UTOvacation A Touch of the Exotic

When our original package was no longer possible due to visa issues caused by COVID-19, UTO made sure to give us a few different options to make it right. The package we chose in Thailand was lovely! UTO promptly answered all of my questions regarding accommodations and flights. Their on the ground guides and tour partners were wonderful and very helpful. We had a great trip thanks to UTOvacation!

I would never use UTO again. This has neen the worst experience ever. Original trip wa scheduled for China, however, due to COVID (no fault of UTO) it was cancelled but they refused to issue refund. Received travel credit. Decided to take Thailand trip to use up this credit. I had uploaded my passport picture directly to my UTO travel account as per their email. A HUGE MISTAKE! They lost that document! They had my passposrt #, date of issue, expiration date, Country, etc but still made me pay $299 as late fees in 2023 to resubmit the picture of passport! Tried to explain the situation (death in the family) but they don't understand or speak english very well. In December of 2019, after I uploaded the copy of my passport, I received an email stating my application was complete. Now in 2023 they are saying that means all payments are made not all documents received. The email did not state that! All they would say is they did not get a copy of my passport picture! Dont know how they can say the application is complete if all documents are not received! They never called back as promised to see how the document was lost. Extremenly inefficient staff from manager to supervisor to agents answering customers questions. Talked to Jeanine, Jessica, Jasmine, notice how all names start with "J"! They also asked us to pay extra if wanted breakfast! We decided not to and after we got to our hotel in Thailand, we found out that BF was included with no extra charge! BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN BOOKING VACATIONS WITH THIS COMPLANY. DEFINITELY NOT CUSTOMER FREINDLY! Their standard upcharge for everything is $299 and they are very creative with coming up with different scenarios to upcharge $299! They are all about how to get your money. They moved our outbound date from 27th to 25th (i bet the tickets were cheaper for 25th vs 27th) and then expected us to pay for our own hotel for getting there earlier than others in the tour. Mind you we had already paid extra $300 for flying out from a different city and we were ok with that. They also charged upfront for the extra baggage for the local flights in Thailand but once we were there we found out there was no communicaion wiht their counter part in Thailland about the extra money paid for the luggage and we had to pay again for the luggage! They also messed up the return flight information given to their counter part in Thailand. I MUST SAY THAT THE FOLKS IN THAILAND (NOT UTO GROUP) WERE VERY HONEST AND APOLOGETIC FOR UTO'S ETHICS. IN SHORT, STAY AWAY FROM THIS UTO. THEY HAVE NO ETHICS!

UTO vacation provided me and my family with one of the best vacations we've ever had. Our trip to Japan included stops in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka-and the meals provided were awesome! Our guide, Chiyomi, was charming, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable. The tours were fantastic and the transportation was comfortable and efficient. For the money, I would recommend UTOvacation every time!

We were sent to closed venues 5 different times. Out guide yelled at participants continually. We were rushed from place to place and told taking pictures would slow down the group. We had to find our own way to and from the airport with almost no guidance. The last hotel we were booked at, although really nice, was in an area with nothing but a train stop and a mall. When I wrote this and more, Rachel responded and apologized. She said she confirmed my experience and fired the tour guide.
"Your feedback has been a wake-up call for us, as we take it very seriously. We have already taken immediate action by informing our local office in Japan to terminate Aki's employment and not consider him for future tours. We are committed to ensuring that no other customer has to go through a similar experience. " Thank you for your patience and for giving us the opportunity to rectify our shortcomings. If you have any further comments or suggestions, please feel free to share them. We are here to listen and make your future adventures with us truly remarkable.

Warm regards,
Rachel"
This was what she wrote. She was happy to throw the tour guide under the bus, but was unwilling to actually make things right for me and my ruined experience. When I wrote and asked how they'd make it better for me she wrote that they weren't interested.
This is the fast food restaurant of tours. They promise you a lot, but once they get your money they stop returning calls. Prior to my departure my travel partner had a tragedy as her mother became seriously ill. Not only was UTO unwilling to work with her, they were impossible to get on the phone.
Having said this, Japan is gorgeous and the people there are lovely. I had wonderful conversations with UBER drivers and people I met in the places I visited. The food was wonderful everywhere. And, I will be going back without a tour.

