All Reviews for 1-Day Tours

Great tour! Would definitely recommend this package as it had everything we wanted to do and see. Bus picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel so it was very convenient. We got lots of fun photos with the giant butterflies at the Butterfly Garden. The Churaumi Aquarium was awesome. Our guide was friendly and helpful and managed to communicate to us via English signs when to get back to the bus and what time we could go see the dolphin show. It really helped that we happened to have a bilingual traveler on our bus and he stepped in to help translate from Japanese to English. Lots of interesting pineapple products to try at Nago Pineapple Park. They gave us a mini cup to sample about 4-5 pineapple wines and you can try their pineapple cakes. On our way home, the tour guide gave everyone a little pineapple ice cream sherbet, very refreshing! Perfect end to an enjoyable day.

We were picked up at our hotel by our guide, Hashi and driven to where we boarded our bus for the day. Our first view of Mt Fuji was from the bus, and it was magical, with rivers of snow cascading from the the peak. We were driven to the 5th station, however, by the time we arrived, the peak was obstructed by cloud. From here we proceeded to a lovely hotel where we had a rather strange lunch, cold french fries, hot chicken and lovely crumbed prawn with a very watery miso soup. Following this we were taken to a gondola ride to a thermal region behind Lake Ashi, where the bus met us and took us to Lake Ashi for a cruise in a beautifully designed and decorated replica of a French Galleon. Hashi then explained how we would catch the Bullet Train back to Tokyo, and we were driven to the railway station. Several trains sped through the station whilst we were waiting, which was an experience. Our train ride to Tokyo was very comfortable and an experience not to be missed. We thoroughly enjoyed our day, and would recommend it to anyone traveling to Tokyo.

As a beginner in island tourism, I was glad to be able to visit many islands in a short amount of time. Although I struggled to pass the time due to the long stay on Yufu Island, the conversations and performances from the bus and water buffalo cart guides were enjoyable, and I had a great day.

離島観光の初心者だったので、短時間で沢山の島を観光出来て良かったです。
由布島での滞在時間が長すぎて時間を潰すのに苦労しましたが、バスや水牛車のガイドさんのお喋りや演奏も楽しく、良い１日を過ごせました。

It was the course as described. I had made a reservation for another day, but I decided to go two days prior and went to the counter at the remote island terminal. They smoothly changed my reservation. I had only planned to use the water buffalo cart, but I was able to rent a bicycle for just a few hundred yen more, which expanded my range of activities, and I had a great time.

記載通りのコースでした。別日に予約していたのですが、2日前に行こうと思い、離島ターミナルのカウンターへ行きました。予約の変更もスムーズにして頂けました。水牛車のみを予定としておりましたが、レンタサイクルも＋数百円程度で利用出来たため、活動範囲も広がり、とても楽しむことができました。

The weather was unfortunate, but I was able to borrow an umbrella when getting off. Above all, the lunch was delicious! My husband was very satisfied with both the portion size and the taste! I shared with the kids, and I still felt full. It seems that the mozuku seaweed and Okinawa soba became my husband's favorites (laughs). Thanks to our guide's experienced guidance, the half day flew by—I’m really glad I participated! ♪

あいにくの天気でしたが下車の際には傘もかしていただけました
何よりランチがおいしい！主人もボリュームと味に大満足していました！私は子供とシェアしたのですがそれでもお腹いっぱいになりました。もずくと沖縄そばが主人のイチオシになったようです(笑)
ガイドさんのベテラン案内で半日があっという間でしたー、本当に参加して大満足です♪

When we departed from Ishigaki Island, we arrived at the ferry terminal too early, but thanks to being able to board an earlier boat (departing at 8:40), we were able to enjoy sightseeing at a leisurely pace. A bus was waiting at the port, and we arrived at the water buffalo cart boarding area in about five minutes. I was impressed by the intelligence of the water buffalo. I was amazed by how the boatman controlled their speed and maneuvered considering the turning radius. After that, we rented bicycles and first climbed the Nago-mi Tower, which seemed like it would get crowded, and then headed to Nishi Sanchō. After enjoying the picturesque beautiful sea, we had an early lunch to avoid the crowds. Since it gets hot during the day, I think it's best to act early. We returned to Ishigaki Island around 13:30, and we were able to fully enjoy our time.

