Hi all planning my trip to Japan for next spring was looking to go with G Adventures to feel real culture of the country but they are extremely expensive any other recommendations ?
Thanks a lot !!!!

Nope they are great

Don't go on a packaged tour at all if you want to feel the real culture of a country.

It all depends on what your comfortable with some people enjoy tours because everything is taken care of. G tours are smaller groups and not typical as tour companies go.

This is why I have chosen them as I think we can experience more then doing ourselves usually I do not travel organized

^ I suppose I'll allow it if you're short on time
Have a great trip!

G adventures is typically double the price and half as much "stuff" as doing it on your own. Grab a backpack and do it the hostel/home stay/air bnb way. Japan is also one of the safest countries in the world so don't be afraid of going solo

In terms of being organized, to do Japan well without a tour, the biggest thing you want to invest your time in is booking accommodation, esp if in a holiday period. Otherwise it's a dream for transportation ... There's always a train going where you want! And if you have to wait an hour or so, urban train stations have incredible malls built around them, or shopping arcades nearby

Japan is very very easy to travel without a tour. You may think language is a barrier but it's not. Everything has an English version and they have tourist offices at every major train station and are extremely helpful. Japan can get expensive so save your money. Tours are for remote places which you could otherwise not do on your own. I did a cross country tour of Japan with so much ease. Get a JAPAN Rail Pass. Its pricey BUT It lets u zip across the country on the amazing bullet trains. I did 9 cities in 3 weeks! While tours can be great/ it's not necessary if u r on a budget and want to get deep into the culture

save your money and spend it on a two-week JR pass that gives you unlimited bullet train travel in between cities. buy a japan travel guide (i like rough guides more than lonely planet) and book hostels from hostelworld.com
HOSTELWORLD.COM
Hostels Worldwide - Online Hostel Bookings, Ratings and Reviews

My golden rule is that it takes 5 days at least to start getting the vibe of the city. Hence, I recommend staying in one region if you are interested in the local culture.
ie. Shikoku for 2 weeks.
Remember that you have to plan for services ahead of time if you don't know Japanese. English spoken tours/services outside of tourist hotspots aren't plenty and they fill up fast. Whereas the Japanese ones can be booked the night before with ease.
The amount of local culture a person can understand and absorb without speaking the language is minimal. If you have no knowledge of Japanese, group tours aren't really that bad as they hook you up with an insider who will translate and contextualize for you.

G Adventures is such a rip off. I witnessed them charging $80 for a snorkeling tour that actually cost $40. They got $40 a head to make one phone call. Seriously?

Thank you all for your insights it is very much appreciated

My wife and I did an organized tour of Japan a few years back. The good thing about the tour is not having to worry about how to get from place to place. However there is absolutely no need for an organized tour in Japan. The transit system is awesome and with the help of a book such as lonely planet you'll probably enjoy doing it yourself.

Paul Outram

I was in Tokyo in March and found it super easy and fun to get around on your own. However I am not a tour group fan, so I may be biased.