Great Japan Adventure!
Japan | Oct 9 - Oct 17, 2026

Kris
Kris H.
Marana, AZ, USA | Reviewed on Oct 30, 2026

A huge thank you to Shona for keeping up with the last minute changes and odd requests. Our last day of travel wasn't clear and a bit confusing, which almost made us miss our train. Thankfully, I Googled how to get to our final destination and saw that we had to travel to a different train station with barely enough time to get on the Shinkansen.

I think we had the best guides ever! Moto, Yasuko, and Fuji. We had so much packed in on the first day, Moto didn't miss a beat and we were able to do everything on our list and then some. We were especially thankful to Fuji for allowing extra time wherever there was water to allow my son to hang out with the fish for a bit.

All-in-all, it was a great trip and so much less stressful than if I had tried to plan it myself. We had no issues, great communication with everyone, fantastic hotels, lovely breakfasts, and a trip we will never forget.

Hotel Reviews
KOKO HOTEL Tsukiji Ginza
Tokyo

We were so busy that we didn't have time to use the amenities that the hotel offers except breakfast and the laundry. The breakfast wasn't as luxurious as some of our other hotels we stayed at, but again, this hotel isn't as big and for the size, the breakfast was perfect. There was enough "western" type foods that we could eat and the Japanese type foods were really good. The laundry was cheap and unlike bigger hotels, not as crowded, so we had no issues using 1 of the 2 machines. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
A quick walk to the subway and the river.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA
Kyoto

This was a great place to stay. The rooms were modern and nice. The breakfast was amazing. So many yummy options. They get extra points for having massage chairs (paid) especially after a long day of walking around. Located so close to the train station, you don't have to go far to find anything you need.

Authenticity & Character
I thought this hotel was extremely modern and besides the toilet, you wouldn't know you were in Japan. I didn't have any issues with that though because it was extremely comfortable and nice, which is what you want on a long trip.
Location
Right across from the train station!
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Monterey Le Frere Osaka
Osaka

I enjoyed the location of this hotel. It is a bit of a walk to the train station, but if you get on the street side, you can look over the city a bit which was a lot of fun for us. It was a tad loud when sirens or loud cars went down the road, but honestly, I thought that was all part of the experience. Ear plugs helped too. The breakfast buffet was absolutely amazing. We weren't here long enough to use any of the amenities, but what we did use, we enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character
It was your typical modern hotel. I didn't have any issues with it because it was comfortable.
Location
A bit of a walk from the train station and noisy, depending on what side you're on.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Full Day Nara City Tour: Nara Park, Todai-Ji Temple and More
Full Day Nara City Tour: Nara Park, Todai-Ji Temple and More
Kyoto

Feeding the deer is one thing, but just being able to be next to them and pet them like it's no big deal is another. Such an amazing experience to get so close to those magical creatures.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Yasuko knew exactly what to do when we get to Nara to make sure our experience was a good one.
Transport
Japan has their public transportation figured out!
Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour
Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour
Kyoto

The bamboo is gorgeous, the hike up the mountain was pretty, and the monkeys were amazing. Getting to feed the younger monkeys was my favorite.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Fuji was great!
Transport
Public transportation for the win!
Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district  1.
Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district 1.
Tokyo

This was a looong day. We basically had to speed walk everywhere to fit everything in. I would recommend if this is on your itinerary, to do it the first day you are there because you won't have the steam to this much stuff later on in your trip. We even had our guide take us on a side quest to the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, which he graciously did.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Moto was fantastic!
Transport
Public transportation for the win!
 Samurai and Ninja Museum with Experience
Samurai and Ninja Museum with Experience
Kyoto

I like this museum because it was just enough. I didn't realize we got a tour guide once we were in there, so that was a bonus.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide in the museum was funny and spoke decent English.
Transport
We walked there, which was such a great walk. We found some great stuff on the way that we would've missed had we drove.
Half day: Gion Kagai Art Museum and Nijo Castle
Half day: Gion Kagai Art Museum and Nijo Castle
Japan

The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I think the Art Museum wasn't all that great. The museum itself is really small, but being able to see the geiko perform was worth going! What an amazing experience. Nijo Castle was really cool. Some stuff on TV was shot there, so it was neat to see it in person, but also, just being in there thinking how they used to live and operate, was cool.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Fuji was amazing!
Transport
Public transportation for the win!
Local specialist: Shona Zhang
Shona
Shona Zhang
Local specialist in Japan | Replied on Oct 31, 2026

Hi Chris,

Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled you had such a great trip. We'll be sure to pass your thanks along to Moto, Yasuko, and Fuji — they'll be delighted to hear it. So glad everything went smoothly and that your son enjoyed his time with the fish! We hope to welcome you again someday.

All the best,
Shona