Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Our 9-day trip to Japan was a whirlwind of last-minute planning, an ambitious schedule and special requests from our teens and we wouldn’t have made it without Ada and KimKim. They were our itinerary’s guiding light, wizards at scheduling and key factors in crafting the amazing adventure we just completed.

In mid-June, I started looking into Japan travel options, planning to leave the last week of June. I put together a rough itinerary and sent it to some travel groups to get thoughts on feasibility, additional options, and if they could help us coordinate things on the ground. Our family didn’t want a group tour and Ada, first to reply with a response that was professional and friendly, seemed to get that right away. She was always available for late-night or early-morning itinerary reviews, answered every question we had, made changes on the spot and never once mentioned how last-minute everything was.

Ada’s experience was clear, and I felt completely confident with her scheduling and suggestions throughout.

We left New York with a packed itinerary, tickets downloaded and easy access to everything we needed for the trip. Every part of the trip went exactly as planned, with drivers (and mini-vans), guides and all our bookings all uniformly excellent. The guides and drivers were always early, friendly, flexible and organized. On our first day in Tokyo, our guide patiently explained the city’s huge subway system—from buying tickets to reading the map and picking our seats - our kids felt confident enough to travel the subway solo the next afternoon.
One of our favorite guides was Yuki in Kyoto who maintained group calm and orchestrated a wonderful day despite heat, crowds and drooping family members. All guides spoke great English and were informative and hands-on without being overbearing.

Throughout the trip, Ada and her team were available and we felt supported every step of the way.

Now back in Brooklyn, our family of four gives Ada and KimKim 5 stars and would recommend them to anyone wherever they are in their planning journey.

We had a great time in Japan. I love the Kimkim app. Everything is well organized and it was very easy to get the day-by-day details. It is convenient that you can add attachments like the Shinkansen tickets. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work, especially since it was our first time taking the bullet train.

Eleanor did a great job putting our itinerary together. It was very easy to communicate through kimkim to work on the itinerary. It was easy to communicate with Eleanor during our trip.

The tour guides were fantastic. Yumi, Asuka and Yukiko were all very knowledgeable and communicated well. They each had notebooks with more details during our tours.

I researched about how much the hotels and tours would cost before I connected with kimkim. So when Eleanor asked about the budget, I was able to give her the budget. She stayed within our budget.

The only thing that I would do differently is to add a couple of days to our itinerary. I would add at least one day of “rest” after three days of touring or maybe even after each day of touring. But the itinerary was built on what our planned stay already was.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this trip worked out. Our itinerary went as planned. It was a great trip and experience. I will definitely use Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Nice hotel in the middle if Ginza. Very nice breakfast. The hotel has three washer and dryers for the entire hotel, This hotel was the last one we stayed in on our trip. So I wanted to do some laundry, but the washer/dryers were in continuous usage late at night and even early in the morning. I gave up in doing the laundry! Fortunately, we had enough clean clothes to finish out our trip. If we really need to do laundry, I would have/ could have used the hotel’s laundry service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the train stations, site seeing , restaurants and stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori

This kind of an unusual location in the middle of the Dotonburi. We didn’t realize that we couldn’t take a car right up to the hotel. Our driver dropped us off on a street as close to the hotel ad possible. The hotel is a bit obscure. The lobby is on the third floor. We quickly figured it all out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a great location for exploring the Dotonburi.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Very nice location. It is close to the Shinkansen station so we were able easily walk to the hotel. The cafe had great breakfast with lots of selections.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the train station, restaurants and department stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Tsukiji

Tokyo

The rooms were comfortable. It was great having a washer/dryer in the room. I didn’t have to pack as much since I knew that we coul wash our clothes. The breakfast was very good with lots of selection. I was disappointed that the restaurant was booked out for a private event our first two nights there. Usually we like to eat at the hotel on our first day if arrivals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close to everything - train stations, restaurants, 🏬

Staff

Everyone at the front desk were very helpful,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hakone Exploration with Mt. Fuji Views & Volcano

Japan

We really enjoyed the tour of Hakone. The ropeway to Owakudani, and boat ride on lake Ashi and ropeway to mount Komagatake. Yumi-san was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Yumi-san was very knowledgeable. She prepared us for what to look for before the cable car reached the top of the area where it opened up over Owakudani area where we could see the volcano area. That definitely helped us pay more attention as we came over the top. She told us about the black eggs so we definitely bought and ate some!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was aware of the traffic by using a gps navigator app. He told us how long it would take to reach Hakone. On the way back to our hotel, traffic was building up so the driver(I think his name was Oh-san), took the backroads to save time, which was a fun and scenic drive. And he saved a lot of time.

