All Reviews for 2026 Japan Cherry Blossom Tours

We were the only Japanese tourists among a group from South Korea and individual tourists from abroad. The tour guide was from Northern Europe and had been living in Japan for over 20 years. At first, I was worried that I had mistakenly signed up for a tour aimed at overseas tourists, but that wasn't the case; apparently, many Japanese participants join during the autumn foliage season. During the tour, the guide kindly explained the highlights and points of caution in Japanese.

Honestly, I had low expectations for lunch, but it was almost identical to the photos online, and I enjoyed the tofu dishes. It was delicious.

韓国の団体と、個人の海外からの観光客、日本人は私達だけでした。添乗員も在日20年以上の北欧出身のかたで、最初、海外向けのツアーに間違えて申し込んだのかと焦りましたが、そうではなく、紅葉シーズンは日本人も多く参加があったそうです。ツアー中、日本語でも見所や注意点なと丁寧に話してくれました。
昼食は正直期待薄でしたが、ネットの写真とほぼ遜色なく、豆腐料理を堪能しました。美味しかったです。

Thanks to our guide and the wonderful driver, we had a great day. It was very good that we were able to visit the snowy Shirakawa-go first, based on accurate judgments regarding the weather and the congestion at our destination. I hope that the snowy Shirakawa-go was enjoyable for our overseas guests as well.

ガイドさんと、素敵な運転手さんのおかげで楽しい一日になりました。天候や目的地の混雑状況から的確な判断で雪の白川郷から先に観光できて大変良かったです。雪の白川郷を海外の方にも楽しんでいただけたのではないでしょうか。

At Kiyomizu Temple, we had plenty of time to enjoy lunch and explore freely, but at the other temples and shrines, there wasn't much time before the meeting point, and the distance to the bus stop and sightseeing spots might be hard for elderly people (I participated with my mother, who is 76 years old).
The meeting time was 9:05 AM, and we finished at Kyoto Station at 6:30 PM, so it turned out to be longer than I expected, and I was exhausted. Just for reference, I am a 42-year-old person of average build (laughs).
The guide's stories related to the sightseeing spots in English were very enjoyable and educational!

Thank you very much!!

清水寺では昼食時間と自由散策を楽しめる時間が十分にありましたが、その他の寺社は集合時間まであまり時間がなく、バス停車場や観光場所までの距離もあるため、高齢の方にはハードかなと思いました（76歳後期高齢者の母と一緒に参加しました）。
集合が朝9時05分、京都駅での解散が18時30分でしたので、思っていたより長丁場でクタクタになりました。　当方42歳の中肉中背の者です。ご参考までに（笑）
ガイドさんの英語での観光地に因んだお話がとても楽しく勉強になりました！

ありがとうございました！！

I participated without lunch and without an entrance fee. Since my husband is not fond of tofu, there weren't many choices. In the end, it was good that we didn't have lunch! If you have some rice balls or bread on the bus, you can enjoy a lot of food while walking around and see various sights. We were able to visit four main tourist spots in Kyoto in one day, which was very worthwhile. The entrance fees were 500 yen and 400 yen, and I was able to buy them smoothly without any crowds.

At the last stop, Arashiyama, I got lost and separated from the group, but since I had mentioned that I would be returning by train, I was able to see the World Heritage temple and had an extra hour to explore, which made me even more satisfied. I highly recommend the tour content.

The guide was fun and kind, but I found the English a bit difficult to understand due to a hurried feeling, so I rated it four stars.

ランチなし、入場料なしで参加しました。主人が豆腐が苦手のため、他にチョイスがなくて。結果はランチなしで良かった‼️バスの中でおにぎりやパンを軽く食べれば、食べ歩きが沢山出来て色々見れるし、京都のメイン観光地4箇所を１日で回れるのでとてもお得でした。
入場料は500円と400円で混まずにすんなり買えました。
最後の嵐山では迷ってはぐれてしまいましたが、電車で帰る事を伝えていたので、世界遺産のお寺も見れたし1時間余分にゆっくりと回れたので、更に満足でした。ツアー内容はお勧めです。

ガイドさんは楽しくて親切な方でしたが、慌てる感じで英語が分かりにくく、星4とさせて頂きました。

On the bus tour that included lunch, we were able to visit not only Shirakawa-go but also Takayama. In Takayama, there was a shop where we could sample sake using a coin-operated server, which was really great.

