more than met our expectations.

InsideJapan Tours had very knowledgeable staff, so we felt confident in following their advice about what would suit us. They had thought of all the details, for instance p, they gave us a booklet for every destination which included a section on A Perfect Day, cafes, shops, attractions. What more could we need! We also felt very comforted about the operator having an office in Japan. We only had one minor blip which they sorted out immediately.

We visited Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, and also spent time walking and visiting smaller towns.

They were very helpful at the planning stage; I started off with a long list of possible destinations, and they were very good at narrowing it down. The range of accommodation was excellent, and the day to day itinerary and tickets were very clearly presented.

Our vacation in Japan was amazing! My husband has a physical disability and uses an electric scooter to get around. Inside Japan tours went above and beyond to make our trip to Japan run smoothly without a single issue. They willingly, and with a smile, spent a lot of extra time researching hotels, transportation and attractions that would meet our accessibility needs. The guidebooks they provided were not only excellent for a regular traveller but they went above and beyond our expectations and included all sorts of useful information relating to accessibility. These guidebooks were our bibles. We travel around the world using wonderful tour operators/travel agencies that value clients with physical disabilities but, we have to say, to date, Inside Japan Tours does the best job. We enjoyed all the sites and experiences we had in Japan. It was a wonderful two week vacation and we will cherish all our memories.

As per our response above, they are amazing. From beginning to end, they take care of their clients. Before you leave, you deal with very experienced travel agents who have a lot of hands on knowledge. They are timely, professional and provide a lot of good suggestions and tips. Once you are in Japan, the office in Japan are also amazing to deal with and answer your questions 24/7. They are very helpful. It gave us a lot of comfort knowing we had someone to contact at any time night or day when travelling in a country where very few speak English.

A bespoke art tour of Japan by rail with private guides where appropriate. Inside Japan organised this with clinical efficiency and superb detail - right down to advising on which exit to take from the stations.

I cannot recommend them too highly. Absolutely excellent in preparing the programme, organising the trip, dealing with our dietary requirements and being available on the end of the phone when required - both prior and during the trip.

We spent three weeks in central Japan on a largely self-guided tour; expertly put together by InsideJapan Tours. We were a little apprehensive about finding our way around, given the language difficulties, but we needn't have worried - a combination of the detailed guidance provided by InsideJapan, the efficiency of the transport systems and the friendliness and kindness of many people made it (generally!) straightforward. Smiling, miming and pointing goes a long way. We found Japan to be a fascinating country, full of contrasts and surprises. We had an absolutely fantastic time and wouldn’t hesitate to go back. We were struck by the politeness of the people, their helpfulness, the sense of order, cleanliness and the good manners. Such a contrast to home! We had reasonable amounts of time to explore in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Matsumoto, Tsumago, Kyoto and Kawaguchiko in the Fuji five lakes area. We loved the contrasts; the cities and the rural areas; the modern architecture and the ancient temples and castles; the high tech and the simplicity of Shinto; the traditional food and the Japanese take on western food; the bullet trains and the strolling gardens; the crowds and the zen rock gardens. Wonderful. There was so much that was memorable, so we don’t have a favourite place or moment. My own memories and impressions include a long list – lovely people at the Ryokans and hotels, plentiful and clean public toilets, hi-tech toilets(!), beautiful gardens and trees, the Black Crow castle at Matsumoto, seeing Mt. Fuji at first light, bullet trains, the ordinary trains, the mountain buses, the Japanese Alps, Kyoto railway station building, manners, Kanazawa Museum of Contemporary Art, beautiful stationery, kit kats, Kobe & Wagyu beef, Onsen baths, temples and shrines, the “Philosopher’s walk” in Kyoto, an exhibition of art by Yayoi Kusama (check her out), the Nakasendo trail in the Kiso Valley, sake, bowing, the Geisha and Samurai districts, more ‘proper’ craft beer than I expected, and just so much more… We were also incredibly lucky with the weather and only had a little drizzle on one day! You may have gathered that we had a good time and that are somewhat enthusiastic about it….

InsideJapan Tours provided an outstanding service. Our dedicated travel consultant, Tim, put together a bespoke self-guided tour, taking time to understand our preferences and making adjustments as necessary throughout the planning process. Everything was so well thought out and put together. They provided guide booklets on individual places and a comprehensive schedule booklet which became our vital 'bible' on the trip. Tim, was so helpful from inception right through to getting home. The excellent service made us feel like individual and valued customers and that InsideJapan wanted us to have the best experience possible - which we did!

We extremely loved our holiday and would like to go back. Inside Tours was excellent at giving us support throughout our planning stages and holiday and it was a stress free holiday!!!!

Inside Japan was our brilliant throughout our planning and time in Japan. The process was very stress free and they were open to making changes to suit our interests and needs. The places thar stayed at was lovely and ideal for travel around the city and they helped us with travel arrangements and support.

We spent 15 days on a tailor made, self guided tour of the Honshu. It was everything we hoped it would be and more! We spent time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Koyasan, Hiroshima and Miyajima. We stayed in a variety of different accommodation, from high rise hotel in Tokyo, simple local inn on Miyajima, temple lodgings on Koyasan and four hundred year old ryokan in Hakone. We ate anything and everything (even when we didn't know what it was) and loved most things. We had the most lovely experience with many different people, everyone was so kind and helpful. We marvelled at the efficiency of the transport system and zoomed around the Honshu and got absolute value for money out of our rail and local transport passes. We overcame a few fears, eating raw fish and getting on cable cars! We have been fully enriched and our souls nourished by a wonderful and truly heart warming experience. We would love to return and visit some different parts of Japan, there is much more yet to explore.

Inside Japan were highly professional and we were very satisfied with their service. They gave us great support planning and organising the trip and we felt very secure and supported during the trip, in terms of the helpful information provided and everything they arranged worked out very well. They were also very thoughtful in the provision of good value accommodation for the budget we could afford and made suggestions where to save and where to upgrade a bit and enhance the experience.

I don't even know where to start! Japan ins a beautiful country, and really easy to visit. The transport is great, the people are lovely and the food is fantastic. I can't wait to go back.

Inside Japan provided incredible guidance and support, allowing us to relax and enjoy the best holiday we've ever had.

Beyond expectations.

Good.