Japan Custom Tours
Japan Custom Tours
5
City ToursMulti-day ToursWalking ToursPrivate ToursDay Trips
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
From Tokyo day tours, day trips and multi-day tours across Japan, we specialize in delivering custom tours for small groups (10 max) or private excursions.
Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
68 reviews
Excellent
64
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Kate S
Melbourne, Australia125 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
My husband and I travelled through Japan for three weeks from the end of October 2019. Mostly with Patrick from Japan custom tours with the last few days in Tokyo on our own. I had heard lots of people saying how they loved Japan so my expectations where probably a bit high from the start. My communication with Patrick via email was quick and easy and I felt well informed especially when Japan was struck by a strong typhoon not long before our arrival.
Patrick greeted us at the airport as planned and we took a local train to the hotel as the express was an hour wait. After a good nights sleep we had a full day looking around Tokyo. My only regret here was that we are not interested in museums and we should have made that clearer. My husband and I could of spent more time walking the gardens rather than looking through the museum. We were also unsure where to eat dinner and only found out later, when we returned to a Tokyo, of some better eating places.
We left the next day for our Autumn leaves tour around Japan.
While we saw some lovely parks, temples, castles and popular tourist attractions my favourite experience was the ryokan. It was great to experience the more traditional food, geisha show and the onsen. While the ryokan was a little run down in areas they are working on it and I enjoyed my time there. The hotels varied from amazing to very average. The average happened due to heavy booking over a holiday weekend. The positive side of the tour was we really did see some lovely and interesting places. The downside was that we felt we spent a lot of time travelling on trains, walking to and from accommodation and looking for places to eat dinner with some variety.
Overall we saw some lovely and interesting places but I wasn’t wowed by Japan. I do think I would have liked to explore some places such as Sendai and Kanazawa a bit more. I also liked the scenery through the Japanese alps. Possibly our mistake was trying to see too many places and maybe having time to just wander through less places would have suited us more. But everyone is different and others may enjoy visiting more places. It was also recommended by others to spend more time in Tokyo which we did. Our day trip to Hakone to see Mt Fuji on a Hakone pass was fabulous. We are not bright lights and shopping people so while we visited gardens, temples, city viewing areas and a hedgehog cafe we found our extra 4 days more than enough.
Patrick greeted us at the airport as planned and we took a local train to the hotel as the express was an hour wait. After a good nights sleep we had a full day looking around Tokyo. My only regret here was that we are not interested in museums and we should have made that clearer. My husband and I could of spent more time walking the gardens rather than looking through the museum. We were also unsure where to eat dinner and only found out later, when we returned to a Tokyo, of some better eating places.
We left the next day for our Autumn leaves tour around Japan.
While we saw some lovely parks, temples, castles and popular tourist attractions my favourite experience was the ryokan. It was great to experience the more traditional food, geisha show and the onsen. While the ryokan was a little run down in areas they are working on it and I enjoyed my time there. The hotels varied from amazing to very average. The average happened due to heavy booking over a holiday weekend. The positive side of the tour was we really did see some lovely and interesting places. The downside was that we felt we spent a lot of time travelling on trains, walking to and from accommodation and looking for places to eat dinner with some variety.
Overall we saw some lovely and interesting places but I wasn’t wowed by Japan. I do think I would have liked to explore some places such as Sendai and Kanazawa a bit more. I also liked the scenery through the Japanese alps. Possibly our mistake was trying to see too many places and maybe having time to just wander through less places would have suited us more. But everyone is different and others may enjoy visiting more places. It was also recommended by others to spend more time in Tokyo which we did. Our day trip to Hakone to see Mt Fuji on a Hakone pass was fabulous. We are not bright lights and shopping people so while we visited gardens, temples, city viewing areas and a hedgehog cafe we found our extra 4 days more than enough.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Katebeth67, thank you for your review and feedback. For the early autumn leaves tour, yes we did travel quite long distances to get to the areas with the best colours for the time of year. And this tour is one where we do more travelling than usual. Probably the later autumn tour could have been a better option as it covered less ground. Certainly we are looking at changing the schedule the 2020 autumn season.
And I also agree that the "very average" hotel we struck was very disappointing for a first time use and we will be avoiding that chain in future.
Written January 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sanjeev J
Granger, IN71 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
We and a few friends celebrated my wife’s 70th birthday amidst the cherry blossoms in Japan. The trip was a great success and we loved the experience.
Amongst a number of companies which offer tours of Japan we selected JCT (Japan Custom Tours) due to their focus on a specific theme (cherry blossoms in this case) and small groups (8 people). We saw the beauty and experienced the history and culture of Japan, and also admired hundreds of varieties of cherry blossoms as we toured Japan from Tokyo’s Shinjuku gardens to Sendai via Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Takayama, Togura and Sendai.
JCT had enough flexibility in the itinerary so we could make adjustments during the trip based on weather etc. The extensive use of public transport (taxis, local trains and Shinkansen) allowed us to experience local culture.
