All Reviews for Japan Autumn Tours 2024

This was our second 2-day tour with Taiji in 3 years, and everyone had so much fun! Not only is Taiji super detailed oriented in planning a wonderful itinerary for our group, and equally efficient in executing even the most complicated and busiest schedules, it is all accomplished without making the tour group feel rushed at all. At the end, we were able to enjoy a fantastic customized experience that catered to the varied preferences that ranged from a 15-year old teenage girl up to grandparents in their 70's and 80's!

Best of all, Taiji not only provides a great tour service, but does so by enhancing the experience through his fun personality. Not only is his English excellent, but it is very difficult to find someone who is as humorous as Taiji who can not only understand but participate in sarcastic humor! Thank you so much again for the truly memorable and fun times, Taiji!

Exceptionally well organised tour and so much to see in one day! Loads of walking and tour running on a tight schedule to fit the itinerary in.
Guide friendly, speaking very good English.
Extremely pleased with the tour and will recommend Veltra (Kyoto Tours) to my friends.

I was here in April and I found out that April is time when there is most snow on Mt Fuji . it happened to me and we had to stop at 2 point .. but everything else was nice and perfect. guide was outstanding and ride smooth

Booked this tour a couple of months ago, when the weather forecast said it will be sunny. Unfortunately, the day of the tour itself, there was rain and snow, obviously Fuji-san would be a no-show. However, Taiji made the tour as comfortable for the group as possible, offering alternative activities for the day, since the situation is beyond anyone's control. Have to admit, Fuji-san was just the really optional part of the tour, and the priority was Gotemba Outlets. So we spent more the most part of the day there, taking our sweet time shopping and enjoying what the day has to offer. Taiji is very friendly, on time, drives safely, adaptable to our requests who would go above and beyond. Over all, I would have to say we were in very good hands, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better, would book a tour with them again in the near future.

Difficult to hear what the guides were saying.
Very busy between the different sights. When we finally found cherry blossoms there was no time to take photos.
Not too interesting to see the gardens and the shrine that was under reconstruction.

I had a great experience before, so I participated with my brother's family as well. The freshness of being able to view various buildings and landscapes from the high position of the bus is truly wonderful. Since it was a nice spring season, we were able to see the cherry blossoms, which made it even more enjoyable. The guide's performance really enhances the tour. Everyone, both children and adults, gets very excited when passing under the bridge. I think it would be great if there were a tour that also includes Tokyo Tower and other places for about an additional 30 minutes.

前に利用して良かったので兄弟の家族も一緒に参加しました。
色んな建物や景色がバスの高い位置から眺められるという新鮮さは本当に良いです。
春の良い季節だったので桜も見れてより楽しめました。
ガイドさんの演出がよりツアーを盛り上げてくれます。橋の下をくぐる時は子供も大人も大興奮です。
プラス30分くらいで東京タワーや他の場所も一緒にまわれるツアーもあったらいいなと思います。

Had a great tour with a private chartered taxi. Our driver-guide Taka was very helpful, friendly, accommodating, and funny. We are very happy to be with his company and we hope to meet him again in the future of our Japan trips.

Tour guide Jim was excellent and he made the tour interesting and fun. The locations selected were just right and what we wished to see.

I participated with friends from China in Singapore. I decided to join a day trip from Kanazawa the day before the tour, and the reservation process was easy and straightforward. I initially planned to go by bus on my own, but the morning and evening reservations were already full. The tour had 40% Japanese and 60% foreigners, with both Japanese and English guides, and it was extremely enjoyable. The small group created a friendly atmosphere that was fantastic. The guidance on how to explore Shirakawa-go and Gokayama was clear and easy to understand!!! The guide and driver from Kanazawa created a great atmosphere, and their desire to make sure everyone had a good time was evident. I made wonderful memories with my friends. Thank you very much!!!

シンガポール、中国の友だちと参加しました。
ツアー前日に金沢発の一日旅行を思い立って申し込みましたが、予約は簡単で、わかりやすかったです。個人でバスでいくつもりでしたが、既に朝、夕方の予約はいっぱいでしたが、ツアーは日本人4割、外国人6割、日英ガイドがつきで、非常に楽しかったです。グループは少人数でフレンドリーな雰囲気が最高でした。
白川郷、五箇山での回り方もガイダンスがありわかりやすかったです！！！
金沢出身のガイドさん、ドライバーさんがいい雰囲気づくりをされていて、楽しんでもらおうという気持ちがつたわりました。
友人とのいい思い出ができました。ありがとうございました！！！

This tour was exceptional in that it was possible to select and change the itinerary as the day progressed. The tour guide spoke good English, was knowledgeable about the places we visited, and was happy and adept at discovering additional places to visit to fit our interests. In addition, the driver also spoke good English, drove well and safely, and also was helpful in support of the guide. We also had a very nice lunch in a beautiful and peaceful restaurant. All in all, this was without doubt the best tour we had in Japan.
The tour comprised a married couple and a friend - all fairly elderly, but the guide made sure we were able to see all the important sight seeing aspects of the tour.