石垣島から出発時、離島ターミナルに早く着きすぎましたが、一本早い船に乗船できたおかげ(8:40発)でゆっくり観光が出来ました。すぐ港にバスが待機しており、5分ほどで水牛車乗り場に到着しました。感動したのは水牛の賢さ。船頭さんの声かけでスピード、内輪差を考えてのコントロール等にびっくり。そのあとレンタル自転車を借りて、まずは混雑しそうななごみの塔に登り、街並みを眺めながら西桟橋へ。絵に描いたような美しい海を眺めた後、混雑を考慮して早めのランチ。日中は暑くなるので、とにかく早めの行動がいいと思います。13:30位に石垣島へ戻りましたが、充分堪能できました。

The three-island tour felt a bit rushed at first, but I was able to take my time and it was really enjoyable. I highly recommend this course.

３島めぐりは少し慌ただしいかなと思ったけれど、ゆっくり見ることができたとっても楽しかったです。オススメのコースです。

I recommend this for those who want to make efficient use of their time and for those who are visiting the islands for the first time, as it includes lunch. The mangrove cruise in Iriomote Island, the sightseeing on Yufu Island via water buffalo cart, and I chose the water buffalo cart on Taketomi Island, all of which were incredibly fun. I was particularly moved by the mangrove cruise.

効率良くまわれて、お昼のお弁当も付いてるので、時間を有効活用したい人や離島巡りが初めての人にはお勧めです。西表島のマングローブクルーズ、水牛車で渡る由布島観光、竹富島では水牛車を選択しましたが、どれもすごく楽しかったです。特にマングローブクルーズは感動しました。

Thank you Veltra, we had a wonderful day and enjoyed the tour.
The tour was very well paced, not fast and hurried, we arrived at the 5th Station well in formed.

The visit to the Hakone "black eggs" and Sulper Leak was interesting along with the lake cruise, after such a long day the Bullet Train return is a must, back to you hotel as soon as possible.

A wonderful experience, certainly recommended.

This was a good tour. Although we didn't get to view Mt Fuji due to the weather it was still good to go. It's a long day and would suggest taking the bullet train back. Our guide Hashi was knowledgable and helpful. In our opinion we spent too much time at the thermals and the meal we had at the hotel was the worst we had in Japan. But although quite expensive it was a good but not great tour.

I often use Hop-on-Hop-off buses when traveling abroad, but I didn't know they were available in Japan. This time, I took all three routes to enjoy cherry blossom viewing. I was a bit worried that traffic jams might disrupt the bus schedule, but I was amazed at how accurate it was. I would love to ride again in a different season.

海外旅行時には現地でHop-on-Hop-offのバスをよく利用しますが、日本でもあるなんて知りませんでした。今回は桜見物を目的に３ルート全て乗りました。車の渋滞があったりしてバスのスケジュールが狂わないかなとおもいましたが、ま～～正確でおどろきました。また違う季節に乗りたいです。

My Japanese language skills are limited, so having the English audio available was great. The tour guide was friendly and very good. I enjoyed the bus tour immensely. I had an easy time finding the pick up location and was dropped off where I could get back to my hotel without getting lost. I didn't realize that Expo Land was a huge theme park until we got there. My goal, however, was to spend time at the Churaumi Aquarium and I was able to do just that. Along the way, we stopped at a few sights, including a Butterfly Museum, Pineapple Park, and Ryukyu Glass Factory. All in all, I had a great time.

Overall, it was very good.
It's a pity that the visiting time at each tourist spot was short.
I think it would have been better to extend the return time and allow more time at each location.
But I had a fun day. Thank you very much.

全体的に非常に良かったです。
各観光地の見学時間が短いのが残念です。
帰りの時間を遅くして、各所の時間を多くしたら　良かったかな
でも　楽しい１日がすごせました。有難うございます。

It was really convenient to be picked up at the hotel where I was staying. The tour was compact, but I was able to thoroughly explore the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in three hours. I also had time to enjoy the Dolphin Show.

Unfortunately, the lunch (or snack?) was quite light. The taste wasn't bad, but it was really minimal! You should think of it more as a light snack.

Additionally, there were some foreign participants (maybe from China) who tended to be late for the meeting time. Perhaps it's a cultural thing. In the end, our return was delayed by more than 30 minutes. It's something to be cautious about.

宿泊していたホテルでピックアップしてもらえるので本当に便利でした。
コンパクトにまとまっていますが、美ら海水族館も3時間でたっぷり見学できました。オキちゃん劇場もゆっくり見ることができました。
残念なのは昼食（軽食？）です。味は悪くありませんが、本当に軽いです！ちょっとおやつ程度と思った方がいいです。
それから、外国の方（中国人かな）が参加していたのですが、集合時間に遅れがちです。お国柄でしょうか。結局帰着予定が30分以上延びてしまいました。要注意です。

I had a day when I couldn't attend to my American friends who came to rely on me, so I entrusted them to this service. Their feedback was "very satisfied." They requested places they wanted to visit that I had found online in advance, and it seems they were quite flexible. They also helped me with souvenir shopping, which was a great assistance. I believe they were able to create much better memories than if I, an amateur, had guided them around Kyoto. Next time, I would like to try it myself.