昼食込のバスツアーで白川郷だけでなく飛騨高山も観光できました。
飛騨高山ではコインサーバーで日本酒の試飲ができるお店がありとてもよかったです。

I was surprised to see that most of the tour participants were foreigners, but I was able to efficiently visit and enjoy Takayama and Shirakawa-go. There wasn't much guidance on the highlights during the ride, so I think it would be better to research the sightseeing spots you want to visit in advance.

外国の方たちが大半のツアーでびっくりしましたが、高山、白川郷を効率よく廻れ楽しめました。車内での見どころに関するガイドはあまりありませんでしたので、事前に廻りたい観光スポットを下調べしておいた方が良いと思いました。

I participated in a day trip to Shirakawa-go on December 23rd. There was a news story on the 21st about the first snowfall in Shirakawa-go, and I was surprised to learn that there hadn't been any snow until then! I had assumed there would be snow, but thanks to the heavy snowfall on the 21st and 22nd, I was able to see that beautiful scenery.

12/23に白川郷日帰りツアーに参加しました。
21日のニュースで白川郷の初雪の話題が出て雪今まで無かったのか！当然雪はあるものだと思っていたが21.22の大雪であの風景を見る事が出来ました。

The guide spoke very little Japanese, and there was a lack of information. Communication was difficult due to their broken Japanese, which caused a lot of trouble. They mostly explained things in Chinese and spent a lot of time on their Instagram and talking on the phone with friends. The worst part was that the driver was completely exhausted from driving back and was dozing off, making it feel like we were about to have an accident. Even when I told the guide, they didn't do anything or seemed to understand the situation well. I believe this tour will become a major problem in the future. It wasn't just me; other customers felt the same way. It's disappointing because both the guide and the driver were really nice people. It’s probably the company's fault.

ガイドさんが日本語をほとんど喋れず、インフォメーションが足りません。カタコトの日本語なのでコミュニケーションが取れずに大変困りました。ほとんど中国語で説明していて、社内でガイドさんはずーっと自身のインスタ制作と友だちとの電話に時間を費やしていました。最悪だったのは、運転手が完全に帰りの運転に疲れ果てていて、コックリ運転で、事故に会いそうだったことです。ガイドさんに言っても、何もしてくれないと言うか、よくわかっていませんでした。きっと、将来的には大問題になるツアーだと思います。私だけではなく、他のお客さんも同意見でした。ガイドさんも運転手さんもとてもいい人だったので、残念です。多分会社が悪いんですね。

Whenever I go to Arashiyama, I always take a boat ride down the Hozu River and then enjoy walking around and eating in Arashiyama. It's so much fun, and I recommend it especially during the autumn foliage and cherry blossom seasons as it's beautiful. You might get a little wet. There are no restrooms for about two hours, so make sure to go before you start.

いつも嵐山行く時は必ず保津川下りしてそのまま嵐山で食べ歩きします。めっちゃ楽しいし紅葉シーズンや桜のシーズンはきれいなのでおすすめ。若干濡れます。トイレは2時間ぐらい行けないので必ず行っておくこと

The tour guides are funny and professional; it's a nice trip.

The tour guilds are funny and professional , its a nice trip

It was my first experience of the Hozu River boat ride. It lasted a full two hours. It seems like it was a bit early for the autumn leaves. I enjoyed various views from the river. Along the way, we got splashed with water, and it was quite a fun activity.

