Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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98 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Angela Whitbread

Reviewed April 2023

Dream Come True!!!

An amazing trip to japan to see its wonder and it didn’t disappoint. we were blessed with incredible weather which led to the blessing of seeing Mount Fuji fully during the day and at sunset which is mesmerising. the snow monkeys also came out to entertain us in such a beautiful location. we also had sakura viewings almost every day in abundance in the warm sunshine. spotting geisha wandering along and talking to each other as they were on the way to bookings was a lifelong tick of my list!! seeing a dance show complete with a comedy section which was totally relatable even if we couldn’t understand Japanese eating the most amazing food lots I have never had before and seeing how the real people of japan eat out and drink sake.

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing geisha, Mount Fuji, the snow monkeys, the amazing food, the onsens, sakura galore and celebrating my birthday not once but twice thanks to the fabulous guides Atsushi and Naoko who arranged for a birthday cake with candles which was a huge surprise, staying in traditional ryokan's was fun and the food in them was amazing. I couldn't have wished for a better trip just wanted to stay longer

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guides Atsushi and Naoko are amazing, they couldn't do enough for everyone and were always answering any question's we had about customs and shrines/temples, suggesting places to eat and often coming with us and introducing us to some amazing food we hadn't even heard of before. sending us group WhatsApp messages and location sharing was a necessity and we had lots of links for shopping and places of interest which was invaluable. seeing them both have interactions with all group members and being very caring towards an older lady who was in need of some extra assistance was lovely. they are a good team together and new family members of mine now; we were blessed to have them. a huge thank you to them both for sharing their beautiful country with us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

don't just go for the sakura go for everything japan has to offer and try the onsens they are amazing!! The transport is so efficient and clean, the staff on the trains always look impeccably smart, its a great insight into how the Japanese people get around. There will be standing but that's expected in such a busy country it super easy to get around on your own too. I will be going back for sure as I'm now in love with japan and all it has to offer

Suggestions

just book it you wont regret it!!

David Griffiths

Reviewed November 2019

Don't go for the Snow Monkeys!

There are two reasons to go on this trip: in Spring for the Cherry Blossom, or later in the year to see the Snow Monkeys. We did the latter, and in fact the last departure of the year, the next being in April. We did not see any monkeys, and the people we spoke to, including the staff at the monkey centre, said that it was too early to see them. They come to a hot spring when it’s really cold. When we were there, it was not cold (avg 17 deg in the day), and in any case, the hot spring had suffered damage from Typhoon Hagibis and was not filling up. We spent a morning hiking to what was essentially a muddy pool for no reason. This was a real waste of time. Apart from this, the trip was enjoyable, but there are a number of free days which really should be filled up with – for example every person on our trip wanted to see Mount Fuji but we had to do that ourselves on a free day – I feel that this should have been part of the itinerary; the tour finishes in Tokyo with a free day on the Friday, and then another free day on the Saturday before being collected for the airport at 6.30pm. There’s lots to do in Tokyo, but we lost our guide before the tour finished. I don’t want to be only negative – we really enjoyed the vast majority of this tour, but it could have been so much better.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiroshima - but we didn't have enough time there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hard working and well organised but didn't go above and beyond. He was great in explaining all the customs and etiquette.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of cash - UK debit cards don't work in most machines and credit cards are not as widely accepted as in the UK.

Sasha Heriot

Reviewed May 2019

Excellent taster of Japan

This trip was an excellent way to experience many different aspects of Japan, although I feel like I have only touched the surface, and I want to go back! Japan, the people, and the food are all truly wonderful.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved being out of the cities and experiencing more of the countryside and mountainous regions. One of the highlights was seeing Mount Fuji appear over the hillside whilst ascending in a cable car. We did this on one of our "free" days. This day trip was suggested by our tour leader who also accompanied us for the whole day. Another highlight for me was the thermal baths experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our first leader, although very pleasant, was very inexperienced. I was grateful to Exodus that they changed our leader on day 3. The new leader was excellent and ensured that we all had an enjoyable holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not expect a relaxing holiday. The days are very long and you will do lots of standing on very crowded public transport and a huge amount of walking almost every day. Although it is very popular in blossom season, I would have much preferred to go when the weather was warmer. We have blossom in the UK after all! Knowing now how easy it is to get around Japan on public transport, I would be very happy visiting there independently. I flew with KLM (connected in Amsterdam both ways), which seemed a much better choice than the group flight - no long mid-night connections, more "direct" route and shorter flight time.