Transport

From Osaka: Himeji World Heritage with Scenic & Culinary Kobe

Osaka

Himeji castle tour was amazing. We learned a lot. Yuki-san did a great job explaining the history of the castle and Japan. We then had lunch nearby. Afterwards we toured the Kokoen garden. Then we proceeded to the Herb garden in Kobe. We were late getting to the garden and didn’t have time to walk down through the garden.

Quality of Experience

The notebook that Yuki-san was very good with lots of information.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My experience with Leny and the Kimkim team was wonderful. Leny found excellent hotels for us to stay in with sights very close by-- for example, we were in walking distance of Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, and Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market, and the Gion district in Kyoto). She reserved all the trains we needed and got us tickets so all we had to do was walk onto the train. She booked the experiences we were hoping for (kabuki, an onsen that was spectacular, the Studio Ghibli theme park) and several walking tours including one of the Arashiyama area with Hiro that was particularly good. She left lots of flexibility for us to choose our own activities each day,. She was present and helpful, along with Noemie and the rest of the team, before and during the whole trip. We're so grateful for what turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. Highly recommend.

We had an amazing trip to Japan, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank‑you to the Japan travel experts who helped plan and support our journey. Mina, Nicole, and Carinta were all incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and responsive. Their guidance before and during the trip made everything seamless. We loved the suggested itinerary, and every hotel we stayed in was wonderful—each with its own charm and perfectly located for exploring the cities and towns on our route.

The small details arranged in advance, such as providing a pocket Wi‑Fi and pre‑purchasing most of our train tickets, made a huge difference in keeping our travels smooth and stress‑free.

We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, and the Nagano region, and had a local guide in each location: David in Tokyo, Marcelo in Kyoto, Iris in Kanazawa, and Motoo in Nagano. All of them were fantastic—personable, insightful, and skilled at showing us incredible places we never would have found on our own. We also appreciated having time to explore independently with suggested itineraries, which gave us the perfect balance of guided and private experiences.

Some of the highlights of our trip included the Meiji palace (Tokyo), Tenryu-Ji and Kinkaku-ji (Kyoto), Kanazawa castle and Kenroku-en gardens (Kanazawa), and the Mausoleum of Fuku Obuse and Hokusai museum (Nagano).

Thanks to everyone on the team for making our trip such a wonderful and rewarding experience. This is the second trip we’ve planned through Kimkim, and both have been exceptional.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Great location and a good place to start our trip to Japan. Wonderful breakfast at both locations!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hotel Sanraku Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Loved this place and the breakfast was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local Private Guide Full Day Nagano (9h-17h)

Nagano

We had such a wonderful day with Motoo exploring Nagano. He had some great ideas of places to go and having a car to explore the area with him was invaluable. Although the snow monkeys did not appear, we loved the hike, and the shrine and Hokusai museum were exquisite. He also had a great suggestion for a lunch place in Obuse that we enjoyed. Spending the day with Motoo was the perfect way to end our trip. Motoo went out of the way to help me find a yukata to take home to my father too. I was so appreciative of his caring about this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Private Guide Half Day Kyoto (4h)

Kyoto

We really enjoyed spending the day with Marcelo.

Quality of Experience

Pocket wifi 1 day to 1 month

Japan

Having the pocket wifi was invaluable.

Local Private Guide Full Day Tokyo (9h-17h)

Tokyo

We loved spending the day with David. He was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and friendly, and did a great job of showing us around Tokyo~

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He guided us on how to get around on the Tokyo subway.

Overall, we had very nice trip to Japan although we had terrible start because of delayed arrival.

Let me summarize key points:
- Planning part was quick and effortless. It was good that we specified pretty clearly what we would like to see, so Shona was able to put together attractive plan in just few iterations. Shona was always promptly responding to our questions and suggestions in preparation phase, and she was also actively “taking care” of us during our trip in Japan.

- We were satisfied with our accommodations. It was quite smart that hotels in Kyoto and Osaka were just walking distance from railway stations; this proved convenient also when we were exploring towns on our own.

- All the commuting went smoothly. We were slightly worried about traveling with Shinkansen trains, but it was perfect.

