8D Splendid Japan-Private 3 Star Hotels-Osaka to Tokyo

Traveler Reviews

• R

  Ruanruan

  April 18th, 2026
  My family had a great time. A impeccable tour experience for an affordable price.
  Traveled in April 2026
• J

  John

  April 14th, 2026
  I joined this tour as a solo traveler and had to pay for the single supplement fee in order to have my own room. I...
  I joined this tour as a solo traveler and had to pay for the single supplement fee in order to have my own room. I have to say that the tour exceeded my exceptions. The hotels were very nice. Most of them are small, especially the one in Tokyo. But they are quiet, clean and comfortable. The tour guide Jason did a terrific job. The itinerary was nicely crafted allowing us to visit most of the iconic sites of Japan. I am glad I did this tour.Show more
  Traveled in March 2026
• J

  jenny

  April 13th, 2026
  Disappointed to say the least… My original tour was cancelled after being booked for five months, and I was moved...
  Disappointed to say the least… My original tour was cancelled after being booked for five months, and I was moved to this tour with the same company (Stunning Tours). I still joined with a positive attitude, but the experience quickly fell short. On Day 2, the tour leader (Henri) explicitly told the group that tips make up about 80% of his and the bus drivers salary and that they were expected, so he would collect them himself at the end. This felt inappropriate and set an uncomfortable tone. The tour itself was not fully guided as advertised. At each stop, he gave only brief explanations—often only to those standing closest—before sending the group off to explore independently for 1–2 hours. With around 25 people and no audio devices, most of us couldn’t hear anything. We were essentially left to wander without guidance, which defeated the purpose of a guided tour. Then on day 5 he told us he would be collecting the tips at the end of day 6. This whole experience was uncomfortable and disappointing. He should have been focused on giving us explanations and the history of each site as a Tour leader and guide. We were bussed around to some out of the way places to sleep overnight and then spend hours retracing our route to our next site instead of going towards that site directly. Needless hours on the bus! The bus driver however was excellent and very respectful- we were very comfortable with him. The group of people in the tour also had similar concerns as myself.Show more
  Traveled in March 2026
  

  Reply from: 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.

  Show more
• J

  Jame

  April 13th, 2026
  Excellent tour with great hotel selections. The first night hotel was only 5 minutes from the airport and extremely...
  Excellent tour with great hotel selections. The first night hotel was only 5 minutes from the airport and extremely easy to access. We enjoyed the oceanview on the 54th floor during breakfast. The hotel in Osaka and Tokyo got even better with professional staff and being extremely clean and comfortable. Cherry Blossom was beautiful but the country is crowded with visitors. We will come back a different time.Show more
  Traveled in February 2026
• T

  Theotis

  April 13th, 2026
  The overall experience was good, but there were challenges that could have been avoided. The printed itinerary...
  The overall experience was good, but there were challenges that could have been avoided. The printed itinerary wasn't followed by the guide. He later explained that the driver chose the order to avoid heavy traffic. That made sense, but why not say that up front. The hotels got progressively better but also two or more hours from the sites. One hotel was a timeshare with all the utilities turned off, so no, we couldn't do our laundry as he said. Many commented that he could not be heard. This is a problem with a group of 26. He would also take up places an just drop us off If we wanted to know anything about the site, we had to eavesdrop on other groups. At least twice we were given only 15 - 20 mins. at a location before being rushed back to the hotel We were never taken to a restaurant as a group, just marched to a busy, crowded street and told we could find a restaurant there to sit down, or buy street food. He started asking for tips three days in! He cautioned us to tip him not the driver as he would share but the driver would not. It was awkward. The driver was excellent. The instructions and correspondence response time from TourRadar were excellent. Stunning Tours was not quite what was expected. Our guide, Henry, was a nice person, likeable but needed to do more than just drop us off at places. You get what you pay for. I wish I had paid a bit more. This was a lower price tripShow more
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  Traveled in March 2026
  

  Reply from: Stunning Tours

  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!

