Visits
Everest Base Camp, Kathmandu, Lhasa, Potala Palace
What travelers are saying
"I recently booked a trip to Japan with Audley Travel, and unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. While the initial booking process was smooth and included clear communication via phone calls, the overall experience was disappointing, especially considering the high cost.
The initial booking process was straightforward, and I had a couple of phone calls to clearly describe my essential needs for the trip. Communication before the trip was generally fine, but there were notable issues. Audley was unable to confirm all accommodation details, particularly my request for booking connecting rooms for a 4-person family. Instead, we were often crammed into a small room, which was far from ideal. Additionally, I had specifically requested kid-friendly hotels that offered western menu options. This was not the case at our last stop, where the hotel provided exclusively traditional Japanese food, which was not suitable for my family.
One significant problem was the overwhelming amount of information provided, both printed and online. Unfortunately, this information was often inconsistent and riddled with mistakes. The tour guides we worked with received different itineraries, causing confusion and frustration. Even worse, the itinerary included activities that were not actually booked, despite being paid for. The same issue occurred with accommodation specifics. Had I known they were not going to be able to book per my request (which they had claimed to be working on), I would have challenged the overall cost and probably used a different provider.
During the trip, Audley's support was severely lacking. We repeatedly tried to contact them for solutions to various issues but received no response. Audley works with a local partner in Japan, but they were limited in their ability to resolve our problems and often directed us back to Audley. This resulted in a frustrating loop of no solutions and a waste of time.
It also appears that Audley is very short-staffed. We received an out-of-office notice from the person who booked our trip, and no backup or alternative assistance was offered. This lack of support is unacceptable, given the price we paid for their services.
Audley Travel also failed to point out important festivals happening on the dates of our travel. This was a significant oversight and something one would definitely expect a competent travel agency to handle.
To their credit, Audley Travel did a decent job with very basic needs such as train ticket bookings and airport pickups. However, for everything else, their service was far below expectations.
In acknowledgment of their shortcomings, Audley Travel issued a refund, but it was not commensurate with the impact these issues had on our trip. Overall, I do not recommend Audley Travel and will not be booking with them again."
