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Reviews of Our Tours
“Our guided tours in Kanazawa and Kyoto exceeded every expectation. Yoshie and Shizuko combined deep knowledge with extraordinary kindness, tailoring each day to us and going well beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. We also relied heavily on your website throughout the trip. We will enthusiastically recommend Chris Rowthorn Tours to our family and friends.”
“We had a fantastic trip and would like to thank your guides and staff for their friendly, professional and informative tours. Mineko gave us the confidence to navigate Japan’s trains and offered excellent suggestions for independent sightseeing, while Maki showed us hidden gems we would never have found ourselves. The tours were excellent value and we would happily recommend Chris Rowthorn Tours to anyone visiting Japan for the first time.”
“Our trip was fantastic thanks in large part to your wonderful guides. Every guide spoke excellent English, was full of charm and insight, and made our time in Japan unforgettable. You have built an exceptional team.”
“We had a fabulous trip. Hiroko and Kazue were knowledgeable, kind and wonderfully patient with our children. Your recommendations—from our Kanazawa ryokan to our Tokyo hotel and Kyoto cooking class—were outstanding. Everything exceeded our expectations and we’re already thinking about our next visit to Japan.”
“Our three walking tours in Kyoto were informative, rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable. Kazue and Shizuko were knowledgeable, personable and flexible, giving us a much deeper understanding of Kyoto, Buddhism and Shinto than we could have gained on our own. We look forward to returning.”
“During our 28 days in Japan we especially appreciated your thoughtfully designed walking tours. They helped us avoid the crowds while discovering beautiful places we never would have found on our own. We’ll certainly recommend your services to friends and family.”
“Our walking tour in Tokyo with Chizuko was one of the highlights of our trip. She was patient, knowledgeable and wonderfully adaptable, changing plans when the weather became too hot. It felt less like a guided tour and more like exploring the city with an old friend.”
“Kazue was an exceptional guide. Her knowledge of Gion was extraordinary and we learned more during two hours with her than we had during the previous two days of touring. It was the perfect way to end our visit to Kyoto.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed our Kyoto walking tour with Shizuko. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for Gion far exceeded our expectations, and we especially appreciated her insights into maiko and geiko culture. We couldn’t recommend her more highly.”
“Our Tokyo orientation tour with Kyoko was outstanding. She helped us become comfortable using the subway and Suica cards, saving us valuable time for the rest of our trip. She tailored the tour to our interests and gave us excellent recommendations for exploring Tokyo independently.”
“Our walking tour with Aki was excellent. She guided us effortlessly through Kyoto, shared fascinating insights and even made Jayne’s birthday unforgettable. It was a wonderful day and we’ll happily recommend your company.”
“Tomoko truly made my trip. I had only one day to explore Japan outside of business, and she made it unforgettable. Both tours I’ve taken with your company have been exceptional, and I’ve already recommended Chris Rowthorn Tours to friends planning their own visits.”
“Thank you for the exceptional tours in Tokyo. Your knowledge, enthusiasm and professionalism brought the city to life and gave us a much deeper appreciation of its culture and history. We’ll always remember your kindness and hospitality.”
“We greatly appreciated the three tours we took with your company. Kazue was just as wonderful as we remembered from our previous trip, and Remi gave us a moving and deeply personal introduction to Hiroshima. We are already planning another visit to Kyoto and hope to tour again.”
“My mother thoroughly enjoyed her trip to Kyoto thanks to Shizuko. She was knowledgeable, engaging and exceptionally kind, bringing so much warmth and happiness to the experience.”
“Thank you for an unforgettable evening. The food, geiko and maiko, tea house, neighbourhood, hosts and atmosphere were all wonderful. It is an experience we will treasure forever.”
“Thank you for a wonderful day. It was an amazing introduction to Japan and we learned so much about the country’s culture. Meeting you left a lasting impression on us.”
“We have returned from Japan and wanted to thank you for the excellent tours in Kyoto. They were informative, engaging and far superior to the larger group tours we saw, whose guides seemed much less knowledgeable. We would happily recommend your company.”
Reviews of Our Trip Consulting
“We are grateful for all your excellent advice and for the time we spent touring together. We are so happy we decided to use Chris Rowthorn Tours’ consulting service to plan our trip. Your attention to detail, expert guidance and thoughtful recommendations made all the difference. We had so many wonderful experiences and already miss Japan!”
“Thank you for the excellent arrangements and suggestions for our week in the Kansai region. From our geiko and maiko experience to our visit to Himeji, everything was perfectly paced and ran smoothly. Kazue and Shizuko were outstanding guides, and your consulting made the entire trip memorable. We would happily recommend both your consulting and guiding services.”
“Tomoko was fun, warm, informative and flexible—the perfect guide for our family. Combined with all of Koko’s help planning our trip, the experience exceeded our expectations. We will definitely recommend Chris Rowthorn Tours to our friends. Thank you for everything.”
“We often reminisce about our exceptional trip to Japan, and much of that is thanks to you. Your thoughtful planning, deep knowledge and genuine warmth made every day richer and more memorable. Several moments from the trip remain unforgettable, and we’ve already recommended you to friends planning their own visit to Japan.”
“Thank you so much for your help planning our vacation and for the wonderful tours. We learned so much about Kyoto’s history and culture, and every recommendation worked beautifully. Kumiko’s airport assistance made our arrival effortless, and Chizuko gave us a wonderful Tokyo tour that connected perfectly with our whole family. We had an unforgettable time in Japan.”
