Escorted Tours
If you're the kind of traveler who doesn't like arranging all the details of a trip, consider joining an escorted tour of Japan. Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation. Many people derive a certain ease and security from escorted trips; whether made by bus, motorcoach, train, or boat, they let travelers sit back and enjoy their trip without having to spend lots of time worrying about details. You know your costs upfront, and there are few surprises. Escorted tours can take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle -- you don't have to sweat over the plotting and planning of a vacation schedule. On the downside, an escorted tour often requires a big deposit upfront, and lodging and dining choices are predetermined. You'll get fewer opportunities for serendipitous interaction with locals. Tours can be jam-packed with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure -- plus they often focus on heavily touristed sites, so you miss out on the lesser-known gems.
Lots of tour companies offer group trips to Japan, including General Tours (tel. 800/221-2216; www.generaltours.com) and Kintetsu International (tel. 800/422-3481; www.kintetsu.com), both of which offer tours to major tourist destinations in Japan. JTB USA (tel. 800/235-3523; www.jtbusa.com) offers tours that may highlight anything from Japanese cuisine to art, while Esprit Travel (tel. 800/377-7481; www.esprittravel.com) specializes in small-group walking trips, hiking trips, and cultural trips that cover such interests as textile arts, Japanese gardens, and the old Tokaido Road. If you want someone else to take care of logistics but don't like group tours, Artisans of Leisure (tel. 800/214-8144; www.artisansofleisure.com) provides luxury tours with private guides that are tailored to your interests. For current information on escorted tours departing North America, including special-interest tours that may cover everything from gardens to Geisha to Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan, go to www.japantravelinfo.com.
Package Tours
Before searching for the lowest airfare, consider booking your flight as part of a travel package. Package tours are not the same as escorted tours. They are simply ways to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as airport transfers and day tours) at the same time and often at discounted prices -- kind of like one-stop shopping. Packages are sold in bulk to tour operators, who resell them to the public at a cost that usually undercuts standard rates.
Packages vary widely. Some offer a better class of hotels than others, or offer the same hotels for lower prices or a range of hotel choices at different prices. Flights may be on scheduled airlines; others book charters. Some allow you to add excursions or day trips (at lower prices than you could find yourself).
Travel packages are listed in the travel section of Sunday newspapers. Or check ads in national travel magazines like Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Mazazine, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler.
Companies offering independent packages to Japan include JTB USA (tel. 800/235-3523; www.jtbusa.com), with many more listed at www.japantravelinfo.com, the North American website for JNTO.
Another great resource is the airlines themselves, which often package their flights with accommodations. Japan Airlines, Japan's flagship and largest domestic carrier, operates JALPAK (tel. 800/221-1081; www.jalpak.com) in North America and Jaltour (tel. 020/7462-5577; www.jaltour.co.uk) in Great Britain, with airfare and hotel packages to Japan, plus optional escorted day trips. In 2006 a 7-day, 5-night JAL package to Tokyo and Kyoto, for example, departing from Los Angeles and including tours of Kyoto and Nara, was $1,829 plus tax. American Airlines (tel. 800/949-3556; www.aa.com) offers hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and other cities that can be combined with its flights.
