All Reviews for Japan Autumn Tours 2024

I participated on a weekday in June. I was the only Japanese person (laughs), and the other five were from China. Since there were only a few of us, we were transported in a smaller microbus, a Nissan Caravan. The guide, who was also the driver, was Chinese. I boarded the vehicle after confirming the green number plate.

Most of the explanations were in Chinese, but they were considerate of me, and since I was alone, I was allowed to sit in the front passenger seat. It felt like a fun drive.

When we arrived at Sanzen-in, they told us what time to return. It was nice not to feel pressured. The time was set for two hours, but about an hour and a half in, the guide contacted me to ask if we could move on early. Of course, I returned right away.

Although we had planned three hours in Arashiyama, they said we would add the time we cut short at Sanzen-in here. Since I had been to Arashiyama several times, I took my time at a nearby hot spring facility.

Just being taken to Sanzen-in was satisfying. I think it would be quite difficult without a car. Of course, from there, we headed to Arashiyama, and I don't think it was bad at all.

I would like to request this again when I want to go to Sanzen-in.

6月の平日に参加しました。
日本人は私だけ(笑)他は、中国の方5名でした。人数もすくなかったので、マイクロバスの小さめな感じ、ニッサンのキャラバンでの送迎。ガイドさん兼運転手のかたも中国のひと。車はミドリナンバーを確認の上乗り込みました。
ほぼ、中国語での説明でしたが、私にも気をつかってくれ、1人だったので助手席に座らせていただきました。ドライブ気分で楽しかったです。
三千院についたら、何時に戻ってきてね、のパターン。気を遣わずよかったてす。時間は2時間でしたが、1時間半くらおでガイドさんから早めに移動しませんか？と連絡あり。もちろん、すぐもどりました。
嵐山で3時間の予定が、三千院で早めに切上げたぶんここでプラスします、とのこと。
嵐山へは何度かきているので、近くの温浴施設でゆっくり、させてもらいました。

三千院まで連れていってくれた、というだけで満足ですね。車でないとなかなか厳しいと思います。もちろん、そこから嵐山ですし
悪くないと思います。

三千院に行きたいときはまたお願いいたします。

The tour departed from JR Hakata Station at 8 AM and concluded at 6:30 PM. About 50 participants joined from Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and the United States.

The itinerary included three shrines and Takachiho Gorge. The deep green mountains were beautiful. Since it had rained beforehand, the river had a lot of water, but it was clear, and the riverbed was visible.

Our tour guide, Mr. Yang, communicated the meeting time and place in Chinese, English, and Japanese, which made us feel at ease.

ツアーは、朝8時にJR博多駅発、夕方6時30分解散でした。台湾、フィリピン、日本、アメリカなどから約50人が参加していました。
神社3カ所+高千穂峡のコースでした。深緑の山々が綺麗でした。雨の後だったので川の水量は多かったですが、水は透明で、川底が綺麗に見えました。
ツアーガイドの楊さんが、中国語、英語、日本語で集合時刻、集合場所を丁寧に伝えてくれるので安心でした。

Shirakawa-go and Gokayama were both wonderful, and I truly felt their status as World Heritage Sites. However, regarding this program, I didn't feel much meaning in signing up for it. The tour guide seemed to be doing their best, but both the content of the guidance and their English proficiency felt quite lacking.

I have experienced several tours with Veltra and other companies overseas in the past, all of which were fulfilling, so I had high expectations this time as well. Unfortunately, the explanations were very minimal and superficial. Even regarding the gassho-zukuri (thatched-roof houses), there was only a mention that they were old houses, without any details like how many years ago they were built or what "gassho" means.

Moreover, while more than half of the participants were inbound tourists, it seemed that even for simple questions, they struggled to understand English, despite having memorized parts of their script. There were frequent basic grammatical errors (such as using present participles in imperative sentences, using past tense where future tense should be, confusing 15 with 50, etc.), and in the end, even the inbound tourists were left chuckling awkwardly.

Honestly, I think that for those who understand the language, it would be easier and cost about half as much to take a regular bus instead of this tour. It's very disappointing because I believe the location itself is worth visiting.

