Memorable trip
Our drivers and tour guide were excellent. Gary, our tour guide, stayed with us throughout the trip helping us to negotiate the trains, subways, restaurants and sites. We reserved our own 4* hotels and saved quite a bit of money in doing so. We travelled during Cherry Blossom season and all the gardens, palaces, cities etc were in full bloom and magnificent. Our tour guide was flexible and helpd us make changes to our itinerary as desired making suggestions for additional stops as well. He spoke excellent English and we had no trouble understanding him as he explained the history and cultural aspects of each site we visited. The people of Japan were the best part of the trip. They were anxious to assist with our every need. We tried to tip them as is our way of showing appreciation but most of them refused tips. The food was very different from our usual diet but enjoyable. We stayed at traditional Japanese Inns in two of our stops. Each had its own flair and we enjoyed being immersed in the traditions they shared with us. The only difficulty on this trip was having to rise from the floor. Not easy for the aging individual!!