初めての保津川下り体験でした。たっぷり2時間。紅葉にはちょっと早かった様です。川からの色んな景色を楽しめました。途中、水がかかったり、なかなか楽しいアクティビティでした。

The autumn leaves in Kyoto after 30 years were absolutely wonderful. I thought it would be extremely crowded with inbound tourists, so I boldly signed up for a one-day bus tour, and it was the right decision.

Despite the large number of tourists, we were able to stick to the schedule, and I was satisfied with every stop. The guide was kind and even took photos for us, making it a fun day.

30年ぶりの京都の紅葉　とても素敵でした。
インバウンドでものすごく混雑すると思ったので思い切って一日バス観光に申し込み大正解でした。

観光客が多い割には時間通りに回れて、どこも満足できました。
ガイドさんも親切で写真も撮って頂けて楽しい一日になりました。

There were about 20 participants, including myself as the only Japanese, a Korean parent and child, and the rest were Chinese (including the guide). Instead of a sightseeing bus, we departed in three HiAce vans from a taxi company. We were informed that there would be no restroom breaks for the first two hours, so we headed towards Kumamoto Castle. Once we arrived, there was immediately a restroom break, and after receiving our entrance tickets, we had free time. Overall, everyone seemed to share similar impressions as the reviews suggested. Indeed, compared to Japanese travel companies, they might be slightly less efficient, but considering the public transportation is inconvenient around Aso, if you view it as transportation and lunch costs, I had no particular complaints.

By the way, since the participation date was just before a holiday, we returned an hour late due to heavy traffic. (Later, when I spoke with other travel companies, they mentioned that the traffic on that day was quite severe.) If you have a flight to catch, please be cautious.

参加は、日本人は自分だけ、韓国人親子、あとは中国人(ガイドさんも)の約20名。観光バスではなく、タクシー会社のハイエース3台で出発。2時間まではトイレ休憩なしとのことで、熊本城へ向かいました。着いたら、すぐトイレ時間があり、入場券をもらったら、その後は自由行動。概ね、皆さんが口コミ通りの感想です。たしかに、日本の旅行会社と比較すると、若干手際が悪いかも知れませんが、阿蘇のあたりは公共交通機関が不便なので、交通費+ランチ代と割り切っていれば、特に不満はありません。
ちなみに、参加日が祝日前で帰りがすごい渋滞で1時間遅れの帰着でした。(後日、他の旅行会社さんと話したところ、この日の渋滞はすごかったと話題になっていたそうです。)飛行機の時間がある方などはご注意を。

During the peak of autumn leaves in Kyoto, I pondered where to go on a Saturday and decided to book a ride on the Hozu River, thinking it would allow me to enjoy a less crowded experience. The result was a great success; I immersed myself in a leisurely time while admiring the colorful autumn leaves along both banks of the river. Although the water level was low, resulting in a two-hour ride—double the usual time—it was still delightful, with the sounds of waterfowl and the humorous commentary from the boatmen making it an unforgettable experience. I am very grateful to the crew for their kindness and commitment to safety. I would love to take a ride again during cherry blossom season.

京都紅葉の真っ盛り、しかも土曜日何処に行こうかと思案したなか、保津川下りを予約すれば混雑に紛れない時間を過ごせるのではと申し込みました。結果は大成功、保津川両岸に色付く紅葉を目にしながら、ゆったりとした時間に浸りました。水かさが少ないという事で通常の倍の2時間という乗船でしたが、それもなお可というか水鳥の囀りと船頭さん達のユーモア溢れる解説やらで時を忘れるほどの心地良さでした。親切かつ安全第一で案内していただいた船乗りの皆さんには大感謝です。桜の頃も乗船したいと思いました。

I took a boat ride during this year's autumn foliage season (November 26). According to the boatman, the water level was low due to a water shortage, causing the boat's bottom to hit rocks, which created a loud noise that was a bit frightening, but it also added to the thrill. Despite the low water volume, there was a sense of speed, and I almost got splashed several times, desperately guarding myself with a plastic sheet. The autumn leaves were beautiful, and along the way, we encountered a trolley train, waving enthusiastically at each other. I would love to take another ride at a different time in the future. The boatman mentioned that the water volume is higher in March and April, which is his favorite time of year.