We were picked up from a nearby hotel to our own hotel. we were picked up with a bus which goes to our actual transport bus. There were around 3 or four busses which were to same direction to mount FUJI all together 100 people only from the same company which is GRAY LINE.
First stop was mount Fuji 4th station. (We were told that 5th station was closed due to weather conditions, which is OK) however the problem was to enter 4th station it took 40 minutes, as I believe there were many other tours.
Super crowded, people were on top of each other to take pictures of Fuji view. The queue in front of the toilet was long impossible to use.
Indeed we were only given 20 minutes in the area.
By the time you get off and on the bus is already a lot of time passed.
After that next station was lunch break, it was given only 30 minutes, which I am glad we requested no lunch as well.
When we goy on the boat on lake Ashi, there was no place to sit down, boat was overcrowded obviously we stood indoors.
Overall I wanted to see mount FUJI close by which was done.
But it was rushed and very crowded. Tour guide was robotic overall no enthusiasm.
If you are OK with such tight schedule and dont mind being rushed everywhere it is alright.
I believe these kind of tours have a limited quota and not oversold just for money.
End of the day it was over 100 dollars per person still with no lunch.
You might better do the tour by yourself or pay more and find a private kinda tour.

I participated with my middle and high school children. While enjoying the scenery along the way, the guide kindly shared stories about the area, highlights of the spots we were heading to, and how to get around. We were able to enjoy our free time at a leisurely pace. The guide's interesting stories kept the children engaged and listening seriously.

The lunch was plentiful and very delicious. Despite having eaten pork buns, croquettes, and dumplings, the children finished everything. The hands-on experience of making senbei was also well-received.

I usually travel by car, and this was my first bus tour, but I felt like I could experience the land more leisurely than on my usual trips. I was delighted by the scenery of Shirakawa-go, which I had wanted to visit for many years.

The guide, interpreter, and driver were all warm and friendly, which made for a very pleasant experience. Although the weather was unfortunately rainy at times, thanks to the staff, I was able to enjoy myself thoroughly. Bus tours are great! I would like to use them again.

中高生の子供と参加しました。道中景色を見ながら、この地方の話、これから向かうスポットの見所、回り方をガイドさんが丁寧に話して下さり、自由行動もゆっくり楽しむことができました。ガイドさんが興味深いお話を上手にして下さるので、子供達も真剣に聞いていました。
お昼ご飯は量も多く、とても美味しかったです。子供達は豚まんやコロッケ、団子、、食べていたにも関わらず完食でした。せんべい手焼き体験も好評でした。
普段車での旅行で、バスツアーは初めてだったのですが、いつもの旅行より、ゆったりと土地を感じられた気がします。長年訪ねたかった白川郷、景色にほっこりとしました。
ガイドさん、通訳さん、運転手さん、温かく声をかけて下さり、とても気持ちが良かったです。あいにくの雨が降ったり止んだりの天気でしたが、スタッフの方々のおかげで、十分楽しめました。バスツアーいいですね。また利用したいと思いました。

Higashi is my Chinese-speaking Japanese born private
tour guide and having worked in China for many years, he is a gem that could give us Japanese culture and yet be able to relate to us - we are a Singaporean family (I was with my 70 year old mother and 2 sisters). He paced the entire trip nicely taking into account our speed, to the extent of serving our food needs and even accompany us to shopping to wherever we want and with such patience for a man! Encourage all to book him!

东谦一是我们的日本长大又能说中文的私人导游。他在中国工作了很多年，所以美好的融合了日本传统又能够跟我们的文化接近。由于我带了70岁的妈妈和两个妹妹，他完美得随我们的步伐导游，恰到好处。他更帮我们照顾周到， 餐饮和购物都随我们一起走，帮我们翻译，难能可贵的一个导游。大家请指定他为你的导游!

