From Japan’s Inland Sea to the Alps

Trip Reviews for From Japan’s Inland Sea to the Alps

Average Traveler Rating: Review This Trip »

(214 Traveler Reviews)

Audrey from CA gives this tour

The comprehensive details of our trip provided us by A&R along with their online app were excellent & user-friendly. Our seasoned tour guide Yoko Inoue went above & beyond, providing a very helpful handwritten itinerary & zippered note case to keep all our papers & brochures we collected along the way for the entire tour that helped us keep track of our daily itineraries, time schedules & more. Also enjoyed her informational often funny stories & talks onboard the bus which educated us on the deeper cultural significance & meaning of Japanese traditions. From the moment we arrived in Osaka KIX airport, we were provided instructions where & who would meet us. Our transportation to Kyoto was via a private luxurious SUV. The free extra night pre-tour for AAA members was an appreciated extra bonus. The tour of Japan was amazing, albeit sometimes hectic because so much is packed into each day, but we especially enjoyed the Geisha lunch performance, the eat-what-you-make sushi lesson, visiting Tsukiji Outer Fish Market for some delicious fresh-grilled buttery tender Wagyu skewers, bbq oysters, fresh-grilled unagi, & more. Bring Yen cash. But also learned a lot about the ancient temples & shrines, & of course, the beautifully manicured gardens of Japan, tame deer of Nara, & of course, the crowning finale visiting the 5th station on Mt. Fuji. Transportation by train—predictably on time & clean, especially the high speed Shinkansen was amazing, with our tickets bought for us & expertly guided by Yoko. Our group enjoyed the A&R provided quality lunches & dinners as it built camaraderie with our fellow travelers. And, we must acknowledge the first class accommodations we enjoyed throughout the tour. We appreciate that A&R always provided us with the highest executive level luxurious rooms & access to hotel lounges. A pleasure to come back after a long day of touring to a beautiful hotel room & go up to the exclusive lounges for complimentary drinks, appetizers & snacks. Thank you A&R, this tour of Japan exceeded our expectations.

Overall

Travel Documents

Accommodations

On-Tour Transportation

Guides and Sightseeing

Value for the Money

Date Traveled: 10/6/2025
Jeffrey from FL gives this tour

Japan Inland Sea to the Alps was a very diverse and encompassing view of historical Japan with some of the most exciting being the castles, temples and shrines, plus the seasonal parade of floats. Hiroshima was also moving. Our Japanese Guide was exceptional, knowledgeable and very friendly.

Overall

Travel Documents

Accommodations

On-Tour Transportation

Guides and Sightseeing

Value for the Money

Date Traveled: 10/3/2025
Donna from FL gives this tour

We had only 14 people in our group and they were a great group. We traveled all over Japan staying in 5 great hotels and a Japanese traditional ryokan. The trip included 17 meals which were great experiences too. We took many types of transportation including the famous Bullet train, ferry and cable car. We liked the free day, so we got to attend the World Expo in Osaka, Kansai on our own. The app on our phone was great. This was the most fantastic trip I have taken.

Overall

Travel Documents

Accommodations

On-Tour Transportation

Guides and Sightseeing

Value for the Money

Date Traveled: 10/2/2025
Susan from FL gives this tour

Delighted by: Our guide and several of our experiences, including, sushi making and eating; calligraphy lesson; temples; and hotels.

Overall

Travel Documents

Accommodations

On-Tour Transportation

Guides and Sightseeing

Value for the Money

Date Traveled: 9/25/2025
Irene from CA gives this tour

Dining with Geisha. The art of sushi making. The Bullet Train. The Golden Pavilion. Shirakawago. Tasting of Sake. Cable car at Mt. Fuji. All the hotels were wonderful. The food was very good. Our guides were very good! We had 2 - Miki and Mioka. Mioka was especially helpful to us - with finding restaurants, translating for us in a shop, helping me find medicine for my stomach ache and so on. They were both delightful and made our trip that much better.

Overall

Travel Documents

Accommodations

On-Tour Transportation

Guides and Sightseeing

Value for the Money

Date Traveled: 5/16/2025

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

Stay in a Japanese inn...

Enjoy dinner and a night at the Yoshi-ima Ryokan here in Kyoto’s Gion district on Day 4. Just $150 per person double, $200 single.

Takayama's Seasonal Festivals

With colorful centuries-old traditions, Takayama’s Spring + Fall Festivals are highlighted by a spectacular parade of giant floats, many of them dating to the 17th century with remarkable, ingeniously-animated moving parts. Go in Spring and delight in the island’s famed Cherry Blossoms or join us in the fall for the brilliant autumn foliage – what the Japanese call Momiji.