Classic Japan: Land of the Rising Sun Reviews
9 Classic Japan: Land of the Rising Sun reviews from past travellers that booked with Global Journeys.
Classic Japan 0
Colin and Carol, NSW, Australia, Apr 2026
The hotels were good some better than others / they were in the cities making them easy to explore This trip did not give long enough time at some shrines/ castle's. There is a lot of steps on this tour and some travelers struggled with them and opted not to go to the top of viewing areas. There we to many free days for the costing of the tour. Our read more tour guide Akiko excellent with knowledge and ensuring everyones needs was looked after . The group was 40 people everyone was punctual, luckily.
Starting with Global Journeys, Hannah was great and kept me informed every step of the way. Japan - meeting our tour guide Akiko, she was great, the tour was fantastic, a nice small tour group. Hotels were great too.
Japan 25 0
David, NSW, Australia, May 2025
When j booked this tour it was advertised as a small group (up to 24) so it was quite surprising on arrival to find out it was 36. Clearly our tour guide was out of her depth coordinating that many people & for the first few days we were left wandering. I feel there was a lot of wasted time as we were returned to our hotels by 4pm even after asking read more if we could be taken to other close locations. The sites were great otherwise.
Fantastic tour through Japan 1
Hock, NSW, Australia, Oct 2024
Booking through Global Journeys has always been a hassle free and easy process. The Cosmos tour was wonderful with the highlights being Mt Fuji, visiting Bizen and Himeji Castle and the delicious food. There is so much to see and do. We had a full day of free time in Tokyo and Kyoto and it was not enough. Japan is just a fantastic place to visit. I would like to go back again.
Amazing Classic Japan: Land of the rising Sun tour with Cosmos 5
Pene and Peter, QLD, Australia, Jul 2024
I can truly say that this tour was amazing and a perfect length of time. We booked from Cairns Australia to Haneda, Tokyo.
The tour was extremely well organised and ran like clock work. We had a small group of only 12 people and we all got along really well. Our tour guide Naoko-san said this was the smallest group she had ever had. We felt really read more lucky as she said some groups can have around 30 people. Every day ran exactly to the itinerary, the Hotel rooms were small but not an issue as we were delighted to return to the room every evening for a clean bed and hot shower. The included meals were of a very high quality and morning breakfast buffets were really fantastic and great value. The cooking of Okonomiyaki, Japanese savoury pancake in Hiroshima was also a definite highlight!
Rachael from Global Journeys booked our tour and she was also really fantastic and replied to emails and phone calls without delay. All of the destinations included in this tour were certainly all of the must see locations to get a comprehensive feel of Japan. From country areas, to large cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to the more mountainous regions of Fuji san and the lovely canals of Kurashiki. The Tea Ceremony was very serene and traditional and we really enjoyed the experience.
Our tour guide Naoko-san was also very lovely and kind and she tried her very best every day to make sure everyone was happy and enjoying the tour. If you are thinking of booking this tour, from our experience, I would recommend to anyone who would like to experience the most interesting and beautiful landmarks in Japan :)
The tour was extremely well organised and ran like clock work. We had a small group of only 12 people and we all got along really well. Our tour guide Naoko-san said this was the smallest group she had ever had. We felt really read more lucky as she said some groups can have around 30 people. Every day ran exactly to the itinerary, the Hotel rooms were small but not an issue as we were delighted to return to the room every evening for a clean bed and hot shower. The included meals were of a very high quality and morning breakfast buffets were really fantastic and great value. The cooking of Okonomiyaki, Japanese savoury pancake in Hiroshima was also a definite highlight!
Rachael from Global Journeys booked our tour and she was also really fantastic and replied to emails and phone calls without delay. All of the destinations included in this tour were certainly all of the must see locations to get a comprehensive feel of Japan. From country areas, to large cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to the more mountainous regions of Fuji san and the lovely canals of Kurashiki. The Tea Ceremony was very serene and traditional and we really enjoyed the experience.