- All our activities were executed professionally and correctly timewise. In general, we hoped that knowledge of English language would be even better, but we have been in Japan before and we know that this is a general problem. Let me repeat that all the guiding was done well, but as we are also not native English speakers, we sometimes had minor problems communicating.

At the end let me add one “friendly warning” to both Kimkim and Odynovo:
- Nowadays most of travelers know very well how to use ChatGPT, booking.com, Viator…, so it is a fair question what are the “added value reasons” for traveling with Kimkim/Odynovo. It is definitely not price or paying terms; in many cases free cancelation till last day is now part of standard conditions if you book directly. From our perspective main reasons are therefore security (to have somebody local to call in case of a need) and flexibility in case that you must or would like to change something.
o In our trip to Japan security part was perfect: Shona was always available and we had WhatApp numbers of all involved persons.
o Regarding flexibility it could be better: unfortunately, we had one serious problem at the beginning and one minor problem with cancelation of one activity. In both cases Shona was trying hard, but because even Odynovo is mostly just a “middleman”, the results were not optimal.
- I hope my friendly warning is clear: we (travellers) are more and more demanding, so you as organizers might need to be involved more than just as middlemans.

Best regards

Zvonko

Our family trip was a wonderful experience, and booking was incredibly easy with the help of our specialist, Winnie! We especially loved the Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour, the Gyeongbokgung Palace tour, and our excursion to Sokcho and Seoraksan National Park.

Huge shoutout to our guide, Mr. Sebastian Eom, who accompanied us for the final four days of our trip. I really cannot recommend him enough for any travelers to Seoul looking for an English-language tour!

All of the guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. They didn’t just give us a tour, but assisted with our planning and came up with suggestions that would work better. They were all very enthusiastic and loved what they do. Kimkim did an amazing job helping us plan our first trip to Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Nikko Narita

Narita

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hiroshima Tokyu REI Hotel

Hiroshima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Yumoto Onsen Tsuki no Yado Sara

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic; amazing location next to river

Location

Great location, close to station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Knot Tokyo Shinjuku

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy Temples & Bamboo Grove in Kyoto

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nara Day Tour from Kyoto

Kyoto

Our guide was so helpful and knew how to adjust our activities due to the weather and timing of our next locations. She also helped us find the information we needed to make sure our departure was smooth without us asking. She voluntarily helped us plan ahead.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Our guide was so helpful and knew how to adjust our activities due to the weather and timing of our next locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1-Day Tour: Port City Kure - Cruise, Battleships, Submarines & More!

Hiroshima

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Hakone and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway

Japan

Very authentic experiences; liked variety of a smaller town

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Discovery: From Traditional Landmarks to Akihabara’s Anime Haven

Tokyo

Appreciated guide taking us to viewpoints and some areas not specified (e.g. Gojira head)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guide was super helpful in teaching us the subway system so that we could do it on our own later

Eleanor helped plan the trip so perfectly. We began at Mizumari, a Ryokan on the Izu Peninsula for 4 glorious, restful days. The food was amazing. We took walks to waterfalls and went to the beach. From there we traveled to Kyoto. The train station at Kyoto was incredibly confusing and we struggled to find the hotel which was right there. Finally, a cook at the hotel showed us where it was. Otherwise, the app that was provided gave us all the information we needed to find temples, museums, Saihoji and wander the city. One rainy day we went to the Kyocera museum and were awed by the work of Ida Shoichi. We were in Kyoto for a conference with Japanese Psychoanalysts and Eleanor found us a hotel right around the corner from the conference. The conference was a highlight of the trip. Getting to meet people who live and work in Japan--not just hit the tourist spots. Wandering around the area where the conference was, gave us an additional feel for the city. We found the wood block prints of Hokusai--the 36 views of Mount Fuji, a fabulous food market and incredibly friendly, open people to chat with. Our final meal was with in a teeny restaurant with a couple who made us noodle soup. We fell in love with Kyoto.

It was great to work with Shona on planning this trip. I was really glad for her help as I didn't have the knowledge to put together this trip myself, since I was trying to get "off the beaten track" for my trip. Everything went very well on my trip and I had the peace of mind that everything was prepared for me.

