2012 Fall Group and Summer and Fall Private Tours of Japan

Group Tour Tentative Dates are November 24th - December 2nd, 2012

Private tours based on availability, please inquire for the best dates for you!

Japan Photo Guide is now accepting bookings for Summer/Fall private tours of Japan and for our group tour to Japan this fall! Our goal isn't simply to bring you to Japan and just show you around, but rather to create wonderful experiences that you will always remember. The tours are planned by a professional photographer that has lived and travled around Japan for more than 4 years and a Japanese Travel Agent. Together we work together to create tours of Japan perfect for everyone!

Private vs. Group Tour

Japan Photo Guide offers group tours and private tours. Group tours tend to be 4-10 people and private tours are the size of your group. Private tours tend to have more flexibility in creating the ultimate experience catered just for you, while group tours offer sharing your unique experiences with fellow travelers. Either way, you will end up with an unforgettable set of experiences and the photos to always take you back in time! For the group tour this Fall, we will likely spend 4 nights in Tokyo and 4 in Kyoto. For private tours, well that's up to you!

Do I have to be a professional (or even amateur) photographer to join?

No! Japan Photo Guide tours of Japan are designed with photography in mind, but the places we will go to will be amazing for anyone 18 years of age and older. This is partly why we will have the option for an additional tour guide so if the photographers and travelers want to move at different paces, or see different things, we can temporarily split up if necessary. If there is only one guide, extra care is taken so that the photographers will have wonderful opportunities but non photographers will still enjoy the experiences.

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

Making Rice Cakes in Nara

Maiko in Gion, Kyoto

What are the details of the group trip?

The exact details are still being worked on, but go ahead and contact us and we will fill you in!

View of Mt. Fuji from Fuji FIve Lakes

Kimono Museum

Your Investment

Group tours start at 4300 USD per person and private tours are quoted depending on the number in your party, number of days in Japan, itinerary and a few other factors.

What's Included:

▪ 9 days of custom-arranged, group tour, or accordingly for private tours. We will work together and I will help out as much as you need me to plan the perfect trip for you.
▪ 8-9 hours of daily guidance. Some days might be a little longer depending on the travel schedule and some evenings we might spend together.
▪ 3 or 4 star hotels like Hotel Gracery in Ginza, Tokyo and Monetery Kyoto in Kyoto. Taxes are included but extra charges, for example room service or minibar, are not.
▪ 7 or 14 day, JR Rail Pass, depending on the length of your stay, which will give you unlimited rides on most JR trains, buses, or even ferries, including Japan’s famous and super fast bullet train.
▪ Daily breakfast
▪ 1 or 2 Guides, depending on the size of your group, 1 professional photographer that speaks English and Japanese, 1 Japanese guide that speaks English and Japanese that has many years of experience in the Japan travel industry. Together, we will help you experience and guide you around Japan in ways you would be unable to by yourself.
▪ Photo instruction, lessons with your camera if necessary, optional mini photo sessions of you on your vacation, optional portfolio review or review of your photos in Japan.
▪ Besides photography, both of your guides love eating in Japan. We can help you find wonderful restaurants for you to enjoy during your travel to Japan. *I will be your personal photographer for your trip. No more asking a stranger to take your photo only to find out their finger was over the lens or the background isn’t even in the shot. I will make sure your trip is unforgettable, but what better way to document your trip than to have a professional photographer capture the moments for you?
▪ Entrance fees to some museums/temples/shrines
▪ Pick up and drop off at the airport in Japan to help your arrival and departure go smoothly and to help with your luggage.

What's Not Included:

▪ Your airfare. We can help search for discounted airfare through our travel agency connections or you can make the arrangements by yourself. Also, we can provide a quote with airfare included. Often we can get discount price on airfare, but not always.
▪ Some entrance fees are not included, for example Kokedera
▪ Special experiences, like cooking class with Japanese Chef in a Japanese Home are usually not included.
▪ Lunch/Dinner
▪ Souvenirs
▪ Room service/extra fees at hotel

About Your Guides

Evan Pike, creator of Japan Photo Guide and professional photographer. Evan spent almost four years in Japan teaching English and traveling around Japan as a freelance photographer. Through personal experiences and connections gained by living/traveling within Japan Evan offers guidance, assistance, and photography skills, to create a much more meaningful vacation for those visiting Japan. The main idea behind Japan Photo Guide is to create unique experiences and memories that will last much longer than the vacation itself. Evan can speak intermediate Japanese.

Eiko Goti is Owner and President of Japan Travel Advisor, Inc. (JTA) in Raleigh. Eiko was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she became an announcer and a reporter for one of the five major national broadcast networks in Japan. In 1989 she moved to the USA and in 1994 Eiko established JTA since she felt a strong need for travel arrangement services in Japanese in this area. JTA quickly gained business from the vast majority of Japanese individuals and businesses because of its excellent quality of service. Eiko can speak fluent English and Japanese.

What's Next?

When you are ready, we require a 800.00 deposit per traveler. Then we will secure hotel reservations, JR Rail Pass and other preparations for your trip. If we can find incredible hotel deals, we will pass along the savings to you in the final quote. Additionally, if you would like to experience the ultimate in luxury Japan has to offer, we can give you a quote for our VIP hotel choices. Besides amazing accommodations and locations, the service at these VIP hotels is truly amazing.

Thank you!

Japan is truly a destination like no other with people full of warmth and energy. We would love to share this incredible and unforgettable place with you and know that it will always have a place in your heart.