白川郷、五箇山はいずれも素晴らしく、さすがは世界遺産だと感じました。
ただこのプログラムについて言えば、これに申し込んだ意味はあまり感じられないものでした。添乗の方は、一生懸命ではあったと思いますが、案内の内容も英語力も、いずれもかなり物足りなく感じました。
過去のベルトラのツアーも、他社のプログラムも、何度か海外で経験しておりどれも充実していたので今回も期待していたのですが、とてもわずかな通り一遍の説明しかありませんでした。合掌造りについても昔の家というだけで、たとえば何年前くらいとか、合掌とはどういう意味かなどすら説明がありませんでした。
また、インバウンドの方が半数以上でしたが、おそらく覚えてきた原稿部分はともかく、簡単な質問をされても英語が聞き取れないようでしたし、基本的な文法も明らかな誤り（命令文に現在分子を使う、未来形であるはずのところに過去形を使う、15と50を間違える、など)が頻出し、最後はインバウンドの方も苦笑していました。
正直これなら、日本語がわからない方はともかく、言葉がわかる人はちょっと手間をかけて普通のバスで行く方が半額くらいで済むと思います。
場所自体は訪ねる価値のあるところだと思うだけにとても残念でした。

Everyone else was a foreign tourist, but the male guide from Nepal spoke English and Japanese very well with a smile, and I had a great time. This is the most popular tour to see Mount Fuji, which represents Japan, from various angles, so there were a lot of people everywhere we went.

自分以外は外国人観光客でしたが、ネパール人ガイドの男性が英語も日本語も笑顔で上手に親切に話してくださりとても楽しめました。日本を代表する富士山を色んな角度から観光する一番人気のツアーなので行く先々めちゃくちゃ人が多かったです。

Both Takayama and Shirakawa-go are tourist destinations that are a bit difficult to access without a car. For solo travelers, the same-day return bus tours that operate daily and can be booked by just one person were incredibly convenient.

The tours had about 80% international participants, and the tour guide provided explanations in Japanese, Chinese, and English. Everyone was punctual, and the bus was not noisy, allowing us to relax and fully enjoy the sightseeing experience.

I think day trip bus tours while traveling are going to become a habit for me!

高山も白川郷も車がないとちょっと行きにくい観光地。1人旅では、毎日&1人から催行される当日帰りバスツアーがとっても便利でした。
海外の方が8割のツアーで、添乗員さんは日本語、中国語、英語で説明されていました。みなさん時間厳守で、車内が騒がしいということもなく、車内ではゆっくり休めたおかげで観光を全力で楽しめました。
旅先での日帰りバスツアー、しばらくクセになりそうです！

The free time in Hida Takayama and Shirakawa-go is 2 hours, but to see the main view from the high point in Shirakawa-go, you have to walk up a slope for 20 minutes or take a shared bus. The bus runs once every 20 minutes and is a microbus, so if you can't fit on it, you'll have to wait another 20 minutes, which is a significant loss of time. Walking can be tough for the elderly, and in summer, the sunlight can be harsh. If possible, I would like a bit more free time in Shirakawa-go.

飛騨高山と白川郷の自由時間は2時間なのだが､白川郷のメインである高台からの風景を見るには坂道を20分歩くか､乗合バスで行くのですがバスは20分に一本でマイクロバスなので乗り切れない場合は20分待つことになり時間のロスが大きい､歩くにしても年寄りにはきつく､夏場は日差しが厳しそう｡できれば白川郷ではもう少し自由時間が欲しい｡

At first, I was thinking of using a non-tour bus for sightseeing. However, as I researched bus stops and schedules, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed (getting older makes things feel more burdensome), so I decided to join a tour instead. Since I only needed to remember the meeting place and time for the bus, I didn't have to think about a lot of things and was able to leisurely enjoy the gassho-zukuri architecture and nature.

Additionally, the guide pointed out photo spots, and I was able to capture the gassho-zukuri houses with the fresh green mountains and blue sky in the background, along with the rice fields that had just finished planting.

最初はツアーでないバスを使って観光しようと思っていました。
でもバス停や時刻表など調べていて、ちょっと気が重くなってきて（歳を重ねて億劫になってきました）ツアーに参加することにしました。
バスの集合場所と時間だけ覚えておけばよいので、あれこれ考える必要がなく、ゆっくり合掌造りと自然を楽しめました。

そして、ガイドさんにフォトスポットを教えていただき、新緑の山と青空をバックに合掌造りと田植えが終わったばかりの水田が撮れました。

Tour guide Mr. Mike narration is good.
The trip itinerary slip with brief details was missing.

