Japan - guided tours 2025

[SmithfamilyRobinson]

Special birthday next year and I wanted to treat DH and I to a trip to Japan, ideally with a tour company versus independent travellers (due to stress & age). I have a few brochures already but the reviews at least for two are awful (Trailfinders who use Trafalgar and Exodus). I looked at Jules Verne and the accommodation is somewhat impersonal versus Exodus when the reviews indicate a group of 17 sharing 2 toilets in the quaint but shabby homestay type places...
Any suggestions? We have used Explore in Thailand so I understand the mix of basic and better to get to that price point. TIA

The tour we are thinking of is more off the beaten track which might be harder to plan ourselves.
I am wondering if there is an airline which people would recommend more than the others too.

My parents used titan travel for Japan and the southern states USA tours. They loved it.

i had very good experiences with Finnair and JAL.

I don’t think off the beaten track is really any harder to self plan than the big cities tbh. We’re doing a more unusual itinerary next year and booking it all will probably be simpler than the popular places where you have to have a booking strategy because of how quickly stuff sells out. Over on the Japan planning thread there’s quite a few of us independently planning trips to places off the beaten track.

@Sockmate123 there'll be an ensuite in hotels. The only time there won't be is in more remote hotels or very cheap hostels (though the shared bathrooms will be super clean).

But most hotels also have a hot pool or onsen or shared bath that japanese families will use - there'll be one for men and one for women or different times for men and women. There's lots of instructions on how to use them - there's an etiquette. It's a great thing to do - highly recommend.

they vary from very posh ones with lots of different pools in hot water spa towns to a one person bath in a hostel that you use just by yourself.

www.japan.travel/en/guide/bathing-manners-and-tips/

Inside Japan organised our entire family trip for us but we didn't join a group tour-It was just us! Everything booked and paid for in advance, everything went 100% to plan. It was marvellous and worth every penny, IMO.