Japan vacation, small group

Planet

This trip visits much of Japan, both modern cities and rural areas. The majority of travel is by public transport where we not only mix with the local people but ensure a much lower carbon footprint than if we used our own dedicated vehicle. We also use locally owned hotels throughout the trip, ensuring benefit to the communities we are visiting.

On this trip you will stay in a mixture of hotels and guesthouses, all locally run. In particular there is one night in a minshuku. A type of family-run ryokan usually found in the countryside offering a very traditional Japanese experience with futons to sleep on, and meals cooked and served by the host family. There is also a night in a shukubo or temple lodgings. Originally created to accommodate pilgrims, they are traditionally furnished with futons and paper walls.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

We have the opportunity to visit several local markets on this trip in Kanazawa and Kyoto, which is great for mixing with, and supporting, the local community. They are also superb spots for lunch with small cafes and restaurants offering dishes made from the fresh produce of the market.

We also visit a small local sake distillery which gives us the chance to try Japan's most famous brew, and also encourage the traditional methods of making it from the local rice.

Meeting the people is often a great highlight of a tour and our leaders are real facilitators; enabling us to meet and mix with the locals wherever possible – all the more fun when we are traveling off the beaten track. Our local leaders take us to small, locally owned and run restaurants wherever possible throughout the trip, ensuring that small businesses benefit from our visit, and that we enjoy a very authentic experience.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.