Switzerland Trains & Rail Trips & Packages Small Group Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"The size of the group was great and the itinerary allowed us to see many things for our first visit to Japan! Decent amount of free time allowed for shopping or different activities (or rest if needed). A good amount of walking and using public transport. Our guide, Henrik, could have shared much more information in local areas and focussed on some individuals in the group who were a little unwell. Accommodation was great and of decent quality."

What travelers are saying

"Nice itinerary, seeing the swiss alps was always on by bucket list and to learn about the swiss culture was a good complement, the food was great, the hotels were well located, and the cities were small but cozy, a nice 2 weeks spent"

What travelers are saying

"Nice itinerary, seeing the swiss alps was always on by bucket list and to learn about the swiss culture was a good complement, the food was great, the hotels were well located, and the cities were small but cozy, a nice 2 weeks spent"

What travelers are saying

"Nice itinerary, seeing the swiss alps was always on by bucket list and to learn about the swiss culture was a good complement, the food was great, the hotels were well located, and the cities were small but cozy, a nice 2 weeks spent"

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"Europe is great, but Alpine Interface runs fantastic trips close to home in Alberta. My daughter and I just completed a great series of hikes in Banff and Yoho, and even the snow on the Helen Lake trek did not put a damper on the experience. Great guide in Tamara, who was extremely knowledgeable and flexible in planning our daily journeys. Being near AI home base, we had special attention from Louie and Karin to make sure everything ran smoothly. I think you can hike the Canadian Rockies for years and years and never go the same place twice. AI is definitely a prime choice to lead the experience."