Custom Travel in Japan I work with Esprit Travel & Tours, which I founded in 1992. For 9 consecutive years, Esprit and my colleague Nancy Craft have been named to Condé Nast Traveler Magazine’s “Greatest Travel Pros on Earth” list.
Tour planning for individuals or groups.
We work directly with clients in planning custom itineraries based on their individual interests. Our most popular service provides complete, customized packages for individuals, couples and small groups. We arrange everything—from the moment people arrive at the airport in Japan, until they return home. For many, the packages include guides and private cars. For more adventurous travelers, we provide step-by-step instructions that help them to comfortably and successfully take full advantage of Japan’s complex but highly efficient transportation system on their own. Packages include hotels, hot spring inns, airport transfers, as well as train reservations and ticketing.
Many clients choose our guide services: We like to take people to our favorite places in cities and the rural countryside. Although we can include some famous places in our custom itineraries, we hope travelers will want to include the many historical, cultural and “simply beautiful” sites that are off the “tourist trail.” Some people like to have some focus on Japan’s legendary gardens. Others prefer to explore local neighborhoods. For those interested in Japanese arts and crafts, we can visit artists, potters and other craftsmen in their studios. And for contemporary architecture enthusiasts, there is so much to see here. Japan is always changing, the Japanese always creating and innovating. We encourage our travelers to use their time with our guides to see and experience things they couldn’t do on their own and save the more standard tourist sights for time when they are exploring on their own.
Our guides can assist people with shopping, too. A productive afternoon of assisted shopping can save a lot of time and energy.