Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Overall a great overview of Japan’s highlights giving insights for future more focused trips.Mie has been by far our most helpful and caring guide especially at time we had a health care issue with my wife.Overall the drivers delivered well ( accuracy and flexibility).Some logistics opportunities of improvement ( ex: pick-up planned far too early last morning we had to change, meeting point for food tour in Tokyo unclear causing 1/2 h delay).Some days could have been less packed allowing to better benefit from nice hotels and enjoy some experiences: Hakone’s busy day was leading to very early diner ( 5 pm) so postponing the onsen experience to a timing not relevant with the kids.Hope this will help.Vincent

Where to start on our Mother & Daughter trip to Japan...

My daughter Rose and I were fortunate enough to spend just over 3 weeks travelling to Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Koya, Okayama, Naoshima and Hiroshima.
I came across KimKim when looking for Japan travel itineraries while trying to plan this excursion myself. Apart from the fact I had left it very last minute in an extremely busy Cherry Blossom season we also had specific experiences and attractions we wished to incorporate; I decided to give Kimkim a ring!!
The best decision I made as was put in touch with Sandy who put together an itinerary which included accomodation, travel and daily schedules, amazing.
Sandy took into account and included all our travel requests and more linking it all up in a comfortable travel package. I also liked the fact that even though this was a planned itinerary we also had a lot of free self-guided time, this made it more relaxing and gave us extra time where needed.
I cant thank or recommend Sandy enough as we would not have seen or had the experiences we did if we had of planned ourselves.

We went thru a lot of iterations. Sandy was very flexible and invariably polite and responsive.

Both guides were excellent. Mr. Tan went above and beyond to help me deal with the logistics of additional adventures in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa-Eki Nishiguchi

Kanazawa

very nice but nothing really special. Rooms small for US but nice for Japan. Great bathroom. Good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

standard westernized hotel. No complaint but nothing special

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

love the pajamas

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

we were pleasantly surprised by how big the room was

Authenticity & Character

it's ok. Standard westernized hotel without much character but no problem

Location

Location is fine. Only thing better would be closer to Tokyo station. Not really possible to take subway with luggage. But no complaint. Tokyo is so huge that we can't really comment on location. Near a very nice park which we enjoyed.

Staff

very helpful with some addtional requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything

Activity Reviews

Full Day Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Tour

Kanazawa

Really nice to walk around with Summer

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

We loved being in the nice private car. Definitely an upgrade from a bus. The driver really knew the area and took us to a great small local restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

so nice

Transport

big comfy private car

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Mr. Tan was super nice and knowledgeable. He changed the experience since we'd already been to the imperial gardens

We contracted KimKim when other tour operators in Japan advised that they were fully booked during the popular Cherry Blossom season. KimKim outsourced our Japan trip to Asia Highlights. We provided Asia Highlights with some suggested destinations in Japan that we would like to visit outside of the major tourist cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and they developed a varied, well-paced 8 day itinerary that met our interests and budget. Heidi, our tour planner, was understanding of our needs and very responsive to any questions that we had along the way. She connected us with our guide Nina and drivers (principally, Lyo) who were attentive, prompt and kind. Nina and Lyo went out of their way to show us the highlights of each of the attractions and destinations we visited. They quickly recognized our interests and would not rush us when we wanted to take extra time. Outside of our tour schedule, Nina helped us make dinner reservations and placed some meal orders for us when we encountered language challenges. Overall we had a wonderful time and highly recommend the services of KimKim and their subcontract Asia Highlights.

Activity Reviews

Full day Nagoya Tour by Private Vehicle

Nagoya

The Nagoya Castle grounds and Tokugawa Garden were very nice and the Nabano no Sato Illumination was an unexpected bonus to end our day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Nagoya Tour by Public transfer with guide: Inuyama Castle, Meiji Mura, Inuyama Karakuri Museum

Nagoya

The day was special because we had the opportunity to tour Inuyama Castle, one of Japan's few remaining original castle structures. We also enjoyed the demonstration of dolls and puppets in the Inuyama Castle Historical Museum annex, Karakuri Exhibition Room. Truly an unique Japanese experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kanazawa Traditional Crafts Experience by Private Car(Gold Leaf, Kimono Cloth Dyeing) :

