Tyron V.
“4 hour tour in Kanazawa ”
Had a great time with Raph taking me and my mother out to check out some of Kanazawa. Very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. Highly recommended
Cheryl F.
“Wonderful day with Tomoe”
Our group of six people booked the Nara & Kyoto 8 hour tour with Tomoe in May 2025. We met Tomoe at Kyoto Station and she was prompt, friendly, inquisitive, and knowledgeable. Even before the tour started, she was available for questions by chat. We took the Limited Express train to Nara where we fed and petted the deer and toured Todaiji Temple and Isuein Park (highly recommend). We had ramen for lunch then returned to Kyoto to see the Inari Gates. Tomoe shared lots of history about the sites we visited, even about the deer. Tomoe took lots of pictures of us and sent them to us which really helped enhance our trip. I highly recommend Tomoe! Tip: Be sure to bring cash. We paid for the train tickets to Nara by card (about 1500¥ each way per person) but the temple (500¥/pp) and garden (1200¥/pp) as well as our lunch (2000¥/pp) was cash only. Also be prepared for lots of walking. We racked up over 20,000 steps!
Jim B.
“Great visit to Shimizu/Fujinomiya with Sayori”
Four of us visited Shimizu while sailing around Japan on Celebrity Millenium and arranged a tour with Sayori to get a closer look at Mt Fuji and learn more about the sacred mountain. Just a day or two prior to the tour, we realized that we would need to modify our plans since it was the last day of the cruise and we would need to be back to the ship for packing earlier than planned. She had no problem with this, rolled with the punches and adjusted our itinerary. Our day with Sayo was like spending the day with a friend in their home town. Based on her very detailed information, we met up with Sayori at the Shimizu train station. She expertly guided us to an express train that would get us to Fujinomiya more quickly than planned. In Fujinomaya, we visited the Mt Fuji World Heritage Center and the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine. As she has summited Mt Fuji herself, Sayo was able to provide us with great insight as we toured the Heritage Center. While it was cloudy to start, the skies began to magically open providing us with great views (we think she made it happen) and she was very patient as we were able to watch the mountain appear before for us. At the Shrine, Sayori explained the significance of several ceremonies we happened upon and took the time to read the very detailed fortunes we each chose for ourselves. One member of our group is gluten free and Sayo went out of her way to find a very charming, mother/daughter restaurant that specialized in delicious rice balls with all sorts of great fillings. The mom and daughter were so happy to have us that they offered us additional complimentary side dishes. As relatively experienced travelers this was just the type of opportunity we seek, to experience something that feels very authentic, away from any crowd. For Americans or other english speaking guests looking for a guide, Sayori has spent signficant time in the US, speaks flawless english and will provide a great day with many memories.
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