Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Shona was exceptional in her communications and responsiveness to our feedback, when planning the trip. She provided great suggestions for activities and answered any questions I had, promptly and thoughtfully. Once travelling, Shona kept in close contact, checking in and advising us of activity details. She was always available with any questions we had and was very accommodating of some last minute changes we made. The trip components that she arranged were fantastic and the activities were always top-notch, fun and interesting. The drivers were great: great communication, reliable and very competent. The Private tour guides we had (Slash, Andy and Tan) all had different styles, which was fun, but they were all great. They were reliable, personable, knowledgable, great communicators and very flexible. They accommodated our interests really well. The small tour group guides, through Magical Trips (Max and, sorry, I did not get the name of the Sumo guide), were very good and those tours were really fun. We were so happy with the trip itinerary and everyone supporting the itinerary. Thank you!

I was planning our first trip to Japan and while researching I stumbled upon KimKim. What a fantastic find!!!! It is hard to find a travel agency with on location experience. KimKim has a terrific platform that helps to identify your needs and wants in a trip and then they connect you with a travel agent who is an expert in that location. We were connected with Leny in Tokyo. She was AMAZING!!! After filling out the questionnaire she came up with a couple of suggested itineraries. We then scheduled a phone call to discuss in further detail our thoughts about the itinerary. That really put my mind at ease, to talk to a real person and get instant feedback! We made modifications to make the trip exactly what we wanted. Leny was helpful every step of the way. She made a VERY detailed schedule for us. Organized wonderful tours and experiences. The hotels were terrific. Then she took customer service to the top level. When we were in Japan she was available for support throughout our trip! One time I could not find my train tickets and she mailed them again to me as I was at the station!!! Now that is support!! While being fairly well travelled, I was very nervous having never been to Asia. Leny put my mind to rest. She was absolutely incredible throughout this entire process. This was a very special trip to celebrate my birthday. It was a trip of a lifetime and I owe a huge part of that success to Leny at KimKim. THANK YOU LENY!!!

Hotel Reviews

THE THOUSAND KYOTO

Kyoto

Absolutely beautiful hotel. Gorgeous rooms. Delicious breakfast. Great location!

Authenticity & Character

Elegant Japanese style.

Location

Right near the train station which is plus in Kyoto.

Staff

Attentive. At the ready to help in any way they can.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everywhere was spotless. The room was absolutely beautiful. Loved the Pjs.

THE HOTEL SANRAKU KANAZAWA

Kanazawa

Beautiful hotel and lovely room! Great bath products.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier

Tokyo

The lobby is beautiful. The breakfast is very good. The room was very small.

Authenticity & Character

The lobby is beautiful but the room was very small. And the carpeting in the hallways needs to be replaced.

Location

Beautiful view from the lobby of the Tokyo Tower!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

VERY small room. Comfortable but small.

Gora Kadan

Hakone

Loved the Ryokan experience! Beautiful hotel. The onsen was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location!!! Near the outdoor museum which was fabulous!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything! The gorgeous room. The onsen. Massage chairs.

The Blossom Hibiya

Minato

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Choi, a front desk trainee, who helped us sort out our plane tickets home. She was a lifesaver!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Gem Food Tour (adults only)

Tokyo

Great mix of restaurants to try. Learned lots of interesting facts about the Japanese culture. Ray was a good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Tokyo Tour with English-Speaking Guide

Tokyo

Good way to get a crash course in Japanese history and the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Very nice to have a guide show you around and take you from sight to sight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Tokyo's Shopping & Food: Japanese Cultural Experience

Tokyo

This was a wonderful tour. Chees (our guide) took us to a mix of food stops and shops. She explained the history and the culture. It was a great way to see traditional or old Tokyo. There is so much tied into the art of Japanese craft. We also got to appreciate the architecture of the area. It was really informative and interesting.

Quality of Experience

The mix of food, shopping , architecture and history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was great!

The Old Quarter of Tokyo - Yanaka Walking Tour

Tokyo

This was a group tour and the group was a little too large. The guide Meyu was very good. Informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kanazawa Half Day Tour (Private)

Kanazawa

Really enjoyed walking around the Geisha and Samurai areas. The architecture was so beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very nice but not very interesting.