今年の紅葉時期(11月26日)に乗船しました。
船頭さんのお話では水不足で水位が低いので船底に岩が当たるのでゴンゴンと音がするとの事で少し恐怖感がありましたが、返ってスリルも増しました。水量が少ないとの事でしてがスピード感もあり何度も水しぶきがかかりそうになり必死でビニールシートでガードしました。
紅葉は綺麗でしたし途中ではトロッコ列車にも会え乗客同士で手を大きく振合いました。
いつかまた違う時期に乗船したいと思いました。
船頭さんは曰く3～4月は水量が多く自分は一番好きな時期とのこと。

On the last Sunday of November, due to the high season, my reservation for 9 AM was canceled about four weeks in advance. Not wanting to give up, I managed to successfully rebook for 9 AM about two weeks ago, which was a relief.

It seems that slots that were previously unavailable are now opening up at the last minute, so it might be worth checking frequently. Although you are asked to arrive 15 minutes before your reservation time, there is a shop in the waiting area where you can eat and drink, and there are spacious, warm benches to sit on, so arriving early shouldn't be a problem.

You can bring food and drinks onto the boat, so you can enjoy snacks while calculating restroom breaks. The travel time by boat seems to vary depending on the river's water level. If it's not winter, there is a shop on the boat towards the end where you can also get warm food.

We happened to see a monkey, which made my child very happy. We enjoyed the autumn leaves while being entertained by the fun talks of the three boatmen. If I have the chance again, I will definitely come back!

11月最終週の日曜日ハイシーズンの為、4週間程前に朝イチの９時からの予約が一旦キャンセルとなってしまいました。諦めきれず2週間程前に9時を無事予約が完了してホッとしました。
ギリギリになって今まで空いていない枠が開く様なのでこまめにチェックもありかも。
予約時間の15分前を指定されますが待合室の中に売店があり飲食できる広くて温かいベンチに座りつつ食べるスペースがあるので早めに到着しても困らないかと。
船に飲食物持参可能なのでトイレを計算しつつ飲み食いしながら楽しめます。川の水量によって船での移動時間が変わる模様。冬季でなければ終盤に船の売店があるのでそこでも温かい物が食べられます。
猿とたまたま会えたので子供がとても喜んでました。
紅葉を楽しみながら船頭さん３人の楽しいトークに引き込まれました。また機会があればお世話になります!

The boatman’s paddling skills and enthusiasm are truly amazing! The scenery met my expectations. If you come to Kyoto, I recommend the riverboat ride just a short walk from Kameoka Station. The boat ride is thrilling yet relaxing, and once you reach the dock near Togetsukyo Bridge, enjoy some herring soba, visit the Kamo Shrine, then head into the crowds for a stroll through the bamboo grove and to enjoy the autumn leaves. It’s a packed itinerary! I’ll be going again in spring.

船頭さん、漕ぐ技術と盛り上げと、ホントスゴイ!景観も期待通り。京都に来たなら、亀岡駅から歩いて直ぐの川下りがオススメ。舟はスリルとまったり、渡月橋近くの桟橋着いたらニシン蕎麦食べて、御髪神社参拝して、人混みへ、竹林散策と紅葉狩り、もりもりコースです。次は春に行きます。

I had always wanted to visit Hida Takayama and Shirakawa-go. I hesitated to plan it myself due to time and transportation, but during my stay in Nagoya, I was able to go there for a day trip and enjoyed it efficiently.

飛騨高山にも白川郷にも一度行ってみたいと思ってました。自分達で予定するには時間や交通手段でちゅうちょしてましたが、名古屋滞在中に日帰りで行くことができ、効率よく楽しめました。

I was able to fully enjoy the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go, which is difficult to access individually, including my free time. I would like to come again during the snowy season!

