Italy, Switzerland, Germany & Japan

Due to conditions such as weather, transportation schedules, public holidays, availability or other factors, we may make minor changes to this itinerary before or during the trip. We will advise you of any such changes as soon as possible.

At the end of the trip, we'd love your feedback on what went well, what you liked and what you didn't. It'll help us improve for next time and inform the development of future itineraries.

Except as noted below, you will have roommates on this trip. While you will have your own bed, you will be sharing a room with at least 1 other person (sometimes more than 1). We'd recommend bringing earplugs & an eye mask in case they snore.

We'll do our best to make sure your roommates are the same sex as you, however sometimes due to logistics outside of our control, we cannot guarantee this. (On a past trip we arrived at a hotel in Paris, on the hottest day on record, to be told that all the rooms with 3 beds in them didn't have working AC. So we had to choose between different sleeping arrangements than planned... or no Air Conditioning.)

We will be staying in a wide variety of accommodation types during our trip. It's important to be aware that our accommodations may differ very significantly from what you are used to at home, as we tend to stay in local style accommodations in order to experience the local culture. (Otherwise we'd just stay in a Marriott wherever we went... and where's the fun in that?)

Below is a list of accommodation types by location. Depending on transportation schedules, we may need to stay the night in a hotel by an airport as well.
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Boston, MA: We'll stay in a shared house with shared bedrooms with semi-private bathrooms. This should be no different than what you are used to at home.

Tuscany: We'll stay in a private Villa with shared bedrooms with semi-private bathrooms. Think of it like a large, Italian house... because that's basically what it is.

Switzerland: We'll stay in shared bedrooms in a hostel with bunk beds and public bathrooms with shower stalls. (Note that you'll share sleeping rooms with other WanderRock travelers, but the bathrooms will be shared with everyone else staying at the hostel).

Erding: We'll stay in hotel rooms with multiple beds & at least 1 bathroom per hotel room. (This is as close as we get to a traditional, western style hotel room while on the road, and is exactly what you'd expect when you think of a standard hotel room).

Munich: We'll stay in shared rooms in a hostel with bunk beds and public bathrooms with shower stalls. (Note that you'll share sleeping rooms with other WanderRock travelers, but the bathrooms will be shared with everyone else staying at the hostel).

Tokyo: You'll get your own "pod" style room with a large bed, side table, and under bed storage. Bathrooms are shared between everyone at our pod hotel and have individual shower stalls.

Koya-San: We'll stay in a buddhist monastery in Tatami rooms with roll-away futon on the floor. These beds are traditional Japanese accommodations, and can be a bit firmer than you are used to. There are no private showers in the buddhist monastery and only a public Onsen (hot spring), with some stools and low shower heads to rinse yourself. This is a great way to experience a different culture, but also means other travelers will probably see you naked.

Nara: We'll stay in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese Inn, which includes a Tatami room (like the one above), public common areas for lounging and dining, and an Onsen. Travelers will be expected to wear a Yukata, which is a traditional Japanese summer kimono while on property.

Portland, OR: We'll end in a shared house with shared bedrooms and semi-private bathrooms. This should be no different than what you are used to back home.

Life on the road means that you may not get as much privacy as you are used to back home. With the exception of Tokyo, you'll be sharing a room with at least 1 other traveler. You'll be expected to keep your sleeping area neat (ish), and may only have a locker to put your things in at times (depending on the accommodation type). You'll also be expected to practice daily hygiene so that you don't cause discomfort to your fellow travelers. Remember that not everywhere we are staying will have standard, western-style showers. Please bring a small towel, a combination lock and bar of soap in case they are needed.

Our daily itinerary is split into morning/afternoon/evening periods and we aim to allow for daily downtime during one of these periods every day (excluding travel days of course). This is your time to do laundry, call home, play games with your fellow travelers, explore the area, do some shopping or whatever else suits you.

This trip involves 3 flights, all of which are over 8 hours in length. You'll be in Economy class and there may or may not be entertainment options available on the flight, so plan accordingly. On the ground, we will primarily be traveling by train, and will have a few train trips that are 5+ hours in length. In Japan we'll take the famous Shinkansen (bullet train) between some destinations, and slower rail between others. You should be in good health and easily able to sit for multiple hours at a time.

A WanderRock trip includes daily expenses such as food, snacks, lodging & transportation, but you should still bring some extra cash for emergencies, shopping & optional activities. We also highly recommend not bringing one large sum of money, but having some cash on hand and access to an ATM card to withdraw more as necessary.

Daily expenses are covered in the trip fee, and travelers will get a debit card or cash per week to spend and practice budgeting.

We plan for every known contingency, but unexpected things can and do occur when traveling. If such emergencies occur, we'll do our best to resolve the situation. This may include re-routing part of our itinerary due to natural disaster, extending or shortening the length of our stay in certain locations or other remedies as the situation requires.

Whatever happens, you can be assured we'll keep everyone traveling with us (and family back at home) advised of the situation, and will communicate as much as possible. Please see "Problems & Emergency Contact Info" in the Health & Safety section below for more details about personal issues such as Illness, Meltdowns or Injury.

Unlike 99% of the tourism & travel industry, we do not get commissions from local vendors for bringing our travelers to them for purchases. This allows us to recommend activities based on genuine fit, rather than who will make us the most money.

A complete guide to packing, including a packing list, will be sent to you closer to the trip date. For now, here's some basic guidelines and requirements: We require all of our travelers to pack for Carry-On only, which means no checked bags are allowed. You should plan on packing 7 days worth of clothes, as there will be plenty of laundry opportunities along our itinerary.