I took the Phuket Land Only vacation from UTO Vacation. Experience was really great. Hotel was great as promised. The tour guide was really helpful during the whole trips. Very accommodating. Bus and shuttle was really comfortable. Highly recommended. Will book again with UTO Vacation in the future. Thanks UTO Vacation.

Terrible experience with UTO and their 9-day Egypt tour. If you want to see Egypt's fantastic ancient sites, book the trip through another tour company.

We had a wonderful trip and our guides made it even more enjoyable. Our bus driver was amazing and had us at ease thru hairpin turns and close quarters.
Our only suggestion is to get airline details posted sooner so transfer details could be worked out. We may have added onto our trip if we had more information.
We definitely recommend UTOvacation

We had a great time at our trip to Phuket Thailand. The excursions were great, the hotel for the price that we paid for was also great, and the people were extremely nice. Would definitely recommend doing a trip with them especially if the price is right. I also like the fact that you could add additional pieces to your package which was very nice and accommodating.

Horrible customer service. Seriously, do not give these people your money. There's a 50% chance you will lose it completely and never get your money back and never go on a tour.

They have an incredibly strict policy which basically means that once you give them your money, you will never get it back, and they can cancel your tour at any point and for any reason and still not give you any money back. I have spent over $2,000 with them, and they refuse to allow me to go on the tour that I booked with them.

Save yourself the headache that they have put me through - do not buy anything from UTO Vacation!

SCAM Company, like so many other say! They offer a flash deal, they get you to purchase and pay your multiple deposits (for me it was $3000), then cancel the trip, turn your money into a travel voucher, and offer no similar trips in that same price range. The only option is to pay thousands more for the same trip that you paid for, or lose out on your original thousands. Unethical company, unethical policies. It is crazy that they are still in business.

We want to let the staff at UTO travel know how much we enjoyed our trip to Morocco.
First and foremost, we were very impressed with our guide, Mourad. He has a great personality, is very knowledgeable and expresses himself very clearly and well. He looked out for our individual needs and solved any issues that arose. He is a great asset!
Second, the itinerary was very good. The choice of locations to visit gave us a real flavor of Morocco and we had a chance to taste some good Moroccan food on the tour as well!
We are happy to let our friends know about UTO.

This place is a scam. If you look at the reviews, most of the good reviews look like fake accounts. They will take your money and give you nothing.

A cooking class in Rome where I learned how to make fresh pasta from scratch. Accommodations comfortable and conveniently located. I appreciated.

BEWARE. It looked like such a good deal. We booked in Nov 2022 for a trip in Nov 2023. Per documentation (we have copies) last payment was supposed to be May 2023. One month (April) before last payment I contacted them to get status on visas process. They claimed they had sent an email in February (that email was never received) and was told that I was dropped by the list and couldn't go to the trip (I have the chat conversations). They didn't even have the courtesy to send an follow up or send email to let us know we have been dropped. They are claiming that I "cancelled" the trip by not responding to that email and refuse to return our money. They would not admit that they cancelled us. BEWARE of this company. I have traveled to China before with another company and those deceiving practices were not used. Search the internet for other similar scams from UTO. Report them if you are one of their victims. They have been suspended by their local BBB.

Japan itinerary was well thought out and included a mix of cultural experiences, city explorations, and scenic landscapes. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to a traditional Japanese onsen, which I never would have discovered on my own!

Just a warning- their customer service is terrible, refuse to answer calls and won't give back promised refund. Just be cautious with these folks!

With their assistance, I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Japan and experiencing a truly remarkable adventure. One of the things that stood out to me during my travels was the seamless blend of modernity and tradition in Japan. The country is home to some of the world's most advanced technology and cutting-edge fashion, but it also takes great pride in preserving its rich cultural heritage. From the intricate art of kimono making to the graceful movements of traditional Japanese dance, Japan's culture is truly fascinating and awe-inspiring.

Traveling to Japan with UTO's tour was an unforgettable experience. The tour's affordability and impressive itinerary allowed us to visit some incredible places such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and savor the exquisite local cuisine. The tour was well-organized and efficiently scheduled, ensuring we maximized our time exploring the country. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an exciting and immersive way to discover the beauty of Japan.