私を頼って来てくれたアメリカの友人たちに、私がアテンド出来ない日が一日発生し、その間、彼らだけをこのサービスに預けた。
彼らの感想は "大満足" だった。 予めWEBで見つけておいた、行きたい場所をリクエストし連れていってもらったそうで、かなり融通も利いたようだった。
土産物探しも、付き合ってくれて大変助かった。
素人の私が京都を案内するよりも、遥かに効率良く、良い想い出が作れたことと思う。
次回は自分も乗ってみたい。

We went with my wife, our 5-year-old son, and our 10-month-old second son. First, we arrived at the port and checked in, where we received tickets with our tour number. After that, we boarded a boat heading to Iriomote Island, and upon arrival, we quickly transferred to a smaller boat to see the mangroves. It's something you can't see often in Japan, so I thought it was great. However, at that time, my eldest son said, "It's not interesting just looking at trees." That's true for kids...

After that, we took a water buffalo cart to Yufu Island for lunch, then returned to Iriomote Island and headed to Taketomi Island. On Taketomi Island, we visited a beach with star sand. The kids were thrilled and collected sand.

Afterward, we returned to the port for the glass-bottom boat. Although it was a short time, the boat rocked quite a bit, so some people might need to take measures against seasickness.

This is the flow of the tour, but there was no tour guide. Several travel companies collaborated to run the tour, and we were called by our tour number by staff at various locations. Additionally, we ended up acting together with a group from a major travel company at times.

The biggest issue was that there was hardly any free time, so there was no opportunity to change my younger son's diaper. I recommend this tour for those who want to see the highlights of this area, but if you're participating with small children, it might be burdensome or boring for them.

妻と５歳の長男、１０ヶ月の次男の４人で行きました。
まず港について受付をすると、ツアー番号が書かれたチケットを渡されます。
その後船に乗ってまず西表島に向かい、到着後直ぐに小型の船に乗り換えマングローブを観ます。国内ではなかなか見ることができないので、これは良いと思います。ただ、この時長男が「木ばっかり見ていても面白くない」といっていました。確かに子供にとってはそうですね・・・。
その後水牛車で由布島に渡り昼食→西表島に戻り竹富島へ。
竹富島では星の砂があるビーチに行きました。子供は大喜びで砂を集めていました。
その後港に戻りグラスボートへ。短時間ですが、揺れが大きいため人によっては船酔い対策が必要です。
以上がツアーの流れになりますが、添乗員はいません。複数の観光会社が共同で催行しており、その場所場所で係員にツアー番号で呼ばれます。また、部分的に大手旅行会社の団体と一緒に行動することになります。
この中で一番問題となったのは、自由時間が殆どないため、次男のおむつを替えるタイミングがなかったことです。
このエリアの見どころを纏めて回りたい方にはお勧めです、子供連れで参加する場合、小さい子程負担若しくは退屈することになるかもしれません。

As the title suggests, you can enjoy sightseeing on Taketomi Island at your own pace. In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel and receive your tickets, and since the return ferry times are flexible, you can explore the island almost at your leisure. There are some ups and downs, but I recommend biking. It seems that electric bikes are also available for an additional fee.

タイトル通り好きな時間に竹富島観光ができます。朝、ホテルに迎えに来ていただき、チケットをもらえば帰りの船の時刻は自由なので、ほぼマイペースで島内を観光できます。アップダウンが少しあるけど、自転車おすすめです。追加料金で電動もあるみたい。

I 'm remiss in posting this review. My daughter and I took this trip last year. We traveled from Boston to Tokyo and were thrilled that the cherry blossoms were in bloom. We only had three days in Tokyo before heading to Kyoto so this tour was fantastic. We hit all the high points. We started by going to Tokyo Tower. The views were awesome and we were lucky to be able to see Mt. Fuji. We had a tour of the city, a visit to the royal palace, several shrines, a park, lunch and a boat ride. I found the prices very reasonable for all we got and the lunch was terrific as well. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was happy to answer questions. The day was rainy and cold but the spirit of all was very bright. We were lucky that it warmed up and we were able to return on our own to some of the spots we saw. I looked at several tour companies before I left and this was the best. I have recommended this company to my boss when she went to Paris and she was happy with her tours as well. I will be using this company next year when I visit Italy.

