Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

We had a wonderful time in Japan, would credit its success as a result of careful planning (mostly started with my wife and my later addition) and working with Olivia during the planning process, booking, and even during the trip for the most up-to-date and timely intervention/support. I'd emphasize this timely and supporting communication with Olivia as the most satisfying experience.

As for accommodations, those in Tokyo and Kyoto met, even exceeded my expectation in terms of location, facility and amenities. I suspect at time of booking, there was some shortages of hotels in Osaka, the selected hotel was not at par with the previous two. Thus the contrast exacerbated the differences, as we expected the same caliber as before. However, the Osaka location, not sure if being a smaller city, is walking distance to all attractions in this wonderful cultural city, e.g. Kuromon market, Dontobori street. By chance we met an Aussie couple during the Foodie Tour, that we learned about the Free Osaka Walking Tour, which we took on our free time on the last day of our trip. It can be hit and miss, but Masaaki as the Guide who used to live in Florida for 25 years really impressed us with his communication skills, that we learned and appreciated Osaka culture and history, but I digress ;)!

There are many fond memories and great impressions we had from this trip. I now recover from jet lag of this trip, so it many not be a complete review at this time. That said, I was very impressed with the food we had, possibly thanks to the Foodie Tour we had in Tokyo and Osaka, and on our own in Kobe, having an experience with Kobe Sukiyaki beef. But I am most impressed especially with the buffet breakfast at Mitsui Garden Premier and Vischio hotel. In addition to the standard "meaty" (American) breakfast -which even includes roast chicken and pork, the complete traditional Japanese breakfast was served, from Miso and variant (Corn) soup with all delicate ingredients, to a full sushi palette with eels, topped up with deserts like individually made Yatsuhashi and whole wheat Gallete (pancake). Matt even found out something new about Shirasu, a tiny, translucent, silvery-white baby fish in his Japanese breakfast, what a find and an experience! A big breakfast was much needed for our daily walk, typically 15-20K steps, or 10 miles, more than enough for a daily cardio exercise, so we made full use of it! Fudou Houtou - Yamanashi, a veg flat udon noodles is honorably mentioned when our Guide brought us to a restaurant going to Hakone, was an interesting and unique experience. The whole bowl made of cast iron, was individually cooked for each person, as I could see the process from the door of the kitchen. It is noteworthy that the provided Guide recommended good restaurants for lunch during our daily tour, which is very important to make efficient use of time. More can be written on food, but it is sufficient for this purpose.

There are more than just food, but it will take time for me to systematically recall to review, and this would need going back to all the photos and videos I took, so that would be my own report, perhaps for future trips back. Perhaps I should focus on what could be improved, or lessons on my own part. First would be to review and priority the attractions to visit, as we all have limited time and budget. Now that I've been to one, a different list of attractions can be revised to complement what I have visited. Given the number of temples (Bhudist and Shintos), perhaps we could reduce one or two, and add a Geisha experience in Gion, Kyoto in lieu. Given only a day or less in Hakone, we could have booked 2 nights for a better experience, especially to allow more time to enjoy the outdoor onsen. In addition, some flexibility in events booking in Tokyo could have been reserved as an option, in order to prepare for weather changes. E.g. when we first landed in Tokyo, the next day was to enjoy Ueno Park especially during Sakura Blossom time. However, the weather was not cooperated, it was lightly rained and cold, we managed to enjoy and capture precious moment anyway. However, as I checked the weather forecast at the time, found that the next day (after Ueno Park) was scheduled for TeamLabs Planets, that it was going to be sunny! I thought about a possible swap, but all arrangements were done, possibly not easy to change, so I went with the plan! Another note is about the Tour Guide, as they are fine doing their job, however I kind of wish some minor improvements can be considered. I suppose for a small walking group, the need for individual electronic listening devices (earbuds) could be used, as we all could listen to the Guide, and we were usually immersed in a sea of people walking to an attraction. Such use of earbuds can help. In addition, and this may depend on the Guide him/herself, whether they can add some story telling, some interesting and unique info on where we are going can be added. But this is like an enhancement, not strictly necessary.