All this was made possible due to the meticulous planning and guidance provided by Patrick Harnett who worked with us in developing a detailed custom itinerary and served as our guide and tour director for the trip. His attention to detail and care for his clients made the experience very worthwhile. Finally, his extensive knowledge showed his love of Japan and was very helpful in day to day requirements of our group.
I highly recommend JCT for visiting Japan and wish the small company lots of success.
Amongst a number of companies which offer tours of Japan we selected JCT (Japan Custom Tours) due to their focus on a specific theme (cherry blossoms in this case) and small groups (8 people). We saw the beauty and experienced the history and culture of Japan, and also admired hundreds of varieties of cherry blossoms as we toured Japan from Tokyo’s Shinjuku gardens to Sendai via Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Takayama, Togura and Sendai.
JCT had enough flexibility in the itinerary so we could make adjustments during the trip based on weather etc. The extensive use of public transport (taxis, local trains and Shinkansen) allowed us to experience local culture.
All this was made possible due to the meticulous planning and guidance provided by Patrick Harnett who worked with us in developing a detailed custom itinerary and served as our guide and tour director for the trip. His attention to detail and care for his clients made the experience very worthwhile. Finally, his extensive knowledge showed his love of Japan and was very helpful in day to day requirements of our group.
I highly recommend JCT for visiting Japan and wish the small company lots of success.
Written May 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BethesdaTraveler99
Bethesda, Maryland62 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
We spent two weeks with friends, led by the inimitable Mr. Patrick Harnett, on a big circle tour of Honshu island. We took subways, trains, taxis and walked all over. Patrick was an unflappable and informative guide, not only doing the usual tour guide stuff and spouting facts, but also dealing with lost tickets, misplaced packages, canceled/delayed schedules, AND laundry!! The only thing he wouldn't do was give us a rendition of songs he performs on karaoke...
We felt very pampered and safe with Patrick shepherding us around. Offered to get him one of those umbrellas that guides often carry but was turned down by him. (Can't blame him!)
We felt very pampered and safe with Patrick shepherding us around. Offered to get him one of those umbrellas that guides often carry but was turned down by him. (Can't blame him!)
Written October 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane N
218 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
We just finished a two week tour of Japan for four adults. Patrick was great! First, he was incredibly responsive to all our emails and questions. He was flexible and drafted an itinerary based on our desires but was able to add and subtract things as we needed. We visited Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagano, Togura, and Tokyo. He is very detailed oriented. All logistics were smooth and he moved us around the country in a very efficient manner. (Just note there is a lot of walking!!but all tours of Japan have walking if you want to explore the towns and cities in-depth.). Hotels were great locations, very nice 4* accomodations with large rooms. (He knew our comfort desires.). He took us to the must see tourist stops but also to a lot of off the beaten path places. The Ryokan he selected was a great stay. If you want a custom private tour, his services are well worth it.
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce-Anne
Auckland Region, New Zealand29 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This was our first trip to Japan and thanks to Patrick’s knowledge and planning, we couldn’t have experienced a more enjoyable and problem free trip. Patrick’s pre-tour communication was always very prompt and helpful which made booking and organising our trip simple and straight forward. His careful attention to detail, such as the excellent hotel rooms, navigating Japan’s amazing train system and including some “off the beaten track” places as well as the iconic tourist sites, made for a very memorable introduction to Japan. Patrick's patience, sense of humour and flexibility were all very much appreciated, and we highly recommend him as a guide.
Written November 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce-Anne, it was my pleasure to show you across Japan from the north of Honshu to the south. While we covered a lot, we also managed to build in many restful and relaxed sections across our 2 1/2 weeks travelling allowing you to just enjoy what this great country has to offer.
Written November 27, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
css1222
phila473 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
I can't imagine doing this trip without Patrick. We emailed a zillion times to plan and he was so responsive and helpful. When we landed he was there and took us to our hotel. We are experienced travellers but very happy we didn't have to figure out the many trains, both local and city to city, and sites on our home. It would have taken us 10x as long and I suspect involved many more 'where are we!' arguments. He was great at adjusting on the fly when we wanted to go faster (or slower) . One day we hit both a rain storm and a train wide power outage. On our own we would have been lost but Patrick quickly re worked the day and we had a wonderful time. We have used private guides before but usually for 1- 3 days so was nervous about spending 9 days with one person. But Patrick is so easy to spend time with it was no problem at all. Highly recommend.
Written September 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
twistytrails
Red Deer, Canada1 contribution
May 2024 • Family
We chose Japan Custom Tours based on correspondence with Patrick who it quickly became obvious is an expert on Japan and in coordinating the diverse needs of clients, their wishes and the time constraints they may have . As a small tour operator we also appreciated the personal attention we received. Our tour was planned in great detail meeting all our needs within our limited time frame.
