Review

Best of Japan

September 8, 2024 - September 22, 2024

Overall, an incredible trip. My husband and I were the youngest in our group of six, which was difficult at times, but all in all, everyone was great! I give this a 3 because of the farewell dinner. We had our farewell dinner in Kyoto with Mike Roberts, owner of Samurai Tours. The dinner was strange. Mike seemed genuinely annoyed that he had to be there and responded in a bland and nonchalant way to some of our feedback and general questions. In addition, the restaurant made a mistake and set the table for 6 people instead of 7, leaving Mike with no meal. He opted to not eat and presumably this was because he wanted the meal to go faster. Whatever the case was, and I understand people have good and bad days, but it caused an incredible trip to end on a sour note. In the future, if the farewell dinner was hosted by Ken, the Kyoto guide, it would be a more positive experience.

Itinerary

We saw so much of Japan and for that, we\'re am grateful. However, we would have liked more time in Osaka and less time in Kyosan.

Lodging

The lodgings were comfortable and the staff at each ryokan were lovely. I gave lodgings a 4 because of Kyosan. From 9/8-9/22, Japan experienced unusually high temperatures ranging from 90-95 degrees Farenheit, with 60% humidity. It was brutal outside. The lodgings at Kyosan was a Buddhist temple, and while it was beautiful to look at, there was not any air conditioning and each room only had 1 single fan. In my opinion, in that extreme heat, with people on a tour that aren\'t used to it,staying at Kyosan is irresponsible to me. No one slept in our group, which made touring and traveling the following day a real low point of the trip.

Food

Japan has an amazing food culture and I wish more time was spent eating ramen, udon, soba, onigiri, okonoymaki, sushi, etc, rather than a traditional Japanese meal. The best traditional Japanese meal was at the Ryokan on Miyajima Island.

Guides

If I could rate each guide higher than 5 I would. They were all amazing, kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. A special shoutout to our Kyoto guide Ken for his impeccable taste in food and sense of humor. Additional shoutouts to Toshi, JJ, Masa, and the optional tour guide in Osaka (my apologies, her name escapes me).

Pre-Tour Handbook

Tour Organization

Tour Transportation

Seamless transportation for both people and luggage! Please treat a group to a green car once in a while.

Would you go on another tour operating by Samurai Tours: No.

Would you recommend Samurai Tours to friends or family: No.