Stunning Tours

Dear Jenny, Thank you for your honest feedback, and I'm truly sorry that your experience did not meet the standards we strive for. Gratuities are never mandatory on our tours, and it is absolutely not our policy for guides to suggest otherwise. What you described regarding the guide's comments on tips is unacceptable. We have received similar concerns from other guests on the same tour, and we are seriously considering letting this tour guide go. We do not make this decision lightly, but the behavior you described is not aligned with our values. We also hear your concerns about the level of guidance provided. Our tours are intended to offer meaningful context and historical insight at each stop, not just brief comments before independent exploration. It's clear we fell short here, especially with a group of your size and without audio support. We are reviewing our guiding protocols and equipment to improve this. Regarding the route and time spent on the bus, we appreciate you pointing this out. While we do our best to plan efficient itineraries, the extreme number of visitors during cherry blossom season often leads to unexpected road congestion and longer travel times, which can require us to adjust overnight stops and routing. That said, we recognize how frustrating the extra hours on the bus were, and we will re-examine the itinerary to better account for seasonal delays moving forward. We're grateful to hear that the bus driver provided excellent, respectful service, and that you felt safe and comfortable with him. We'll be sure he receives recognition for that. Thank you again for bringing these issues to light. Your feedback helps us improve for all future guests.

Dear Theotis, Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your recent trip. We're glad to hear that the overall experience was good and that you found the driver, as well as TourRadar's communication, to be excellent. However, we're genuinely sorry that several aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. Your concerns are very valid, and we appreciate you bringing them to our attention. Please know that we take each point seriously. Itinerary changes & communication: We completely understand your frustration that the guide didn't explain the traffic-related changes upfront. Clear communication from the start would have set better expectations, and we'll address this with Henry and our guiding team. Hotel locations & distances: We're glad you found the locations of our hotels excellent overall. Regarding the one or two occasions where the hotel was two or more hours from the sites, that typically happens on transfer days—for example, when the group moves from Osaka to Nagoya. Because of the distance between cities, some travel time is unavoidable. However, we hear your frustration about the timeshare hotel with utilities turned off, and we will be reviewing that property immediately. Guiding quality & crowded locations: A guide should do far more than just drop the group off. That said, we do want to explain that this was the cherry blossom season in Japan, when popular sites are extremely crowded. In such conditions, our guides typically give detailed introductions and historical context before arriving at an attraction, then drop the group off to explore individually. This is done to avoid the difficulty of navigating a group of 26 through packed areas where it's easy to lose people. However, we hear your feedback that this approach left you wanting more on-site guidance, and we will work on striking a better balance. Short visit times: Being given only 15–20 minutes at a location is not acceptable, and we will review the pacing of this itinerary. Meal arrangements: We also understand your disappointment about not being taken to a restaurant as a group. Please keep in mind that during cherry blossom season, restaurants are extremely crowded and often cannot accommodate a large group without weeks of advance booking. That said, we should have set clearer expectations about meal arrangements beforehand rather than simply directing you to a busy street. We'll improve on this. Tipping approach: Tipping should never feel awkward or pressured. Asking for tips three days in and making comments about not tipping the driver is inappropriate. We will be reinforcing our tipping guidelines with all guides. We also hear your reflection that "you get what you pay for." While we strive to offer value at every price point, we never want a guest to leave wishing they had paid more for a better experience. That's a clear signal that we fell short. We want to thank you again for join our Splendid Japan tour. And our team will discuss the issues you mentioned internally and make necessary adjustments on our operations. We wish you a cheerful and fruitful 2026!

Dear Anamika, Thanks a lot for writing the review and sharing your experience with us. It seems yesterday when you signed up for the tour???? I am very glad that you enjoyed the hotels and the breakfast on the tour. Please allow me to clarify the title of the tour-9D Splendid Japan tour. The first day is when our guests arrive in Japan and the last day(9th Day) is when our guests fly out of Tokyo. There is one free day(8th Day) on the itinerary. It was designed for guests who wish to stay one more day after the tour finishes and explore the city on their own. It's convenient for the guests who want to stay longer without changing the hotels. We do have a 8 Day version of the splendid tour where the itinerary is exactly the same but without the free day in Tokyo. The first and last day of the tour are designed for our guests to flying in and out of Japan. Since our guests join the tour from all over the world, we are unable to arrange any group tour on the 1st and 9th day of the tour. Please note that the departure date you chose(Mar 30th) is the peak of Cherry Blossom season and it's the busiest and most crowded time of the whole year in Japan. People from all over the world are coming to see the beautiful Cherry Blossom all over the country. The number of the total visitors(international and domestic) in Japan have put tremendous pressure in the travel attractions and facilities so it can feel rush at multiple locations, especially the most famous sites. As I mentioned in the final documents and greeting letters, tips are always optional. You can tip 0 or any amount you want. The way you described the tour guide handled it is unacceptable. I will reach out to our local team and start an investigation today. I want to thank you again for joining our 9D Splendid Japan tour and sharing your detailed feedback with us. Wishing you a cheerful and fruitful 2026????