Koji was our guide and friend for our Japanese visit. He was a wonderful host and being a native of Japan was very familiar with and answered our multitude of questions about the culture and nature of Japan as we travelled. He ensured that every detail was flawlessly executed in our visit to Tokyo, Sendai, Aomori, Akita, Sado Island, Nagano and Kyoto. Their choice of accommodations and things to visit was wonderful. From luxurious hotels to rural ryokans each place had something special to offer. Koji ensured we experienced the true gastronomic pleasures of Japan which was both challenging and exciting to try. We had asked for a visit that although including a few of the typical highlights also led us to out of the way places and off the beaten track to see the real Japan. And they delivered. Koji was polite, friendly and determined to make our visit a special one even as we occasionally changed our plans on the fly as we learned more about Japan as we travelled. He was always accommodating and gracious.
We now have very fond memories of our visit and thank everyone at Japan Custom Tours for making it happen
Koji was our guide and friend for our Japanese visit. He was a wonderful host and being a native of Japan was very familiar with and answered our multitude of questions about the culture and nature of Japan as we travelled. He ensured that every detail was flawlessly executed in our visit to Tokyo, Sendai, Aomori, Akita, Sado Island, Nagano and Kyoto. Their choice of accommodations and things to visit was wonderful. From luxurious hotels to rural ryokans each place had something special to offer. Koji ensured we experienced the true gastronomic pleasures of Japan which was both challenging and exciting to try. We had asked for a visit that although including a few of the typical highlights also led us to out of the way places and off the beaten track to see the real Japan. And they delivered. Koji was polite, friendly and determined to make our visit a special one even as we occasionally changed our plans on the fly as we learned more about Japan as we travelled. He was always accommodating and gracious.
We now have very fond memories of our visit and thank everyone at Japan Custom Tours for making it happen
Written May 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margie G
4 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Our experience dealing with Patrick at Japan Custom Tours was absolutely first class. His knowledge of Japan is amazing and so very, very helpful. He met us on our arrival at Narita Airport, guided us to get our wifi router, arranged preloaded SUICA cards, got our NEX train tickets to Tokyo and accompanied us all the way to our hotel. I can't speak highly enough of his service. We're having the best time here in Japan. Will definitely use Japan Custom Tours again.
Written April 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janet C
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Couples
Patrick calmly shepherded our small group around Japan showing us beautiful gardens, temples and areas of natural beauty. The accommodation was all first class, and there was a good balance between sight seeing as a group and free time. An amazing country with a great guide.
Written June 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dee D
2 contributions
Dec 2022 • Friends
We spent 11 days touring Japan, starting in Kyoto and working our way round to Tokyo. We ha d great time with Patrick! He is knowledgeable, engaging and organized. There were lots of laughs and some great meals together.
We visited temples, shrines, castles, museums and lots of older shopping streets. Too many great places to nail down a favorite, but our stay at the Ryokan was a bucket list item for me. The experience exceeded my expectations!
We traveled during the New Year, and Patrick made sure we could still travel efficiently and visit attractions despite the holiday.
Definitely a memorable experience. I can easily recommend Japan Custom Tours!
We visited temples, shrines, castles, museums and lots of older shopping streets. Too many great places to nail down a favorite, but our stay at the Ryokan was a bucket list item for me. The experience exceeded my expectations!
We traveled during the New Year, and Patrick made sure we could still travel efficiently and visit attractions despite the holiday.
Definitely a memorable experience. I can easily recommend Japan Custom Tours!
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
@Dscoobe - great trip and thanks for so many laughs along the way.
Guests travelled across the New Year period (group of three).
Written April 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We (3 adults) are interested in a Fig Farm tour and learning the Japanese method of low to ground Fig growing (cordon or espalier method). We are not interested in picking figs unless it is part of the farming lesson experience. We are in Tokyo and Kyoto areas from 6/12-6/20.
Written May 24, 2024
You do not tip in Japan - there is no tipping.
Written April 6, 2019
English is our main language as our guests come from English speaking countries. We do not have Chinese speaking staff.
Written August 2, 2018
Do you cater for bigger group private custom tours? 11 adults, 4 children & 2 infants. Please advise?
Written June 24, 2018
Hi Jason,
Normally we run groups for ten people as a maximum. We look at requests for bigger groups on a case-by-case basis as there are a lot of factors that go into a successful tour and we know our specialization and approach is for small groups.
Written June 25, 2018
Hi, we are looking for a tour guide for a trip for 4 in tokyo on October, please let me know if you can accommodate
Written April 29, 2018
Hi,
It depends a little on your dates - we are planning a couple of trrips in October so we could do a tour for four, or you might be interested in joining the other group we are putting together.
You can email us (for better communication) at
admin @ japancustomtours . co.nz
Sorry about the cumbersome emal address - TripAdvisor is unhelpful allowing anyone to put an email or web address in a reply.
Patrick
Written April 29, 2018
Hi, i am interested in doing private tour. What is yr email? Thank you.
Written April 18, 2018
Hi,
You can contact us at admin @ japancustomtours . co . nz
(Sorry for the spaces in the email address, TripAdvisor prevents weblinks in answers which isn't very helpful.)
Patrick
Written April 18, 2018
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