Suggestions

The country is very easy to get around using public transport, however it would have been much better to have had a minibus/coach to get around the sights in the cities, as the local public transport "experience" made the days very hectic, somewhat stressful, and much longer than they needed to be. I feel that if local public transport is used, the trip should be graded higher than a 2 as some people on the trip did struggle with the long days. and the huge amounts of standing and walking.

Beverley Evans

Reviewed May 2019

Amazing country, trip felt rushed though

This trip gives the opportunity to see a lot… which is great BUT I have to say it felt like we were running from place to place. Public transport is efficient but a little constricting. It would have been good to have a minibus in Kyoto as the traffic did not seem bad there. This then relieves the feeling of missing out on things as you are made to choose between things to do due to timings of buses/trains etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Mt. Fuji was AMAZING... such a shame this is not part of the itinerary! We went to Lake Kawaguchi, instead of the suggested Hakone and it was the best day of the entire trip. The friendliness of the people and the general feeling of safety. Japan is a wonderful place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Decky was fantastic and had a very hard job keeping everyone happy. He encountered some difficulties but always found a solution. He was very kind and knowledgeable and was great to talk to.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack an umbrella. Make the most of the ample convenience stores (7Eleven and Family Mart) as they are great for picking up breakfast items and snacks for the day. Also they do excellent sushi etc. Wear really comfortable shoes as there is a LOT of walking... 7-12 miles a day. Some of the temples have a lot of steps. Don't be afraid of the Tokyo underground... it's busy and looks confusing but it's easy to use once you get the hang of it... and ask for help. The people are really friendly and will go out of their way to assist you. Make sure you have handy pockets for the train/bus passes. You'll need them all the time. Be prepared to sit on the floor when up in the mountains. Also, maybe pack wetwipes for the Ryokan unless you enjoy communal showering!

Suggestions

I felt the trip was a little over priced. The first Ryokan we stayed in was VERY basic. Zero privacy to wash and one toilet per floor.

Eric Watts

Reviewed May 2019

A hectic agenda with some nice moments

The first problem was sleep deprivation, 18 hours in the air with a gap at Dubai and the time difference of eight hours means you need time to recover. We did not have adequate time the departure was 8am the next morning which meant getting up at 6.30 to get organised and have breakfast.
A better option would have been to fly the day before and spend the first night in a hotel in Osaka.
The sleep deprivation has knock-on effects such as the difficulty in arranging the lights and blind switches in the Kyoto hotel. They were simple to use once you got used to them but caught me out as I was unfamiliar -there was an opaque blind behind the translucent blind and it was not possible to tell this until the daylight woke me up at 5 AM. It would have been useful to have the hotel staff demonstrate how to use all the controls as it meant I had a second night of poor sleeping.
There were too many sites to see in Kyoto and Tokyo meaning very early starts and late finishes with inadequate time to recover before going for meal and then having little time to digest before going to bed which also impairs sleep..
Most days we stopped for lunch and apart from the sushi lunch meals were mediocre and usually in soulless shopping malls. A long break for lunch is unnecessary and simply prolongs the day. Taking a snack and a brief lunch break would mean an earlier finish and some time to relax in the evening.
The traditional meals were good but too often we went out in the evening to very crowded and uncomfortable restaurants on occasion sitting on stools at the counter which is a very poor substitute for a comfortable meal to celebrate the end of a busy day. On one occasion in Kyoto and two in Tokyo it was hard to find a comfortable restaurant other than going for a pizza which is not what we intended in visiting Japan.
Although the express trains were good local trains are often too crowded for comfort and judicious use of a minibus would have been very helpful: for example New Year’s Day there was hardly any traffic on the road but we were in dreadfully crowded trains and given the option I would far sooner stay in a coach than trudge along a dreary the street market in the rain. There are too many boring markets and too many visits to shopping dreary shopping centres.
It was a major mistake to try and see all sides Tokyo in one day. If the morning consisted of the shrine, sky Tower and the Imperial Palace that would have been sufficient and then we could choose extras for ourselves such as the art museum. Visiting the shopping area to see the equivalent of Oxford Street and then to visit the street market which have nothing of interest, all in the pouring rain was a sad waste of the afternoon.
Finally although your information included average rainfall figures it did not adequately explain that we could be out all day in prolonged rain so that on the last Wednesday everyone was soaked through. My waterproof clothes were too heavy to be worn in hot weather and I do not normally take an umbrella when going walking but it was the best way of dealing with warm rain and it would be helpful to make that point prominently in your info.
Japanese art and culture is interesting and I really enjoyed what we saw but unfortunately there was far too little and too much time spent travelling.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was no single inspirational moment. Many of the shrines were impressive, Mount Fuji is spectacular and the cruise on the nearby Lake was delightful. The Zen gardens were impressive. The Hiroshima visit was very educational and presented some unpleasant truths in a very powerful way.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He worked very hard, was very energetic and very helpful. He had the unenviable task of trying to keep everybody happy all the time and he tried to his utmost to do this, this meant that most of us joined in with trying to see everything, which in retrospect, was not the best idea. It would have been more helpful to have a range of options so that there were alternatives e.g. for those with the limited interest in shops and markets. I enjoyed the visits to the snow monkeys and would have preferred to have spent more time walking in the surrounding countryside