The service from the tour guide was amazing. I was impressed that they could speak English, Chinese, and Japanese. They handed out maps and provided detailed explanations on efficient routes and locations. They also answered questions, which made me feel at ease. I will participate again!

添乗員さんのサービスがすごい。
英語、中国語、日本語が話せて感心しました。
地図を配ってくれて、効率の良い回り方と、場所の説明も細かく教えてれました。質問にも答えてくれて安心しました。
また参加します！

A great plan that allows you to visit Takayama and Shirakawa-go in one day, which is difficult to do on your own. The guide was fluent in three languages, and there were no issues with the explanations in Japanese. They provided a course that was easy to navigate, and following their suggestions allowed us to manage our time perfectly. There seemed to be congestion on the road just before Shirakawa-go, but thanks to the driver's and guide's judgment to take an alternate route, we arrived smoothly. Although we got tired from walking around in the heat, we were able to take breaks in the air-conditioned bus during the transfers, which made it very comfortable for us.

個人ではなかなか移動が難しい、高山と白川郷を1日で周れるお得なプラン。
ガイドさんは３カ国語ペラペラで、日本語の説明も問題ありませんでした。
周りやすいコースも案内していただき、その通りに周ればちょうどいいくらいの時間でした。白川郷の手前で道路が混雑してたみたいなのですが、ドライバーさんとガイドさんの判断で別ルートに変更されたことでスムーズに到着できました。
また暑い中歩き回って疲れたのですが、移動中にクーラーの効いたバス内で休憩ができたので、身体もとても楽でした。

I found this tour while planning my trip to Kanazawa after many decades. The idea of being able to take a day trip to Shirakawa-go was exciting! Since my last visit was in the summer, I was thrilled to see the gassho-zukuri reflected in the rice fields! I quickly jumped at the opportunity and made a reservation.

The microbus stopped near the bus stop for the Shirakawa-go viewpoint, allowing us to fully enjoy the wonderful scenery of the town and the surrounding mountains. The tour guide pointed out great spots for sightseeing and photography, so I was able to capture beautiful shots of the gassho-zukuri reflected in the rice fields.

It was my first visit to Gokayama, and I was once again touched by the beauty of Japan's satoyama (rural landscape). The tour guide's information about Kanazawa was also very interesting (thank you!).

We arrived in Kanazawa just before 4 PM. I thought it was a perfect time for those taking the shinkansen to head home, but I personally wished for a bit more time to stay in each place.

ん十年ぶりの金沢旅行からのプラン考え中にこのツアーを見つけました。
白川郷に日帰りで行けるなんて！前回訪問は夏だったので水田に映る合掌作りが見れる！の案内に直ぐ飛びつき予約をしました。
白川郷展望台へのマイクロバス乗り場から近くにバスが停車、白川郷の街並みと山々の素晴らしい景色をぞんぶんに堪能できました。
添乗員さんが見学＆撮影ポイントを教えてくださったので水田に映る合掌作りもバッチリ撮影できました。
五箇山は初めての来訪。改めて日本の里山の素晴らしさに心和みました。
添乗員さんの金沢を含めた案内もとても興味深かったです。(ありがとうございます。)
金沢到着16時前。新幹線に乗って帰宅される方には丁度いい時間と思いましたが、私はそれぞれもう少し滞在時間が欲しかったです。

It was a very good bus tour. The guide spoke three languages and was very kind, which made me feel at ease. If I have the opportunity, I will participate in a different tour as well. Thank you for the wonderful tour.

とても良いバスツアーでした。
ガイドの方も3カ国語を話されて
とても親切で安心しました
また、機会があれば違うツアーなどに
参加させてもらいますね
素晴らしいツアーを
ありがとうございました。

I visited Hida Takayama and Shirakawa-go. I joined the tour mainly for Shirakawa-go, but I found Hida Takayama to be more enjoyable than I expected, so I'm glad I chose this tour. The long-awaited Shirakawa-go was a wonderful place! The scenery was beautiful, the buildings were educational, and I got to enjoy some delicious pudding. I was able to efficiently sightsee in just one day, so I would love to participate again.