Our tour guide Naoko-san was also very lovely and kind and she tried her very best every day to make sure everyone was happy and enjoying the tour. If you are thinking of booking this tour, from our experience, I would recommend to anyone who would like to experience the most interesting and beautiful landmarks in Japan :)
Great first experience of Japan 2
J and S, QLD, Australia, Apr 2024
Convenient booking online and very helpful direct contact with Georgie. Process and trip went to plan. Our guide Emi went out of her way to make everything right. Pottery visit was a highlight and wondered if similar paper and fabric craft visits would be a good addition if available. Accomodation standard was good. Really glad we had Georgie add read more the transfer from Narita Airport into our Tokyo hotel. Late April timing of the trip meant that the full bloom of the Cherry Blossoms were over but still some good examples were seen. Good basic view of Japan, thanks.
This was an amazing journey. My highlight was Mount Fuji and the blossom trees. Our accommodation was very good, the rooms were small but had everything in them you could possibly need.Our tour guide Mina was simply the best and often went above and beyond. My travelling companions were from 4 different continents but we got on really well and had lots read more of fun. I would recommend Global Journeys.
Japan was a great trip with wonderful fellow travellers. We saw the best of Japan with visits to Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Osaka. Our guide was knowledgeable and very helpful. I highly recommend this trip to anyone contemplating a trip to Japan, and I wouldn't hesitate to travel with Cosmos again.
Japan is a beautiful country, and the trip was organized well. We saw so much, I thoroughly recommend a visit.
We had a wonderful time from start to finish on this tour. Global Journeys made it all so easy for us with the tour booking and organising our flights - we could not fault Jemma she was excellent. The tour itself was great we saw everything we had hoped to and the tour guide Aki was so well informed and had a great sense of humour keeping everyone happy read more during the bus trips. The Samurai Museum was great fun and the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto and Himeji Castle near Osaka were the highlights for us but everyday was a pleasure on this tour. Weather wise it was quite hot at the start of the tour and on the last day so would probably advise anyone who doesn’t like the heat to go later in the year or in spring. Highly recommend this tour.
Japan tour 1
Agatha, NSW, Australia, Apr 2023
We enjoyed our first trip to Japan. Everyone in the group were pleasantly nice to each other. Our tour guide Akiko was knowledgeable and helpful. We saw more places that we would if we did it on our own. Our highlight of the trip was seeing the view of Mount Fuji.
Enjoyable tour through Japan 2
Dawn, VIC, Australia, Sep 2019
We arrived in Tokyo 2 days before the start of the tour. We managed to navigate the metro system to visit some additional attractions not on the tour. Aki was our guide who was very knowledgable and was very helpful with advice. Our group comprised of 16 and we all enjoyed each other’s company. It was very hot and humid for our tour which slowed read more us down a bit. There was quite a lot of walking and steps to climb when visiting temples and shrines so we were quite tired at the end of each day.
The highlights of the tour were Tokyo, Takayama where we visited the thatched houses and stayed in a beautiful hotel in the Alps which had a thermal spa and beautiful scenery. Kyoto was enjoyable, Temple of the Gold Pavilion and the Adachi Museum of Art and Gardens. Hiroshima was special and very emotional and of course the bullet trains were amazing. Our tour ended in Osaka but unfortunately we did not have time for sightseeing. I would suggest adding on an extra day to spend some time in Osaka. On reflection I think November would have been a better month to travel, a bit cooler and you would see the autumn colours.
The accommodation on the most part was good, perhaps the location could have been better in some cases.
The optional tours were good, we did Mt Fuji which was covered in fog but an enjoyable day and Nara. I would suggest booking your optional tours from home in advance as we did not thinking we could book at the start of the tour as we have done on other tours, Cosmos included. In this case we were told that the tours could be booked out but luckily we were able to be included. On booking the tour it would be advisable for Cosmos to inform people of the importance of pre-booking the optional tours.
It would have been good to have some included meals so that the group could socialise. We had difficulty ordering meals due to the menus being in Japanese and staff not speaking English. We had to resort to 7 Eleven and Starbucks at times due to the communication problem. A few group dinners with our guide would have helped and taken the stress out of selecting food. We did manage to find a pub and had a hamburger and chips one night. All in all despite the challenges we had a wonderful time with lots of laughs and memories to cherish.