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do your homework thoroughly so that you know what you want to see and what you don't want to. Prepare for the rain, an umbrella is more useful than an anorak because of the usually warm whether. Don't be swept along to see sites that don't interest you, street markets may be interesting for some but in Tokyo the goods on sale were incredibly tacky the market so severely congested that it's hard to move and the novelty value soon wears off

Suggestions

Given that Japan is a mountainous area would have much preferred more opportunities to walk in the countryside. The visit to the beach resort of Tokyo, in the rain was a dreadful waste of time so travellers should prepare options as alternatives to pointless activities. The travel notes gave too rosy a picture of Japanese public transport, although the express trains are good local and suburban trains that we used were often packed and we had to stand for long periods. It would have been better to have seen fewer sites but have been able to spend more time there to enjoy them

Fiona Hodge

Reviewed May 2019

Japan. Ancient and Modern

A superb trip, exploring a wide variety of destinations and experiences. Very stimulating. Wonderful to travel on public transport. I never expected to see and do so much. I loved the traditional wooden buildings / hotels we stayed in in the mountain areas. All the accommodation was excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

The beautiful blossom , temples and the gardens. Mount Fuji. Japanese hotels and hospitality. The pace and excitement of the trip. The variety of experience

Thoughts on Group Leader

Decky is a beautiful and wonderful man. He was so kind, professional and good humoured. Knowledgable and entertaining. Outstanding group leader. Nearly broke down in tears to say goodbye. He was very supportive to members of the group with mobility problems. Gave everyone full and equal attention. Totally trustworthy and reliable. You had better keep him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only go on this trip if you have sufficient energy to walk long distances , maybe up to 9 miles. Try and go in April when the blossom is out. It is breathtaking.

Suggestions

Great trip for energetic enthusiastic and curious travellers

Neil & Carole Bowman-Mahoney

Reviewed April 2019

Konichiwa and arigato!

This trip exceeded expectations in many ways – incredibly well-organised with a good balance between group activities and private exploration. The breadth of Japanese culture, both ancient and modern, was well covered, the accommodations were excellent, the food was extraordinary and the transport system very impressive. And the Japanese we met were always polite, respectful, friendly and calm. We came home with the feeling that the UK has a lot to learn!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose - seeing Mt Fuji floating on a bed of cloud, Matsumoto Castle floodlit, a Kabuki performance, exquisitely presented and tasty food in the ryokans, onsen, standing on a station as a shinkansen raced through at 160+mph, the tragedy of Hiroshima, the architecture of the Shinto shrines, temples and gardens, and more. Phew!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mayuko Terao was superb, and couldn't do enough for us. Her ability to keep 17 disparate adults in order while negotiating the often crowded and complex transport system was remarkable. Her knowledge, communication skills and sense of fun were second to none. She gave up much of her own free time to ensure that we got the most out of our visit.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a lot of walking, often in crowded tourist sites and on the transport system. There are many convenience stores near the hotels to buy food if you don't want to pay for the expensive hotel buffet breakfasts (ryokans excluded). Our camera broke down towards the end of the trip, and it was SO liberating! So, don't view everything you see through a camera lens all the time. Japan is so visually engaging.