(Update 2/9/22)

This company changed their Terms and Conditions yesterday without sending notifications.

After this I consider this a scam/fraud. Wouldn’t trust this company whatsoever with how they are treating their customers.
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Have been trying to get ahold of someone for the past month through e-mails. First, it was for a name change possibility. Received a vague, not clarified reply. Asked if I could get a refund, no answer. Holidays came by and I called again. Nothing. Used the online chat system, nothing. Called to try to speak to someone for a possible solution to the problem. I couldn’t get through and kept getting “sorry this call cannot be taken”. Finally when I got through through the online chat, the person was no help at all and didn’t try to assist further. I asked to speak to an agent/representative and the chat ended there with no response.

At this point this company seems untrustworthy, unreliable, and unprofessional. I wouldn’t recommend this company to anyone.

They took my money for a trip that they can't do again at the price they offered it. Bait and switch. (China.) And they refuse to give me a refund.

Would give 0 stars if I could. I have travelled the world with many different companies and never have had trouble like this. Booked a trip to Japan and China which they cancelled. They did not follow their own Terms and Conditions and would not rebook me at a different date or refund me. Would only give credit (and every trip was conveniently way more expensive). They are suspended by the Better Business Bureau because they violate their own terms. DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM! IT IS A SCAM!

Should we file a class action suit?

I am in my 30yrs and purchased a two week tour for my parents as a surprise. In January 2022, I booked travel for six people to China and Thailand. A trip that was set to depart in October 2022.

In September, I rang to find out when our tickets would be issued. I was told the trip had been cancelled. UTO said they could offer a credit towards another trip. I refused as I didn’t cancel, they did. Further they never told me it was canceled.

In January, when I made the reservation, China was requiring a 14 day quarantine. Today they still require it. Everyone in my party was able to add 14 days to our trip and be quarantined. UTO didn’t offer this solution. They only canceled and worse failed to communicate it. UTO continues to sell packages to China and the quarantine is still in place.

As of today, I have emailed four times and called three. I have not heard anything in response. I am now faced with having to pursue more serious remedies to obtain my money back. I haven’t experienced a more unprofessional business. This is beyond frustrating.

Had inquiries, but you cannot get a hold of the customer service.called and called and called and not one answered.chat and dropped, chat and dropped again.no replies from e inquiries and you cannot find information on the portal either.really, really poor operation.not worth the money you save on the specials.
Decided to cxl, it is undeserving for the frustrations you have to put up with, but it is still unattended. Reported to the credit card company because this trip is not until Oct of next year, more than 1 year from now. Will escalate to a lawsuit if it is not resolved in a timely manor.it should be rated minus 5 stars

I TRAVELED WITH THIS COMPANY A WEEK AGO THE WHOLE TOUR WAS EXCELLENT WE STAY TO MORE THAN 5 HOTELS AND ALL THE SERVICE AND ATTENTION WAS AWESOME. HAKAM TOOK CARE OF US the WHOLE TRIP, HE WAS EXCELLENT AND VERY PROFESSIONAL, GAVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT EVERY PLACE WE VISITED AND WAS 100% DEDICATED TO US AND THAT WE WERE OKAY, I WOULDNT DOUBT TO TRAVEL WITH THE COMPANY MANY TIMES, IM REALLY GLAD I CHOOSE IT TO VISIT THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. I DONT HAVE ANY COMPLAIN ABOUT MY WHOLE TRIP. THANK YOU

READ THE FINE PRINT! For every successful trip this company has probably stolen money from someone else, through nonsense hoops and deadlines to jump through. Because of covid they cancelled our trip which is understandable, but they will not refund, and the credit expires in 18 months. Think twice before booking a tour through them that you will likely not go on.

My China trip was cancelled. They do not answer any calls, as I'm on hold and then get hung up on. I've left messages, with no calls returned. I've sent emails and they state that i can use what I've spent on them as credit on another trip. Like i would invest any more money with them. I'm asking for a full refund and plan on taking legal action to get it back. If you have had similar experience i suggest you do the same as our voices will be easier heard in numbers. Do not take your chance with them, if you do best of luck.