As far as suitcases and luggage are concerned, we HIGHLY suggest that you bring a backpack of no more than 40L in size as your main bag. You'll find it much easier to handle a backpack than a rolling suitcase. We will provide guidance on specific brands, sizing & more in our packing guide, which will be sent to you after enrollment.

Throughout our trip we will have access to laundry services, either in our accommodations or at a nearby laundromat. There will be plenty of times each week to do laundry in down time, but laundry services may not be available every day of the trip. Your guides will advise you on the best days & times to do laundry, and assist as needed.

We'll be traveling during the summer to places that can get moderately hot, and we may be outside all day so you should plan accordingly. We'd recommend bringing some solid sunscreen and buying more once we land in Europe and Japan, as well as bringing some light weight, long sleeve clothes. It's also important to note that a few of our locations may have cool evenings, and if you choose to take the train in Swizterland to Jungfraujoch ("The Top of Europe"), it is slightly above freezing year round, and thus will be very cold.

It's also worth mentioning that Japan can be very humid during the summer, so bringing a reusable water bottle and keeping well hydrated will be an essential part of surviving and thriving in the heat & humidity.

Our WanderRock guides are here to help you have the best trip you possibly can. They come from many walks of life, from yoga instructors to outdoor adventure guides to people who have worked helping college kids be more independent, and bring their expertise with them to help guide you through the trip.

Unlike a tour guide, they are not deeply knowledgeable about specific touristic attractions & the history of an area, but are trained in things like first aid & CPR, conflict resolution, peacekeeping and basic outdoor survival.

On travel days, you will be split into 1 of 3 different groups, each with 4 travelers and 1 guide, and you are expected to follow their instructions on trains, planes, busses and other modes of transit.

We expect all travelers to behave in a way that is respectful of the cultures, places & people that we are interacting with, and to be respectful of the other travelers and their preferences. Should issues arise, our guides are trained in conflict resolution and will do their best to diffuse and resolve the situation. In extreme situations where a travelers behavior is a consistent and major disruption to the group, or in cases of concern for the health & safety of any of our travelers, our guides may, at their discretion, remove a traveler from the group, without a refund. In that case, we will escort the traveler to the nearest international airport and assist them with arranging for transit back home.

Abuse & Bullying: Everyone has the right to feel safe & accepted when on our trips. For that reason, verbal abuse, physical abuse, bullying and sexual harassment focused on any person (whether thats a fellow traveler, guide or local person) will not be tolerated, and our trained guides will deal with those situations swiftly. Should a traveler be found to be in violation of this policy, they will be removed from the group and escorted to the nearest international airport once arrangements have been made for them to travel back home.

Sexual Relations: No sexual relations are permitted between guides & travelers. We also highly discourage developing intimate relationships with your fellow travelers until you arrive back in the United States.

Sex Tourism: Patronizing sex workers isn't tolerated on any WanderRock trip. Anyone who is found to be in violation of this policy will be removed from the group and escorted to the nearest international airport once arrangements have been made for them to travel back home.

Drugs & Alcohol: Use or possession of illegal drugs (as determined by the laws of the country we are in) is not tolerated on any WanderRock trip. If you choose to drink alcohol, you must be at least the legal age to do so in that country, and we expect you to do so in a responsible manner.

Recklessness: We expect all of our travelers to maintain situational awareness and keep themselves safe. Any traveler who has consistently demonstrated an extreme lack of judgement when it comes to keeping themselves safe will be removed from the group and escorted to the nearest international airport once arrangements have been made for them to travel back home, for their own safety.

Note that we are talking about "walks out into the middle of traffic repeatedly" type recklessness, not "forgets to lock the hotel room door".

When traveling with us, you'll experience the vast array of food available in the world. Some of it will be extremely foreign, and some extremely familiar. We'll do our best to work with your preferences and make sure that you always have something that you can eat, but can't make any guarantees.

If you have certain food allergies, we'll work to the best of our abilities to help you eat food that is safe for you, but can't make any guarantees for many reasons, including language barriers, lack of control of the supply, cultural differences, and lack of choices. If having a certain type of food is a life or death situation for you, this probably isn't the trip for you.

That being said, the locations we are going to are big enough to generally provide as much choice as you are used to at home.

All WanderRock trips avoid areas that have incidents of Yellow Fever and other tropical diseases like Zika and Dengue Fever. On this trip to Europe & Japan, you'll need to take the same sort of precautions you do at home. Make sure to wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, and maintain proper hygiene.

Please consult your doctor and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website for guidance on specific vaccines you may need.

We are traveling to areas that have little to no violent crime, and very little petty theft, but it is still important to be aware of your surroundings, especially in cities and on public transportation. We recommend carrying a safety whistle and a lock for your bag.

The use of illegal drugs is not permitted on any WanderRock trip, and is grounds for immediate removal from the program without a refund. If you choose to drink alcohol, we expect you to do so in a responsible manner and in line with the laws of the country we are currently in at the time. You will be expected to respect all laws of the country that we are currently in.

Should problems arise, whether that be an illness, injury, emotional overwhelming event, or lost baggage, the WanderRock guides accompanying you on your trip are your first place to turn to for help. If, for some reason, you don't feel safe turning to them for help, you may call our Stateside Support phone number for assistance, where someone from the WanderRock office will be standing by to help resolve your issue in a satisfactory way.

All travelers will also get the number for our travel insurance company, and our emergency response service, that can provide services ranging from translation to repatriation, depending on the circumstances.