Japan vacation, ancient and modern
Highlights
Osaka | Kyoto | Gion geisha district | Nara | Zen gardens | Hiroshima | Miyajima Island | Peace Memorial Park | Takayama | Hida Mountains | Miyagawa River | Matsumoto | Tsumago | Snow Monkey Park | Hakone | Tokyo | Tsukiji Market |
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
Accommodation & Meals:On this trip we spend some nights in comfortable hotels and others in traditional style ‘ryokans’ (local inns). These are usually family run and locally staffed, which means we are benefiting the smaller businesses instead of some of the huge, multi-national hotels you can find in Japan. Many also have environmental policies like optional sheet and towel washing in order to save water and energy. Locally sourced ingredients will be used where meals are provided; where not provided clients will be eating at local shops and restaurants under the guidance of their tour leader. There are some incredible eating opportunities like the Miyagawa River morning market. This is a great chance for cultural exchange as you will become acquainted with some really unusual agricultural produce.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft & Culture:
Having a largely cultural focus, this tour has many opportunities to learn about the crafts of Japan. Visiting Tsumago post town in Nagano and Hida Folk Museum in Takayama may benefit the locals as well as the preservation of their cultural assets because the group have chance to buy products made in the areas as well as learning about traditional methods and structures of production. There is also a small museum in Nagano devoted to Japan’s best known artist, Hokusai Katsushika. Hokusai is famous for his risqué cartoons and traditional woodblock pictures of Mt. Fuji and you will find these reproduced on souvenirs all over the area.
A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise on the wildlife, environment and culture that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Accommodation & Meals:On this trip we spend some nights in comfortable hotels and others in traditional style ‘ryokans’ (local inns). These are usually family run and locally staffed, which means we are benefiting the smaller businesses instead of some of the huge, multi-national hotels you can find in Japan. Many also have environmental policies like optional sheet and towel washing in order to save water and energy. Locally sourced ingredients will be used where meals are provided; where not provided clients will be eating at local shops and restaurants under the guidance of their tour leader. There are some incredible eating opportunities like the Miyagawa River morning market. This is a great chance for cultural exchange as you will become acquainted with some really unusual agricultural produce.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft & Culture:
Having a largely cultural focus, this tour has many opportunities to learn about the crafts of Japan. Visiting Tsumago post town in Nagano and Hida Folk Museum in Takayama may benefit the locals as well as the preservation of their cultural assets because the group have chance to buy products made in the areas as well as learning about traditional methods and structures of production. There is also a small museum in Nagano devoted to Japan’s best known artist, Hokusai Katsushika. Hokusai is famous for his risqué cartoons and traditional woodblock pictures of Mt. Fuji and you will find these reproduced on souvenirs all over the area.
A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise on the wildlife, environment and culture that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
5 Reviews of Japan vacation, ancient and modern
Reviewed on 10 Apr 2019 by Wendy Kreppel
From the cherry blossoms in Tokyo to the the snow monkeys in the snow to the wonderful gardens and temples of Kyoto - it was all so interesting and varied Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Dec 2019 by Henrietta Curzon
The most memorable part of the vacation was the day trip to Arashiyama, in Kyoto suburbs. Lovely combo of temples, gardens and shopping. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Oct 2017 by Rosie Morgan
Fabulous people - so welcoming and polite. Loved the Onsens - open air thermal baths where you bathe naked! Read full reviewReviewed on 30 Nov 2017 by Allan Wild
Difficult to pick one experience above all others but probably the visit to the Snow Monkeys was the most enjoyable. Read full review
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