If I could give negative stars, I would. We booked a trip in 2019 leaving for Japan in 2020 which had to be cancelled for obvious global reasons. They had great reviews pre-covid. Since then, they have repeatedly refused to give our deposit back. My friend even tried to use the credit so she and her fiancé could take a different trip, and they just screwed her out of that trip as well. DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM. And hey, UTO, we'd still like our deposit back.

Edit: Since I am unable to respond to UTO's response, we did not choose to cancel our trip. A global pandemic happened. Japan is STILL restricting travel there. My friend never received your email about payment. She and I are in daily contact. You sent ME the email 6 hours before you cancelled her dates on her, not 2 days like you told her. 6 hours. And to me, not to the person you had been corresponding with for months.

I booked this cruise package with UTO a month ago. The agent provided me so much details about the cruise before and during covid. I love the conversaion. It makes me easier to confirm what I want for my vacation. I will come back and provide another review after I finish my cruise.

After two years staying at home since the pandemic, we finally can go to the South American which is one of our dream destinations for traveling. We found UTO travel agency online and tried to give them a call. It turned out that their services were extremely fantastic! They were very professional and gave us a lot of information and suggestions. They are not just selling their products, they are also providing tailored services. The trip was great, and price was unbeatable. We will definitely book our next trip with UTO vacation in the future.

UTO did everything right with our Greece trip!
From the trip coordination, to the hotel choices, etc.
Can't go wrong with them involved.

The travel agent gave me a very good experience as they guided me through many things and made my plans much easier! I recommend the travel agents here!

We traveled to Greece in September with UTO. We have a lovely trip, and the flight itinerary is good.
We stayed a couple of days in Athens and had a chance to visit Delphi and Meteora when the monks lived in Monasteries on top of rock towers. Beautiful scenery! My favorite island to visit was Santorini. The views were spectacular.
We took a Kayak trip to watch the sunset and it was so relaxing and serene. We also went to Crete and enjoyed tha t Island for a couple of days. Rented a car and visited an olive oil farm and a few little villages. Also Knossos was remarkable. All the history was fascinating. The hotels we stayed at were all good. I really enjoyed the one in Santorini the most. All had good locations for walking around. Group that UTO works with in Greece was excellent and took good care of us. They even arranged for our covid test for re-entry to US to be done at the hotel for our convenience. Oh Yeah- The food was sooo good!

Possible Redemption
I have had terrible dealings with UTO over the past year. Obtaining my deposit refund was difficult to say the least, however I have been contacted by UTO with a free trip offer which indicates to me that the company is making efforts to improve the business practices and customer service. Because of this initial attempt to gain my trust and travel business I am revising my review from one star to three stars and I will update this review again after I take this trip to see if UTO can deliver five star service.

Didn’t take the trip to China yet! But they were very helpful Christine and Cathy handled my issue very well. Thank you Leonard for your help also.

This was a great trip, the Utovacation representatives were helpful and informative. All details were laid out in layman’s terms, easy to follow and complete. Once at our destination the UTO guides were professional, and very informative. Meaning they were always there for their customers. I sincerely enjoyed my trip with UTO to China. The accommodations were good. My favorite and most memorable highlight was visiting the Great Wall as well as seeing Shanghai at night were also high on my list! I sincerely enjoyed everything. My only concerns were that some of the highlights we went to were packed, but it never took away from the fun we had.

Our China trip was a huge value for the money. The tour guides were all excellent. The itinerary was well organized and always on time. The hotels were all very nice. We also ordered our China Visas through them, which process also went smoothly. They booked us on China Eastern Airlines, which had excellent service. Would recommend for couples.

