"Decent experience overall"
I did the Japan by Rail trip in September and our group had a great guide, Ricardo! He was knowledgeable, fun, and friendly. Overall I enjoyed exploring Japan and would 100% go back, but I doubt I’d do another Culture Trip itinerary as I had issues with the itinerary. I noticed that the itinerary listed on the Culture Trip website and shared with us before our departure didn’t quite match the actual activities we did and there wasn’t really any notice that we wouldn’t be doing some of the activities, except of when our guide shared our schedule for the day. For instance, when arriving in Tokyo there was supposed to be an optional Taito walking tour, but this didn’t exist and there wasn’t a walking tour when we got to Tokyo. It would’ve been nice if it’s flagged to us in advance what changes have been made to the itinerary and why. Additionally, some of the activities mentioned weren’t quite what they were marketed as. For instance, the sake tasting didn’t include learning about the different sakes, an overview of sake making or anything like that. Instead we were given sake cups and told to try the different sakes in the refrigerated area. That’s it. And it wasn’t a private tasting. It included a quite a few other guests so it ended up being more of a free for all and very crowded as people hung out around the fridge area drinking. This wasn’t what I had in mind when they said sake tasting. Another example of this is the “onsen experience with dinner” mentioned in the itinerary. This was really just that the hotel we were staying at had an onsen available and you could do it whenever you felt like it, if you wanted. Other feedback: 1. While the temples and shrines are stunning, after 3-4, you’re a bit templed and shrined out so I’d recommend limiting the itinerary to only a few of the top temples and shrines. 2. If you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or generally speaking don’t eat pork or beef, the food options can be very limiting. Instead of finding new places that cater to the food restrictions people may have, they instead just see if the places they have a partnership with can accommodate your restrictions. While many places tried their best, it isn’t always the best dining experience. Out of most dinners and lunches, I’d say 2 of them were great with their accommodations and the staff was amazing. The other dining experiences left a lot to be desired. I’d encourage exploring other restaurants for this itinerary. 3. The hotels for this trip left a bit to be desired. I’d recommend upgrading the hotels to nicer places for the price charged. 4. I’d recommend allowing for more free time each day. We’re in such amazing places, it’s unfortunate that we had such little free time during the opening hours for many stores.
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