Explore Japan Tour: 12-day Small Group

My wife and I have traveled extensively, but we have never attempted Japan on our own. With its ancient culture and history, difficult to understand script and equally difficult language planning a trip to Japan was daunting. Becki and Shawn made our vacation a delight and as easy as going to Washington DC or Yellowstone. Japan and More is something we highly recommend not just for the ease, but also because they are well-versed in the culture, professional and a joy to be around. We visited multiple shrines and temples, museums, gardens, and excellent restaurants during our 12 day stay while traveling across the country using Japan Rail (which would have been very difficult to navigate without their expertise). The Japanese are very welcoming and polite albeit reluctant to attempt English, so having experienced docents is a must. What Becki and Shawn provide beyond direction and translation is an insiders view of the culture and people of Japan as well as personal experience with restaurants and places of interest that only a local would know. It became apparent early on that Becki and Shawn spent significant time vetting the members of our small group doing their best to insure compatibility and a cohesion that added familiarity that never felt strained and added a dimension to this vacation that is well worth the cost of the trip. The accommodations were top-notch everywhere we went each being easily within walking distance to local city highlights. Do we recommend Japan and More (specifically, Becki and Shawn)? Absolutely 100% recommended without reservation! Would we go to Japan again? Yes and we plan on going again in the near future! Would we use Japan and More again? Possibly. Possibly because the trip was so well planned as to be easy-going and without drama that I left Japan thinking “we could do this on our own!” Then I remembered I have no useful conversational Japanese nor am I able to read any Japanese let alone understand Japanese websites (even with English translations). Thankfully, they have a consult service for our next trip! Japan is truly foreign to our western experience but that is what added so much to our vacation. It is filled with beautiful and welcoming people living in a stunningly beautiful land. Tokyo, with its massive crowds and towering buildings containing supermarkets, shopping centers, hardware stores, schools, etc, etc (often all within one building!) is something everyone should experience even if a metropolis is deemed anathema. Kyoto is just down right beautiful and tranquil even with the “crowds” during the fall colors. Do not miss Kyoto. This fantastic trip was possible because of Becki and Shawn! Aratamete arigotōgozamashita!!

Highly recommend!!! After going down a rabbit hole of research regarding planning a trip to Japan, I finally decided that Japan and more was the way to go. What initially made me go with them over other companies were they offer very small groups so it had a semi-private feel without the high $$$, their tours consisted of a mixture of many cities not just big ones like Tokyo and Kyoto, and Becky was very responsive, kind and patient with all of my questions leading up to a purchase. Her professionalism and knowledge made me feel more comfortable with the decision to move forward. Although navigating through Japan can be done without a tour, I feel it was worth it because Becky and Shawn know the culture, language, etiquette and community. It would have been very stressful, frustrating and confusing trying to navigate all the transportation alone as most signs are in Japanese and it is common for people to not speak English. Prior to our trip departure Becky and Shawn sent weekly emails with short videos to prepare us for our upcoming trip which included information like train etiquette, toilets in Japan and other useful tips. We also had a pre trip video chat with them and filled out detailed questionnaires so the tour could reflect some of our wants/needs. Being a type A person and responsible for all our vacation details, I really appreciated Becky’s attention to detail and her organizational skills. She was always prepared and informed us of the daily plans and had all the reservations for temples, restaurants and transportation handled. It allowed me to be completely relaxed and stress free and really take everything in and enjoy the vacation without having to worry about any logistics. Shawn was very attentive to hearing our ideas and ensuring each person on the trip had personalized recommendations whether it was looking for the best ramen shop or place to buy whiskeys, and the jokes and camaraderie lasted throughout the trip. Since Shawn and Becky know Japan so well they were able to easily navigate us through many cities and take us to all the best locations at the best times of day to avoid the crowds. We were able to eat at authentic restaurants, and visit many shops from local artists and shops owners. We also experienced many different things on this trip including temples, gardens, restaurants, street food, Japanese specialty snacks, geisha dinner, kaiseki dinner, shopping, matcha, ikebana flower arranging and more. I also enjoyed the mix of group activities and individual free time we were given everyday to explore alone if we wanted. I can’t wait to go back again and would highly recommend this tour to anyone.

+12

We just returned from our first trip to Japan. Our experience traveling with Becki and Shawn on this thoughtfully planned trip was truly amazing and exceeded every expectation. We experienced a variety of cities, each with its own distinct charm and cultural richness. Each day was a great balance; Visiting shrines, palaces, museums, UNESCO sites, and gorgeous gardens— also allowing free time to wander through shops, try local snacks, and enjoy the local vibe. Some highlights of the trip included our hands-on sushi-making class, Ikebana flower-arranging experience with a delightful teacher, and the dinner we had with a a real geisha in training, iconic! Traveling from city to city was smooth and easy as Becki and Shawn pre-purchased all the tickets and accompanied us everywhere. We experienced nearly every mode of transportation Japan has to offer including trains, including the bullet train, subway, buses and taxis. The hotels were fantastic, chosen not only for their prime locations and beautiful views but also for their amenities. We especially appreciated the generous assortment of toiletries and the delicious, bountiful breakfast buffets. The frosting on the cake that truly elevated our Japan experience was being cared for by Becki and Shawn and all their thoughtful preparation. Their detailed itinerary was only the beginning. The newsletters and videos they shared in the weeks leading up to our departure prepared us beautifully to enjoy our 12 days in Japan as respectful and engaged tourists. This was, without question, the best vacation I have ever experienced. Becki and Shawn created a journey that was memorable, meaningful, and truly exceptional. I cannot recommend traveling with them highly enough.