個人ではアクセスしがたい世界遺産の白川郷を自由時間を含め、満喫することができました。今度は雪の積もった時期に来たいと思います！

For someone like me who doesn't own a car, being able to take a bus for a day trip was a significant advantage. I was concerned that visiting two places might leave us with too little time, but even with lunch, we were able to take our time and thoroughly enjoy the experience, which left me very satisfied.

The guide shared engaging stories with a touch of humor, making the tour enjoyable. (They were bilingual in Japanese and English.) I also want to thank the driver for their safe driving.

It's a pity that the weather wasn't favorable this time, but I hope to visit again when the snow is piled up.

車を持たない私には、バスで日帰りで行けるのが大きなポイントとなりました。2箇所回るとなると、滞在時間が短いのでは、と思いましたが、昼食をとってもゆっくりと見ることができ、大満足しました。

ガイドさんは、興味を惹きつけられるお話に、ユーモアを混じえてご案内くださりました。（日英バイリンガルの方でした）そして安全に運転してくださったドライバーさんにも感謝です。

今回は天気に恵まれなかったのが残念ですが、次回は雪が積もるころ訪れてみたいと思います。

The guide showed us great photo spots, so I was able to take my favorite pictures. The doburoku was really delicious! ✨

ガイドさんが映えスポットを教えてくれるので、お気に入りの映像が取れました。どぶろくが本当に美味しかったです✨

The tour consisted of just the two of us and a group of three women, with the rest being foreigners. Everyone was very well-behaved, not making noise on the bus or being late, which impressed me. The tour guide was also a Chinese woman, who was friendly and charming, making a good impression.

It was my first time visiting this place, and it felt like a city rich in history, which was very refreshing. The weather held up until we reached Takayama, but when we arrived at Shirakawa-go, it started to rain mixed with hail, making the sightseeing quite tough; that was a bit disappointing.

There was a traffic jam in Ichinomiya, and we were about 30 minutes late, but we arrived back on schedule, which was a relief. I also appreciated the driver’s help, thank you very much.

日本人は私たち夫婦2人と女性の3人組のみであとは全て 外国人 のツアーでした。
　皆さん とてもお行儀がよくバスの中で騒ぐこともなく 、時間に遅れることもなく 、とてもお行儀が良かったので 感心しました。添乗員の方も中国人の女性でしたが、愛想がよくかわいらしくて好感が持てました。
　初めて行った場所ですが 、歴史を感じる街で とても新鮮味がありました。 高山までは何とか天気はもったのですが、 白川郷に着いたら あられ 混じりの雨が降り、 結構 過酷な 観光でした 、それだけがちょっと残念でした。
　一宮で渋滞があり行く時は 予定より30分ほど遅れてしまいましたが、 帰りは予定通り到着したので助かりました 運転手さんにもお世話になりました、 ありがとうございました。

The weather was favorable, and it seemed that there weren't too many people, so we were able to enjoy sightseeing smoothly. Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto were all incredibly beautiful. I especially want to visit Arashiyama again. The only regret was that I didn't have time to drink coffee. The tour leader, Akira, provided clear explanations on the bus, and his service was excellent. There were many foreigners and few Japanese people, so I thought it was impressive that he explained in both English and Japanese. I would like to use this service again next time.

天気に恵まれ、比較的人も多くなかったようでスムーズに観光できました。京都の清水寺、伏見稲荷神社⛩️金閣寺全部最高に綺麗でした。特に嵐山は必ず又観光したいと思いました。滞在時間が短くコーヒーが飲めなかった事だけが悔やまれます。バスの中でのツアーリーダーのアキラさんの説明はわかりやすく対応が凄く良かったです。外国人が多く日本人は少なかったので英語と日本語の両方で説明されてて凄いなって思いました。次回も又利用したいと思いました。

I was able to have a meaningful time thanks to the prepared map. The stories from our guide, Winnie, were pleasant and enjoyable.