That said, I really appreciate the change offered by the Tour on the first day to Kyoto, as Olivia added a private driver! In hindsight, as we had to wander Kyoto a couple hours before checking in at 3PM, we may not be able to go to the Tea Ceremony scheduled at 5PM by local public transit. ( We used this time to check out the nearby UEON chained shopping mall ). So the Driver came in very helpful to make it to the Tea Ceremony timely.

Another point of local transit, we were happy with the additional transfer when needed, but the local going from point A to point B in a new city using public transit would assume the travelers to be well-versed with Google Map, and an understanding of the local transit (subway, train, bus), which can be a challenge for certain activity, such as the meeting place for the Tokyo/Shinjuku and Osaka Foodie Tour. This would require some knowledge of using the subway and especially exiting at the right exit. I could have managed on my own, however not an easy task for me. Thankfully, travelling with my adult sons, using Google map, translate, and perhaps when walking with the Tour Guide on a previous day in Tokyo, they learn quickly how to navigate the local transit, which was a good experience to learn, still a challenge for first timers in general.

As mentioned, there are lots to recall and review. And no trip, regardless of planning would be perfect, weather cooperation always an potential issue . Thankfully, we are more than compensated watching Sakura blossom season throughout the trip, in Tokyo and surprising in Osaka after all. Overall, myself had a wonderful time in Japan, and really appreciate working with Olivia to timely work out some minor issues, making the trip a very pleasurable memory!

All the guides assigned to our group of 4 were excellent, however special mention goes to Mizuho in Kyoto and Cherry in Osaka who were just superb and gelled effortlessly with us.

Sandy’s organisation for the entire trip was second to none and anything asked however small was no problem for her to review or organise.

My trip to Japan was extraordinary because of Leny.
Hee daily follow up was so useful
Leny knew exactly what I had in mind. The hotels choices were excellent & a few footsteps away from restaurants and services.
Traveling by trains & navigating huge stations with lots & lots of crowds can be pretty intimidating but the detailed maps Leny provided made it very easy to do this.
The guide in Tokyo was excellent giving me detailed historical information about the shrines & shintos we visited & came prepared with charts to explain the differences between shrines & shintos.
Marco the photographer was amazing choosing all the perfect locations for an excellent photo shoot.
My guide to Nara did a lot of research & came prepared with sheets & charts. I found this very sweet. Shows the real Japanese ethics & dedication to work.
Thank you Leny for creating the best travel plan for me & for making my first trip to Japan unforgettable.
You are the best!

We enjoyed our trip to Japan very much and Eleanor provided excellent service. Eleanor provided good feedback and was flexible in making arrangements. Japan is beuatiful and it may be the most orderly and polite society we have ever encountered. We caugyt the cherry blossoms in several cities and the food was extraordinary.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main

Tokyo

The New Otani was a lovely hotel with all the amenities. The breakfast was good but it would have been nice if the food changed periodically during the stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well located but needed to walk 30-40 minutes to most place or take subway which was 10 min walk.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nazuna Kyoto Tsubaki St.

Kyoto

Great place and loved the accomodations and breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Nankai Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

was noisy and there continued to be construction above room at all hours even though we complained.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Tokyo

We drove out to see Mount Fuji and take a boat cruise but because of the overcast weather, we couldn't see fuji and wasn't worthwhile going on lake so a bit of an underwhelming day particularily since we had a long drive each way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

Was fun but probably would have benn better at beginning of tour as had already tried many of foods we tasted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Fushimi Inari Hidden Hiking Tour

Kyoto

One of our highlights. Amazing hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Culture & Life

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Sagano Scenic Railway & Tenryuji Temple

Kyoto

This was amazing. Great pictures and wonderful day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Kyoto to Osaka via Nara

Japan

Nara was great and trip was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eleanor did a fantastic job helping us (2 people with some physical constraints for touring) for a trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. She steered us away from trying to do too much (a common problem when visiting Japan). She arranged three days with guides, all good, for Tokyo, Kyoto and day trip to Nara, along with suggestions for things to do and where to see cherry blossoms for our self directed days. Guides were flexible and sensitive to our needs for rest, and even found the colorful toilet from the movie "Perfect Days" when we requested that detour.
3 hotels were good, with nice varied breakfasts. Drivers were all punctual and safe.
We had used KimKim before to plan a trip to Colombia, and would use them again (but unfortunately not Eleanor) for trips to other countries.

