Beautiful amazing experience!
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My son fell completely in love with Japan thanks to his incredible experience with EF Tours. The itinerary was so well thought out that he got to see a whole new side of the world, and it made the entire trip unforgettable for him.
Here’s a polished, helpful, and respectful version of your review — one that clearly communicates your experience while staying constructive and fair: --- Our local guide was truly outstanding. He was kind, adaptable when weather disrupted plans, and offered thoughtful insight into Japanese culture and daily life. His presence was a highlight of the trip. Some aspects of the broader EF experience, however, fell short of expectations. On several days, our group was rushed through beautiful shrines and temples — places that deserved more time and reflection — only to spend extended periods at shopping malls with stores we can easily visit at home. This made the tour feel more focused on general tourism than on meaningful educational experiences. Hotel quality also varied. At one location, three EF groups were placed in the same hotel, and the logistics were challenging. On our first day, we waited roughly 25 minutes for an elevator because the stairwells were locked and marked “emergency use only.” Having no accessible way to exit the floors left us feeling unsafe, and it caused real concern about how we would evacuate in an actual emergency. Overall, we appreciated the cultural learning and the exceptional work of our guide, but we hope EF will make improvements to ensure future travelers have a more balanced, educational, and safe experience.
My son loved the Japan trip. Great experience and I highly recommend!
Very communicate and EF tours provided all the information we needed to plan for the trip.
It wasn’t at all what we expected. The guide was sweet, and the classes we experienced were great. Not enough time at each place and everything felt rushed. For how much we paid it wasn’t worth it.
Japan was amazing. I enjoyed viewing the mountains & rice fields. To visit all the temples & be one with nature was one for the books.
Schedule and tour guides were great and informative. Hotels were nice and clean. Breakfast at the Tokyo hotel was amazing with many options. Some places were cancelled and ferry cancelled due to mechanical issues and replaced with free options and have not heard about a refund since we couldn’t do them. Flight options could have been better on my trip home. Having an 8 hour layover was ridiculous as their were 3 other earlier flight options available to my home airport.
This tour was way less walking than the Italy tour. Although Japan was very humid when we went (in July) the temp was under 92 so it was nice. We enjoyed the food and I had curry just about everyday. It was also amazing to learn and see so many beautiful temples and shrines.
It was an amazing and unforgettable trip to Japan this summer!
Japan was fantastic- the tour guide was flexible and accommodating.
My daughter’s trip to Japan with EF Tours was, overall, an amazing experience. She loved the country, the culture, and everything they were able to see and do. The itinerary itself was great, and Japan truly lived up to the hype. That said, what really brought this down to a 3-star experience for me was the chaperoning. On the second night, my daughter was locked out of her hotel room because another student (the chaperone’s daughter) wouldn’t let her back in. She ended up calling me in tears, completely overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. As a parent, that’s incredibly hard to hear, especially when you trust that responsible adults are there to step in and help. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated issue. Throughout the trip, there were multiple situations where some of the kids felt stuck in their hotel rooms because the chaperones didn’t want to be bothered. That’s really concerning, especially on a trip where supervision and support should be a top priority. This experience highlighted a bigger issue for me. I don’t think chaperones should be in charge of a group if their own children are also on the trip. It creates a clear conflict in attention, and in this case, it definitely impacted the level of care and responsiveness the kids received. The trip itself was wonderful, but EF Tours really needs to take a closer look at how they select and manage chaperones. It makes a huge difference in how safe and supported these kids feel while they’re away from home.
Japan trip is excellent!
Would have like to seen more. Multiple days spent shopping/ arcades was disappointing. Would have liked to experience more for the cost.
Too much time waiting and on bus rides, too much time shopping
I have so many positives regarding EF. They are amazing. The support teams are incredible and the experiences are top notch. Something on our itinerary was cancelled and it was filled with a matcha making excursion which was well received. You are all amazing
Copy of email recently sent to customer service: I recently returned from the Japan tour with my son, and I am extremely disappointed with several aspects of the trip. Unfortunately, there were multiple preventable issues that caused unnecessary stress and inconvenience. First, our group was not informed in advance that a special QR code was required to board our departing flight from Newark, resulting in confusion and a last-minute scramble at the airport. EF Tours failed to seat my son and me together on any flight. In addition, my son's ticket, along with another child's, created a significant boarding delay because the children had been assigned seats away from any accompanying adult. These issues should have been identified and corrected before boarding. My son also has a severe tree nut allergy, which EF Tours was informed of before the trip. Despite this, no safe meal arrangements were made on our flight to Japan. Because neither the airline nor EF Tours could confirm that meals were free from tree nut exposure, my son survived on Lifesaver Gummies and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish for approximately 13 hours. Both EF Tours and the airline repeatedly shifted responsibility to one another instead of resolving the issue. Since this was a group booking, I was unable to make meal or seating changes directly with the airline, making these responsibilities EF Tours' responsibility. The most serious concern was the condition of the second hotel. The building smelled strongly of mold and mildew, the carpets and walls were stained, and the beds were extremely uncomfortable rolling cots. My son and I were unable to sleep during our three-night stay due to the odor and conditions. I believe this hotel was unsafe and unacceptable for your travelers. As a result, I am requesting a full refund for the final three nights of accommodations for both my son and me. I am shocked that EF Tours would place guests in such conditions. Finally, my TSA PreCheck was not included on my boarding pass for the outbound flight, creating yet another issue in which EF Tours and the airline each claimed the other was responsible. This reflects a troubling lack of coordination and attention to detail throughout the trip. I have requested multiple times over the past week to speak with a supervisor but have yet to receive a call. I am requesting that a supervisor contact me as soon as possible to discuss my concerns and the processing of my refund. I look forward to your prompt response.
The experience was great. All students including my daughter received important cultural education about Japan and how they live.
Too expensive for the outcome. I would probably not recommend this to family and friends.
Japan seemed too intimidating to do on our own and we would have spent so much more time (and frustration) figuring out where to stay, transportation, what activities to do, etc. Our group leaders were experienced, fun, and knowledgeable, the assigned tour director was fun and full of interesting knowledge about Japan's past & present, the variety of activities for all was great, and easy transportation everywhere helped us make the most of our time there.