Kanazawa

This day involved two craft projects - chop stick gold leaf design and kimono cloth painting recommended by Asia Highlights that were outside our normal vacation day activities. We enjoyed the creative challenge and appreciated the guidance of the shop staff and the support from our guide Nina. These activities also generated souvenirs that well serve as great memories of our time in Kanazawa.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

🚗Unforgettable Day in Kanazawa: Kenroku-en Garden, Kagayuzen Kaikan, Nagamachi Samurai District, Higashi Chaya District, Shima Teahouse (Private Vehicle+Private Guide)

Kanazawa

We suggested Kanazawa as a city to Asia Highlights that we would like to visit and it more than exceeded our expectations. It is a beautiful city and after having experienced the crowds in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, a welcome change. Kanazawa Castle and the neighbouring Kenrokuen Garden are must sees when travelling to Japan.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Takayama & Shirakawago Tour by Private Car(Miyagawa Market, Takayama Jinya, Shirakawa-go region )

Takayama

The market streets of Takayama were historic and interesting and we did a lot of shopping, causing us to be a little delayed in reaching Shirakawago. Shirakawago is beautifully situated and it gave us a glimpse of Japanese country life from centuries ago. Our guide Nina and driver Lyo recognized that we were enjoying ourselves, were very patient and put in extra time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel was super responsive both before and during the trip. She helped us curate the experience we wanted by combining aspects of a couple different trips. The price was worth it and by changing up some hotel accommodations, she was able to get us in the price range that we wanted. During the trip, Angel checked in daily with us to give us information regarding the next day and to make sure everything was going smoothly. This is our third trip with Kimkim and we have enjoyed every single one, we will definitely continue using their service.

Fei helped me curate the solo trip to Japan of my dreams. It was like she could read my mind! I saw so much in a short amount of time including Kyoto tea ceremony, sake tasting, temples and shrines and riding the Shinkansen. She replied quickly to me during the trip and while planning despite being on the opposite side of the world. I felt safe and well cared for the whole time. I have no regrets and am so grateful to Fei and the Kimkim team.

Hotel Reviews

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Kiyomizu Gojo

kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helped me when I forgot my key card or mixed up breakfast tickets.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean and comfy

Sotetsu Fresa inn Yodoyabashi

Authenticity & Character

Had everything you need, nothing in excess

Location

Close enough to Dotonbori but also the calm river

Staff

Made checkin easy and greeted me for breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfy, bathrooms were clean and he window let in fresh air

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Night Foodie Tour

Kyoto

Amazing group and guide. Food was unreal

Quality of Experience

Food was beyond what I would have tasted by myself

Food

Authentic traditional dishes. Simple and delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was helpful, funny and patient

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

I saw so much!

Quality of Experience

I felt so special and the tour was really custom to me

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide Ho was the most experienced, patient and I learned a lot. Had much fun .

Transport

Thanks to a driver we saw so much in little time with no stress from bussing. The van was cool and comfy.

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove & Arashiyama Walking Tour (Join-in)

Kyoto

Saw much more than bamboo forest. Better than expected.

Quality of Experience

Custom tour since I was the only one booked that day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiroko was a very enthusiastic and experienced guide

Transport

Easy to find meeting point.

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Was on my own. Was hard to get pictures. Staff helped sometimes.

Quality of Experience

Authentic tea ceremony

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very experienced, patient and took it seriously.

Sake Tasting + Brewery Tour (Join-in)

Kyoto

Nobu was the greatest tour guide. It was solo because only me.

Quality of Experience

The other tourists were jealous that I was getting better information. He was so interesting and cool. Sake was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nobu was very patient, took pictures and was very interesting. Joined in tasting sake with me

Learn the Secrets Behind Sushi in a Cooking Class

Osaka

Learned that I loved making sushi and are very good at it. Will take these lesson home. Exceeding my expectations.

Quality of Experience

Beat quality ingredients and teachers for all ages

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They spoke enough English and loved sushi making

Where do I start regarding our trip to Japan. Firstly it was so far a trip of a lifetime!!! From the moment we landed to the sad moment we left my son and i could not have had a more memorable experience..