Hotel Review

Kirishima Momijidani Seiryuso

I highly recommend this ryokan. First, the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful! I can't say enough about how wonderful everyone was across the board. Second, I loved how remote feeling this location was. It was right outside of a small town, but the whole hotel is surrounded by forest making it feel like you are really out in nature. Third, I loved the variety of hot springs. There were two indoor options plus an outdoor onsen that was magical to visit at night. It sits right next to the rushing river. Guests can reserve time in both the private indoor and private outdoor onsen each day. Finally, the meals are exceptionally well prepared. I was especially appreciative of the chef's work to create unique meals for each of my dinners that suit me as a vegetarian.

Authenticity & Character

The private outdoor onsen next to a roaring river was an enjoyable way to relax and connect with nature.

Location

I love how the hotel feels isolated, away from everything.

Staff

All of the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Several of the staff speak English.

Cleanliness & Comfort

My room was very clean, comfortable, and spacious. I had a second floor room with a nice balcony looking out into the forest.

Activity Review

Day Trip Ebino Kogen Plateau & Kirishima Shrine

Kagoshima

Both Kirishima Shrine and Ebino Kogen Plateau were unique locations that I'd encourage anyone in the area to experience. Walking around the Shrine was peaceful and relaxing. Ebino Plateau was a great way to experience a different landscape and connect with the volcanic natural history of the region. I highly recommend visiting the Ebino Eco-Museum Center, especially after a hike as it is a nice way to relax and learn about the region.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I've used kimkim in the past for a trip with my best friend. This time I decided to use their services for a trip with my sister. Overall, the trip featured all the aspects we wanted to touch on on our trip. Every guide we had was great and the trip was paced out well. You can't really escape from walking too much in Japan but even with all the walking, we enjoyed the pace and all the activities. It's definitely pricier to experience Japan this way but since it was our first time, we wanted it to be hassle free so it was very convenient to have everything booked for us and to just enjoy the trip. The few times we had to get to places on our own, the instructions were clear and I knew my specialist was not far away if I needed them. I will definitely visit Japan again and may consider using Kimkim for it but perhaps be even more particular about where I want to go so that it would be most beneficial to pay for a service to plan for it.

Hotel Reviews

Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Ekimae

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and comfortable but our window faced a wall which was kinda sad.

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Would definitely visit again - location was stunning and food was amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Knot Tokyo Shinjuku

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

So much fun! Learned a lot too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Food was great and filling, our guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sushi & Home Cooking Class from Market to Table near Asakusa

Tokyo

One of my favorite parts of my trip. Alice was our guide and she was a lot of fun. Learned a lot and made the best sushi. Would love to have another class with her in future.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Temples & Bamboo Grove in Kyoto

Kyoto

Asuka was our guide and she was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Japan

Got lucky and could see mt Fuji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great- she was super helpful, patient and overall just a great driver.

Transport

Tokyo Highlights: A Day of Tradional & Modern Culture with Local Life

Tokyo

Our guide was Yoshi and he was awesome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yoshi! Highly recommend

Transport

We took public transit and it was a good experience

We had a great experience with kimkim! They put together a fantastic itinerary based on our desired experience and everything was well structured. Our local specialist, Cannon, was terrific and very helpful and responsive. And the local tour guides provide by kimkim were AMAZING! We loved all of them! We'd definitely recommend using kimkim!

We had the best honeymoon thanks to Cannon, we would definitely recommend Kim Kim!

Hotel Reviews

Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

SAKURA TERRACE THE GALLERY

Kyoto

Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA

Osaka

Hotel Granvia Hiroshima South Gate

Hiroshima

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Feed Deer At Nara Park

Japan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1-Day Hiroshima & Miyajima Tour

Hiroshima

Our guide Miki was absolutely exceptional! We had the best day ever.

We were a group of two adults and two teens going to Japan (2 weeks) for the first time. I started working with Angel about 6 months prior to taking the trip. She was very helpful in suggesting cities to visit and activities to participate in. After she made suggestions I would research them and then we would make tweaks to the itinerary. She was also very responsive to my messages (before and during the trip) and was willing to do some research when she didn't know the answers. I really like the website and app we used to communicate and document the itinerary.

Hotels: I didn't want to spend a lot of money on hotels and communicated this to Angel. The ones she selected were excellent. They were all clean, had good customer service at the front desk, close to public transportation and had fantastic breakfasts (with the exception of Park Hotel Kyoto, which was just fair).

Tour guides: We had three different tour guides. Both Yumi (Tokyo) and Tetsuya (Kanazawa) were good/average, although we did struggle to understand them sometimes with the language barrier (especially when it was very noisy due to crowds, subway station, etc.). However, Sanae (Kyoto) was excellent! I do appreciate that all the guides would check in on What's App the day before to confirm meeting time and location.