地図を用意してくださり有意義な時間を過ごせました ガイドのWinnieのお話も和やかで楽しかったです

We participated as a family of four! Each location had ample time allocated, and it was a very satisfying tour! The guide took plenty of photos and smoothly led us to the entrance. There was also a clear and detailed explanation of the recommended routes on the map before we got off at each location. I think if we hadn't joined this tour, we would have only been able to visit about two places in a day, so being able to cover all the places we wanted to see in Kyoto for this price was a huge satisfaction. We walked a lot and used our feet, but it turned into a fun Kyoto trip that exceeded our expectations! Thank you very much!

家族4人で参加しました！
ひとつひとつの場所もしっかり時間が取られていて、大満足のツアーでした！
ガイドの方も写真をいっぱい撮ってくれたり、スムーズに入り口まで連れて行ってくれたり、ひとつひとつの場所のおすすめコースも→↓でわかりやすく地図で降りる前に説明が丁寧にありました。
一日でこんなに盛り沢山のコースはツアーに参加しなかったら2ヶ所くらいしか行けなかったと思うので、この金額で京都で行きたい場所すべて制覇できるのは大満足です^_^
たくさん歩いて足も使いましたが、それを上回る楽しい京都旅行になりました！
ありがとうございました！

We participated as a family of five. The guide was very polite, kind, beautiful, charming, and a wonderful person. The driver was also very courteous, navigating narrow roads smoothly and safely, making for a comfortable bus ride. The weather was nice, and we were able to visit all the places we wanted in Takayama and Hida, with just the right amount of time.

家族5人で参加しました。ガイドさんが とても丁寧で親切で美人で愛嬌があり素敵な方でした。運転手さんも対応が丁寧で細い道もスイスイと安全運転で、安心して快適なバスの移動でした。天気もよく、高山、飛騨も行きたいとこに行けて時間もいいぐらいでした。

It started snowing, and I was able to see the scenery I wanted to see ⛄️
I'm glad I could see the places that looked like those in the pictures!
It was a place I wanted to visit at least once in my life!

雪が降ってきて、観たい風景が見れました⛄️
写真で見たような場所も、実際に見れて良かったです！
人生で一度は行きたかった場所でした！

It was a quiet season with snow falling, but I visited a cave for the first time. It was quite cold, so I think it might be better to go in the summer. I took a bus from Takayama Station, and there is a shuttle bus from the bus stop to the facility. I believe it's worth visiting for those who have never been to a cave.

雪が降る閑散期でしたが、初めて鍾乳洞に行きました。
なかなかの寒さで夏に行くのがいいかな～と思います。
高山駅からバスで行き、バス停からは施設のバスが送迎してくれます。
鍾乳洞に行ったことがない人はいってみる価値があると思います。

I visited Kinkaku-ji and Fushimi Inari Taisha for the first time. The weather was nice, and I was able to take photos of Kinkaku-ji reflecting on the water. The experience of walking through the torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha was also an interesting stroll. Additionally, enjoying lunch with yudofu at Kiyomizu-dera was one of the highlights. At Arashiyama, crossing the Togetsukyo Bridge was enjoyable as there were few people around. The tour guide's English and Japanese announcements were also a fun first experience on the bus.

金閣寺、伏見稲荷大社は初めていきました。天気が良く水面に映る金閣寺を撮影出来ました。伏見稲荷大社での鳥居を潜る体験も興味深い散策でした。また清水寺での湯豆腐が付いた昼食も楽しみの一つです。嵐山での渡月橋も人もまばらで楽しく渡れたことも良かったです。添乗員の英語、日本語の案内も初体験で楽しいバスの中だと思います。

It was just as I expected. The tour guide was from Taiwan and was very pleasant. At the end in Arashiyama, it got dark and I felt a bit rushed. In the end, we returned to Kyoto Station over an hour late. Those who plan to use this service should consider traffic congestion when making reservations.

ったとおりでした。添乗員さんが台湾の方でとても気持ちの良いかたでした。最後の嵐山では、日が落ち薄暗くて焦りました。結局京都駅に戻るのが1時間あまり遅れてしまいました。利用される方は、交通渋滞を考慮して予約したほうがよいですね。