Sandy our local specialist did a great job hitting the high points of each of the 4 cities that we visited. Every reservation went off without a hitch including our tickets on the Shinkansen bullet train and our Universal and Ghibli Museum tickets. The hotels picked were conveniently centrally located allowing us to get around easily either walking or using the excellent subway system.

Each of our tourguides were excellent and really made our trip very informative and helped so much given the language barrier we experienced. Satomi was helpful a helped me purchase kitchen knife from a knife shop in Dotonbori. She had lived a while in the US and knew what we were all about. She balanced touring with shopping and was flexible regarding our schedule. Naoko was a wealth of knowledge in Kyoto and went above and beyond in trying to explain the dense history of the various temples and shrines we visited. Kyoto was one of our favorite cities. The other one being Tokyo. Kyoji was our guide for beautiful Mt. Fuji and even took us to a special local Ramen shop where we were treated to a wonderful customary meal. Keiichi, our guide in Tokyo took us to a Sumo practice session which was a treat to be a part of. Having lived quite a while in Tokyo he was very familiar with the different Tokyo districts and provided us with local knowledge of the areas. Finally, Yuki was both our driver and guide during our trip outside of Tokyo to Nikko and really showed us the beauty and splendor of rural Japan. Everyone was so kind and obliging. It made our trip so much more informative and special.

We especially enjoyed Mt. Fuji and couldn't get over the grandeur and beauty of the site. Kyoto had its own special vibe which was really to our liking. Finally Tokyo was a wonderland!!! The subway system was so easy to use that we had not problem getting wherever we need to go. And did I mention the food! We did not have a bad meal. We tried to try it all and were not disappointed.

This is my second trip planned with KimKim . The first was to Portugal and was a private tour with my wife. This was a trip with my son and although I didn't think it was a private tour it might as well have been. The attention to detail was on point and it was comforting knowing that any problems were only a phonecall or text away to solve. I will definitely be using KimKim again for future trips.

Activity Review

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kobe Tour

Osaka

Being on of the few original Castles not devasted by war or fire this was a wonderful site to see. You got to see all floors all the way up to the shrine at the very top. The castle itself was beautiful but the grounds were even more beautiful.

Quality of Experience

One of first sites we saw.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have given the tour four stars, but as Robert Belafksy reported to you the day spent with Michi, driving two and a half hours each way to see the Edo village (not very interesting; boring in fact) was an absolute waste of time. Michi, as a guide was lack luster at best. The unfortunate thing was that there were so many other things we could have seen in Tokyo, for example the Tsukiji Market, that it was a shame we lost the day.
The hotels you booked us in were fine, though personally having been in the Ginza I would have preferred that upscale atmosphere.
Notwithstanding the one day mishap, I believe that the trip was a good value for the money

Overall we had a wonderful experience visiting Japan. We were 4 senior adults, one with a bad knee problem. We notified Angel well before our arrival and except for one guide our expectations were either met or exceeded. Before the second day of our Tokyo visit I notified both Angel and our guide for the day, Michi, that we had been informed that wheelchair access to the Nikko Toshugo Shrine was not available. Both Angel and Michi had ample time to modify our schedule. However, we ended up that day spending over5 hours in our vehicle while visiting a lake and tourist trap for which we paid an additional entrance fee of $40 per person. We were not given any options for that day either by Angel or our appointed guide, Michi, who did not offer us any potentially more enjoyable alternatives.
We found that during our trip planning, that Angel needed to be prodded into appropriate responses to our questions and concerns thus creating some overall doubt in her abilities to create the seamless, quality experience on the ground that we had been used to with Kimkim. Our doubts were justified through the experience described above.
Otherwise our KimKim experience met our expectations and we immensely enjoyed our travel in Japan. Our guides and drivers were professional and enjoyable. The transportation schedule was well planned and booked properly.
We will certainly consider KimKim again when planning travel.

Hotel Reviews

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

Tokyo

A bit touristy for our taste but otherwise a decent spot to stay n Tokyo. Great hotel staff. We used concierge services to book restaurant reservations and were very pleased.

Authenticity & Character

Perhaps a hotel that catered lees to large tour groups would have been more to our liking.

