Kanazawa, Nagoya, Takayama, Japan tour
Japan
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Apr 13 - Apr 22, 2024
We contracted KimKim when other tour operators in Japan advised that they were fully booked during the popular Cherry Blossom season. KimKim outsourced our Japan trip to Asia Highlights. We provided Asia Highlights with some suggested destinations in Japan that we would like to visit outside of the major tourist cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and they developed a varied, well-paced 8 day itinerary that met our interests and budget. Heidi, our tour planner, was understanding of our needs and very responsive to any questions that we had along the way. She connected us with our guide Nina and drivers (principally, Lyo) who were attentive, prompt and kind. Nina and Lyo went out of their way to show us the highlights of each of the attractions and destinations we visited. They quickly recognized our interests and would not rush us when we wanted to take extra time. Outside of our tour schedule, Nina helped us make dinner reservations and placed some meal orders for us when we encountered language challenges. Overall we had a wonderful time and highly recommend the services of KimKim and their subcontract Asia Highlights.
Activity Reviews
The Nagoya Castle grounds and Tokugawa Garden were very nice and the Nabano no Sato Illumination was an unexpected bonus to end our day.
The day was special because we had the opportunity to tour Inuyama Castle, one of Japan's few remaining original castle structures. We also enjoyed the demonstration of dolls and puppets in the Inuyama Castle Historical Museum annex, Karakuri Exhibition Room. Truly an unique Japanese experience.
This day involved two craft projects - chop stick gold leaf design and kimono cloth painting recommended by Asia Highlights that were outside our normal vacation day activities. We enjoyed the creative challenge and appreciated the guidance of the shop staff and the support from our guide Nina. These activities also generated souvenirs that well serve as great memories of our time in Kanazawa.
We suggested Kanazawa as a city to Asia Highlights that we would like to visit and it more than exceeded our expectations. It is a beautiful city and after having experienced the crowds in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, a welcome change. Kanazawa Castle and the neighbouring Kenrokuen Garden are must sees when travelling to Japan.
The market streets of Takayama were historic and interesting and we did a lot of shopping, causing us to be a little delayed in reaching Shirakawago. Shirakawago is beautifully situated and it gave us a glimpse of Japanese country life from centuries ago. Our guide Nina and driver Lyo recognized that we were enjoying ourselves, were very patient and put in extra time.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. Your kind words are a great source of encouragement for us, and we are thrilled to know that you enjoyed your trip.
Should you decide to visit our region again in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward... Read more