This tour was wonderful! I think the only downfall was because the weather was overcast so didn't get to see really good majestic pictures of Mt. Fuji but no fault of anyone but nature. LOL. The tour guide was very well versed in knowing all there was about cities, history, and spoke pretty good English. Everything went very smoothly and the traditional Japanese style lunch they planned was also right on point. I ate my very first and famously known black hard boiled egg straight from the site itself. Looking forward to the next trip and more planning through Veltra. Use Veltra as well as they seem to have more variety when all the other sites were all sold out, instant confirmations on most and a bit cheaper too. All bonuses!!

Thank you again, team, Veltra

Very encompassing tour of Tokyo. You see a both a Buddhist Temple and Shinto Shrine, visit several gardens, shop, take a boat ride on a scenic part of the river and have a great Japanese lunch. Of course the Cherry Blossoms were in bloom which made it extra special. Great guide!

I enjoyed this tour during my stay in Kanazawa. We were able to efficiently visit Shirakawa-go and Takayama. The time allocation was just right, with plenty of free time to explore the highlights at my own pace. The driver and guides were also very pleasant, and I had a wonderful time. I participated on April 3rd, and after an unusual snowfall, Shirakawa-go was beautifully covered in snow.

金沢滞在での一日にこのツアーを楽しみました。白川郷と高山を効率良く回る事ができました。時間配分はちょうど良く、自由時間も充分あり、好きなペースで見所を歩けました。ドライバー、ガイドの方々も感じ良く、素晴らしい時間を過ごせました。4月３日の参加でしたが、季節外れの雪が積もった後で、美しい雪の白川郷でした。

Staff service was very good even prior to the start of the tour. At pickup point staff made sure we were at the right tour and everyone was on board. On the actual tour bus the guide talk about the different sights in Tokyo city before we got out of the city, and through out the drive to Mt. Fuji provide us with various cultural and scenic information. We had a good view of Mt Fuji, even though we did not get to the 5th Station. The ropeway ride was also good and well guide but the tour guide to make sure we got on board. The disappointing part was the boat ride on Lake Ashi - since our tour was part of a larger group of people, too many in our opinion as we had no place to sit down and had to stand in several crowded areas until we reach the other side. So we had no commentary about the Lake and it surrounds, so basically it was just a ferry ride to the other side of the lake. The guide look after us during lunch and had a place for us to sit even though we did not get a lunch package, and finally made sure we got the the Odawara Station OK and directed us to the correct train and platform.

I was satisfied that I could visit World Heritage sites without wasting time. The advice on highlights and routes was also helpful. The lunch spot and the rice cracker shop had friendly service, making for a pleasant dining and experience! In the morning, we gathered at the west exit of Kanazawa Station, but there were no signs, so I wished they had something like a whiteboard to guide us.

時間の無駄なく世界遺産を巡ることが出来て満足です。
見所や順路のアドバイスも参考になりました。
ランチのお店もお煎餅のお店も、対応が明るくて気持ち良く食事や体験ができました！
朝、金沢駅西口に集合ですが案内板などは出てないのでホワイトバード的なモノを出しておいて欲しかったです。

At the end of March, it was a bit early for cherry blossoms, and Shirakawa-go had only a little snow left, so I didn't have high expectations. However, there were guests from abroad on the tour, and the tour guide provided explanations in both English and Japanese. We enjoyed stories about history, local anecdotes, and personal experiences from the guide, making the bus ride quite enjoyable. The lunch was also warm and welcoming, and I was very satisfied. I would definitely like to participate again if the opportunity arises.

３月末で桜には少し早いし、雪も残雪程度の白川郷でしたので、期待はあまりしていなかったのですが、ツアーのお客さんには外国からの方もいて、添乗員さんは英語と日本語の２か国語で説明してくれました。
歴史の話や地元ならではの話、また添乗員さんが個人的に体験した話など、バスの中でも十分楽しめました。
昼食も温かいもてなしをうけ、大満足でした。
また機会があれば是非参加したいと思います。

We had a great trip to Mt Fuji and Hakona day trip. The guide was absolotley the best guide we ever had in our life.
Recomend it very much

Day trip to Mt. Fuji and Hakone and cruise on Lake Ashi was amazing . We were lucky enough to have an amazing view of Mt. Fuji .the coach trip was great and tour guide made the day lots of fun.

