Why Travellers Choose Three Bears
for Private China & Japan Tours

THANK YOU for the trip, it was SO well planned, and clearly a LOT of thought went into it. We are so grateful, and we are now big Three Bears Travel fans! We travel a LOT, to all kinds of crazy places! It is unrealistic to travel across the world and expect things to NOT go wrong. What matters, and why we work with travel professionals like you, is to have support and back up when things DO go wrong – THAT is what matters! Three Bears Travel seamlessly fixed an issue on our travels, and they are THE BEST, and you can travel worry-free! Our planner Ben was remarkable - attentive, knowledgeable and friendly, and our guides Roy, H and Piter were exceptional. 10/10, DO recommend! Thank you, team Three Bears Travel, for an amazing experience and incredible 'whatever it takes' service!

My wife and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this July and I knew early on that a family of four trip to experience Japan for the first time together would be a once in a lifetime event. I knew well enough that I would not be able to plan and execute such an important trip myself so I feel so grateful that I stumbled upon Three Bears Travel and hit the ground running. Ben was my wonderful trip planner and from the first interaction, he was so extremely helpful and patient with my 1,000s of questions and itinerary changes. I wanted this Japan trip to be something that would be relatively stress free for me and my wife but also contain a variety of activities and experiences that our entire family would enjoy. Working with Ben to plan the entire trip was such a breeze. I felt completely at ease and comfortable with Ben's recommendations and suggestions. Every part of the trip was designed and planned wonderfully. From the meticulous selection of amazing hotels across the spectrum of Japanese styles (ryokan, onsens, apartment-style, mountain resorts) to all the fun hands-on activities for adults and kids alike (sushi-making, samurai museums, sumo shows, etc), this was a trip that none of us will ever forget. And I would be remiss without mentioning our incredible tour guides, Peter and Ursula. Peter was so on task and schedule with us during our Tokyo days and he was so patient and gracious with our children throughout the tours. I can't count how many times he and I would be carrying my napping daughter still in her stroller up and down various train station steps over multiple stations and transfers. He never failed to take care of our every need in this unfamiliar place. We had zero stress with Peter around that allowed us to soak up the joy of the experience 100%. Ursula was our amazing tour guide (and pseudo member of the family) in Kyoto/Osaka. Our family hit it off with Ursula right from the get go and she was always so flexible with our minor changes in scheduling and events as we did our best to adapt to our children's energy levels and attention spans. The extremely hot weather in Japan also put added pressure on everyone but both Ursula and Peter were always ready to lend a hand and make sure we all stayed healthy and happy throughout. This trip was planned as perfectly as I could have imagined and I owe Ben/Peter/Ursula/Kimkim a huge thank you on behalf of my entire family. The next time we want to take another adventurous trip, I would not hesitate for one second to work with Three Bears Travel again. I also highly recommend to anyone who wants to plan a milestone trip like ours without the hassle and stress. Thank you again Three Bears Travel team! Until we meet again!

Everything went off just as planned, and we were all pleased. Our guides were all great and went out of their way to see that we saw more, especially when they found out that we were not interested in the more highly crowded places. They patiently answered our questions and saw to our needs. Ben, our specialist, could not have been more attentive to our frequent questions and concerns. He was able to change events based on our interests even as the date of our departure approached. The only thing I would have changed is deleted some of the more crowd-impacted locales such as Nikko and put in more off the beaten path trips like our monastery stay in Minobu and the marvelous animated Festival Float museum in Takayama that our guide added in when he picked up on our interest. We learned and enjoyed much more in the less crowded venues, but this is Japan where it is truly hard to avoid the hoards of tourists. Overall, it was a wonderful trip. This is the second time Ben has helped us with a trip, and I will certainly turn to him again for any future trips.

Both of our guides were good. One we were with shortly and was a more focused day of getting to many places. He did a good job of coming up with some additional day of options and a great lunch rec. Young we had for 4 days and we really liked her. She was a bit soft spoken /quiet but very nice and knowledgeable and we found if we asked lots of questions we got lots of history and current info about not only the places she took us but also modern Japan life. Really enhanced our trip to learn about the history, shrines and temples. Getting around by train /bus was great for us and she had to work harder than if we had driver to navigate public transport for sure. Hotels were all nice. It was great. The only note is to warn guides we will want lots of restaurant recs (as where we’ll be is not always areas they’ve eaten. We had good luck using tablelog and AI ) and the food at the Hakone onsen was not very good. But we went out for great meals nearby.

We just returned from our anniversary trip to Japan, and I can say with complete confidence that booking through Three Bears Travel was one of the best travel decisions we’ve ever made. In fact, this is our third trip using Three Bears Travel. From the very first planning email to the final farewell in Osaka, the entire experience was seamless, personal, and unforgettable.Ben, our travel specialist, was phenomenal. He helped us build the perfect itinerary—listening to everything we wanted, adding thoughtful suggestions, and tweaking the schedule along the way to fit our style. Thanks to him, our trip struck the perfect balance of culture, food, adventure, relaxation, and those “wow” moments we’ll be talking about for years.And then there were our guides: Peter and Ursula.These two were an absolute gift to our journey.Peter, our Tokyo & Hakone guide, made navigating Japan’s transportation system feel effortless. He taught us subway skills worthy of a Mario Bros. level-up, showed us how to experience Shibuya Crossing like locals, and gave us incredible historical context at temples and shrines. He even congratulated me on my sumo match at the lunch show (yes… I stepped into the ring and no, my training was not focused enough 😂).Ursula, our guide through Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, was equally fantastic. From sake tastings in Fushimi to zen moments at the Golden Pavilion, she blended humor, storytelling, and deep cultural knowledge in a way that made every day feel like traveling with a friend. She helped us navigate the language barrier, made sure we didn’t get lost on trains, and offered endless tips to help us blend in better than we probably deserved. Both guides were great to pack in as much adventure each day while still leaving us with free time to roam and explore on our own.Every single day was packed with memorable highlights, many of which Three Bears Travel helped coordinate:✨ Sushi-making with a 4th-generation master (we are now “certified” Nigiri makers and have enough footage for a full-length documentary).✨ A tea ceremony and learning to whisk our own matcha at a university.✨ Visiting a capybara at a café—one of Emily’s bucket list items.✨ Riding the bullet train to Kyoto with snacks in hand and Mt. Fuji peeking through the clouds.✨ Walking through Arashiyama’s bamboo forest and a rickshaw ride through its historic streets.✨ A full cultural immersion day in Fushimi Inari, weaving through the famous vermilion torii gates.✨ A relaxing soak and stay in Hakone with incredible views of Mt. Fuji.✨ Exploring Osaka Castle and ending our trip at the Umeda Sky Building with panoramic nighttime views.And beyond the excursions, the guides helped us handle everything—from ordering meals to using the Suica card. They answered every question, solved every hiccup, and made us feel completely supported the entire way.Three Bears Traveldidn’t just plan a trip—they helped create a collection of memories that feel like a chapter from our own personal, globe-trotting storybook.If you’re considering a trip to Japan—especially if it’s a special occasion—book with Three Bears Travel. Ask for Ben, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get Peter and Ursula too. They helped make our anniversary adventure everything we dreamed of…and then some.Arigatou gozaimasu, Three Bears Travelteam.We’re already thinking about following the green light to our next chapter.—Ray & Emily

We wanted a customised trip instead of a standard tour group, and Three Bears Travel delivered exactly that. Norman took the time to understand what we liked and built an itinerary around food, shopping, and local experiences. It felt personal and flexible, not like a cookie cutter package.