Drivers: We had three drivers; airport pickup, airport dropoff, and a day of driving from Tokyo to the Mt. Fuji area. They all showed up on time and drove safely. However, I feel our driver (Garry) in Mt. Fuji could have been better at communicating how much time we had at each stop. Apparently we spent too long at one of the shrines, and then were very rushed when we went to the Hakone Ropeway. This was disappointing.

Group activities: The ones Angel selected typically met or exceeded our expectations. This included Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo night foodie tour in Shinjuku, and the kimono tea ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya. However, I would not recommend the boat ride on Lake Kawaguchi, as it was kind of boring with views that were just ok.

- The ones I selected included:
- (Tokyo) Disneysea - NOT recommended
- (Tokyo) Teamlab Planets - very good
- (Tokyo) Asakusa Sumo Club - good
- (Mt. Fuji) Hakone Ropeway - very good
- (Kyoto) Arashiyama Monkey Park - very good
- (Osaka) Haruka 300 - very good

What could have been better:
- Prior to the trip starting, I asked Angel about options for laundry service (having the clothes cleaned and returned to us, as I didn't want to lose vacation time in order to do self-service laundry) in Kanazawa. She told me our hotel could do this, but that it wasn't offered on the weekend. However, she knew we were only there on the weekend. Ideally, she would contacted the hotel to find out what vendors they partner with for these circumstances. I never heard otherwise, so I don't know if she made any other attempts to work on this.
- There were several days in our itinerary where we were "on our own," but still had a planned agenda created by Angel (with feedback from me). Unfortunately, on some of those days there were too many areas/activities packed in, and it would have been impossible to see them all (despite getting an early start/late return each day, being good at navigating public transportation, and being able to walk 20k+ steps/day). For example, one day in Tokyo we were supposed to explore the Yakanaka District, then go to Joypolis, Ginza and Omotesando, and then Harajuku and Shibuya before a scheduled food tour at 6 pm. We had to skip the first four places which was super disappointing. I wish Angel had been more clear with me about what could be accomplished in a day.
- I would have liked more price transparency. Specifically, a breakdown of what each item on the itinerary cost.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Great breakfast, close to public transportation

Location

Staff

Park Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Breakfast was ok, close to public transportation

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Great breakfast, close to public transportation

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Aura Tachibana

Hakone

A little bit run down, but still very nice and recommended. Food was excellent! The onsen area was big and had an indoor and outdoor area.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great breakfast, close to public transportation

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Asakusa Sumo Club: Sumo Show Admission with Chankonabe in Tokyo

Tokyo

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Hakone Ropeway

Japan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day in Arashiyama with Temples and Monkey park

Kyoto

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tokyo City Highlight Tour with Skytree View

Tokyo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides selected for us were phenomenal! They shared their culture and experience with us and made the trip memorable! The drivers were amazing and communicated with us for rack pick up. The itinerary was customized and exceeded all of our expectations. There was only one glitch with the travel system (wrong airport listed) but we recovered and made it to the destination on time!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Overall a fine hotel with fine rooms that met our needs, even breakfast was fine. It is located near shopping and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Hotel premier KYOTO SHIJO

Very nice hotel with a stylish lobby! It is located in the middle of downtown and near shopping and restaurants. The hotel is also next to a grocery store. The room was comfortable and we had plenty of room to move around (the largest room of the 5 hotels we stayed at during a 2-week trip to Japan). The breakfast had many traditional Japanese dishes, with plenty of options for travelers. There are laundry machines and a smart tv in the room so you can see availability in the laundry room without leaving your room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai Tokyo

We loved staying here! My family of 3 stayed here twice during a trip to Tokyo for a total of 6 nights - by far our favorite hotel during our trip to Japan. The most comfortable beds and enough room to move around. Great breakfast. Great location - Within walking distance to the metro, convenience stores, and a coffee shop. Plenty of laundry machines and an onsen on the top floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HOTEL THE BOTANIK SEWOON MYEONGDONG

Seoul

Great location! Great breakfast! Great room! A favorite from a recent trip to Seoul! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Arrive with an appetite! The guide took us to 3 locations using the metro and we tried a variety of Osaka food! Our favorite was the end of the evening when we tried Osaka style savory pancakes (pancake is slightly misleading since it made me think of US style pancakes- these are made with shredded cabbage)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