Suggestions

Thanks to everyone who made it such a memorable experience.

Liz Hartley

Reviewed April 2019

Fascinating experience!

You really couldn’t pack any more into 2 weeks! We walked round cities (lot of walking), visited temples, shrines, markets, gardens and castles and saw beautiful scenery from the trains. Our guide was very helpful and knowledgeable and always available for advice on what to do, where to go and where to eat in our free time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The cherry blossom, scenery and the beautiful gardens. The unique Japanese experiences - onsen hot baths, tea ceremony and kubuki theatre - were unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka was so helpful and informative and didn’t lose anyone in the Tokyo subway!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be pretty fit as on some days there was a lot of walking with only a break for lunch although we were given free time to look round places on our own. You don’t need to take shampoo, conditioner or shower gel as all the accommodation provided it. The hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo had washing machines and dryers. Be prepared for all types of weather - an umbrella can come in handy. Take binoculars if you are going to the kabuki theatre or are interested in birds.

Sarah Kerhoat

Reviewed April 2019

Fabulous, well paced trip to see the best of ancient and modern Japan

This was a bucket list trip for me and I was really pleased with the pace and the amount we covered in two weeks. The travel dates that I chose were specifically to see the blossoms and although they were late this year, we were lucky to see them and experience their serenity in Tokyo. The trip has lots of other amazing things in it too.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were loads of great moments on this trip! Seeing the blossoms in Tokyo illuminated at night as well as in the day, seeing the Snow Monkeys eat and play, experiencing a traditional ryokan and an onsen (having plucked up the courage), getting up at 4am to Fushimi Inari Shrine and its thousands of vermillion tori gates (I can't recommend enough getting up early to see it, you avoid the crowds and experience an amazing peaceful atmosphere (if you do go, watch out for the kind elderly couple who feed the cats)), having some delicious wagyu beef yakatori in Takayama.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shin was really good at getting us where we needed to be when we needed to be there which is essential when using public transport in Japan as everything is so orderly! He was also extremely helpful when we were trying to find things or place to see and spending extra time with us when he could.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a deep breath and try the onsen. Once you get your head around it, it is a lovely experience, albeit very hot. In the hotels we stayed in, there were laundry facilities so it is relatively easy to wash and dry clothes. Try an okonomiyaki japanese egg pancake. You cook them yourself at hot plates at the table in a restaurant or sometimes you can get them at a food market. If you want to try some of the food at the markets, confirm with your guide what time of day you will be there and eat less the mealtime before so you have room to try the food.

Suggestions

I'm so pleased I have visited this amazing country and would love to go back and see more of it, especially the northern region and the south island. This trip is fantastic at giving you an really good experience of Japan. If you are hesitating, just do it!

Vivien and Paul Newrick

Reviewed April 2019

Fast paced and exhausting tour of Japan - certainly not a leisurely holiday!

It was great touring using public transport including bullet trains but it meant deadlines to catch trains. Because of this we sometimes felt rushed with not enough time to fully enjoy the sights we were visiting. But we certainly saw a slice of Japanese life.

Most Inspirational Moment

We loved the trees - the cherry blossom and perfectly sculptured conifers. We loved the bamboo forest and gardens nearby. We loved the traditional architecture of sliding panels and tatami mats. We loved the politeness and cleanliness of Japan with train guards bowing as they entered and left carriages. We loved the gardens sitting in nests of skyscrapers in Tokyo. We will miss the quirky Japanese toilets and the onsens.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We liked Shin - he organised tickets and reservations perfectly and with assiduous counting managed to keep the group together at very crowded stations during complex journeys.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for crowds everywhere and standing in trains and buses. Prepare to walk fast. Do your research before the trip to help use your free time. There are great food outlets at the stations where you can grab a picnic.

Suggestions

The Edo Museum in Tokyo was first class.

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