Skyscrapers, Sumo & Shrines: Exclusive Ten-Day Japan Tour

We knew very little about Japan and even less about our travel company, having been referred to them by Zicasso. We explained to our assigned coordinators our interest in food, exercise, and culture. They diligently created an itinerary and then worked with us patiently as we evaluated the presented options, and efficiently helped us to evolve our travel plans all the way through our departure.

Based on the professional manner in which they listened to us and helped us plan our trip, we had a good feeling. Still, we left for Japan not fully knowing what to expect.

The outcome was a trip that far exceeded our expectations. Every aspect of the plan unfolded with impeccable professionalism, reliability, ease, and comfort. When we needed to move from one destination to another, the transportation was arranged with remarkable attention to detail. For example, on our two encounters with the Shinkansen (bullet train), with our prearranged reserved seats, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, each time, our seats were located exactly where it was easiest to store our luggage, in space available only to the four of us.

Our hotels and planned dining events were four- and five-star quality.

We received white-glove treatment throughout the trip, such as an unforgettable private tea ceremony with one of Kyoto’s preeminent hostesses. Our visits to shrines, onsens (hot springs), cultural events, and overnight stays at remote Buddhist monasteries were orchestrated with impeccable planning, delivering us to each locale with hospitable private drivers. Everywhere we went, we were always made to feel like VIPs.

Perhaps most impressive was the selection of our private guides. We had three during the course of our two-week trip, and each was well versed in English, incredibly knowledgeable, well prepared, and could not have been more accommodating and kind. They coordinated our adventures, which included biking around Mt. Fuji, canoeing in Lake Kawaguchi, hiking in the Wakayama mountains, visiting the Hakone hot springs, touring us through Koyasan at the top of a sacred mountain, and educating us on the many historical sites, such as the Imperial Palace and the Kongobuji Temple, the famous shrines of Fushimi, the burial grounds at Okunoin, and the innumerable sights, sounds, and dining pleasures of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, and Koyasan.

Our takeaway was that Japan is a land of wonder, with happy, kind people, a culture that values technology, hygiene, spirituality, sustainability, and discipline, and we look forward to returning to explore it further. When we do, we will again utilize the services of this travel company. Their remarkable choreography and orchestration, down to the finest detail, had us singing their praises at every turn of this trip.

Overall, the trip was culturally enriching, enjoyable, and educational. The guides were outstanding. The communications through the app with Zicasso’s travel company were easy and prompt. Having the tickets for the Shinkansen took away any stress with navigating the system, and the reserved seats were always at the end of the car with the extra luggage storage, so thoughtful! Everyone did their best to help me navigate restaurant dining, and for that we are so thankful. It was a challenge!

Kanazawa was delightful. The restaurant suggested by our travel company was terrific. Kyoto is magical. Concluding the trip at our hotel near Mount Fuji was wonderful, restful, and beautiful. Quite a contrast to Tokyo.

We have a couple of observations. We struggled with jet lag, which made the first 2.5 days of guided tours exhausting. We arrived on Monday afternoon and would have been better served with a free day on Wednesday or Thursday instead of Friday. By the time we arrived in Kanazawa on Saturday, we were hungry and tired.

While we appreciate the uniquely Japanese onsen experience, it was not to our liking. The chef did an amazing job accommodating my food restrictions, but set multi-course dining is not our style. And to have huge meals for dinner and then again breakfast in an environment with little opportunity for activity was uncomfortable. This experience is not for everyone, and it is expensive.

We would prefer to have stayed another night in Kyoto and made a day trip to Hiroshima. The guide and driver were not needed in Hiroshima.

We would recommend our travel company to friends and family. The guides and ease of train travel made the trip!

Our hotel in Tokyo was a poor choice. Our guide in Tokyo was very personable, but not very knowledgeable about Tokyo and its history. We spent too much time wandering down touristy streets with shops.

Our hotel in Kyoto was very nice and interesting, but we were given duplex rooms - bedroom up a steep flight of stairs and bathroom on the first floor - ridiculous choice for people our age.

Our guides on the art islands were great! Also a very good guide in Kyoto. And our guide in Kanazawa was terrific. We loved the two artist studio visits - very special and appreciated by all.

The Japanese inn in Kaga was also great. Would have preferred a more charming hotel in Kanazawa if such a thing exists.

Logistically everything worked perfectly - we were met on time, transported wherever we needed to go - seamless!

Zicasso's travel agent and his team put together an amazing two-week trip throughout Japan for our family of five. Every detail was thought of. The activities were so well-planned and unique with a private experience. We never felt like the places were gimmicky or touristy. Getting us tickets to the sought-after sumo tournament in Tokyo was a true highlight! Our agent made it happen. An Osaka futbol game was a memorable afternoon. Our agent made it so easy with all of the various transportation details to smoothly get around Japan. We are grateful for all the meticulous planning to make this a truly memorable trip for our family!

Zicasso’s travel specialist and her entire team did a great job helping us plan our trip to Japan. With five people coming from multiple locations and having many different interests, our travel specialist and the travel company put together a two-week tour for us that was exceptional. It was the perfect balance of touring with outstanding guides and free time for shopping and exploring Tokyo and Kyoto on our own.

Our travel specialist really listened to what was important to us and that made all the difference in how much we enjoyed our trip. I would highly recommend them if you are planning a vacation.

Overall, very pleased, with some challenges and hiccups along the way. We gave Zicasso’s travel specialist the general parameters of our trip request and received a very detailed itinerary suggestion, which we adjusted as needed. Our travel specialist was also able to offer very helpful recommendations and suggestions. We had many requested places to visit in a short amount of time. Our travel company put together an itinerary that made sense and that worked for us.

Excellent Tour Guides: Our guides in Tokyo and Hakone, in Osaka, on the Osaka night tour, and in Hiroshima were excellent! They were kind, respectful, and knowledgeable, and did a really good job making sure we were all accounted for, asking if we were doing OK and if we needed bathroom stops. It was impressive that they were able to move us along on our tour to see all that was promised, while not making us feel rushed.

Tour Guide, Not Good: Our guide in Kyoto kind of abandoned one group of us when he had the taxi drop us off at a spot near the second temple stop. He followed with the rest of our group in a different taxi, but he didn’t look for our group and headed straight up to the temple without us. After much confusion and walking while trying to find him, my sister and I decided not to make the walk to the temple because of difficulty walking. He said: you have the itinerary and knew which temple we were going to. Really?! The temple was so crowded that no one went in. My sister and her husband decided not to finish the tour and took a taxi back to the hotel. This tour was a lot of walking and not the best fit for our group of seniors. I would have preferred to visit less traveled, less busy temples and spots in Kyoto.

One slight hiccup was when I requested an 11am pickup instead of 1pm from our hotel to Haneda on the day of our departure. I thought it was set for the 11am pickup. It was not. After talking with the local contact from our travel company, we were able to get picked up around 12:30pm. This was one detail that our travel company said was received well in advance of our departure from the States, but never confirmed back with an itinerary change. And it was one I never followed up on. Lesson learned: don’t assume your plans are confirmed, always follow up.

The self-guide app was extremely helpful, and one that we referred to often to guide us on our trip. However, some details not in the self-guide app were in the second app. It was confusing to have to go back and forth to double-check things. One situation was with our Osaka to Kyoto pickup. By mistake we read in the self-guide app that the pickup time would be 11am, but that was the start time of our Kyoto tour! You have to go to the second app to see the pickup time was 9:00am. As a result, we were 30 minutes late getting to the start of our Kyoto Cultural tour!