The deer park is impressive- there are 1000 deer roaming the area. While the deer are aggressive and easily overwhelming, if you move further into the park you can feed single deer without fear of being nipped at or bitten. The stone lanterns and shrines scattered among the park are impressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

The monkey park is a bit of a hike up the side of a mountain (stairs and step walk). Once you reach the top, the monkeys are close to you! Our guide knew the best time to arrive, so we beat the crowd, but it got rather crowded before too long. The bamboo grove is near the monkey park. What a sight to see! Perhaps one of my favorites because once you move beyond the tourists the grove is very serene and peaceful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour (Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle and Fushimi-Inari Taisha)

Kyoto

A great way to experience Kyoto! Our guide, Zumi, was phenomenal! He took us throughout Kyoto, using the metro, the bus, and even a taxi to get us to each location. He took us further into the locations so we could see more than most tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Master Tokyo's Must-Sees: 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour

Tokyo

We had 2 guides for the day - which was a lifesaver when moving through the crowds of people and traveling to multiple locations. They certainly took us to the most amazing spots in Tokyo!

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

The guide had us sample a few items unique to the area and suggested a great spot for lunch. Lunch was close to 1:30pm.

Food

The guide had us sample a few items unique to the area and suggested a great spot for lunch. Lunch was close to 1:30pm.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Half Day Seoul City Tour with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul

A fantastic way to see Seoul! We started with an option to rent traditional clothes for part of the day (watching the changing of the guards and wandering through the museum). Our guide, Jake, was amazing!! He shared a lot of knowledge about the customs of Korea - which made the experience richer. He suggested a great location for Korean Bulgogi and then took us to a few shopping areas. Jake to our interests into account and customized the rest of our itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hozugawa River Cruise

Kyoto

A highlight for our family trip to Japan! Only a few parts of the river had fast flowing water (just a few splashes). The guides shared information about the area and made the trip even more memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Street Go-Cart Tour

Tokyo

What a cool way to experience Tokyo!! The route we followed was fun and the guide took photos which really added to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

3 separate activities: tea ceremony with kimonos was a family favorite! The experience of getting dressed in kimonos was a rush! Learning about the tea ceremony was a treat! Samarai Ninja experience started at one location in town - where we practiced throwing stars and blowing darts. Probably an activity more for smaller children. The museum is located across town - a 10 to 15 minute walk. We accidentally started at the museum and walked to the Ninja Experience, so we did not return to the museum afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We worked with Cory to plan an Multiday day Japan trip with our granddaughter.
The Itinerary was outstanding and every arrangement was very smooth. Guides were excellent and informative- we really especially loved Pam in Kyoto!!
The classes and experiences were wonderful, and were kid friendly.
Hosts were fun and we learned a lot while having a great time!
Our granddaughter really had a great time, and we will all have many memories to cherish.

Hotel Reviews

9h nine hours Ningyocho

Tokyo

Great capsule hotel. Very sage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Blossom Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Garden Tower

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Izakaya food tour in Shinjuku (14 small tastings)

Tokyo

Max was great- good energy!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

This was the highlight of the trip. Guides were wonder and so kind- treated us like family. Very special. We loved Hanna!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai Ninja Museum with fun experience

Japan

Felt a bit rushed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

Such a great cultural experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sushi Making Cooking Class near the Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Nara Day Trip with Half Day Walking Tour (Lunch included)

Japan

Yuki was awesome

Quality of Experience

Oh

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramen Noodle Cooking Class

Kyoto

So much fun a so yummy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable

Wagashi Sweets Making Experience with an Artisanal Confectioner (Wagashi Issho)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rickshaw in Asakusa

Tokyo

Full day exploring Meiji Jingu, Harajuku & Shibuya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Pam was friendly and so informative. A pleasure to work with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Dori Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very responsive and open to our requests. Great communication with Ben before, during, and after trip.

Fine job in selecting guides in Kyoto, but other than a food tour in Tokyo the experience was not as expected.

Activity Reviews

Kanazawa Food Tour: Private & Personalized with a Local Guide

Kanazawa

Not a normal food tour as it was going to two restaurants and ordering off the menu. Not what we expected, fortunately the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Authentic Ramen & Gyoza Making Class in Kyoto

Kyoto

I would recommend this cooking class to anyone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoy your private open-air bath and dinner

Kaga

We didn’t care for this experience

Kanazawa Artisan Half Day Tour

Kanazawa

Didn’t have a very good guide, though the experience was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner with Maiko in a Traditional Kyoto Style Restaurant Tour (Small Group)

Kyoto

Not to be missed experience in Kyoto and great fun evening.