Location

The Shibuya location was a good spot from which to experience Tokyo.

Staff

All staff and concierge services were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Hakone Kowakien Ten-Yu is a quality Japanese Ryokan experience. The Tenyu dinner included in our stay was an excellent dining experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Granvia Kyoto

Kyoto

Great location at the Kyoto Station complex

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All staff professional and courteous. We used concierge services for dinner reservations and all were very acceptable and met our requests,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best hotel bathroom during our visit to Japan.

The Westin Osaka

Osaka

Located in a relatively quiet neighborhood of busy Osaka.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet neighborhood with walking access to good restaurants.

Staff

We again utilized the concierge for dinner reservations and were very satisfied.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour

Hakone

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

Kobe Sake brewery Visiting and Kobe Beef Sampling

Osaka

Fair sake tasting experience at a touristy factory museum. Something more personal and better researched would have improved the day.

Quality of Experience

More personal sake tasting experience. This was dissappoionting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great driver as per usual.

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Round Trip From Osaka)

Japan

A great day on our tour. Yuji Abosji was a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Meiji Jingu Shrine

Tokyo

Yuki was a very enjoyable guide and a good introduction to tour Japan travel experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Full Day Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls & Lake Chuzenji Tour

Tokyo

Already shared in previous review. No options to this handicap inaccessible location.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver excellent. Guide poor.

Transport

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

Thanks to Kate for assisting in the coordination of the trip. Overall you were very responsive during the planning and reached out several times during the trip to check in. My only wish is that the daily itineraries were really evaluated and questioned from a time and location perspective, especially in Kyoto, as there was no way to actually achieve the intended itinerary in the time allocated.

Tokyo with Allan-san was fantastic!, our favorite of the trip -- he really set a high bar which was unfortunate for our future guides. He took us on a walking/subway city tour of the city one day and then again for a van-trip to Hakone. Both days were seamless. He was super knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and helpful. We modified the day based on what made the most sense rather than the pre-determined itinerary. We started in Asakusa, then took my teenage son to some gaming centers, and ended with Meiji Jingu. Then the next day we headed to Hakone with our driver Ho and enjoyed Hokone Jinja, the pirate ship (fun, but shorter than I would have liked), the tram and black eggs (they taste like totally normal hard boils) from the sulfer springs, Oshino for lunch and back to Tokyo. It was a long day, but gorgeous with all the sakura blooming (only caught one quick glimpse of Fuji). Before we left Tokyo, Allan went to great length to organize all the rest of our shinkasen tickets and explain how to properly navigate with multiple tickets. We can't thank him enough for that as when we got to the first station and made a small mistake, his explanations made sense and we were grateful as can be. Also loved our hotel in Tokyo.

Our time in Takayama wasn't as successful. First, ALL 7 of the restaurants in the hotel were fully booked before we even arrived, so we were required to venture out for dinner after arrival. Takayama is a bit sleepy and finding something open was a bit of a challenge. We walked to multiple places before finding someplace open on both nights there. Our guide was a sweet young lady, but came all the way from Osaka and had only been to Takayama once before and her English was weak. She had to use her phone to find her way around (we could have done the same on our own), and didn't really have anything to offer in the way of history, insights, or recommendations for our day in Takayama and Shirakawago. This was disappointing as I think Takayama was a really interesting and quaint town that we didn't really get a good feeling for. The highlight of Takayama was definitely the onsen at our hotel, my husband and I really enjoyed going each day. We also stayed in a Japanese-style room and although grateful for the experience, we would all probably not choose to do it again as we missed having comfy beds or chairs to lounge on before heading to dinner.