I'm really excited about my trip for February 2020 booked through UTO Vacations. Treasures of Thailand and China. I know this trip will be epic! Going with a group of 5 friends, looking forward to a few of the optional programs that their offering such as the Grand Canal, The Bund & Phuket. Booking the tickets was a quick and easy process.first speaking with the agent over the phone then going in person to put the face to the name was even better. Ever since I had a bad experience with other travel agencies in the past, I wanted to go in person to UTO to make sure we're making the right decision and that were being handled by professionals. While attending their office, I along with my 2 friends were greeted and treated with upmost respect, we knew we were in good hands. After booking finally, we've decided we might want to do the optional extension "Beijing Express". I think we will go ahead with this pre-tour extension as a few out of the 6 of us want to ride the high speed train, While the other half of us want to explore the forbidden city and purchase souvenirs there. So it's fair to say we might do the extension. It's great that UTOVACATIONS website is very informational, along with the live chat agents as well as having the ability to change the currency whether it's CAD or US. Anyone that has been on this trip prior, how was Hangzhou West Lake, was it worth the experience? Also are all the hotels located away from the city? Even if they were, it wouldn't be an issue as I heard that the bus rides are extremely comfortable, and we wouldn't mind exploring the city this way as well. If someone can help me clarify.

Horrible vacation to say least, my husband & I went on vacation with utoVacantions. They seem very nice at beginning when my husband booked ticket and pay. After had many issues like unprofessional tour guides, they were rude especially towards my husband. Guides had bad English this made it nearly impossible to understand them through entire trip.

Just recently came back from Japan, This trip cannot be beaten for the price. Plenty of interesting sites to visit and shopping. Hotels were all first class. Breakfast was good to very good. Food cost can be kept way down by shopping a little. Japanese bathrooms can be very small. It was not a shopping tour at all, like most tours nowadays. Tour guides were very knowledgeable and experienced. UTOVacation had good control from beginning to end.

When returning from China, we did not want to come back just yet. Recently returning from our wonderful China Tour, we had a time of our lives. We were pleased that everything went smoothly, and we did not expect this from a travel company especially after going through many negative experiences before from others'.

The website as well as the live chat agent online were very informational and helpful in allowing me to navigate in purchasing travel tickets.

On our Arrival to Beijing International Airport, we were greeted right away and then brought to the hotel promptly, the hotel was nice and clean and it was about 4 or 5 Star. I liked the fact that it was also spacious in the rooms.

Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall, were two of the optional highlights we went on, in which stood out the most prominent and fascinating to us. The boat ride on the West Lake was also fun.

The food was not great in every single city, but it was good throughout all of them. A big thank you to the Tour guides, they were very helpful professional at all times, prompt and informational.

In general I would recommend this company.

Recently came back from Japan, the UtoVacation staff did a good job. I would use them again in the future for more tours. I liked the fact that the itinerary was informative. The hotels were located in good locations too. The food provided was also tasty.

Easy website & easy booking. Customer service is fairly good but lack some knowledge. Since UTO is dealing with china trips, staff need to be more train to give info regarding china visa application. I decided to apply for the visa by myself but when I asked UTO for basic help regarding the provinces where the hotels in China (where UTO is bringing us) were found, nobody could help me!
The hotels in China are amazing, all 5stars but staffs hardly speak any english! The breakfast buffets were all very good with a great selection of food. The guides in general were friendly & helpful however they lack some communication skills. For instance, since a lot of tourists come from abroad, the guides should give us options where to eat non chinese food when we stop for lunch etc. After a few days in China people were unable to eat Chinese food! It was just impossible.
An example: On the trip from Beijin to Shanghai we didn't had any lunch or dinner. The guide in Shanghai even told us that the restaurant in the hotel was already closed as we reached there quite late & we ask him to stop somewhere along the way just to grab some food but he just ignored everybody. That night people went to bed starving & not happy at all on our first night in Shanghai. Also it happened on another ocasion that the schedule didn't permit to stop for lunch but the guide never even mention it on the night before so that we could have prepared some lunch to bring with us. I know its doesn't seem like a big deal but when you are on holidays you want to enjoy, eat, drink and relax but these situations make you stress & its not fun anymore! Also, some people (esp there are a lot of old people on the tour) have health issuses & they need to take medications with food etc. That's the reason why we choose to travel with a tour so as to make our holiday less stressful not the oppposite!  
Another thing which quite mark us was the fact that there were too much hard selling. We were brought to too many places where we were pressured to buy stuff. The medicinal herbs, what a scam! Tourists want to VISIT China! Not enough time visiting places too much time focus on shopping in specific extremely expensive shops!

