Travel Review: Luxury Family Trip to Japan, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Fish Market, Sushi Making Class, Baseball, Bike Tour

1) Would have more planned restaurants before hand including lunches which were hard for us to find places we liked and only some guides were helpful finding for us (although all tried).  This was combo of food and language issues.

2) Would skip Matsumoto as castle was very cool, but art museum was closed as it was Monday and there was really nothing to do in town, and the ryokan we stayed in was not nice (especially since I mentioned to our agent that I liked staying in really nice places on vacation.)

3) The sake museum/brewery tour in Kyoto was not a brewery tour as we thought and was a ton of traffic to get there so probably not worth it for us.

4) Would have tried to ask more questions about guides before hand.  I found some of the guides English to be better than others which at times made the day more difficult and less fun than it could have been.  

5) Would have gotten a car service in some spots as we were 5 people with guides and often had to take 2 taxis.

Travel Company's Comments

We are delighted to hear Brenda and family had an amazing trip and we thank her for the constructive feedback. On the subject of accommodation, it is important for all visitors to Japan to understand the nuance of what may be considered ‘nice’ or ‘luxury’ accommodation. Machiyas and Ryokans are expensive and often these stays come in at prices comparable to top luxury hotels. Indeed by Japanese standards, a Machiya and certainly a Ryokan stay is considered the epitome of luxury. Because these types of lodging are based on minimalism and simplicity - important aspects of Japanese culture overall - it can sometimes be a letdown for guests who were expecting a more Western interpretation of luxury. We do our best to inform guests in advance of what to expect at a Ryokan or Machiya and we will continue to enhance our documentation and image library, but it is crucial that guests look into proposed accommodation independently as well before a trip.