The highlights of the tour were Tokyo, Takayama where we visited the thatched houses and stayed in a beautiful hotel in the Alps which had a thermal spa and beautiful scenery. Kyoto was enjoyable, Temple of the Gold Pavilion and the Adachi Museum of Art and Gardens. Hiroshima was special and very emotional and of course the bullet trains were amazing. Our tour ended in Osaka but unfortunately we did not have time for sightseeing. I would suggest adding on an extra day to spend some time in Osaka. On reflection I think November would have been a better month to travel, a bit cooler and you would see the autumn colours.
The accommodation on the most part was good, perhaps the location could have been better in some cases.
The optional tours were good, we did Mt Fuji which was covered in fog but an enjoyable day and Nara. I would suggest booking your optional tours from home in advance as we did not thinking we could book at the start of the tour as we have done on other tours, Cosmos included. In this case we were told that the tours could be booked out but luckily we were able to be included. On booking the tour it would be advisable for Cosmos to inform people of the importance of pre-booking the optional tours.
It would have been good to have some included meals so that the group could socialise. We had difficulty ordering meals due to the menus being in Japanese and staff not speaking English. We had to resort to 7 Eleven and Starbucks at times due to the communication problem. A few group dinners with our guide would have helped and taken the stress out of selecting food. We did manage to find a pub and had a hamburger and chips one night. All in all despite the challenges we had a wonderful time with lots of laughs and memories to cherish.
Journey through Japan 8
Dennis & Robyn, NSW, Australia, Apr 2019
Our trip was organised expertly - we had a fabulous time, hotels were good, our tour guide Rumi was fantastic and had expert knowledge of all areas of Japan. She looked after us and made sure we saw all that we could in Japan. We contemplated travelling Japan on our own but I am so glad we changed to the tour - we saw far more than we could have on read more our own. This was the second Cosmos tour we have taken and we have found them extremely well run and we would recommend them to anyone.
Excellent Overall Experience in Japan with Cosmos & Global Journeys! 8
Michelle & Sarah, NSW, Australia, Sep 2018
In September 2018, my daughter & I took the 12 day "Journey Through Japan" Cosmos tour. Our lovely Japanese guide, Aki, was the best and just so welcoming with her knowledge and gentle sense of humour, and our coach driver was very polite and helpful. Our accommodation was excellent especially in Tokyo and as to be expected in Japan, our hotel rooms read more weren't huge. The daily buffet breakfasts of both Japanese and Western options were a great way to start each day.
The tour pace, sightseeing and excursions were very good with even a Shinkansen (bullet train) journey included. It was a fantastic way to experience Japan for the first time and we will definitely be returning! Special thanks to Georgie who handles our international bookings so efficiently - all of my trips have gone off so smoothly with Global Journeys!
The tour pace, sightseeing and excursions were very good with even a Shinkansen (bullet train) journey included. It was a fantastic way to experience Japan for the first time and we will definitely be returning! Special thanks to Georgie who handles our international bookings so efficiently - all of my trips have gone off so smoothly with Global Journeys!
Timeless Japan tour with Cosmos 4
Margaret, NSW, Australia, Sep 2018
Cosmos was very good and the price was competitive. We travelled just after Typhoon Jebi and we were amazed at the speed and work ethic of the Japanese. Global Journeys was excellent to deal with and promptly replied to my every request. I would highly recommend them and would use them to book my next holiday. Juliet was especially good.
We decided to arrive a few days before our tour started to get the feel of Tokyo and we did this by exploring the city on the subway. Our tour started with meeting our fellow travellers in the lobby of the hotel and our tour guide introduced herself. She was very knowledgeable but that was no surprise as she would have been well over retirement age read more in Australia.
Length was long enough, the hotels good but of course small rooms but that is Japan for you. We did not leave after our tour to go home and added more time in Fukuoka to see one of our homestay students from years ago which was a lovely experience.
Length was long enough, the hotels good but of course small rooms but that is Japan for you. We did not leave after our tour to go home and added more time in Fukuoka to see one of our homestay students from years ago which was a lovely experience.
Trip packed with great sights and experiences 12
Malcolm & Patricia , NSW , Australia, Mar 2018
This was not our first on the go trip with Cosmos but it was the first that failed to provide a reasonable amount of free time to allow us to do our own exploring. There were some days that we were so time poor that we had to pre-purchase our lunch and eat it on the coach. Sure that gave us time to see the many sights included in this tour but it did read more not give us time to get out and mix with the locals and experience their daily lives.
