We are active seniors but I have a 11 week old right knee that I had not put a full mile at a time one it yet. I booked this guide with great hopes to be back to 100% with activity. Once we arrived we asked for some plan modifications with intermittent breaks. Nobuyuki (Sammy) did not skip a beat and had a wonderful day in the works for us that included travel to wonderful photo spots, we saw Mt Fuji, took a bullet train, and a mountain bus ride to a beatiful area where we could photograph rivers, bridges and hills. We cruised across a beautiful lake and took gondola up so high your ears popped to see a steaming sulfur hot stream. Lunch was fantastic with lots of easy walking and shopping along the way. I sincerely feel like we got the best tour of Japan we could have had with our short time allotment. To have someone take responsibility for getting a couple of seniors through the beautiful countryside and know that you are in competent hands for the entire duration can’t be short changed. I know we would have spent the day walking around our hotel area, probably not leaving a 2 mile area where with this guide, we felt safe and certain we would have GREAT memories. Thank you, Sammy!
Well organized, perfect planed trip with amazing guide who has huge knowladge and knows how to make everybody happy. Perfect for adults as well as for kids. If you will come to Kyoto don't miss trip with Kanae. She can shows you real Kyoto, hiden gems, wonderful places and she will do it with really very nice way.
Koin helped create a great day for my son and I with the guide Momo. She was a huge help navigating us around to different temples and finding us some delicious ramen for lunch. Thank you Momo for a memorable day.
For the east side of Tokyo, we hired Toshihiro to plan our 8 hour tour. My daughter researched the sites of interest in east Tokyo, with an emphasis on those that would interest my 10 year old granddaughter. Toshihiro offered us excellent advice and recommendations to complete our itinerary before we arrived in Japan. With water bottles, hats and suntan lotion, we met up with Toshihiro in the lobby of our hotel and headed off for a long, hot (35C or 98F) but fascinating day. As we approached the subway, Toshihiro advised us to buy a 24h unlimited Tokyo metro pass: adult 600 Y, child 300Y. THAT IS A DEAL because some brief rides cost 200Y! Toshihiro organized our day to ensure we had time to see all the sights with minimal retracing and for fast transfers using the Metro. We started out visiting the Imperial Palace grounds (there is zero shade), where Toshihiro gave a history lesson dating back to the Shogun period that was followed by the ascent of the Emperor. We then subwayed to the Tsukiji fish market after a brief stop at a very large Budhist temple next to the fish market, for a memorial service. We learned about the history of Tokyo and the Tsukiji fish market as we meandered the streets, admiring the fish and Wagyu meat, vegetables (wasabi), and ice cream including Black Sesame ice cream, my fave. Before leaving the fish market, Toshihiro brought us to a traditional Japanese lunch place that a food critic had highly recommended years ago. It was outstanding so we recommend it! Translated the name in English is "good old age". Then off to Akihabara (with claw machines), Nezu shrine and Asakusa area with the Senso-ji temple and Hozomon Gate. Toshihiro left us as we set out to enjoy an amazing sensory experience at Teamlab Planets (photos). We spent 90 minutes there wading through knee-deep water, AI generated fish, light-enhanced crystal hangings, room filled with giant balloons, pods and plants. What an amazing finish to a fun and informative day! Thank you
Thank you for the brilliant tour review with excellent photos, Jerrold-san. You are three generations family with a daughter and a granddaughter. You had already come to Japan several times before. I am really happy to get this kind of wonderful comments on the tour from a person like you. Tour was done more than two weeks ago. It was a very hot summer day. I guess that you are now back to your country with a nice cool climate. Tokyo is still very hot today. I am impressed with that you have an amazing good memory on the tour in Tokyo. Your daughter researched well on the popular touristic spots in Tokyo. It was easy to make the tour itinerary for you because your daughter informed me of your interests clearly. You had good preparations against a crazy hot summer day in Tokyo. I could do a guide without any extra difficulty. Your hotel was located at nice area in central Tokyo near Tokyo Metro subway station, one of the two subway companies in Tokyo. That's why we could use very economical 24 hours tickets. In Tokyo, some spots are better to visit in the morning, some other spots are better to visit in the late afternoon. Sometimes I encounter difficulty to decide the order of the sightseeing. But you agreed with my suggestion. You were very cooperative. Thank you very much again. At historical spots like the Imperial Palace, I explained Japanese history. But real history is more complicated and has various aspects. My explanation of Japanese history was very simplified. I am happy to hear that you enjoyed both traditional spots and modern spots. Tokyo has many other amazing attractions and is changing drastically every year. Please come to Japan again in the near future.
With a real local of your choice
Just contact your favorite local
So no group tours with strangers