Cycling in the early summer weather was incredibly refreshing! Since I don't usually ride a bike, just being on one felt new and enjoyable. With free time, I was able to spend my day freely. I was a bit concerned about the tour voucher being hard to read and the bike brakes being a bit weak, but overall, I was very satisfied with my experience on Taketomi Island.

初夏の陽気の中のサイクリングは最高に気持ちよかった！
普段自転車に乗らないので、自転車に乗ること自体が新鮮でよかった。
時間もフリーなので、自由に過ごせてよい。
ツアー参加のバウチャーが見づらいところと、自転車のブレーキが甘かったのが少し気になったが、大変満足のいく竹富島となった。

Thouh we encountered traffic on the way to mt. Fuji and had to hurry up to finish the tour without skipping an activiy, it was still an awesome activity. The only thing i will change for my next travel is taking a shinkansen train back to tokyo because the hiway is traffic.

Wonderful Mount Fuji, we were lucky to have good weather so able to see the Mount Fuji clearly.. Great tour guide.. Very funny.. During the bus ride, she introduce the japan culture and language.. Hope to join this tour again.. Thank you Gray Lines tour..

I used the service from March 20 to 21.
I felt a thrill when passing just under the bridge supports, near the highway entrances, and right next to the plantings at each stop.
There were times when we had a Japanese guide and times when we didn't, and I thought it would have been better to have explanations.
It was extremely cold with the wind blowing, but I still enjoyed it to some extent.

3月20日から21日にかけて利用しました。
橋脚のすぐ下や高速道路の入り口や、各停留所の植え込みギリギリを通過するときはドキドキしました。
日本語のガイドさんが付いているときとそうでないときがあって、せっかくなら説明があったほうがよいと思いました。
風に吹かれて超寒かったですけど、それなりに楽しめました。

Since we had a one-night schedule on Taketomi Island, we were able to change our return ferry to a time of our choice the next day. Additionally, upon arriving at Taketomi Island, a representative from the water buffalo company was waiting for us, allowing us to smoothly transition to the water buffalo experience without any confusion. During the water buffalo ride, we enjoyed the tranquil scenery of Taketomi Island in a relaxed atmosphere. The weather was great, and even though it was the end of February, it was quite warm, making me regret not bringing sunglasses and better UV protection.

竹富島に一泊のスケジュールだったので、
帰りのフェリーを翌日の好きな時間に変更して頂きました。
また、竹富島へ到着すると、水牛会社の方が待っていて下さり、迷うことなく、水牛体験へとスムーズに移動出来ました。
水牛では、ゆったりとした時間の中で、竹富島ののどかな風景を楽しめました。
お天気も良く、2月末でしたが暑いぐらいで、サングラスやUV対策をもっとしてくれば良かったと後悔したほどです。

私たちはオーストラリアから来ました。このツアーに参加したのは2月で、本当に楽しみました。日本語が話せない場合は、バスでオーディオツアーガイドの機械を提供してくれます。ツアーガイドとバスの運転手はとても親切でフレンドリーでした。非常におすすめです ^^

We are from Australia. We joined this tour in Feb and we really loved it. They will provide you with the audio tour guide machine on the bus if you don't speak Japanese. Both the tour guide and bus driver were very nice and friendly. Highly Recommended ^^

If you want to visit Churaumi Aquarium but can't or don't want to rent your own vehicle, this tour is probably the best way to do it. Although the staff's English language abilities are minimal, they have some helpful signage and a lot of patience to help you out. The English speaking tourists were all given a headset which provided some interesting information along the drive to compensate for missing out on what the guide was saying. The additional stops: butterfly garden, Nago Pineapple Park, and glass shop were all very catered to getting you to spend more money on souveniers, but you don't have to buy anything and they were all (mildly) interesting enough that it wasn't an annoyance. Lunch is good, if a bit sparse. Bring snacks or buy some at the stops. The three hours at the aquarium is a good amount of time. Enough time to get through the whole aquarium and even catch the dolphin show or spend time at the other attractions. The staff was excellent and surprised us with a complementary pineapple sherbet at the end of the day, so that nice. They also offered to drop us off at the main shopping street or our original pick-up point, which was very convenient. Overall, I'd recommend this as a cost effective way (all the entrance frees and lunch are included) to see some of Okinawa Honto and get to the main attractions up north.

I think this tour is perfect for those who want to visit tourist spots in northern Okinawa, including the aquarium, but cannot move around by rental car. If you were to go to the Churaumi Aquarium using public transportation, it would cost quite a bit just for transportation. I believe using this tour offers better cost performance.

However, one point to note is that the time spent at the aquarium is relatively short. Don't expect to have much time to leisurely explore and have lunch. That said, you will have enough time to see everything and catch the dolphin show.