On to Kyoto, which is my favorite city in Japan and I was looking forward to the most. Unfortunately, there was some kind of confusion regarding our guide. We were told our guide would be a gentleman, but then changed to a woman the night before -- and then, the morning of the meeting, we discovered that the guide was at the wrong hotel about 30 minutes away from where we were. I think perhaps the two guides were exchanged by accident (maybe another group had the same happen?). It took about 45 min for us to adjust and meet somewhere in between. Our guide, was a lovely young lady full of energy and smiles, but again from Osaka. She knew Kyoto alright, but still not the level of expectation for a private guide fee and we often would listen in to tour group guides to get more details during our day. Additionally, there was no way that we could have gone to all the places on the initial itinerary as they are too far apart. (I wish this had been pointed out during the planning). Getting to the Kinkakuji Temple, Nishiki Market and then Fushimi Inari Shrine would have spent several hours in transit as they're quite far from one another. So unfortunately we only got to the Market and also Kiyomizu-dera Temple with the time we had. Guess I'll have to come back to Kyoto another time. (poor me - lol)

Our van-trip from Kyoto to Osaka included Slash as our guide -- and he was great! We had a lot of fun talking about music and guitars on our drive and then had lots of interacgtios with the deer and the amazing Todaiji Temple (just WOW) and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Kudos to Slash for hanging with us as our family was starting to get on each other's nerves a bit after 9 days. He handled it with class and realized when to let us have a bit of space for our bickering. Luckily ice cream solves lots of problems. Slash renewed our faith in guides again and we're grateful for his energy and rocknroll spirit. The hotel was very comfortable, also with an onsen and an incredible massage chair (best 300 Yen spent on the trip). However, there was no restaurant for dinner (only breakfast) I think in the future I'd stay closer to Gion/Pontocho so we'd be a bit more central to the night life and key destinations.

Our last days were on our own in Osaka. This was the least favorite hotel of our trip -- small rooms, and lots of late night noise from the Dotonbori. We definitely had fun exploring the Dotonbori at night, but would be willing to travel a bit for a quieter space.

Overall, we appreciated all the coordination of the hotels, planning, guides, and drivers that KimKim provided. Except for the one confusion in Kyoto -- all guides/drivers communicated well about timing, meeting places, and were on time each day.

This trip cost over $1000/day BEFORE our lunch & dinner meals & non-KimKim activities -- which is high, even for Japan. We didn't stay at luxury hotels -- I can see that our hotel rooms could be booked online directly for between $250 to $550/night, and I can also see the shinkansen fees on the internet, and most of the entry fees to places were fairly minimal, seems like the majority of this cost was towards our guides/drivers, so I would expect those to be top notch/excellent in every regard. Allan definitely met the bar and Slash was close, but the other two, although nice and genuine people, just didn't meet the bill. This is the area where I felt most let down as we rely on guides to provide more than we can do ourselves as seasoned travelers. That means providing history, insights, and secrets hidden among the tourists, restaurant suggestions, recommendations for other experiences for our "own" time, well-thought-out plans for the day, etc. We'll probably give KimKim another chance in the future, but my expectations will be stricter in the planning phase regarding guides and what we want to achieve each day.

All our guides were great!

We had wonderful time in Japan. This was our first trip to Japan, so we wanted to see main attractions with some focus on 'hidden' Japanese treasures. Fei really did great job in organizing everything to tinny detail. Fei was also supportive during our trip, responding to some of the questions or small additional requests quickly. Communication via KimKim platform and response from local agency was good.
We had few days organized with local guide &driver while for few days we joined smaller group. We had also enough time to do some things by ourselves.
Highlights:
- Katana Sword Making in Kyoto
- Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove & Arashiyama Walking Tour (Join-in)
- Osaka Highlights Bike Tour
- Full Day Mt.Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Tour - it is a bit longer drive from Tokyo. We were unlucky that road to 5th station on Mt. Fuji was closed and traffic to the place was challenging so we spend a lot of time in car that day.

Few things that could be improved:
- few of our guides were actually more help to go around the place, rather than being really guide explaining things around the place we were visiting. We felt they didn't have much of the local knowledge, which was something we were expecting. They were mostly students living in Japan for several years. The guide that we had in Tokyo was really knowledgeable and was able to share more details.

Altogether, if you want trip without too much of worry, highly recommended. Make sure you stress out importance of having local guides.

What went well: 1) Shona did a great job planning our trip and making sure we were enjoying our itineraries every day! Our biggest highlight was being able to do all tourist special attractions in one trip across cities. 2) She added things to the itinerary, per our request (Team Labs Borderless), which we are so glad we did and a big thanks to her for organizing it! 3) Louisa (Tokyo guide) gave us some great restaurant recommendations. 4) And the location of hotel in Tokyo was AMAZING.