Welcome to Kaga: Japan's Hidden Gem of Hot Springs and Art

Kaga

Not enough information on the experience

Best of Shibuya Food Tour

Tokyo

Great tour guy with lessons in Japanese culture which was great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Half-Day Walking Tour: EasternTokyo Your Way (by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

Unfortunate heavy rain dampened our experience and SkyTree was a bit too commercial.

Tokyo: teamLab, Azabudai Hills & National Art Center Tour

Tokyo

Poor guide, but ok experience.

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour

Kyoto

Good guide for the local temples and the forest experience.

Kimono wearing and Tea ceremony (Sado) in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

Good experience for our 17 year old grand daughter.

We absolutely loved our trip to Japan! Shona helped us get the balance just right, between guided experiences and independent travel. Our guides were exceptional and allowed us to cater our days and gain much more than we could have on our own. The assistance in transportation with luggage was especially appreciated. Lastly, the app was easy to use and had everything we needed in one place.

We couldn't have been happier about our trip and will definitely use Kimkim again!

Activity Reviews

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

If we were to do it again, we'd do the Tea Ceremony and skip the Samurai Ninja Museum. Purely a matter of personal preference, but we loved the tea ceremony and didn't find the Samurai museum very engaging.

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Moto was an exceptional tour guide. We inited him to visit us at home, because we sincerely enjoyed his company so much!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we first considered using Kimkim to plan our family's trip to Japan, I was honestly a little reluctant.

As someone who typically plans complex travel myself, I wasn't sure if anyone could truly understand what we were looking for. We wanted luxury, but not just luxury. We wanted authenticity. We wanted Michelin-level food experiences alongside tiny local restaurants. We wanted our children (ages 10 and 13) to experience the real Japan, not simply move from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. Most importantly, we wanted a trip that would bring our family closer together.

Then we met Bella.

From our very first conversation, Bella was remarkable.

Over the course of months, we probably sent her hundreds of questions, requests, revisions, restaurant ideas, hotel changes, flight updates, and random thoughts. Not once did she make us feel like a burden. In fact, she embraced the process. Every request was met with enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and genuine care.

What impressed me most was her willingness to adapt. We changed hotels. We added destinations, removed destinations, swapped experiences, changed flights, debated Disney, baseball games, restaurants, and transportation. Bella never missed a beat.

She helped us create exactly the trip we wanted.

And then the trip began.

What followed exceeded every expectation.

The guides Bella selected were exceptional.

Mr. Hajime in Tokyo was fantastic. Knowledgeable, personable, flexible, and passionate about sharing Japan beyond the guidebook. He understood immediately that we loved local culture and hidden gems. Some of our favorite moments came from spontaneous recommendations and side streets we never would have discovered on our own.

Mr. Hiroyuki in Hakone helped us experience a completely different side of Japan. The pace slowed, the scenery changed, and we were able to enjoy one of the most relaxing parts of our journey.

Ms. Ursula in Kyoto and Osaka was equally outstanding. Warm, insightful, and incredibly knowledgeable, she helped bring centuries of Japanese history and culture to life while also making everything accessible and enjoyable for our children.

The drivers were equally impressive.

Every transfer was seamless. Every pickup was on time. Whether we were moving between hotels, stations, or destinations, the logistics simply disappeared into the background—which is exactly how great travel should feel.

One of the things I appreciated most was that the trip never felt rigid.

We had structure when we needed it and flexibility when we wanted it.

Bella listened when we said we preferred local neighborhoods over crowded tourist zones. We explored areas where locals actually live, shop, and eat. We wandered hidden streets in Tokyo, discovered incredible food, and experienced moments that felt authentic rather than manufactured.

The food was extraordinary.

We enjoyed everything from world-class omakase and Tempura Kondo to local ramen shops, yakiniku, Kobe beef in Kyoto, and countless memorable meals in between. Bella understood that we were food-focused travelers and helped us build a dining experience that balanced celebrated restaurants with places we likely never would have found ourselves.

Hakone was magical.

Our stay at Gen Hakone Gora was one of the highlights of the trip. The onsen experience, the kaiseki dinners, the tranquility, and the incredible hospitality created memories our family will never forget.

And then there was the family aspect.