Greg was amazing from start to finish. He creating our itinerary, checked in on us throughout the trip, and answered any and all questions within a day or two before and during our trip. Everything he planned from the events to sightseeing to hotels and restaurants were all great and we had no problems. He made sure we had everything we needed the first day when we arrived at the hotel in a packet that was well organized and easy to follow. We will definitely use Greg again when we go back to Japan. Thank you Greg for an unforgettable honeymoon trip to Japan.

Outstanding trip to Japan.

While 10 days was definitely not enough time, Angel made sure we got the most of it all. She even went out of her way to help us reschedule when we were feeling a bit overwhelmed to make a day a bit easier. All of our guides were excellent and we got the perfect balance of gardens, temples, shrines, and historical sites.

Hotel Reviews

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

kyoto

Great place, cool feel.

Authenticity & Character

Cool restaurant, beautiful lobby area

Location

Close to downtown, easy to get around, shuttle to train station.

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER

Tokyo

Good hotel. Delicious breakfast. Good location. Laundry machine that was easy to use.

Authenticity & Character

Okay but not very special

Location

Ginza, near good shopping

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice bathtub and overall spotless

Hakone Kowakien hotel

Hakone

Amazing place with onsen on the roof. Restaurant was good. Only thing that could potentially be a problem is that there are lots of families with kids.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing feel, very authentic

Location

Beautiful in valley with great views

Staff

Outstanding, went out of their way to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, exceptionally comfortable.

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great place but not quite as special

Authenticity & Character

Standard hotel

Location

Near downtown Asakusa which has a cool if a bit touristy vibe. May have been a bit harder to make it to other parts of the city.

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast buffet was a bit less impressive than some others

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

Really cool overlooking the city.

Authenticity & Character

Great rooftop bar and restaurant

Location

walking distance to downtown

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Sky tree and Sumida River Cruise

Tokyo

Neither of these were outstanding experiences. both felt very touristy without having the payoff. Tokyo in March was quite hazy so there were no views to Mt. Fuji etc. Long wait and very expensive for the sky tree. We actually liked seeing the view from the metropolitan building just as much and it was free.

Quality of Experience

Poor views, long lines, not very spectacular.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sam was amazing. kept us on track.

Transport

Convenient with metro and train.

Full Day Kinkaku-ji, Tea Ceremony and Gion District Tour (Private Guide+Public Transportation)

Kyoto

Absolutely amazing from top to bottom. Tea ceremony was the coolest thing we have ever done. The Zen garden was beautiful. The gion district was cool to see. The golden temple was beautiful and Noriko gave us the best tour of the Nijo castle with tons of history and culture.

Quality of Experience

Amazing tea ceremony and perfect timing with Sakura

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Noriko was the best guide we had. She was knowledgeable, personable and kept us on time despite our desire to stop and shop.

Transport

Good bus system.

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour

Osaka

Mediocre food tour. Only three stops and all with fried foods. Would have liked some more variety.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoyed our guide

Transport

Convenient metro

Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo

I really enjoyed working with Sam but it sometimes felt like we were just wandering without a specific goal. I think if we had taken opportunities to see the blooms on the way to other places, it may have worked a little better. Overall Sam was a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Needed a bit more direction

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sam was kind, funny and always respectful. It might have been helpful to have some restaurants in mind so that choosing lunch places went a bit more smoothly.

Transport

Fast and efficient metro. No real hiccups.

