We have booked Gobus Back to Back Tours "Discover Japan" and "Classic China" for April 17, 2007. We would appreciate any helpful information or travel experience for this tour.

We took the Discover Japan tour earlier this year and enjoyed it very much. It provides a very diverse look at Japan, from the cities to the rural areas--particularly if you take the extension. I thought the locations covered on the extension (Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Kurashiki) were very interesting. Our tour director was very good--he did all the tours himself (unlike my experience w/ Globus in Europe, where there were local guides). . On average, the hotels were pretty nice; some better located than others. There were only two optionals--a day trip to Kamakura and Hakone from Tokyo, and a half-day trip to Byodo-in and Nara from Kyoto. Both were worth it.

We arrived a day early, which gave us a chance to adjust before the tour got started and to see some more of Tokyo. I recommend doing your homework and having a good plan for your free time in Tokyo and Kyoto. There's an entire free day in Kyoto and SO much to do there. We used public transportation in both cities and found it fairly easy to get around.

If you have any specific questions, please ask. I'd be happy to provide any additional information.

This is our 6th Globus Tour but we are still open to suggestions and recomendations. We have done Europe , Australia, New Zealand but each adventure is a new experience. Our itinerary indicates that we have full day leisure time in Tokyo and Kyoto. I would appreciate your suggestions for excursions in these cities.

In Tokyo, there is a full-day optional for the free day that goes to Kamakura and Hakone National Park. It is a good tour.

Alternatively, this is what we did on our first day, before the tour started:

*Subway to see the Tsukiji Fish Market (a real experience)
*Walk to Hamarikyu Detached Gardens nearby
*Boat ride up the Sumida river, under the 12 bridges, to Asakusa
*Visit Senso-ji temple (you will also see this on tour, but it is an interesting area with lots of shopping)
*Subway to Ueno Park; there are several museums there, as well as the zoo; also nice for walking
*Subway back to hotel

Don't miss going up to the observatories in the Metropolitan Government Buildings. They are free and just a couple of blocks from the hotel (Hilton in Shinjuku). . Also, visit a department store or two (Shinjuku or Ginza), especially the food floors in the basement.

Where to start on Kyoto.. .. .. . Here there is a whole free day with no optional or anything planned. Best to read a guide book and see what interests you. We took a cab to Ginkaku-ji (silver pavilion), spent time there, then walked the Philosopher's Path, visiting several of the other temples along the way. We also walked a bit in Gion. Read or watch Memoirs of a Geisha first.

Sunrise Tours offers many full- and half-day tours for both Tokyo and Kyoto. You might check those out for some alternatives. We didn't take any, but there were some on our tour who