Treasures of Kyoto: Geishas & Traditions Private Tour

Kyoto

Our guide really made the Geisha quarter come to life. So interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was interesting to have a guide who was not Japanese, but had lived in Japan for over 25 years. Her English was excellent.

Full Day Kyoto Tour with English Speaking Guide and Public Transportation (Private)

Kyoto

Great way to see a lot of Kyoto's highlights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Arashiyama Best Spots 4h Private Tour with Licensed Guide

Kyoto

BEAUTIFUL part of Kyoto! Enjoyed seeing the shrines and the nature of the area.

Quality of Experience

The variety of areas we were able to walk around.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was wonderful! His English was excellent since he had grown up in the US for 18 years.

Private tea ceremony 〜Feel Zen experience〜 (45min)

Kyoto

This was our least favorite experience. The "tea master" was very formal in her explanations. And it is not her fault, but we do not like the taste of Macha. This was a waste of our time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sharon was an excellent organizer of our trip and was very responsive to our interests and time frame. Jennifer was a wonderful companion and guide as we cycled around Lake Kawaguchiko and had Hoto noodles for lunch. We visited Kyoto and Nara with Kuro and learned a lot about the history of the temples and shrines, as well as the country overall. Or last stop was Hiroshima and Slash was a marvelous guide as we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, the Hiroshima Castle and the island of Miyajima. We highly recommended Sharon and all of our guides!

Our foursome traveled to Tokyo, Hakone, Nikko, Kanazawa, Osaka and Hiroshima over 16 days. The travel arrangements were impeccable. We used private car, trains and buses. Our guides were great, each in their own way. We enjoyed Yoshi in Hakone. He made a special effort to show us Mt Fuji, despite the cloudy weather. Michiko and Chi were lovely people and a pleasure to be with. Hiro guided us in Kyoto. Yuki met us in Osaka. Yasu showed us Hiroshima. We were very pleased with all of them.
I loved our tea ceremony and took great pleasure in dressing in our kimonos. I, of course, loved all the shrines and the history behind them. The ryokan was amazing and the onsan very relaxing. We dressed in kimonos for dinner that night...very memorable. There were so many things we saw and experienced that it is difficult to think of them all.
Finally, I have to give the biggest shout out of the trip to Shona. She was like the invisible mother to us all, checking in every day and reminding us of times, places and people. She is the best tour coordinator I've ever worked with and she would be the reason I would plan another trip with KimKim.

If you are planning a trip to Japan, save yourself all the hassles and contact Shona. From first contact, planning, amendments to the itinerary, right until arrival back home, her communication, knowledge and insights is extremely valuable. Every detail of our almost 3 week trip executed perfectly!

Our two guides, Allen-Loon and Slash simply incredible!

Take a bow Shona, You are an exceptional lady, with immense knowledge, meticulous , and you ensured that we have made memories for life, and had the trip of our lives!

With heartfelt Thanks,

The Bekker’s
South Africa

The KimKim experience was overall excellent, particularly for a first-time traveler looking to hit the "must-see" events in a new country.

Shona and her team communicated clearly and fluidly each and every step of the way, including helping and adjusting schedules when I got in a (minor and self-inflicted) jam with train travel, facilitating when I wanted to change a few plans last minute, and staying in contact throughout the trip.

The tour guides appointed were lovely and thorough, and the hotels picked were top-notch, as were all travel accommodations within the country.

Generally an excellent experience, highly recommend, and being clear what it is you're looking to get out of the trip -- the more information you provide, the better they're able to tailor the experience.