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour

Hakone

A good day although we were quite tired from the days before. Mt Fuji was not visible unfortunately and it was quite windy on the mountain. The visit to the shrine was one of the coolest parts of the day. We also enjoyed the cruise across the full lake. It would have been better to do the ropeway at the end but that was our mistake.

Quality of Experience

It was a good day overall, just very hazy and windy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mako was kind and told good stories.

Transport

Great driver. Very convenient.

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Another outstanding trip! Nara was worth taking a whole day. We loved meeting the deer, seeing the temples, and shopping in the downtown. Again, Noriko was an outstanding guide who gave us the historical and cultural background to understand what we were doing.

Quality of Experience

Amazing to see the deer and to learn some history. Sakura also made it special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Noriko was the best guide we worked with!

Transport

Could have just gone Kyoto to Nara to Osaka rather than going back to Kyoto first.

Olivia put together a great trip for us. We had a wonderful time!

I cannot recommend the KimKim service or specifically Cory highly enough! She was attentive, creative, and clearly cared deeply about creating an extraordinary experience for us. She was incredibly responsive to all my questions and requests - both before and during our trip. She made the process of traveling to the other side of the world easy and low stress. I truly believe that without her help, we couldn't have possibly created such a perfect plan that allowed us to see and experience so much. Five stars all the way around!!

Our Japan trip had everything we wanted. We went to Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. Our guides were knowledgeable and great company and gave us useful general help with our trip.

Greg put together a very personalized schedule for our first ever trip to Japan. We had selected to visit Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto/Nara and wanted to see a mix of nature and culture. Our wish included to stay in traditional Ryokans, to experience a bath in a hot spring area and to have time for some hiking to explore the scenery. Greg tailored a perfect program for us with detailed descriptions for every day of our 10-Day trip. Besides lodging in amazing hotels and Ryokans, Greg took care of all train tickets, entrees to museums and guided tours. Links to Google Maps made the navigation and use of public transportation very easy. Throughout our stay we felt taken care of, with Greg checking in on us on a regular basis.
While I usually plan all of my vacations myself, I believe that Greg's knowledge and professional input provided us with a deeper and more authentic experience in Japan. I highly recommend his services to anyone wishing to explore Japan.

Most all websites and others say it takes about 14 days to really see Japan. Well, when you're working with Leny of Kim Kim and you tell her we only have 7, she put together a most amazing trip we ever took...!!!!
Everything went as plan with no hiccups...!! If you're a little phone savvy, good with GPS and directions then all it takes ...!!
We went from Toyko, Hakone, Kyoto, Hirashima then Osaka with only our backpacks...!!!! With all the walking tours & running around, I even lost 10 pounds...!!!
The price was also very reasonable because we don't like 5 or even 4 stars hotels. All those we stayed in were clean and had everything we needed including washers and dryers...!!!
She also arranged out stay in South Korea as well, which that was also amazing. I told her i wanted to go see Busan as its use to be called Pusan when i was there in the Navy in 80-83. Our tour guide there show me the area the Sailors hang out, but it has really changed since then.
Don't take a chance on trying to do this yourself like i thought i was going to because you will not have a good experience.
Call the best in the business...!! Leny of Kim Kim...!!!!

My wife and I are celebrating our 50th Anniversary this year, and we wanted to take a two week trip to Japan at Cherry Blossom time. Our adult daughter was going to join us. We worked with Angel to arrange the perfect trip. Angel was amazing. Everything was seamless. The hotels were excellent as were all of the local guides that she arranged. Transportation on bullet trains in Japan was totally arranged by Angel and everything was flawless. During the trip, we made a last minute change of plans, and Angel was extremely helpful during the process. During the trip Angel checked in on us every day. While we made many of dinner reservations; some were difficult to obtain. Angel made those reservations for us. Our two week trip to Japan was amazing as we saw exactly what we wanted to see-temples, shrines, gardens, cherry blossoms. The personal tea ceremony that Angel arranged was fascinating. If you are planning a trip to Japan, Angel is the person that you want to help you plan it. We could not have been happier. This is the 5th time that we have used Kim Kim for international travel, and we will continue to use them. But Angel was the best. Thank you Angel.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

This hotel was situated in the Roppongi area of Tokyo and was first rate. We stayed there three nights; the breakfasts were fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was located within walking distance of three dinner reservations that we had made.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

This hotel was located a few meters away from the train station. It was convenient for travel. Hotel was very nice; and breakfasts were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

we stayed four nights at this hotel. Cherry blossoms were just around the corner from the hotel. We could walk to the central part of Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just an awesome hotel.