At first we were worried about the pickup service, since we are not sure which bus to board, but then there is actually a guide? Which will meet us at the pickup location and check the attendance, then only we board the bus to daiichi hotel and change to another bus to hakone. The way to hakone from daichi hotel is about 2h30min, but we get to have a 15min break after an hour on the bus and we are also able to see mt fuji from the break spot. We have mr yoshi as our tour guide, and he was informative. While in the bus, mr yoshi also teaches us how to count from 1-10, sang a mt fuji song, and fold an origami of mt fuji. The lunch was also delicious.

I found this activity while searching online for things to do in Kanazawa. A local guide accompanied us, which was very helpful for our free exploration. We had plenty of time to stroll around and thoroughly enjoy the sights. It was great that they pointed out photo spots. We also made it back in time for the Thunderbird, allowing us to enjoy the World Heritage sites.

金沢のアクティビティーをネットで探していてこちらを見つけました。地元在住の添乗員さんが案内をしてくださり自由散策に役立ちました。散策時間も十分とられていてしっかり見学できました。フォトスポットを教えていただいたのは良かったです。帰りのサンダーバードにもしっかり間に合い、世界遺産を楽しむことができました。

A good tour, a good day with clear blue skies. Excellent view of Mt Fuji & well planned itinerary. The tour guide is helpful and gave us good description of the places we visited.

It was a very fun day trip with plenty to do and beautiful scenery. It was perfect for our 10 year old too. He said he really enjoyed it. We even really liked the Japanese style lunch...the portion was quite large. We got lucky because it was a clear and beautiful day.

I participated with three friends.
The weather was great on the day of the tour, which included about 20 people, including foreigners. The guides were very kind, and the information they shared on the bus was very interesting, making the journey enjoyable.
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama Sakaura still had some snow, creating a beautiful and charming landscape. We were able to leisurely explore by climbing the observation deck and visiting souvenir shops. I wasn't expecting much from the lunch (since it was included in the tour), but I was surprised! It was delicious and very filling.
The hand-baked rice cracker experience was also fun.
Thanks to the guides, it truly became a wonderful day. Thank you very much.

友人達と4人で参加しました。
当日は天気にも恵まれ、外国の方々も含む20名ほどのツアーでした。ガイドの方々はとても親切で、バスの中で教えて頂く情報も大変面白く、移動中も楽しく過ごせました。
白川郷や五箇山相倉はまだ雪も残っていて、風情あるとても素敵な景色でした。展望台に登ったりお土産やさんに寄ったり、のんびり散策できました。昼食は(ツアーに入ってる食事だし...)と特に期待していなかったのですがビックリ！美味しくボリュームたっぷりでお腹いっぱいになりました。
手焼きせんべい体験も楽しかったです。
ガイドしてくださる方々のお陰で本当に楽しい一日になりました。ありがとうございました。

I wanted to efficiently travel to Shirakawa-go from Kanazawa in a limited amount of time, so I joined a tour. The bus seats were quite spacious, and perhaps because it was a weekday, the bus was not crowded at all, making it comfortable.

I think it was a great deal since we could visit not only Shirakawa-go but also Takayama. As we approached each destination, the staff explained the highlights and recommendations, which was very helpful. The lunch I had in Shirakawa-go was delicious, and I was also able to enjoy a hot spring. Thanks to this, it turned out to be a fulfilling trip.

金沢から時間がない中、効率的に白川郷まで行きたいと思いツアーに参加しました。バスの座席もかなりゆったりした作りでしたが平日だったせいかバスはかなり余裕があり、快適でした。
白川郷だけでなく、飛騨高山にも行けてお得だと思います。それぞれ目的地に近付くと、スタッフの方が見所等オススメを説明してくれて、助かりました。白川郷で食べた昼食も美味しかったし、温泉にも入れました。おかげで充実した旅になりました。

The guide was fun and knowledgeable. The tour of the whiskey distillery and sake brewery was great. The sake brewery did not have an English translation but the guide translated for our group. We went to a great spot for lunch that was recommended by the guide. Amazing, I recommend the tour and especially if you need help with translation. Our driver was very friendly and accommodating interacted with the party. Highly recommend the tour.

Overall was very impressed with the day trip. Coach was comfortable and didn't feel like the journeys were too long overall. Host was very nice and informative.

Only two slight downsides to note was that we went for the 'no set lunch option' thinking there would be a shop to purchase food from or the option to pay for lunch when we got there but neither was correct.

Also, slightly surprised we did not get closer to Fuji.

Overall would definitely recommend.

Great dual language guide.Lesser snow in SHIRAKAWAGO but make up at Ainokura Gassho. Moretime at former place wld be great.Love the meal at Bath Hse in S'wago.