飛騨高山と白川郷を巡りました。白川郷目当てで参加していたので、飛騨高山が予想よりも楽しくてこのツアーにして良かったと思いました。念願の白川郷はとても良いところでした！景色が美しく、建物は勉強になりましたし、美味しいプリンも食べられました。1日で効率良く観光できたので、また参加したいです。

I participated in GW (Golden Week). It wasn't the season for cherry blossoms or autumn leaves, but the young leaves of the maple trees were sparkling and very beautiful. The boatman’s impressive talk and steering, along with the unique experience of a convenience store on the boat (not a food truck, but a kitchen boat), kept things interesting until the end, making it a very enjoyable time.

GWに参加しました。桜でも紅葉でもない季節でしたが、もみじの若葉がキラキラとしてとても良かったです。
船頭さんの「さすがプロ」と感心するトークや操船、終盤の船上コンビニ体験（キッチンカーならぬキッチンボート）など、最後まで飽きさせない工夫もありとても楽しい時間でした。

The bus staff were kind and it was great 😊 I was healed by the scenery of Shirakawa-go and had a wonderful trip. Thank you!

バスの関係者の方が親切で良かったです😊
また白川郷の景観に癒されて良い旅ができました、ありがとうございます

I searched several places and found a good restaurant. I was able to eat in the best condition by grilling it myself. I was also satisfied with the soba that came as a set.

何軒か探して良い店を見つけました。自分で焼くのが一番良いコンディションで食べられました。蕎麦もセットで満足できました。

The tour guide explained everything very well. The bus ride was nice, but unfortunately, it rained almost all day due to circumstances beyond our control. I understand that it wasn't the travel agency's or the tour guide's fault, but it's hard to say it was the best tour ever because of that.

添乗員さんはとてもよく説明してくれました。バス中はよかったのですが、不可抗力の雨がほぼ終日降りまして残念でした。旅行社や添乗員さんの問題ではないのはわかっているのですが、最高のツアーでしたとはならないのも致し方ないかと。

There were many foreigners, and only a few Japanese participants. There were explanations in three languages, and the meeting times were displayed each time, making it easy to understand. No one was late to the meeting points, so everything went smoothly. However, the meeting place in Nagoya in the morning was a bit hard to find.

Takayama and Shirakawa-go were popular and crowded, but Gujo Hachiman was calm. Generally, the sightseeing at each location was free, but if you chose to explore the town of Gujo Hachiman, you could have a guide. In Shirakawa-go, there was advice on how to get around within the time limit, and the view from the high ground was more wonderful than I expected.

外国人が多く、日本人は数組でした。
3カ国語で説明があり、集合時間も毎回表示していたのでわかりやすかったです。
各所の集合に遅れる人はいなかったので、スムーズでした。
ただ朝の名古屋の集合場所がわかりにくいです。

高山と白川郷は人気の場所で混雑していましたが、郡上八幡は落ち着いてました。基本は各所フリー観光ですが、郡上八幡の街の散策を選んだらガイドしてもらえました。
白川郷では時間内でどう回ればよいかアドバイスがあり、高台からの景色は思った以上に素晴らしかったです。

Thanks! Great trip with great people & many impressions!

Although most of the time is spent traveling, I think it's a good tour because you can go to Takachiho and come back in one day. I thought there would be a lot of mountain walking, but it wasn't that intense. If you don't have any issues with your legs, I don't think you need to worry too much.

Regarding the guide, Emily was wonderful. Her explanations were clear, and she was very professional. Unfortunately, the guide in charge of Japanese and Korean, Y, was disappointing. She spoke in such a quiet voice that the three Japanese guests sitting right in front of her couldn't hear her. She didn't use a microphone either. However, the Korean guide was loud enough to be heard.

Including the parking, Y was the last to return to the bus at three out of the five stops we made. While she expected the guests to be punctual, it was surprising that she was late three times. Emily had to remind her on the third occasion, but it seemed to upset Y, and her guiding after that was far from professional. Additionally, it may be a minor point, but I believe there are still a number of Japanese people who find it rude to guide while wearing AirPods. They might be used as hearing aids, but if that's the case, it would be better if she mentioned it at the beginning.