The Westin Osaka

Osaka

We only stayed here one night, but it was perfect. The Westin is a Marriott property, and we are lifetime platinum Marriott members. We enjoy staying at Westins, and this property met our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Our plans changed, and we did not stay at this hotel.

Activity Reviews

Tokyo City Tour: Imperial Palace East Gardens, Senso-ji Tour & Meiji Shrine

Tokyo

The site seeeing was excellent in Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Ashinoko Tour with Mt. Fuji Views

Japan

We knew that it might be difficult to view Mt Fuji. it was a rainy day, and we could not see Mt Fuji, and it was fun taking the Hakone Ropeway and the boat ride on the Lake,

Tokyo: Sumo Show Experience with Chicken Hot Pot and a Photo

Tokyo

This was an unsual experience and one that we recommend to anyone visiting Japan for the first time.

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

We know that many Western tourists do not travel to Kanazawa, but we wanted to go there, and it did not disappoint.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Kyoto is an unbelievable city and should not be missed. The temples and shrines were wonderful, and our guide who was with us for two days was everything that we could have hoped for.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gion Corner: Traditional Arts Performance

Kyoto

This was a 50 minute show and was extremely entertaining

Quality of Experience

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

This was the second day with our Kyoto guide. Again, just a marvelous experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Afternoon Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

This experience was just for us and our adult daughter. It lasted almost two hours and was fascinating. We are still talking about this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Osaka Castle and Shinsaibashi Tour

Osaka

We always wanted to see Osaka Castle and it did not disappoint. The foodie walking tour was a fun diversion from some of the more formal dinners that we had in Japan.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at dark

Osaka

This was fun after having had so many formal dinners.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our 11-day Japan experience in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka was positive from start to finish, through a combination of fully-arranged activities [like the Asakusa Sumo Club] and self-guided tours/free time in alignment with itinerary suggestions from the KimKim site. Having reservations at great hotels [our favorite was Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji] , a planned agenda, and emergency contacts in place was reassuring, but truly the reason for our rating is Shona Zhang.

Shona was knowledgeable, amazing to work with, and always quick to respond. She made suggestions and adjustments as we planned our trip and always answered questions promptly. (As a quick note for those reaching out from another country, please remember to reasonably factor in the time difference for responses.) She handled all arrangements for our skilled drivers and our wonderful Tokyo guide, Yumiko Toyoshima, and Shona checked in with details close to time. She also clarified questions, made hotel/breakfast arrangements, and even checked in on us while in-country.

Thanks for helping us have a wonderful adventure in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Dai-ichi Hotel Tokyo

Comfortable bed, great view and breakfast, and extremely convenient to Shimbashi Station [an entrance downstairs] and local sites.

Authenticity & Character

Old-style European style, with a range of food

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Onyado Nono Kanazawa Natural Hot Spring

Kanazawa

They held onto our luggage while we explored Kanazawa, the staff was professional and polite, freebies were provided, and the hotel was conveniently located to the sites we were seeking.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel going for the style of a ryokan

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Candeo Hotels Osaka Namba

Osaka

Staff was professional, we had a nice room and breakfast opportunity, and the relaxation room on the top floor had a great view of Osaka. This hotel is very convenient to the Donburi nightlife, and the metro is a short walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji

Kyoto

This was our favorite stay in Japan. The room was comfortable, the staff was friendly, the grounds were peaceful and beautiful, and the hotel had a nice onsen with extensive hours. There was nearby shopping and food as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour - East & West

