Japan Food Tours & Vacations

Zicasso's travel specialist and her team planned an absolutely outstanding 16-day trip for me and my family. We visited Tokyo, Ghibli Park (near Nagoya), Kanazawa, Kyoto (with day trips to Nara and Osaka), and then wrapped things up with two nights at a beautiful and luxurious ryokan in Hakone.

Communication leading up to the trip was clear and efficient, and whenever we had a question during the trip, we were able to get quick answers from our travel company's rep in Japan.

I would absolutely book another trip with this company.

Four fellow travelers and I recently completed a customized fall tour in Japan. While there, we traveled from Tokyo to the Fuji, Kyoto, and Kanazawa areas. This was one of several tours organized for me by Zicasso agents. Although they have all been excellent, our agent was the most accommodating in terms of service and special requests. 

The Ryokan accommodation she booked for us on Lake Kawaguchiko was out-of-this-world, with a magnificent view of Mount Fuji from our balcony. 

She allowed us to leave her tour temporarily to pursue a special interest. She provided us with excellent guides in each region and arranged for them to deliver our group, which was somewhat overwhelmed by the Japanese train system, right to the door of the railway cars and have someone meet us when stepping off at the next location. She organized short-notice requests in terms of ground transport without missing a beat.

Her efficiency and response time while planning the trip were incredible, especially since I was on Canadian time and she on British. I would highly recommend her for her great skill in customizing Zicasso tours to meet your wishes and special needs.

We recently returned from our trip to Japan, which was booked with the tour operator through your platform. We are writing to share that the entire itinerary was exceptionally well designed and executed.

Zicasso’s travel specialist paid meticulous attention to our requirements, including our dietary preferences and specific trip objectives. We stayed four nights at our hotel in Tokyo, where the staff, amenities, and services were excellent. We also spent three nights at our hotel in Kyoto, which provided one of the best boutique hotel experiences we have ever had. The artistic design, location, and level of service were truly outstanding.

We just experienced amazing service and flawless execution on our custom-designed, 22-day itinerary from Zicasso’s travel company. Every single meeting went smoothly, with white-gloved drivers waiting for us beside luxury vehicles and guides who always went above and beyond. In fact, after leaving a shopping bag in a cab in Tokyo, we were blown away when our travel agency was able to track it down and deliver it back to our hotel. But that's not even the best part. The best part was the experiences. Our agent and the staff at the travel company really found the authentic, less-traveled experiences we love.

Tokyo and Kyoto were amazing, with private tours of gardens, temples, and the best local food. We did washi paper making at a 400-year-old workshop and a private calligraphy lesson, attended a real sumo practice, walked the bamboo forest, and dressed in kimonos for tea service.

But our most memorable experiences were found in Niigata, where we stayed in a lovely ryokan and were served dinner on the tatami mat in our room. We slept soundly with the relaxing sound of the hot spring water flowing in our private bath. 

In Yamagata, where we spent the day with an enchanting Yamabushi guide, climbing sacred Mount Haguro and learning about the life of connection with nature that he chose. We loved it when he blew his conch shell horn to scare away the demons as we entered new parts of the forest. 

And in Okinawa, we had the most interesting Blue Zones cooking class and lunch with Yukie Miyaguni, who appeared in the Netflix documentary about longevity and medicinal foods, and looks 25 years old at 55. We also learned about the ancient art of sabani making and spent an afternoon on the beautiful clear waters in one, visiting pristine, remote beaches and collecting beautiful pink shells.

It was these unique, enlightening experiences, away from crowds and tourists, that showed us the real Japan we wanted to see. Our agent understood what we wanted and provided the absolute perfect mix of luxury (every accommodation exceeded our expectations, with club lounge access in Western-style hotels), adventure, and top-shelf service. It was perfect.