Overall a good experience but there's still room for improvement!

The price was unbelievably low but the trip was nothing but HIGH QUALITY! Shopping and sightseeing at its finest. The hotels and breakfast buffets would please the toughest critics. BEST trip I’ve ever been on for the value!

Great vacation we recently came back from. My wife was paranoid at first to use this company to book our Tour. Past experiences have made her feel unsure. Utovacation made us feel comfortable during the process of purchasing tickets and while in China. Due to there good service and values, I choose them every time I travel.

Tour guides were wonderful, awesome personalities and very knowledgeable! I would recommend to others!

Excellent customer service thus far, the agent Lucy has been prompt in responding to my emails and returning my call. Just booked with UtoVacation.

The UtoVacation staff is prompt, professional, and courteous. Looking forward to going on the China tour soon, I know it will be worth while.

Will leave final reviews after my tour.

I have not yet traveled with Utovacation, but I do have a reservation for 2020. To add, I called with several questions, and all of them were addressed quickly and promptly. What I appreciated the most was that the wait times were short.

Excellent company, Recently booked a trip to China for 2020. Trip will be approaching fast, can't wait - we decided to do a group package, which saved us money as well as were getting the value when we do our Tour. Great team with vibrant personalities, as well as very informational on all aspects of travelling.

Can't wait to leave my review after coming back. Overall Uto was very helpful.

I just came back from the China Bullet Train tour - there was a group of 8 of us and we went Nov. 3- Nov. 13 2019. OMG- everything exceeded our expectations! The tour guide Tiger was amazing, the food was incredible and the hotels were nicer than any of us have ever stayed in before! We did most of the optional tours which were great. If you are undecided about this tour- I strongly recommend you decide- trip of a lifetime. And you cannot beat the price. When in Shanghai- we skipped the zoo tour and went to Disney Shanghai- the hotel has a shuttle to it- 10 minutes. The last day we went to the Shanghai Animal Park- also a free shuttle. This was awesome- finally saw Giant Pandas and just about any other animal you can think of! We all highly recommend this tour!
Shelly-London ON

This trip cannot be beaten for the price. Plenty of interesting sites to visit and shopping. Hotels were all first class. Breakfast was good to very good. Food cost can be kept way down by shopping a little. Japanese bathrooms can be very small.only problem was getting in and out of the bathtub for handicapped people. Guides were very knowledgeable and experienced. Utovacation had everything under control. Overall great choice, and great experience overall.

Returning a while ago from our China trip, we had the Most fun we’ve had in a while.at first we were skeptical of using this company, based on previous negative experiences. However, while on the trip we had a good time, and we learned a lot as well. Tour guides were alright, some were more knowledgeable/informative than others. Good experience.good times.

Our recent trip to Japan was good. Overall great trip, everything went smoothly. From having professional tour guides that loved their work, and to have very knowledgeable ones was a bonus.

The trip was well planned, and the guides did a great job as they are all well informed and knowledgeable. Upon our arrival in Beijing we were extremely nervous, but was welcomed in with a warm greeting from our Tour Guide. My most memorable moment I would have to be visiting The Great Wall. Hotels were clean and all 5 star.

Having full support of the guides, we were able to have tons of fun. Taking the transit buses in China allows for you to view the city more in depth. Based on my experience I would have to recommend Uto China Tour to any of my friends or family.

While looking to getaway which has been one of the prominent things I was focusing on, from speaking about it to actually purchasing tickets for our Tour. When I first noticed this ad online i noticed that the prices were very affordable. I then went to contact and organized a group of 5, this was our first time so we had many questions, and we were nervous about getting tickets because of being burned in the past by other companies. Being the organizer of the trip, I called Utovacation. When I called Utovacation they were so patient as I had a bunch of questions that we came up with collectively as a group. Utovacation answered all of my questions and really took their time to explain everything, and even sent me videos. I felt this company really cares, so really looking forward to Treasures of Thailand & China for the upcoming year.

I took the China tour in January 2019. Overall its an excellent package. Just be aware of the shopping trips that you are made to go to. Specially the hard sell techniques of the Chinese "Herbal Medicine" can be called as a scam at its best. They almost force you to buy!