Tokyo

Yumiko Toyoshima (Yumi-San) was a wonderful and friendly tour guide! She was knowledgeable about the sites, the history, and navigating and living in Japan in general (she is from Tokyo). She shared about shrine and temple etiquette, helped us have a great local tempura lunch, and also explained traveling and helped us learn to navigate the metro system.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sumo Morning Practice in Ryogoku with Sumo Wrestler Lunch

Tokyo

The lunch show was fun, seeing a geisha performance and learning about sumo wrestling through demonstrations and a Q&A. The wrestlers were great with the crowd - especially kids - and the ability to leave with a photo was a nice momento.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

We enjoyed getting to see Mt. Fuji (breathtaking) and the surrounding area through a convenient day trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time! Many thanks to Katzu who was so accommodating and patient with us, he coordinated everything for our trip to Tokyo. Thank you to Eriko, and Kazu the polite, friendly and knowledgeable guides in Tokyo. The hotels we stayed at were fantastic, we enjoyed delicious japanese food in each one. We were pampered at Hanoke's Fufu hotel with a private hot bath! we trully enjoyed all about Japanese culture and are looking forward to another trip there in the future.

We just returned from an excellent two week trip to Japan organized by Sandy san of Odynovo in Japan, through kimkim! Some highlights were biking the Shimonami Kaido, spending the night in a ryoken on Miyajima with multi-course Japanese meals included, visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park and Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, plus the cherry blossoms, temples and shrines, and beautiful terrain. We had a mix of time on our own, group, and private tours.

The group tours were through Magical Trip: Kaiori san for the Hiroshima Peace Park and Fuji san for the Tokyo foodie tour were excellent. The groups were generally small, like 5-6 guests. Those were a lot of fun and well planned, and we learned a lot.

Our private guides Chinami san in Hakone, Hisako san in Kyoto, and Yuki san in Kanazawa were all knowledgeable and easy to be with. We ended up canceling one tour in Kyoto because we just needed a break, but since it was too late to get a refund, Jun san still showed up to drop us at the train station, and we instantly liked him too and felt a little sad that we missed his tour. The private tours can be interactive and customizable and are a great opportunity to learn more than you would on your own.

Accommodations and travel within Japan that were arranged by Sandy were all well planned. We had shinkansen tickets with luggage space reserved for most of the hops, and hired taxis between train station and hotel (easy!). Twice during the trip we shipped our checked luggage ahead with the help of hotel staff. The first time was required so we could do an overnight on bikes, the second time was just to avoid the hassle of big luggage on the ferry to Miyajima, although we probably would have been fine taking it with us.

We would probably do a couple of things differently next time:
1) On the Shimonami Kaido, we should have brought along a multi-tool so we could adjust the bikes along the way, and we had too much stuff in our backpacks. WAKKA turned out to be an excellent resource for us - super kind and helpful people who do bike taxi and rental returns, among other services for bike riders in that area.
2) We got excellent mileage from the tiny bit of Japanese we learned for the trip, which increased our enjoyment. Although we never really had any trouble communicating with the locals, we would like to learn more Japanese for next time.
3) We might spend more time in each location next time. Although this trip was a good first trip because it gave us a kind of overview of the highlights of Japan, it would have been nice to do more exploring in each location.

There are so many things to love about Japan (the food, the natural beauty, the public transportation, the clean cities), but I think what we will remember the most is the many kindnesses we received from random people, not just people in the hospitality business. For example, while biking we took a wrong turn and an older gentleman on a motorcycle stopped to tell us we were probably going the wrong way, then insisted that he meet us down the road to take our picture near a landmark! Japanese people are just so nice in general - at least that was our experience.

Anyway, kimkim and Sandy san took very good care of us. There is no way we would have had this good of a time if we had booked everything on our own.

