This comment is aimed at experience from a recent Tauck guest who has on business and pleasure in Japan over the last forty years, plus having the April 24th, 2024 tour already scheduled, our 15th Tauck tour. A few comments may be of assistance here:
…Japan is an amazingly safe country. I have been all around their biggest island, Honshu (containing Tokyo and Nagoya, Nara, etc.) and it is one of the safest countries you can find.
….The people are wonderful, kind, more formal that you might expect…and the place is just expensive. Can’t get around that.
…Remember, NO TIPPING.
…Remember to dress more formally than you would in the US. NO SHORTS. Women with slacks or skirts, maybe a jacket…men with slacks, sport jacket and a few ties when needed for some dinners on board the ship.
…on the ship, you will be with NON-Tauck travelers, mostly French, and they typically dress for dinner. So I’d suggest at the least a sport jacket for the men…..and a tie if you are feeling dressy. You will NOT be the only one.
…This ship for our tour is one of a set of ships that are quite similar…about 250 to 260 travelers and about five to six different size cabins or suites. Yes, these tours are expensive, but to us, well worth it in terms of “surprises” that Tauck will pleasantly offer to you, plus the tour directors and tour guides in each city. Tauck does not skimp and you’ll be thankful of that.
…The cities that Tauck has picked out…I have been to most previously (but not my wife) are really a great selection to gain an appreciation of the country. Yes, crowded but that is Japan with about 250 million people in a country the size of California, but much of which is mountains.
….Suggest you learn a few pleasant words or phrases in Japanese…not hard to do: good morning, evening, thank you, please, pleased to meet you, etc. Most people don’t make an attempt, so you will stand out in a GOOD WAY.
….Try to pay either by credit card or in Yen. Yes, either way is expensive. And NO TIPPING. Also, you’ll see that almost every food place/restaurant/Izakaya has PLASTIC food outside their restaurant to SHOW you what you can order. So even if you can’t get an English menu, you can motion the water outside to look into their windows and point to what you want. It works ALL THE TIME.
….If you can do it, suggest a few things to NEVER miss on this tour: Stunning temples in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Tokyo, Kagoshima, Busan Korea, etc. The Shrines in the big cities (Tokyo, Nagoya) are peaceful and breathtaking. And if you go to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo….just walk across the street to the Harajuku Park…..weekends are a blast in the afternoon listening and watching dozens and dozens of young people playing in bands, singing, dancing, with different color hair…it will break your preconceived notions about Japan!!
….Just my preference: take the earliest trip that Tauck offers…the first one, regardless of direction. Gives you the best chance to see the Sakura/Cherry Blossoms. You may overlap with Golden Week….with takes place for about four days over two weeks at the end of April/early May. Lots of people take off from work, holiday, so expect crowds. But frankly there will be crowds no matter where you go….and planning your trip to see the Cherry Blossoms far out weighs the overlap with Golden week.
….The hotels that Tauck offers are terrific….at the beginning and the end of the trip. I have previously staying in some of them….all terrific. And remember, no tipping of bell hops who deliver your baggage.
….getting around the city: take a map from the ship or the hotel. You can find them in English. Subways and taxis are both terrific, but the subways may be best for you on your next trip. Taxis can do fine. And TAKE the address of your hotel in Japanese characters address so you can show to taxi driver if you get lost. This is IMPORTANT.
….I could go on for quite a while….but hopefully this above will help…. Japan is one of my very favorite countries for lots of reasons. I hope it becomes one of yours.
If you have more questions, fire back a note……. Best of luck traveling.
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