I also want to mention that Ryukyu Village was surprisingly boring. Basically, Ryukyu Village only has traditional Ryukyu houses, and if you don't watch a show, you can go through everything in just over 10 minutes. There is a similar facility in the southern part of the prefecture called Okinawa World, which I visited the next day, and I found Okinawa World to be much more fulfilling overall. Looking back, I feel that Ryukyu Village was a bit of a disappointment.

Additionally, the snack shop we stopped at sells souvenirs that can also be purchased at the airport, so it felt unnecessary to stop there. I would have preferred to have more time at the aquarium instead.

Despite these complaints, the bus guide was enjoyable and kept the atmosphere lively, and I was able to learn a lot about Okinawa thanks to their thorough guidance. This is something you can only gain from a tour.

The sea at Kouri Island was incredibly beautiful and moving, and visiting the aquarium provided a valuable experience. I think the price is quite reasonable, so I rated it ☆4 for satisfaction.

レンタカー移動ができないが、水族館を含む沖縄北部の観光スポットを回りたいという人にとっては、ぴったりなツアーだと思います。
もし個人で公共交通機関で美ら海水族館へ行くなら、移動だけで相当なお金がかかってしまいますからね。このツアーを利用したほうがコスパがよいと思います。
ただ注意点として、水族館見学時間は短めです。ゆっくり見学しお昼ごはんを食べる時間はあまり無いと思ってください。とはいっても、普通に全部まわってイルカショーも見る時間はありますが。
あと言いたいのは、琉球村は意外と退屈でした。基本的に琉球村には琉球古民家があるだけで、ショーを見なければ10分強で全部まわれてしまいます。沖縄文化を楽しめる似たような施設として県南部に「おきなわワールド」があり、翌日こちらにも行ったのですが、おきなわワールドの方が全体的にとても充実していたので、今思えば琉球村はがっかりスポットだったなぁという感じです。加えて、途中に立ち寄る御菓子御殿ですが、ここのお土産は空港などでも買えますのでわざわざ立ち寄らなくてもいいという感じ。それならば水族館の見学時間を増やしてほしかったです。
このような不満点はありますが、ただバスガイドさんは楽しく車内を盛り上げてくださいましたし、丁寧に案内していただいたので、沖縄についていろいろ知ることができました。これはツアーでしか得られないことです。
古宇利島の海はとても綺麗で感動しましたし、水族館にも行けて貴重な体験ができますし、値段も安めだと思いますので、☆4満足という評価にさせていただきました。

The sky was teary, but I had a wonderful experience with the sea, fish, and history. It was a rich day filled with the bus guide's talks and songs. I think it would have been even more spectacular if the sun had been out.

空は涙目だっだが、素敵な海・魚・歴史体験ができた。バスガイドさんのトーク・唄で濃い1日だった。太陽が出ていたらさらに絶景だったと思う。

The visit took place on a cold Sunday in February. It seems that many people visit during this month because travel companies offer discounted package tours due to the often poor weather. Since the participants of these tours join in unison, the water buffalo carts are packed so tightly that you can barely move your shoulders. I wish I could have enjoyed the sightseeing with a bit more space. While it was efficient, I wonder if it's worth it to see three islands in one day like an assembly line. The scenery and atmosphere were nice, so I would like to visit again at a more leisurely pace next time.

参加は、２月の寒い日曜日でした。２月は天候も悪い日が多いとかで、旅行会社が安くパックツァーを販売するらしく、訪れる人が多いそうです。そのツァーの人たちも一斉に参加するので、水牛車も隣の人と肩が重なるくらい詰め込まれます。もう少しゆとりをもって観光したかったな。効率は良いですが、流れ作業のようにでも一日で３島見られたので良しとするかどうかですね。景色や雰囲気は良かったので次回はゆっくりと訪れたいです。

The arrangements for the boat, water buffalo cart, and glass boat were convenient as they were all done together. When they are separate, it allows for flexibility, but you have to plan everything yourself, which can be difficult when you don't have time to organize your trip. I was able to make good use of this service. The price was also better than booking them separately.

船と水牛車とグラスボートの段取りが、一括で出来て便利でした。
バラバラだと、融通がきくけど、自分で予定を段取りしないとダメなので、旅行の段取りする時間がない中活用させてもらいました。
価格も、バラバラで予約するよりお得でしたし・・・・・。

I joined the tour because I wanted to go to the Churaumi Aquarium. Since I was alone and didn’t have a car, the bus tour allowed me to get around efficiently. The guide was also enjoyable.

美ら海水族館に行きたくて参加しました。ひとりで車なしだったので、バスツアーで効率よく回れました。ガイドさんも楽しかったです。