Japans Own

Is a package holiday tour to japan the way forward for first time visitors? Please help!?

I am thinking about taking my girlfriend to Japan next year at some point but am unsure what the best way forward is. People have told me to go with a tour operator and others have said private. I want to go for two weeks and do the likes of Kyoto and Tokyo. Will a travel agent rip me off? I have been told by friend that it will cost a minium of £5000 per person. Also what it the best time to go?

Public Comments

1. I would say around Spring (Apr-May or June) or Fall (Oct-Nov). One of my friend visited Tokyo a couple years ago and she took a package tour. Because she wanted to see the famous view points as much as she should in a limited days and she also wanted to see Kyoto, Nara, Kyushu and Tokyo. It would be better to take a packaged tour if you don't wanna miss any curical places to see during ur stay, but will cost much more than private travel.(but they will arrage all the crucial points on each destinations.) If you are a person who wants to explore places only you are interested in with guide book, you'd better take a private trip. it makes much much more private time with your gf, too.
2. It really depends on what your standards are and how adventurous you're feeling. With some research and preparation you could easily do it for less. But if you're doing a tour in Japan, especially if the tour is planned by a Japanese company, you can be pretty confident that you will be well taken care of. I'm not sure about the operators in the UK, but the pricing policy in Japan is usually you get what you pay for and what you pay for is usually a fair price (mind you, Japanese prices can be steep). Best time depends on what you want to see and do there. If you want to do a tropical thing in Okinawa, I'd say May...just warming up, but before the storms hit. But you'll want too avoid the first week of May, as that is a holiday week in Japan. Even the second week is busy with school trips (and every school goes...) but the prices are cheaper and you can find space if you book ahead of time. There's cherry blossoms in spring (March-May depending on which part of Japan) which is lovely. But if you're in areas known for their tress, be prepared for crowds. I would avoid the summer if you're not into heat and humidity. Also, look into festivals in the areas you want to visit. Some are amazing, and Japanese festivals are highly enjoyable in general. enjoy!
3. April is good time to see cherry blossoms, but that means every tourist attractions will be packed with people. May is also good month as it's warm and dry, October/November is also good for dry weather and autumn leaves. Avoid June to September if you can; June is rainy month, July - August is v. hot and humid, and September you get typhoons. I think going privately is better. True, you'll get to cover all the major tourist attractions is you go with tour, but you can get tours locally (with English guide/commentary) once you are in Tokyo and Kyoto. And by going privately, you can go anywhere you take a fancy in your own time and there are many places to see in Japan. Don't forget that Japan has one of the best railway networks - if you buy Japan Rail Pass before you go, you can travel to majority of places in Japan (except islands like Okinawa obviously). If you get on the bullet train, you can go to all major cities in Japan quickly and comfortably, and it's the nicest way of travelling in Japan since you get to see the countryside as you travel. Have a look here for Japan Rail Pass http://www.japantravel.co.uk/site/jrpass.html It is definitely worth it, since you can use it from the moment you get to Narita airport to catch the Narita Express into Tokyo, and use it on Bullet train services.