Useful Information For Group Tours

Accommodations

Our group tours include all hotel accommodations, and on most types of group tours, all accommodations will have rooms with private bathrooms. However, on our Active Group Tours, Ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), Minshuku (Japanese-style bed-and-breakfast), and Shukubo (Temple Pilgrim Lodgings) may only have public bathrooms “along the corridor”. Also, the single supplement on our Active Group Tours applies only to Western-style hotels, which means that solo travelers will have a room to themselves only in Western-style hotels. For Ryokan, Minshuku, and Shukubo accommodations, solo travelers will share a room with another traveler of the same gender.

Twin rooms are reserved in most hotels, although double rooms can be arranged upon request, and triples are usually two twin beds plus a rollaway cot. Please note that double rooms are very limited in Japan, and there are no double rooms at Japanese-style accommodations. Therefore, requests for double rooms cannot be met at every accommodation. Quad rooms and connecting rooms can be requested, but cannot be guaranteed, and may involve an increase in cost. Rooms next to one another can also be requested, though not guaranteed, and will depend on the design of the hotel and whether the rooms requested are of the same type.

Children under 7 years old can share the bed with a parent, and the cost for the child is 50% of the adult price (a 50% discount). Children from 7 to 11 years of age must have their own bed, and the cost for the child is 90% of the adult price (a 10% discount). Children who are 12 years of age will be considered as adults when calculating tour cost. The price for the child is calculated according to their age on the tour's start date.

Meals

We will do our best to accommodate any kind of special meal request - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, non-soy, etc., but please be aware that the food may taste more bland. First, please be aware that these kinds of special dietary needs are not common in Japan. Also, due to cultural differences in food preparation, Japanese food generally uses less oil and spice than other Asian cuisines. The food is very fresh, and focuses on the taste of the ingredients, with little or no extra seasoning. As a result, the vegetarian cuisine will have a lighter flavor than the regular meal. Many guests who request vegetarian cuisine end up wanting to try the regular meals because of how fresh, healthy, and delicious the food is! If you request vegetarian but would like additional seasoning, we recommend packing some to suit your taste. And as we attempt to meet your dietary needs to give you a good experience in Japan, we ask your patience and understanding.

Onsen & Tattoos

An onsen is a public bath available at many Japanese ryokans, which involves communal bathing in large, (usually) gender-separated baths. Tourists visiting an onsen hotel will likely notice that almost no native Japanese people have visible tattoos. This is due to a lingering cultural perception in Japanese society connecting the display of tattoos to organized crime. And while more hot springs facilities are becoming OK with tattooed guests, most public onsen establishments still ask patrons to cover tattoos while using the public bath. If the tattoo cannot be covered, you may be asked to forego the onsen experience, in line with the onsen tattoo rules of that particular ryokan or bathhouse.

Pre & Post-Stay Hotels

If you book your pre and post-stay through AJT, we will help you book the hotels for your extension. If the pre or post-stay involves staying longer at the beginning or ending destination, we are able to book the same room that you stayed at during the tour, if you book your extension through us.

Airport transfers for pre & post-stays

Please be aware that airport transfers are not included to and from pre-/post-stay hotels in the tour cost. We can arrange a few options, at additional cost: a shared airport shuttle, a private transfer, or directions using public transportation.

Airport meet & greet

Many of our Deluxe, Deluxe-Plus and Signature Group tours include a Meet and Greet at the Airport, but only if you arrive on the first day of the tour, at the airport designated in the itinerary. Otherwise, we offer instruction on how to get to the hotel in before your departure date. Please refer to each tour’s information page to determine whether a tour includes meet and greet at the airport.

Medication

Many Medications are fine to bring into Japan up to a month’s supply, although we recommend not bringing any more than what is needed. If possible, please transport your prescription medications in their original container. If not, a pill organizer is better than a plastic bag.

Some OTC or prescribed medicines are prohibited in Japan. For more information, please consult the following websites for more information.

https://en.japantravel.com/guide/bringing-medicines-into-japan/58063
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/dl/qa2.pdf

Travelers should consult the website for the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare regarding the most up-to-date information on which medications are legal to take to Japan. AJT is not responsible for any medications confiscated by Japanese border control officials.