Interactive development and tailoring of trip itinerary was excellent. Communications during trip were excellent. Local guides were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Biwa Otsu Prince Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Terrace Hachijohigashiguchi

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sotetsu Grand Fresa Takadanobaba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Shinjuku Gyoen (cherry blossom)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Full Day Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chase Cherry Blossom in Osaka with Osaka Castle

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Transport

Osaka Private & Personalised Local Food Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai and Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an amazing trip for our family. We enjoyed the food, weather and everything else that we saw and visited in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba

Very nice hotel but too far away from the main attractions in Tokyo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Nice location. Very close to main interesting places.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

APA Hotel Kyoto Ekihigashi

Rooms too small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close enough to the main attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very uncomfortable. The room was very small and didn’t have any room for the luggage. Not acceptable for people who have problems moving around the room.

Activity Reviews

Tea Ceremony in a Traditional Tea House in Kiyomizu

Kyoto

If I compare this tea ceremony with the one we had on our first day of the tour this one is a disappointing. The ceremony lacked of depth and the atmosphere was very much lacking in the way the whole event was held. It was rushed and the explanations were very poor. The quality of the ceremony was very disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a hard time finding the place for the tea ceremony.

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Kyoto Return Trip)

Japan

The trip to Hiroshima was the most dramatic of all. I was very impressed with the museum and the architecture of the memorial site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We experienced the regular transportation of the Japanese people in our trip to Hiroshima and back. The guide was very thorough and helpful to us.

Transport

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha to Tofuku-ji Temple Hiking Experience

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

One of my favorite activities. Excellent and fun experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samurai Sword Experience in Kyoto (Family & Kid Friendly)

Kyoto

An excellent experience for the kids. A lot of fun. I must add that the second time our family went to the Samurai activity ( our daughter and her family on 3-24-2025) they were very disappointed. They were rushed. Our grandson was looking forward to experiencing practicing what he had learned but never got to do it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was not very attentive to our needs and was not very responsive.

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Great experience for the children.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nick was an excellent and amazing guide. He was well prepared and knowledgeable about all the things we saw. He brought candies for the kids and he was very helpful and attentive to our needs.

Transport

Great driver and very friendly.

Edomae Sushi Masterclass: Hands-On Lesson with Traditional Sushi Meal

Tokyo

I would recommend this activity to anyone. The hostess was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. What a lovely lady she was and she was very nice and kind to everyone who was there. She even sent me the recipe for one of the food we made. I give her a 100% rating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was an excellent resource for the information given to us.

Transport

Full Day Meiji Shrine,the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace Akihabara,and Harajuku Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shona put together an amazing trip for our family (myself, wife, 5 & 8 year old children).

Trip was almost seamless, including transportation and a great blend of guided tours and free time to explore.

Shona was available and a great support throughout the trip — highly recommend!

Great Adventure To Japan - My husband and I just got back from a 11 day trip to Japan with Kim Kim as our travel agents. The experience was a very memorable one. Right from the start Sandy our very attentive, knowledgeable and courteous agent made our itinerary and provided many great options. The local guides Aki and Yukomi were very accommodating and knowledgeable. Kim Kim is thorough in their planning. If something is not right they go out of their way to fix the issue. All the hotels were top notch and within distance of tourist destinations. We toured Tokyo’s, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka. The Tea ceremony with Kimono experience was by far the best experience of all my travels world wide. Thank you Kim Kim for an amazing trip!

Hotel Review

Miyako City Osaka Hommachi

Osaka

The last hotel in Osaka was our favorite because it was bigger and comfortable, but it was a bit far from our destinations. It would have been nice if it were closer to the train station so we ended up taking a cab a few times due to the distance. The food was great though!

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

The Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya exceeded our expectations and was our favorite part of the trip. It was really enjoyable and efficiently organized. Everything worked smoothly, and it felt like a well-oiled machine that allowed us to enjoy the experience fully. We loved it!

Learn the Secrets Behind Ramen in a Cooking Class

Osaka

The Ramen cooking class was a delightful experience once we found the location. It was in a residential area, which was unexpected, and we got a bit lost. Clearer directions would have been helpful, but thankfully, customer support was responsive and helped us. Once we were there, the class was great, and we enjoyed meeting fellow tourists.