KimKim did an amazing job arranging our trip to Japan. From train tickets to guides to someone meeting us at the airport with a friendly face, everything was great. We had a last minute change to make, and Angel was able to re-book our Shinkensen tickets and get them to us in a timely way. All around, an excellent service.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Intergate Hiroshima

Hiroshima

There was really nothing I liked about this hotel. The staff at the reception weren't welcoming at all, nor helpful during checkout. The room had a tiny window with shades drawn so you felt a little like being in a cell- very claustrophobic. We spent as little time as possible in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

Tokyo

Hotel was very nice- nice sized rooms, great breakfast, great service. The rooftop bar is a must.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful, friendly, enough english for us to get by with our limited Japanese

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

Hakone

We picked this hotel for the views- well, not their fault that it was overcast and we couldn't see anything. However, this place is dated and a little tacky. The store and cafe were never open. The place was overrun with children who screamed throughout dinner. The restuarant was lit up like hospital cafeteria, and while the food was ok, it was so noisy and bright that we couldn't wait to leave. I can imagine the onsen would be amazing if you could see Mt. Fuji. It's also not located near anything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

kyoto

Room was pretty spacious so that was nice. It's gotten some fancy updates but seems like it might have been a Courtyard by Mariott at some point and got a face lift. The staff were great especially the congierge who gave us great sushi restaurant tips and directions. It seemed to be geared towards large tour groups. The restuarants were always empty (Except at free breakfast), probably because they were very overpriced. It was a good location, fairly close to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Ritz-Carlton

Osaka

This place was beautiful and the staff was, without exception, outstanding. Would love to stay here again someday.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Yumi did a great job of putting together a tour catering to our preferences. We were a little jet lagged so probably didn't get all out of it that we could have. The fish market was super fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Tour with Whisky Tasting

Tokyo

Yoshi was a great guide. We just didn't have great weather for viewing Fuji (never did see it). However, he did his best to keep us interested and entertained, including taking us to a flower garden that wasn't originally planned. The Whicky tour and tasting was really interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Yoshi was a great guide- turns out she spent a year not too far from where we live in Oregon. Totally not her issue, but the sites in Kyoto are just overrun with tourists, which I realize we are also, It was really hard to enjoy the temples, tori gates, Gion district becuse there are just too many people at the same spots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Nara and Uji

Kyoto

We didn't do this trip

One Day Hiroshima and Miyajima Island Tour

Hiroshima

Yoko was an excellent guide. We went to Miyajima first, via ferry- it was lovely. Very limited crowds, although it was raining so that could be why. Had some yummy roasted oysters, some great little maple leaf cookies, and got some great views of the gate and temple. Then headed back and toured the Peace Memorial and the museum. Both were very moving and emotional. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nishiki Market Food Experience

Kyoto

We did'nt do this tour

Our agents were amazing. Myaen who started our itinerary paid attention to detail, and responded very promptly every time we emailed or chatted. She was super helpful and informative and knew the ins and outs of the areas of Japan that we anted to visit as ell as all the experiences we had hoped to encounter. We especially enjoyed Eri, our guid to Mt Fuji. Very educated and knowledgeable on many facets of Japan, currently and historically. She helped purchase our future Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto at Tokyo Station before we embarked on to Mt Fuji. We had an amazing time. What was noted on the itinerary for the day as spot on and excellent.

Our curated day in Tokyo that I believe Irish put together, was chock full of places and things to see and do. It was a very comprehensive itinerary and one not for the weak of Herat directional fortitude or stamina. We visited four districts, navigated 8 or 9 metros, stayed out for 10 hours, and walked 9 miles. At our age, 62 ad 67 that was such an amazing day to have accomplished. The maps that were attached to the itinerary were very useful. I would suggest noting the time that the itinerary might take and distances that might be covered should one take in each spine, temple ad shopping experience.

And, 7-11 and Eki ben are our new best friends. When in doubt or in a pinch for time, or grabbing something on long Shinkansen rides, that’s the way to go.

Our Nakasendo trail adventure was just breath taking. Each trail presented a new challenge and a very nostalgic look into the past. The scenery and culture up close and personal was spectacular. Each post town was quaint and offered such fascinating personal introspect. The ryokan and meal accommodations was nothing short of historic, realistic, generous, home felt and inspiring. Each were different in their own way, but blended a personal and professional sense of accommodation.

