Vacation Review: Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Local Cuisine & Food Culture, Villa & Garden, Temples & Shrines

Review by traveler

Sophia Z.

5.17.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Japan

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

The three tour guides assigned in Tokyo and Kyoto were outstanding. All three were personable, professional, and enthusiastic. They all made great recommendations for dining and were flexible to accommodate any changes to the itinerary.
The hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto were great. The rooms were comfortable and spacious and in great locations. The room in Osaka was super small and not comparable to rooms provided in Tokyo and Kyoto. There was a booking snafu for the hotel in Kyoto. Our itinerary called for a nonsmoking room and they put us in a smoking room. The smell in the hallway and room was overwhelming. When we requested a room change, we were told that no room was available. We packed up and stayed in the lobby until a room was made available at 2:00 AM. Unfortunately this put a damper on our tour the next day (starting at 9:00 am). We never did get an explanation as to how this happened.
As as for the itinerary, would have preferred more time in Tokyo, one less day in Kyoto and scratch Ōsaka all together. The itinerary set for Tokyo did not allow enough time to experience all the events. For example the lines for The Mori Tower and Edo Tokyo Museum were very long and essentially eliminated experiencing these sites. All the sites in Kyoto were great and we enjoyed the cooking class. We would have preferred a guide in Osaka or at least the option to consider the increased cost vs. no guide. Lastly, all the transportation arrangements were great.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Adhoc meals suggested by our guides in Tokyo and Kyoto. The tofu lunch in Kyoto was exceptional. The bento cooking class in Kyoto was fun and great to interact with other tourists. Enjoyed Okochi Sanso stop in Kyoto.

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

Allocate more time in Tokyo to cover itinerary events. Eliminate one or more temples/shrines in Kyoto (for example Fushimi Inari Shrine). Either add guide for Osaka or eliminate the day in Osaka all together. Incorporate more dining experiences into the itinerary to experience the tastes of Japan.

Travel Company Comments

Dear Mrs. Z,

I wanted to follow up on your comment posted with Zicasso. First of all, I would like to thank you for your positive review and I hope you had a wonderful trip to Japan! I appreciate your feedback regarding both the highlights and some negative experiences.

I strive to provide the best experience for my clients and take negative comments very seriously. I wanted to let you know that I followed up with my operations and we did indeed have you checked into a non-smoking room. Unfortunately, smoking is much more prevalent in Asia and it is often the case that guests will smoke in rooms designated as non-smoking. Typically, we have our guide on hand to mediate any issues with accommodations and we list our head of operations in Kyoto to call in case you needed additional assistance. Since you were exploring Osaka on your own, our head of operations said that he would have been more than happy to speak with the hotel if he was aware of the situation!

We choose high ranking hotels with proven track records to ensure your visit is as comfortable as possible. The issue you raised has our company re-evaluating the hotel in Osaka and pursuing alternative hotels. My mistake may have been in not fully impressing that our staff is always on hand (whether it is a daily guide or our head of operations when you are traveling without one) to mediate any discrepancies between our company's arrangements and that of any third party we work with.

Again, thank you for traveling with us and your review.

Photos

Vacation Review: Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Local Cuisine & Food Culture, Villa & Garden, Temples & Shrines

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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