+1

Can't say enough of what a great trip this was. We are seasoned travelers, and this was our first time on a tour. The sites, the food, the 4 Star Hotels and all the logistics were handled masterfully by Shawn and Becki. We didn't have to worry about a thing. Shawn and Becki were just a pleasure to travel with as were the other travelers we were with. I would highly recommend Japan and More to anyone wanting to have a memorable, worry-free Japan trip.

Japan is great, but is even more amazing with the experiences that Becki and Shawn add. From initial planning and pre-departure to every single detail in the actual tour, they made sure that my wife and I could enjoy every experience in the best possible way. They made sure we got to do everything we wanted, learned the local history and customs, we had authentic experiences (not just the tourist ones), all with amazing efficiency as they knew every single detail to ensure we didn't waste valuable time standing around waiting for transportation or in lines. All the accommodations were top notch and if there were any minor issues they were on top of it to make sure we had the best experience. My favorite, they made sure to help us explore all the unique food options each city had, from the best spots with no waiting, to them popping up with a local specialty for us all to enjoy that we likely would not have otherwise experienced. Truly one of our top enjoyable worldwide vacations and couldn't recommend Japan and More any higher, normally I don't write these reviews but they were so good I can't help but want others to have as much fun as we did.

+1

Although I am an experienced traveler, I recommend that anyone going to Japan for the first time do so with guidance, and Shawn and Becki are excellent guides! They are vastly knowledgeable about Japan, as well as fluent in Japanese. They have mastered the ins-and-outs of travel in Japan as well as the local customs. You can stick close by them if that is what you prefer, but they encourage you to explore, using WhatsApp to make sure you don’t get lost. They have carefully chosen Japanese destinations that will allow you to experience its culture, history, and food. The hotels we stayed in were all first-rate. Shawn and Becki’s network of contacts made it possible for us to have some very special experiences. Our group got to take a class in ink-brush painting, do a meditation with a zen master, and chat with a geisha-in-training. I should add that what a group does depends on the expressed wishes of the group members. Japan is a wonderfully strange place. Travel with Shawn and Becki, and you will get to experience both its mysteries and its magic.

Japan and More is a wonderful way for the first-time visitor to Japan to experience the country! There's no way a first-time visitor would be able to navigate the country like Becki and Shawn do! They've planned things to maximize every minute of every day without overwhelming people on their tour. The small group gets to experience things travelers on a "bus tour" couldn't. We had a private art class with a Sumi-e artist, Zen meditation with a Buddhist monk, traditional tea ceremony, dinner with Giesha entertainment--and so much more. We stayed in a traditional Japanese ryokan inn, soaked in hot mineral baths, visited shrines, temples, and museums. The 12-day tour allows time to travel to Hiroshima too--an emotional experience. And we got to see the beautiful spring cherry blossoms! This is a trip of a lifetime, and Becki and Shawn are the perfect hosts--knowledgeable, friendly, and always available to help, answer questions, and give background information on the places we visited. We made fast friends with them and the others in the group. We were sad to leave!

Suggest a name change to "Japan and much more". A kaleidoscope of Japanese culture. Whisked along on a magic carpet courtesy of Shawn and Becki. 4 star hotels strategically placed to minimise walking to the next train station. Green car bullet train reserve seats, exotic temples, wonderful meals whether fine dining or a locals noodle house. Experiences as varied as Zen meditation to Karaoke with charcoal painting classes and an evening with a Maiko (a trainee Geisha) in-between. We were away for 2 weeks but felt like a months worth of experiences. Is it expensive - yes but actually excellent value for money. Highly recommended.

+4

Japan and More is magic! Perfect way to see Japan as first-time visitors (or even repeat visitors). The focus is small-group travel, visiting the most beautiful and interesting places, using local transport, and eating at small, locally-owned restaurants, and staying at the most comfortable hotels. PLUS lots of extras such as a meditation session and Temple tour with a Buddhist monk, dinner with an authentic Geisha, a night in a ryokan - a traditional Japanese inn, a traditional Japanese art class with the son of a master artist (who is an acclaimed artist himself), and participation in an historic tea ceremony. We loved that were able to travel as locals without having to figure out all of the confusing logistics. Becki and Shawn are Americans who have lived in Japan for many years, teaching in Japanese universities, working in Japanese companies, and continually learning about Japanese life and culture. They have many Japanese contacts and friends and understand Japanese life as both insiders and outsiders. And both of them are super nice, always patient, and make everyone feel like a treasured guest. We loved EVERYTHING about this tour and our trip!! I can say without any reservation that this is the BEST way to visit Japan.

+15

My husband and I spent three great weeks in Japan with Becki and Shawn this past spring during cherry blossom season. It was fun as well as easy to tour with them as they already knew all the tricks, transportation paths, good restaurants, and perfectly located nice hotels along with the best places to visit. Ours was a group of just five people along with Becki and Shawn...the perfect size to have conversation when we wanted, different perspectives, and comraderie on various public transportation methods without being tied down to a slow moving large group on a bus. We appreciated working with them in advance too to design an itinerary that most interested in us, and they went out of their way to get in everything we suggested. We recommend also taking advantage of the opportunity to do a home stay visit they can arrange. We did and had a lovely visit with a family in their home with all of us cooking a traditional meal together. The quieter and serene Kiso Valley and Nakasendo trail times were highlights and quite the contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo and Osaka big city experiences. There is a good amount of walking, but every excursion is well worth it. Our three week trip gave us a great opportunity to absorb a good amount about Japan with Becki and Shawn as knowledgeable, personable, and patient guides. We wish them only the best as they continue to help others appreciate their second home and country they love!!!