For note, the original Nagiso to Magome route from the train station, via the road, as prescribed by the itinerary and included map, should be just an option. Although the Trail was nearby we did follow the road but it was getting sketchy and boring. We opted to had to the trail midway and landed in Tsumago, which would have been our day two hike toward. We spent time there and taped in the trail for the duration, to Magome. It drew late, very dark and thunderstormed on us. It took us almost five plus hours to complete from start to finish, not including our rest in Tsumago. And, because we hiked the route, we chose not to hike back to Tsumago the next day as the itinerary laid out. Instead we found another 3.5 mile hike near Magome, then caught the bus to Tsumago for our day and accommodations. We were told by many, that people take the bus to Magome and hike back toward Tsumago. An option that should be included in your itinerary going forward. The bus back to Tsumago defended on a very steep winding road. That would had been our route should we stayed on our trek from Nagiso. Again not for the traveler less experienced in hiking that distance or terrain.

The trail was charming and spectacular. We only saw people hiking from Magome to Tsumago. Heading in our opposite direction. The easier hike. Our time however in both post towns were magical. We watched a vendor make udon in the window and after our short hike in Magome, decided to have lunch there. It was a very connecting experience.

The other trails were great. Kiso Fukushima was surrounded by Nakasendo trail within the city limits, which we partook. After a little confusion in Yabuhara, we found out was the the Tori Pass hike. Simply breathtaking. Narai was spectacular and we so loved the five star accommodations at Byaku Narai. We were on cloud nine and it was a great reward to end our hikes. We foregone our last day hike from Narai and just caught the train to Matsumoto. The castle was awe inspiring. The hotel, though so centrally located was a bit cramped. Very awkward bathroom set up that was almost dangerous to navigate. Our other hotels, Karaska in Tokyo, Daiwa Roynetts in Kyoto and Tokyo, were perfect.

Our foodie izakaya experience in shinjuku was so much fun. We would not have ventured there without our guide, who was energetic, educated and animated. What a fun last night.

Thank you to all of you who made this trip so memorable. This was the way to go versus two weeks on a tour bus. We plan to return to Japan and will certainly use your service again. We are using kimkim to Australia and New Zealand this coming January.

Forgot to mention that the greeter and white glove driving service from and to the airport was superb and such a classy touch. We felt so special..

Mahalo again for your patience with us and making this journey an unforgettable one.

Susan and Charlie Kunz

Hotel Reviews

Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station

Tokyo

Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Terrace Hachijohigashiguchi

Kyoto

Great location. Amazing breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Magome Chaya

Super charming and authentic. We felt like family

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jenn was so helpful and kind. She even recommended an additional hike for us to go on which was spectacular

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koshinzuka Minshuku

Nagano

The family was so genuine and allowed our traveling companions to stay at their hotel instead of a part rom us as they had a spare room open.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing history behind this ryokan. We loved it

Location

Staff

Super friendly and giving. They gave us omiyage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kiso Mikawaya

Kiso-Fukushima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Little away from town but very nice

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BYAKU Narai

Narai

Simply spectacular. Private garden furo on the outdoor deck. Amazing food. Very classy and 5 star

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large suite and bathroom. We felt privileged

Dormy Inn Matsumoto

Matsumoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

J

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very cramped and the bathroom was dangerous to navigate. The threshold and a high ledge and a step down to the main bedroom floor made it precarious

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER

Tokyo

Great location to metro and Ginza

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get Close to Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko

Tokyo

Eri our guide always the most intricate piece to this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea ceremony and see shrine, temples

Kyoto

It was a memorable experience. Very authentic and cultural. Kimonos were a nice touch

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bus and walking

Nakatsugawa to Magome Trail

Japan

Don’t recommend the Nagiso to Magome road route

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magome to Tsumago

Japan

Saw the trail in reverse but that didn’t take away from the experience nor the scenery

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tsumago to Nojiri or Nagiso & Kiso Fukushima

Japan

Kiso Fukushima was so much fun. Shops, museums, trail, foot onsen, bar. Great food at our hotel too. Got to do our laundry too

Quality of Experience

J

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nara Day Tour from Kyoto

Japan

Once we figured out the transportation to and from, we had an amazing time. Everything was so awe inspiring and beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Narai to Kiso Hirasawa Trail & Matsumoto

Japan

We skipped the KisoHirasaw hike and stayed in town to shop. Matsumoto was fun and had spectacular affordable sukiyaki recommended by hotel staff.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Afternoon in Tokyo

Tokyo

Giza was so much fun and exciting. We stopped for five hours before settling in the lobby of our hotel awaiting our rife to the airport

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Night Food Tour

Tokyo

A must do for everyone. A spectacle to behold in Shinjuku, but the food and guide were just fabulous

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Japan. We were fortunate to have Angel, our host from Kim Kim, who was nothing short of exceptional. Her attention to detail, thoughtful planning, and excellent communication ensured that every part of our trip was seamless. Angels’ involvement played a huge role in making our family trip, a group of 10 people, very smooth.

Our local tour guides, Yumi and Hiroko, were friendly, knowledgeable, flexible and they cared about our experience. They were always ready to adjust the itinerary to suit our preferences, which made the experience even more enjoyable for everyone.

The sites we visited in Japan far exceeded our expectations. Mt Fuji, Tokyo at night, Shrines, Temples, traditional Kyoto and modern Osaka; each destination was a perfect blend of modern and traditional Japan.

Overall, we couldn’t recommend Kim Kim and our host Angel enough for anyone considering a trip to Japan. The combination of personalized service, insightful guides and expert planning made our family vacation a truly exceptional experience.

Everything was amazing to trips plans, drivers and tour guides. Hats off to all of you!

Both the guides - Ken in Tokyo and Junko in Kyoto were very good. Full marks to them. We enjoyed Tokyo and Kyoto, but Kanazawa was, for us, the really outstanding city. Takayama was interesting, but overrun by tourists. Hotels - Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku was adequate, as was Nohga in Kyoto - though the latter was overpriced. Zoushi in Kanazawa , though small, was truly outstanding in every way. In contrast, Oyado Koto no Yume in Takayama was both overpriced and pretentious and was the place we least enjoyed. The day trip to Hakone was a disaster - mainly owing to the crowds - and we didn’t even make it to the final boat ride. Overall we enjoyed Japan and are thankful to Claudia for making all the arrangements in a patient and efficient manner. Thank you.

Activity Reviews

Explore Asakusa and Hamarikyu Gardens

Tokyo

Asakusa was a fun area and very interesting. Hamarikyu Garden - it was unfortunately raining

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and courteous

Transport

Taxis were efficient and the drivers were always polite and helpful

Beautiful Hakone!

Japan

Complete disaster due to over tourism.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken, the guide was outstanding

Transport

Contro the nymbers

Tranquil Walks and Cultural Treasures: Kyoto's Outdoor Wonders

Kyoto

Junko the guide was extremely helpful and understanding and made an enjoyable day for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a fantastic time in Japan and we want to thank KimKim for making it so. From the first interaction with Kate to begin planning our trip back in April to being dropped off at Haneda Airport for our flight home, KimKim made sure that every detail and logistical need was covered and that we were well-informed about what to expect. Kate was our primary contact and she was superb! Every question we had was answered in a timely way before the trip and in real time during our visit to Japan. The hotels and daily itineraries she recommended were excellent. We had two guides, Fiona in Kyoto and Jennifer in Yokohama and Tokyo. Both were top notch! We learned about history, culture, local customs and saw remarkable temples, shrines, landmarks and scenery. The guides made excellent refinements to the daily itineraries to reflect weather, transit and our interests. Drivers and vehicles were also excellent. All-in-all, I would recommend KimKim to anyone considering a trip abroad in a place where one does not wish to be entirely independent. The custom-made itinerary, the exceptional level of communication and the quality of the guides, drivers and service were all reasons that we will likely return to KimKim in the future!!

Thanks again Kate, Fiona and Jennifer!!!

We wanted to do the Kumano Kodo trail and visit Kyoto and Tokyo and a couple of other spots and Sandy was really helpful. Her assistance was pivotal with planning the Kumano Kodo lodgings because we assumed that a couple months in advance were enough and had difficulty finding hotels, but Sandy made it all happen and came up with great options. Her assistance was crucial, that is perhaps the best part of Kim Kim the fact that they set you up with someone local who can really come through and provide insider suggestions and options that no foreigner would come up with

Another great trip organized with KimKim. Eleanor and her guides/drivers were amazing. We loved every minute.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Great and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Great location, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Really informative and complete.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We don't like organized tours but do enjoy someone doing the planning for us -- and kimkim was the perfect choice. The process of putting together a travel itinerary via emails was easy, and the kimkim people did a great job incorporating our own desires and aims with ideas of their own, which we listened to because, of course, they had matched us up with guides who actually live in Japan and know the country well. It was odd never speaking to a human -- and for awhile we wondered if we were dealing with chatbots -- but, magically, every single driver showed up, every single guide showed up when they were supposed to. There was one glitch in a train station (and Japanese train stations are CRAZY-CHAOTIC), but they worked with us in real time to get things fixed and even summoned a taxi for us, telling us the plate number so we'd recognize it. They were responsive and helpful at every turn and twist of the journey.....and they were willing to tweak our itinerary on the fly, which was very helpful. We loved having independence but didn't feel alone at any time. We definitely will use them again!

Hotel Review

Rengejo-in

koya

Our stay at Rengejo-in monastery in Mount Koya was a highlight of the trip. We were given an incredibly spacious and luxurious room dubbed the 'Silent Forest,' with fantastic amenities like a private garden view. The experience was spiritual and beautiful, including a morning chant with monks. It was unlike anything we expected and absolutely memorable.

Activity Reviews

Half day Experience Traditional Japanese Gardens With Japanese garden designer

Kyoto

The half-day experience with a traditional Japanese garden designer in Kyoto was absolutely amazing. Our guide, an expat landscape architect, shared incredible insights about Zen gardening, its aesthetics, and cultural nuances. It was a truly enriching experience, learning the history and philosophy behind Japanese gardens. I highly recommend this tour!

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

The tea ceremony at the Flower Teahouse in Kyoto was a fascinating and unique experience. We were unexpectedly upgraded to a private ceremony, which added a special touch. The hosts dressed me in a traditional outfit and my wife loved the entire experience. It was educational, and the location in the Geisha district enriched the cultural immersion.

We were a group of 21 people from US and South America, and enjoyed the tour to the fullest. It was a difficult tour (Nakasendo Trail) especially with such a large group, and the planning & operation was quite challenging. However, our first contact with Fei during the initial planning and operation was superb. Fei listened to requests patiently and skillfully understood our requirement to curate a perfectly suited tour itinerary. She worked real hard to get the suitable accommodation for the group's stay matching our expectations. As we moved closer to finalising the tour, Fei handed over the responsibility of looking after our travel arrangements to Angel. She too did a great job in delivering the tour services as planned and proposed initially by Fei. The tour went flawless, with only a few minor hiccups. Everything else was great. The selected guides, hotels, restaurants, vehicles and drivers were all nice and ensured the comfort level of the group during the tour.

Overall, the group had an amazing and fulfilling experience of the unique temple trail. We highly recommend traveling with Fei and Angel for travel to Japan to ensure peace of mind especially as language can be a great challenge. In fact, we are already planning to return back to this wonderful country with them for another experience next year.

Activity Reviews

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

Kyoto

The guide was excellent, and we all had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

There was good and bad. We were happy with each of our guides, who were all very good and personable and had different strengths. Overall, we were very satisfied and pleased with their knowledge, affability, and ability to pivot a bit based on our personal preferences.

KimKim was recommended by friends who'd worked with them previously and had a good experience. We liked their process of filling out a questionnaire to understand better our personal preferences, backgrounds, and vision for our holiday. However, we found the back-and-forth on the website with our first travel agent a bit challenging and cumbersome as she created an itinerary based on our responses. The first several proposals did not match our interests or requests. It took about four versions to arrive at an acceptable itinerary.

Unfortunately, just a few months before our trip, that agent left, and we were assigned a new one.

About a week before traveling, we noticed that one of our hotels had been changed without notification for one of lesser quality. (It was corrected after we asked.) We also found it difficult to understand some of the itinerary's processes, such as when we were responsible for our transportation and when we had a driver.

Lastly, the agency never notified us about an impending typhoon in Okinawa, which was our penultimate stop. We learned about it on the flight to the island from a random stranger. After landing in Okinawa, it took hours to reach the travel agency after numerous calls and messages, including calls to their emergency contact line. (We never did get our agent on the phone.)

Rather than four days in Okinawa, we got less than 48 hours and had to pay an additional $2,000 to return to Tokyo before the typhoon. Had we known about the typhoon, we wouldn't have traveled to Okinawa. The last issue in Okinawa was our hotel, which was the worst of our trip. Luckily, we were only there for two nights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main

Tokyo

Lovely, older hotel that's popular with business people and small travel groups. The staff was extremely polite and friendly. It feels a bit out of the way, but it's actually close to many sites.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast restaurant overlooks beautiful gardens and koi ponds.

Location

Easy access to subway and easy to get taxis.

Staff

Wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Phenomenal! Stunning! I wish we'd had another night at this beautiful, modern hotel with wonderful hot springs tucked into a mountainside. The dinner we enjoyed was one of the best of our trip. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful architecture

Location

Stunning location and views; quiet and lovely

Staff

Very lovely staff; not a lot of English, but it was fine.

Cleanliness & Comfort

flawless

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Lovely hotel and location and very nice staff. Note that the restaurant for breakfast can get very busy if you don't go early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice area that's not very noisy or touristy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Great hotel that was the most "American" of all our hotels, so it felt a bit less "Japanese" in ambiance, but we liked it.

Authenticity & Character

More western in ambiance.

Location

Right at the train station, but very quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

Okinawa

I wouldn't return here. The hotel felt dated and needed renovation. The staff was very nice but not as friendly as others we experienced in other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You will need a car or taxi to get around. It's about an hour north of airport with very little around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs new carpet or flooring and updating

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

This gorgeous, elegant luxury hotel is in an upscale area of Tokyo and is attached to luxury stores next door. The staff was friendly. The clientele appears to be a mix of tourists and business people. (I would have preferred to have stayed here when we first arrived in Tokyo. It's a good, walkable location.)

Authenticity & Character

Modern architecture

Location

Walkable area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flawless, clean, and very well appointed

Activity Reviews

Hiroshima Walking Tour--Peace Memorial Park & Shukkeien Garden

Hiroshima

Every world leader should visit this museum and park. It offers a vital history and moral lesson. It was very poignant to us as Americans.

Quality of Experience

They should time the ticket entrances for better crowd control. It was extremely busy, making it difficult to view and read some of the exhibits.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We thoroughly appreciated our guide and driver.

Transport

Very comfortable vans used throughout our trip.

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

We loved our guide and driver, but I'd suggest not spending much time in this part of Osaka (walking around the area with many restaurants and tourists; feels gritty and over-commercial) and asking to see other areas of Osaka. We did, however, appreciate our guide's knowledge of the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent, thoughtful, and friendly.

Transport

Comfortable and newer vehicle

Tokyo Discovery with Shibuya & Harajuku - West

Tokyo

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day of touring in Tokyo and appreciated our lovely guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Excellent

Everything was super organized and the follow up made by the team was amazing and highly appreciated

Our trip to Tokyo was awesome! Ayumi, Yumi, and Chieko, our guides, were super helpful and made our 8-day adventure seamless. Angel helped us plan everything and was really flexible with any changes we wanted. We picked our own hotels and she worked them right into our itinerary. We loved every minute of it — it was the trip of a lifetime, and we’re already thinking about checking out different cities next time!

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Discovery with Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen, Gotokuji Temple & Shibuya Sky

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Market & Senso-ji - East & Central

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience + Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Falls

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I did my first trip to Japan, 16 days and all by myself. I found it incredibly challenging planning, navigating and booking the things I wanted to do. I had literally spent weeks researching experiences and reading reviews of tours and trying to figure out which ones to do before I gave up. So did another first - booked the whole thing through Kimkim. SO GLAD I did. Shona my local guide was amazing. She totally heard and understood my wants and needs and every step of the way was right there with answers and advice. The tours and experiences she booked were exactly what I wanted and all were excellent, and it all stayed in my budget. I'm absolutely going to book every trip through Kimkim from now on.