While the guiding experience wasn't as great as others have described, I still think it was a tour that was enjoyable overall.

移動時間がほとんどではありますが、一日で高千穂まで行って帰って来られるので、良いツアーだと思います。ものすごく山歩きするのかと思っていましたが、そこまでではありませんでした。足に不安がなければ、そんなに心配しなくて良いと思います。

ガイドについて、エミリーさんは素晴らしかったです。説明もよく分かり、プロフェッショナルでした。残念なのは日本語と韓国語のガイド担当のYさんです。目の前に座ってるたった3人の日本人客にも聞こえないような小さな声でしか説明をしない。マイクも使わない。でも韓国語でのガイドは充分聞こえる音量。
パーキングも含め、立ち寄った5ヶ所のうち3ヶ所で、Ｙさんが一番最後にバスに戻ってきました。客側には時間厳守を求めているのに。流石に３回目はエミリーさんが注意してくれたのですが、それが不満だったようで、その後のガイドぶりもプロとは言い難いものでした。また、細かい話かも知れませんが、AirPodsを耳に装着したままガイドすることを失礼と感じる日本人はまだ一定数いると思います。補聴器として使われているのかも知れませんが、それなら最初に一言断られた方が良いと思います。

ガイドについては他の方の体験談のような素晴らしさはありませんでしたが、それを除けば充分楽しめるツアーだと思いました。

The guidance from the experienced and honest guide was great. The time allocation for the places we visited was also good, allowing for efficient sightseeing. The only issue I would point out is the lack of preparation at the lunch venue, and the soba broth was very weak, which created a big gap compared to the other dishes that were quite salty, resulting in many inbound guests not showing much expression.

経験豊富、正直ベースのガイドさんの案内が良かった。訪問箇所の時間配分も良く効率的に観光できました。唯一課題を挙げれば、昼食会場の受入れ準備不足と、蕎麦の出汁がとても薄く、他の塩味の強い品々とのギャップが大きくて、多くのインバウンドの表情がなかった点です。

I'm in the tour guide business in Hawaii, and I thought my tour guide Steven did a very good job. He spoke in English and in Chinese, which I thought was awesome! It was a very long day, but well worth it. I will use some of the actions that Steven did during my tour when I get back to work. Please tell Steven that I said thank you for a great day. The Mt. Fuji cake was delicious; get the hot drink in the can and use it to try to keep warm.

I’m in the tour guide business in Hawaii and I thought my tour guide Steven did a very good job. He spoke in English and in Chinese which I thought was awesome! It was a very long day, but well worth it. I will use some of the actions that Steven did during my tour, when I get back to work. Please tell Steven that I said thank you for a great day. The Mt. Fuji cake was delicious，get the hot drink in the can and use it for trying to keep warm.

I had my first experience of rafting down the Hozu River. The boatman’s teamwork and storytelling made it a fun experience. I visited during the dazzling season of fresh greenery. The colors of the green and water were wonderful and it was the best. We stopped by a shop along the way and bought some Mitarashi dango, which we enjoyed eating in a spot where the current slowed down.

The boatman also mentioned that the autumn foliage season is even more beautiful, so I was told to consider coming back if I have the chance.

I would love to visit again during the autumn foliage season.

初めての保津川の川下り体験してきました。船頭さんの連携とトークで楽しい体験させて頂きました。新緑の眩しい季節に訪問しました。緑と水の色が素晴らしくて最高でした。途中の売店がきましてみたらし団子買って流れが緩くなるところで食べました。

船頭さんからも紅葉の時期はもっと綺麗らしいので機会あればって言われてました。

秋の紅葉時期にもまた訪問してみたいです。

I had been curious about this for a long time, and this was my first time riding.

Positive points:
The weather was great, making it comfortable, and the scenery was beautiful.
The guide was very attentive.
Since it was a relatively empty trip, they changed all reserved seats to free seating.

Other:
With the free seating, passengers were able to choose their own seats and spread out happily, but a couple moved to the front seats after the bus departed.
I would have preferred if seat changes during the driving portion of the tour were not allowed (there are safety concerns, and there was no specific warning about this).
After moving, they kept taking selfies, constantly worrying about being in the frame.
It was unfortunate that the bad manners of the couple who moved to the front seats blocked my view, especially since it had been so comfortable before.