As I write this, we're sitting in the Delta Lounge preparing to fly home.

The thing we're talking about isn't DisneySea. It isn't the Michelin restaurants. It isn't the luxury hotels.

It's how much time we spent together.

This trip gave us something that becomes increasingly difficult to find in everyday life: uninterrupted family time.

We laughed together, explored together, got lost together, discovered new foods together, and experienced an entirely different culture together.

Our children leave with a genuine appreciation for Japan.

My wife and I leave with memories that will last forever.

And our family leaves closer than when we arrived.

That's the true measure of a great trip.

Japan itself is an extraordinary destination, but Bella and her team transformed it from a vacation into a family experience we'll be talking about for decades.

If you're considering Japan and wondering whether to trust Bella and Kimkim, my advice is simple:

Do it.

Trust the process.

Share what matters to you.

Bella will listen.

And if your experience is anything like ours, you'll come home wondering when you can return.

Bella, thank you for your patience, your professionalism, your attention to detail, and most importantly, your genuine care for our family.

You helped create memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

My wife and I are pretty independent travelers. We have done trips to all 50 US States and a few trips abroad by basic research and online bookings. So this year when we decided to travel further and we picked Japan, I thought it would be the same. It really wasn’t. I was having a difficult time knowing where to stay (Tokyo is very large) what things we needed to see, and the best way to travel to multiple cities within our budget. Also we were a little worried about the language barrier and finding our way around. We did not want to do a guided tour, we like working on our own timetable, but were worried about doing this on our own. After looking through several websites, came across KimKim and on a lark filled out some information. Before long, we were contacted by Carinta and through a basic survey on our interests and goals she came up with a really great vacation package. We had a video chat and fine tuned a few things, but were very happy with the plan! So our anticipation grew and we had our vacation all prepped and planned well in advance. A few weeks before our trip we received our Roadbook with all the specific information and links, along with some helpful cultural tips. Another video chat with Carinta to go over the points and answer any questions and we were ready to go!
The accommodations that she picked for us were all wonderful. The train travel between cities was all laid out very well. We only had one ticket issue with an experience (could not get the ticket link to come up) but a quick text and the issue was solved immediately. All of the locations that were suggested that we had no idea about but went to because of the suggestion were all fantastic . And because we weren’t in a group dynamic, we did a few things on a lark that we had a great time doing. She did provide us with an airport pickup and a half day guided tour, so we did have a little help navigating the public transport and finding our way around to start. That was super helpful, and not sure we would have been so bold with our travels ha we not had that initial help. The contact from KimKim on travel days was appreciated, and even though we didn’t have any huge issues or emergencies, the fact that we had a resource there was incredibly comforting. This was honestly a great experience from the start through the trip and I am so happy that we went with this company, and we are already thinking of our next adventure with a little more confidence knowing this company is here.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Androoms Kyoto Shichijo

Kyoto

Great hotel super close to Kyoto Station. Nice neighborhood, very comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Aura Tachibana

Hakone

Our first stay at a Ryokan and it was incredible. The room was super spacious and comfortable, the private onsen was so relaxing, and the meals there were some of the greatest meals we have ever had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Very nice accommodation, super convenient location, staff was wonderful, nice breakfast buffet, had a great stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to transit, great food and sites nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hakone Free Pass (3 days)

Hakone

Great experiences, and not having to worry about individual ticketing is super nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Kabuki Theater

Tokyo

So intriguing! I have seen Kabuki before, but never at this level and environment. Fascinating experience.

Digital TeamLab Borderless Museum

Tokyo

So much fun we actually did another in Kyoto.

Quality of Experience

Visit Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Sumo demonstration around a Japanese meal!

Japan

So much fun! And the meal was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Ryokan

Japan

Nothing we would have individually picked, but what a great time! Incredible vacation experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff here went above and beyond all the time. Incredible hospitality.

Transport

Airport assistant premium Tokyo HND [8:00 - 20:00]

Tokyo

After 20 hours of plane travel, not sure how we would have found our hotel without this service. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Afternoon Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

Very interesting cultural experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Goodbye Japan!

Japan

Having a private driver so we didn’t have to haul luggage through public transport was a super comforting way to end our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Private Guide Half Day Tokyo

Tokyo

Such a great way to get acquainted with the city. Learned a lot about the history of Tokyo while also getting a lot of tips about navigating such a vast space. Our guide, Charlotte, was tremendous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport