"Grand Tour of Japan From Tokyo"

Above, the Nagasaki Peace Statue, one of the tour stops. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last month, thanks to a reader's emailed questions on whether one should go on a tour to Japan or go it on their own, I posted a blog on the topic. (To read it, go here.)

Today, I saw an online ad for an eleven-day tour to Japan with Japan Deluxe Tours, Inc. Out of curiosity, I looked in to see what they had to offer and what their prices would be. (Note: I don't know if this is a good tour company or not, so you won't find any reviews here.)

Here is their description of the 11-day "Grand Tour of Japan From Tokyo":

The Land of the Rising Sun is filled with contrast elements of cutting edge technology and vibrant metropolis to traditional temples and raw beauty of nature. We will journey to three major islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku.  

This fully escorted tour will travel to Hiroshima, Miyajima, Arita Ceramic Village, Nagasaki, Beppu, Matsuyama, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Hakone, Mt. Fuji, and Tokyo. You will not miss the indescribable experiences of a tea ceremony in a Buddhist Temple, visit a rural town known for their “imari-yaki” ceramic, watch a traditional kagura dance, Todaiji Temple where “Big Buddha” and roaming deer resides, “black crow” castle of Kumamoto, Gion Geisha District, Tsukiji Fish Market, the famous Ritsurin Garden and more. 

It sounds like a pretty good tour for eleven days. I have wonder how much free time kaiju fans would have to visit monster movie locations and landmarks on their own, especially in Tokyo.

The tour ad page did not list prices. To find out the tour's cost, they have a big green button that reads "Quotation & Reservation." Once you go in there, you would have to select one of three tour dates and choose between the Air Inclusive Tour (which means the package includes round-trip flights to Japan) or the Land Only Tour (no flights included). You might be able to save money by finding your own flights.

Then you would have specify the number of people going, kind of room and different options. One important item, you have to select your city zone. This tells them what city you are departing from. That's the main key on the pricing.

I tried it out for myself and it came out to $5,878.00, which is a bit on the high side, but the tour does take you to quite a number of places for eleven days. I chose the Air Inclusive Tour. Still, it is better to shop around to find the best deals.

To see what a tour would cost you (for the fun of it), go here.