Terrible Kensington Attitude Almost a year ago I contacted AmEx Centurion travel to discuss a trip to Japan. We normally just need air fare and hotels. But in 2020 for a trip to Peru, there were a lot of logistics involved so they suggested we let Kensington plan the trip. The team in Peru was easy to work with and what would have been a great experience did not occur due to the pandemic. We are very experienced travelers, and have traveled in Asia on our own, but friends had told us that due to extreme language barriers, and rigid customs, Japan was a difficult country to travel without a guide. AmEx suggested a private escorted tour. They mentioned several companies but since we knew of Kensington from Peru, we decided to go with them. My husband still works full time, so though we travel overseas several times a year, we keep the trips down to under two weeks at a time. Kensington offered us their stock tour. I explained the following and was assured that once we paid the deposit the tour would be customized to meet our needs. I wrote to Kasia Kapuscinka, via Centurion, the following and much more: We would like to go on a food tour (they never included that) spend a night in a Ryokan, see a tea ceremony. I gather that the bullet train is the best way to travel from city to city. I know that there is so much more that would be of interest to us but do not want fluff to fill in the hours. -We are NOT interested in Sake, Sumo wrestling, Samurai, Anime or electronics. I do not like crowds so rush hour trains or activities would not work. Some of the changes were made immediately when I insisted on cutting down the number of guided hours for each day. For example I knew that we did not want to see 5 temples in a row, and despite being a member at 8 NYC museums, our time limit per museum is no more than 2 hours. I am a very good cook and enjoy food markets but an hour or two at a market is more than enough. We cut down the number of hours Kensington had to provide guides by at least 20 hours, but never asked them to reduce the cost of the tour. We were told that it was too far in advance to make more changes. But over and over again I emphasized that I do not ride the subway in NYC and would only do so in Japan at non rush hours. I also explained that we were on vacation, did not want to start early in the mornings, wanted time for lunch and expected to be back at the hotels an hour before our dinner reservations so we had time to change our clothes. Fast forward to March when we asked to finalize the trip. The team in Japan insisted it was too early to do so and then kept saying the same thing until 3 weeks before the start date. At that time they acceded to some, but not all, of our requests. And after that, when we pointed out errors, they said it was now too late to make changes. When I pointed out that they still had us on the train at rush hour, they had the nerve to say that if we wanted to use a taxi instead, we would have to pay for it ourselves. They also had early morning start times, another of our requests that they ignored. This was reasonable on travel days, but not reasonable at other times. Next problem was Sunday, May 12. We had cut back drastically on the number of hours in Hiroshima. We did not want photo ops or castles. We had only one destination in mind- the Peace Museum. The very first itinerary had a 12 hour day in Hiroshima with a scheduled start time of 8:00. We cut it down to a total 5 hour day. But team Japan ignored us and booked the original 8:00 start, gave us too many hours in the city, and refused to change the tickets. The people at Kensington in Japan are arrogant, self-serving employees who do not understand that they are in the service business. I am the client. I paid for the trip and their job is to make every aspect work for me. If they do not understand how to do so, or just do not care to do so, they should find employment elsewhere. The differences in attitude between Peru and Japan was glaring. If Kensington cannot provide stellar service in Japan, then they should not offer trips in that country.

Personal Heritage Journey to Okinawa This was a joint venture between Kensington Tours and Ancestry.com, and the main purpose was to visit my grandparents' ancestral villages in Okinawa and potentially meet distant relatives. I had high expectations going into the trip, and my expectations were exceeded. Everyone involved, from Jeremy (Kensington), Kyle (Ancestry), Yuzo (genealogist), Suiko (guide), the drivers, etc., all worked to ensure this was a trip of a lifetime. The hotel (Double Tree by Hilton, Naha) was also in a great location. I give the Personal Heritage Journeys program my highest recommendation.

If I could give a zero I would If I could give a zero I would. Very over priced, ( $500 more for airline tickets) no communication,( takes days to get an answer) no confirmation of tours. Nothing is ever their fault. We have answers back from the hotel immediately. They claim no one answers The calls. I finally had to forget Kensington and book it all myself.

Egyptian Tour I would like to thank Kensington for organising one of the very top trips of my life. I've been to over forty countries and I am so pleased with your service. I particularly I have to single out two people, my guides Marwa and Hassan. Marwa and Hassan alike were incredibly knowledgeable, professional, courteous and helpful. They bought the trip to life and they both exceeded expectations in every regard, they were truly excellent. The drivers were also very professional and safe and I would like to mention Ibrahim particularly. The boat was very comfortable and the staff exceptionally professional. My only comment to help would be the lack of WiFi on the boat because it was only available in the reception area and I still had some work to do and make calls, so that was the only gripe on the entire trip but I understand all of the boats are the same in that respect. The set up, and follow up led by Moe and Mohammed was excellent. Thanks Kensington team!!

A Trip of a Lifetime My wife and 3 of my adult children just got back from a 12 day tour through Japan. Our travel agent recommended Kensington and that was the best recommendation she could ever have given us. Loann was fantastic and she organized a trip itinerary that we fell in love with. It gave us a true taste of Japan without running us into the ground. All of the guides on the ground in Japan were fantastic. They were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. All the sites and excursions were that we saw were simply breathtaking. We wouldn’t have changed one thing that Kensington provided for us. Thank you so much for making this trip an unforgettable experience of a lifetime!