Two Streets Back offers small group tours, fully guided, focusing on unique itineraries and destinations. Each tour has a maximum of 6 people, with an average length of 6 days. Our tour designers can also help create your own individual private tours.
In order to participate fully on our small group tours, all travelers need to be in reasonably good physical health. Although our group tours are not designed as adventure tours, a basic level of fitness is required to navigate stairs at train stations, shrines, and temples, and to be on your feet for 2-3 hours at any one time. You may also be required to carry your own personal luggage between some train stations and your accommodation.
Unlike other small group tours which are typically up to 12 – 15 people, our small group tours have an average of 6 guests only, allowing you to eat in smaller local restaurants, take part in activities available only to small groups. Enjoy more interaction with your fellow passengers, your Tour Manager, and the local people you will encounter along the way.
(Please Note – Each tour requires a minimum of 2 guests to operate)
For our small group guided tours, the minimum age is 20. There is no upper age limit, however, you should be in good physical health, have the ability to travel independently, and be covered by travel insurance. Please read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy your chosen tour. If in any doubt, please feel free to contact our friendly staff directly.
We use comfortable 3-4 star Western-style hotels with private bathrooms. Some itineraries may feature “Ryokan” (Japanese Inn), or “Shukubo” (traditional temple lodging), which are Japanese style accommodation with tatami flooring and futon bedding with shared bathing facilities.
In an effort to expose our travellers to as much local life as possible, we use high quality, clean and efficient Japanese public transport, (including “Bullet Trains”), wherever possible for each destination. If our activities are not conveniently serviced by public transport, taxis or minibuses may be utilized for your comfort and time efficiency.
As a general guide, we suggest you bring a small or medium suitcase with wheels, plus a medium daypack. It is important to travel light in Japan. Buses and trains have limited luggage space and stations often have stairs. Your tour will be a much more enjoyable experience if you limit the luggage you required.
Your Tour Manager will send larger items of luggage ahead to make our long-distance transfers by bus and train more relaxed. This means you do not have to navigate your larger items of luggage through crowded railway stations. Please be aware that your forwarded luggage may not join you at your next destination, so a small overnight bag may be required for essential items.
Yes of course! Your friendly Travel Manager will do their best to accommodate your dietary needs, however, we cannot guarantee that all your dietary requirements will be catered to.
For those with a severe allergy to wheat gluten, eating in Japan can be problematic. Soy sauce and miso both contain small traces of gluten, and these are key ingredients in many Japanese dishes.
Most venues will do their best to cater for special diets, but please submit requests at the time of booking. It may not be possible to accommodate requests made afterwards. Some smaller restaurants & traditional inns may not have the facilities necessary to cook for those with special diets.
Sorry but we are unable to organize any Visas on your behalf. You will be required to do this yourself or with the support of a travel agent in your country. Please visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html) to verify if your country is exempt from applying for a visa in advance.
Updated: September 29, 2022
We are delighted that the Japanese government has announced that, from October 11th, travel restrictions for tourism will be further loosened.
Independent travel is now possible and package tour and group tour restrictions no longer apply. The cap on the number of daily arrivals will be removed, and ERFS certificates will also no longer be required.
Furthermore, visa requirements have been lifted for travellers from countries that previously had a visa waiver program with Japan. This means that for travellers from 68 countries, most restrictions have been lifted. This includes the United States, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.
Resources:
You are free to use your preferred airline or flight agent – we do not offer flights ourselves. However, we are more than happy to advise on your pre or post tour travel arrangements within Japan.
As most of our tours are less than a week, and the majority of our guests have already arrived in Japan, airport transfers are not included. We will, however, happily assist you with your onward journey by providing detailed directions or reserving seats on your behalf whenever requested.
We are always happy to book additional accommodation for the nights preceding or following your tour on a space-availability basis.
Accommodation for all tours is on a twin share basis. Where possible we endeavour to pair up solo travellers with other travellers of the same age & gender . Of course we appreciate some travellers prefer their own space, so a single supplement is available at an extra cost, subject to availability.
* IMPORTANT INFORMATION* – At most Japanese inns (Ryokans), tatami-mat rooms are culturally less intimate spaces than western bedrooms and therefore Japanese guests travelling in a group are accustomed to sharing. On our small-group guided tours, we follow this Japanese custom and will ask solo travellers to share a tatami-mat room with another group member of the same gender.
Regretfully we are unable to make changes to our tour itineraries for individual passengers. Therefore, if you choose not to participate in an included activity, it is your responsibility to catch up with the group for the next activity and/or next destination. Unfortunately we cannot reimburse you for any portion of the tour that you have not voluntarily participated in.
(As an option, you may like to consider contacting us to discuss a more personalised itinerary)
If for any reason you will be arriving late, we can advise you as to the most convenient place to join the group, but ultimately this will be your own responsibility. Please note there is no reimbursement for any portion of the tour that you may miss.
We hope it won’t happen, but you may sign off the tour at any time if you need to leave earlier. Please note that there is no reimbursement for any part of the tour not used. It is also your responsibility to make alternate arrangements, and to cover the costs associated with leaving the tour before it’s conclusion.
We ask for a 20% deposit on booking, and the final balance 30 days prior to the departure date of your tour. If your booking is made within 30 days of the departure date, the full amount is payable at the time of booking. We accept payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX). We do not charge any additional credit card fees.
If you cancel your reservation for the agent-organized tour for your personal reasons, the following cancellation rates will apply to the tour fare:
(1) 21 or more days prior to the starting date of the tour: No cancellation fee
(2) 20-8 days prior to the starting date of the tour: 20% of the tour fare
(3) 7-2 days prior to the starting date of the tour: 30% of the tour fare
(4) 1 day prior to the starting date of the tour: 40% of the tour fare
(5) On the starting day of the tour: 50% of the tour fare
(6) After the starting time of departure or in case of failure to show without notice: 100% of the tour fare
Please also refer to our “Terms and Conditions” page.
Yes. Travel insurance is compulsory for all international travelers participating in our tours. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. You will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company’s 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your Tour Manager.
If you have credit card insurance, your tour manager will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank’s name and your credit card details. You won’ be reimbursed for any part of the tour due to your failure to present evidence of your travel insurance.
We are a fully licensed and authorized travel agency, as well as a member of JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agencies). All our tours are 100% guaranteed against financial failure by the Japanese government, giving confidence and protection to all of our travelling guests.