I was very pleased with the consideration of having free seating, so it would have been appreciated if there had been an announcement to discourage moving after the tour started.

I think the bus experience was very enjoyable. Thank you.

ずっと気になっていて今回初めて乗車しました。

よかった点
天気に恵まれて快適にすごせ、景色もよかった
ガイドさんも丁寧だった
比較的空いている回だったので、指定席を全席フリーに変更してくださった


その他
フリー席になって乗客も各々好きな座席を確保し、散らばってよろこんでいたものの、バス出発後に、前の席に移動してきたカップルがいた。
ツアーが始まってからの運転走行中の座席移動はやめていただきたかった(そもそも安全面で疑問ですが、特に注意もなかった)
移動後はずっと自撮りをされていて、こちらが画面に映り込むのを終始気にする始末
せっかく快適だったのに途中から移動してきた前席のマナーが悪く、視界が遮られて残念だった

フリー席にしてくださる配慮はとても嬉しかったので、ツアー開始後の移動はやめるようアナウンスをいれていただけるとありがたかったです

バスはとても楽しいものだったと思います。
ありがとうございました。

The time allocation for sightseeing was rushed. There wasn't enough information provided regarding lunch. After having a meal at Oshino Hakkai, there was hardly any time left for sightseeing.

観光する時間配分が慌ただしい。
昼食に関する情報案内が足りなかった。
忍野八海で食事をしたら観光する時間がほとんどなかった。

I've experienced Tokyo sightseeing several times, but seeing Tokyo from the high vantage point of the Sky Bus was something else. The detailed explanations from the guide at key points made it even more enjoyable.

東京観光は何度の経験しているけど、あのスカイバスの高い目線で見る東京は別物でした。またガイドさんの要所要所での詳しい解説があってより一層楽しい一時になりました。

Most of the people were from Taiwan, Europe, and America, and the tour guide announced in three languages, giving a sense of being on an international trip. It was very enjoyable, but since it was during Golden Week, the tourist spots were crowded with many people.

台湾やヨーロッパやアメリカ人の方が殆どで、添乗員さんも３カ国の言語でアナウンスされ、外国観光に行った感覚でした。
とても、楽しかったですが、ゴールデンウィークで、観光地に、たくさん来られてたので、人だらけでした。

I went on a sightseeing tour in Tokyo with friends for the first time during the Golden Week event, riding on an open deck. It was quite thrilling to see the Rainbow Bridge and Kachidoki Bridge from below while being in the city. I never imagined I would be driving on the highway with the top down; it felt unbelievable! The day after Children's Day, there were carp streamers and sanma streamers at Tokyo Tower. I was impressed by the guide's skillful explanations, and before I knew it, the tour was over. I would like to participate again in a different season. Thank you for your hospitality.

GWのイベントで友人と初めてオープンデッキでと都内観光しました。都内にいながら下から見るレインボーブリッジやかちどき橋はなかなかスリル満点でした。
高速道路をオープンで走るなんて考えてもみなかったからウソでしょ?って感じでした。
こどもの日の次の日で東京タワーには鯉のぼりとサンマのぼりがありました。
ガイドさんの巧みな説明に感心しながらあっという間に終わってしまいました。
今度は季節を変えて参加したいと思っています。
お世話になりました。

There was a lot of traffic, and the driver had a tough time, but the tour guide was kind, and it was great with a small group. Of course, the weather was nice, and Mount Fuji was amazing.

渋滞ばかりで、運転手さんは大変やったけど、添乗員さんは親切で、少人数で大変よかったです。もちろん天気が良くて富士山は最高でした。

I participated in a day trip to Mount Fuji on April 29th. I felt it was great to be able to efficiently sightsee within a limited time. My wife and I were the only Japanese participants, but our conductor, Mr. Zhang Yu, was always polite and provided clear explanations, for which I am grateful. I wish you continued success in the future.

４月29日の富士山日帰り旅行に参加いたしました。
限られた時間で効率良く観光でき、参加して良かったと思いました。
日本人は私共夫婦二人だけでしたが、コンダクターの張宇さんには、終始丁寧に
解りやすく対応頂き、感謝しております。
今後とも、より一層のご活躍祈念いたします。