In Osaka the hotel was so crowded that they could not get us into either breakfast room to serve breakfast in time for us to be ready to leave at the appointed hour that morning. We missed out on breakfast and the small gift from the hotel by way of compensation did not satisfy our appetite and was worth a fraction of the cost of the missed meal. There was no organised rotation of seats in the coach and so we had 3 fellow travelers who dominated and selfishly occupied the same seats the whole time.
In Osaka the hotel was so crowded that they could not get us into either breakfast room to serve breakfast in time for us to be ready to leave at the appointed hour that morning. We missed out on breakfast and the small gift from the hotel by way of compensation did not satisfy our appetite and was worth a fraction of the cost of the missed meal. There was no organised rotation of seats in the coach and so we had 3 fellow travelers who dominated and selfishly occupied the same seats the whole time.
Our Tour Guide was fantastic, helpful, happy and a wealth of information. She often provided information on the Japanese way of life that we didn’t expect to hear but was very enlightening! All the hotels were great, especially the Kyoto hotel which was stunning.
We saw some autumn colour in the mountains but overall it was a few weeks early for read more the mass of colour. It seems the seasons are getting later but we were very lucky to have a sunny, clear day to sail on Lake Ashi and had a clear view of Mt Fuji with just a little snow on the top.
Highlights were the Japanese Alps, Shirakawa, the Adachi Museum of Art gardens, Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Hakone. We loved everything about Japan and feel very lucky to have seen and done so much. We couldn’t fault the whole tour, the scenery, the food, the Shinkansen, the shrines, castles, gardens and temples. We especially loved the Japanese people, their culture of honesty, courtesy, cleanliness and respect. Inspiring. We will definitely recommend this tour to others.
We saw some autumn colour in the mountains but overall it was a few weeks early for read more the mass of colour. It seems the seasons are getting later but we were very lucky to have a sunny, clear day to sail on Lake Ashi and had a clear view of Mt Fuji with just a little snow on the top.
Highlights were the Japanese Alps, Shirakawa, the Adachi Museum of Art gardens, Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Hakone. We loved everything about Japan and feel very lucky to have seen and done so much. We couldn’t fault the whole tour, the scenery, the food, the Shinkansen, the shrines, castles, gardens and temples. We especially loved the Japanese people, their culture of honesty, courtesy, cleanliness and respect. Inspiring. We will definitely recommend this tour to others.
Japan with Hiroshima Extension 5
Virginia, QLD, Australia, Sep 2017
The 10 Day Classic Japan: Golden Route tour was very good. I would thoroughly recommend the Hiroshima Extension. I felt this part of the trip was a wonderful experience in such a beautiful city. This tour was very slow-paced. We were given plenty of spare time to wander in all places which was interesting. The hotels were excellent in Tokyo, Hakone read more and Kyoto and the breakfasts also. Unfortunately a very poor quality of hotel and breakfast in Hiroshima.
The travel by bullet trains was amazing, comfortable and fast. The only negative was that we were told we could only take hand luggage on the train, so we had to pack clothes and toiletries to take while our bags were transported by road. This was inconvenient and most people would have liked prior warning.
There were too many temples and related items to visit. Am sure Japan could come up with some other places of interest for tourists. A beautiful, clean and safe country indeed.
The travel by bullet trains was amazing, comfortable and fast. The only negative was that we were told we could only take hand luggage on the train, so we had to pack clothes and toiletries to take while our bags were transported by road. This was inconvenient and most people would have liked prior warning.
There were too many temples and related items to visit. Am sure Japan could come up with some other places of interest for tourists. A beautiful, clean and safe country indeed.
Enjoyable Journey in Japan 4
Frank & Pat , WA, Australia, Apr 2017
We thought the trip was well managed though it would have been nicer to be allowed more time in some places and also to have avoided some of the massive crowds at the more well known sites. There were other options that would have been equally as impressive to visit without having to fight the crowds at the World Heritage Sites. Also, to have more read more time available with not such a hectic schedule.
Results
1-9 of 9