  Show more
• T

  thomas

  April 10th, 2026
  My family of 4 enjoyed this 8 Day Japan tour thoroughly. All of the hotels are above 3 stars with perfect locations....
  My family of 4 enjoyed this 8 Day Japan tour thoroughly. All of the hotels are above 3 stars with perfect locations. The tour guide Ooi took care of everyone on the tour. The itinerary was professionally designed. We have decided to do their 14 Days Panoramic Japan tour next year!Show more
  Traveled in March 2026
• J

  Jodi

  April 9th, 2026
  Our 8D Splendid Japan with Nagoya(private 3-star hotel rooms) was the second trip we booked through TourRadar, and we...
  Our 8D Splendid Japan with Nagoya(private 3-star hotel rooms) was the second trip we booked through TourRadar, and we were left disappointed. There was little communication prior to the trip, leaving me unsure of the details of our itinerary, and there was no communication from our tour guide outside our in-person gatherings. He did not send any group communications or reminders throughout the trip. He did not have a master list of all the participants' cell phone numbers, making it nearly impossible to quickly communicate last-minute changes to the itinerary. He also did not coordinate photo sharing through an app like PhotoCircle like our previous TourRadar tour guide did. The itinerary itself was also disappointing, as we did not have enough time to experience each place we visited. Each day was just a long bus ride to our destination, followed by a quick walkthrough of the destination, without the opportunity to stop to visit vendor booths (food or souvenirs) or to take pictures. Our guide rushed us through every site. There was too much hotel-hopping and long bus rides in cramped seats. We were also told there would be toilets on the charter bus. There were not. We will not be considering a TravelRadar trip in the future.Show more
  Traveled in March 2026
  

  Reply from: Stunning Tours

  Dear Jodi, Thank you for taking the time to write such detailed feedback. I’m truly sorry to hear that your 8-day Splendid Japan tour did not meet your expectations, especially as this was your second trip with TourRadar. I’ve read your comments carefully, and I want to address several specific issues you raised. 1. Pre-trip communication I completely understand your feeling that communication was lacking. That said, I did check our records: we sent you a welcome email, tour status reports, and final documents (including confirmed itinerary, local guide and manager contact info, arrival instructions) both by email and via the TourRadar platform. It seems these may not have reached you or may have been overlooked. I sincerely apologize for that gap — we will review how we can make important information more visible and harder to miss in the future. 2. Rushed itinerary and lack of free time I hear you clearly — long bus rides, hotel-hopping, cramped seats, no time for vendor booths or photos, and being rushed through sites. You are right that the 8-day tour tries to cover many iconic sites in a short time, and for some guests that pace is too much. If you ever consider traveling with us again, I would strongly recommend our 14-day Panoramic Japan tour. It is designed for a slower, more relaxed pace — fewer hotel changes, more free time at each destination, and a much better fit if you want to actually experience local culture rather than just see sights from a bus. 3. Toilet on the bus You mentioned being told there would be a restroom on the charter bus, but there was not. I apologize for that incorrect information. Most tour buses in Japan do not have toilets, but that should have been clearly stated to you before the trip. We will correct this in our materials moving forward. I am very sorry that this experience has led you to say you will not consider TourRadar again. That is not the outcome we want for any guest. Your feedback will be shared with our local team in Japan and discussed internally. Thank you again for being so honest — it truly helps us improve. Warm regards, Peter

  Show more
• M

  Michelle

  March 30th, 2026
  Saw many exciting things in Japan!
  Traveled in March 2026
• 

  Colleen

  March 19th, 2026
  We loved the itinerary! It was a great combination of rural and urban sites. Every day ran smoothly, and every visit...
  We loved the itinerary! It was a great combination of rural and urban sites. Every day ran smoothly, and every visit was well planned. The hotels were a very good quality. The breakfasts every day were adequate, some very good. Our guide was FANTASTIC, knowledgeable and fun. He made the trip memorable. He kept us interestedShow more
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  Traveled in February 2026
• 

  Rachel

  March 14th, 2026
  Steve was an AMAZING guide! He was mindful of the older guests on our tour and was very informative about things we...
  Steve was an AMAZING guide! He was mindful of the older guests on our tour and was very informative about things we wanted to do. He added a lot of information during the bus rides and had books to back up with context. We did this tour in 2024 with a guide that was subpar so it was such a nice experience to have somebody who really knew what they were doing. It was like doing the same tour for the first time. Should we find ourselves back in Japan with stunning tours, we will be requesting our favorite guide! Maybe Hokkaido next!!Show more
  Traveled in February 2026