What could be better - 1) The tour guides we got were not very knowledgeable nor experienced. They were nice people, but it was hard to get much touristy/historical information from them about our destinations. Shu (Kyoto/Osaka guide) didn't even enter most of the places with us; he would just wait outside. We felt like we always had to ask him to explain history / significance of places we went to, as he offered very little details/stories. 2) For the amount of money we paid, we should have received much better and experienced guides. e.g., we met some other guides (via Viator) who have been doing this for more than 10 years and really knew about the history and cultural significance of places - we feel like we didn't get that at all! 3) We also felt like we walked needlessly to fill time in Kyoto / Nara - the distances were very spread out and we had to walk miles (within a single day at times) that we believe should have been a private car experience for the amount of money we paid. We were exhausted by the end of the trip given how much we had walked every single day. Plus, it was very hot in both Kyoto/Nara and Osaka. That wasn't value worth our money spent!

Overall, I think the trip was fine and Shona did a great job checking in and following up on our whereabouts and making sure we were comfortable. But, the guides (especially Shu) really made us think that we didn't get the experience we deserved!

Hotel Reviews

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu

Tokyo

Location, location, location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing location, right in the heart of the city, next to a Metro

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Location is good but there were no in-house restaurants or bars!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

The Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu was conveniently located near the train station, but it felt slightly distant from key attractions like the fish market, and always needed to take a cab to move around. Overall, it was a satisfactory stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Her knowledge and storytelling

Transport

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Sagano Scenic Railway was a fine day tour, but the train ride was not as spectacular as it seemed, the main attraction was supposed to be a boat ride which was canceled due to the weather conditions. Overall, it was a pleasant day.

Hotels were good. Transport between different places with the van was good.
Tours guides took us from the hotel to the van and to the planned destinations. We had too many tourist guides, some of them were very unexperienced and they lacked any deep knowledge of the places that they took us to. It seems that the language was a barrier, too.
This trip was overpriced for the quality that we had.

Shona was very quick to respond and accommodated our concerns. There was the nice feature of customized private tours; Shona made changes as needed. There are a few things that can be worked on to improve service:
1) Guides need prior training to be more knowledgeable about sites and the transportation system. We learned that the guides did not have a proper selection process; they only had a short interview and were asked if they knew English, and there was no formal identification of English proficiency.
2) It is suitable for travellers to experience the public transport system; however, it is more practical to use taxis if the public system takes too much time.
3) There is a need for more instantaneous communication between the office and the guides; for example, the guides did not get updated on our changed hotel.
4) I used KimKim for my Spain travel May 2023, that experience was far superior than the Japan experience.

Hotel Reviews

HOTEL MYSTAYS PREMIER Akasaka

Well located in Tokyo, many eating places around, breakfast good, rooms small but very user friendly with space-saving design, clean and adequate; 7-11 store situated downstairs for snacks etc.

Authenticity & Character

Well located in Tokyo, many eating places around, breakfast good, rooms small but very user friendly with space-saving design, clean and adequate; 7-11 store situated downstairs for snacks etc.

Location

Close to subway stations and eateries

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE THOUSAND KYOTO

Kyoto

The rooms are big, clean, and comfortable. The breakfast has lots of variety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New Otani Osaka

Osaka

Grand Hotel, many restaurants and upscale shopping are attached. It is a great location, close to Osaka Castle and the river, and a nice walk along the river and neighbourhood. Fantastic breakfast buffet, Western and Japanese, the best breakfast buffet we had during the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Grand Hotel, many restaurants and upscale shopping are attached. It is a great location, close to Osaka Castle and the river, and a nice walk along the river and neighbourhood. Fantastic breakfast buffet, Western and Japanese, the best breakfast buffet we had during the trip.

Location

Grand Hotel, many restaurants and upscale shopping are attached. It is a great location, close to Osaka Castle and the river, and a nice walk along the river and neighbourhood. Fantastic breakfast buffet, Western and Japanese, the best breakfast buffet we had during the trip.

Staff

Service outstanding

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect.

Activity Reviews

Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo

Blossoms do not fully bloom with cold snaps. Not anyone's fault. The guide was enthusiastic for the first half of the tour, but then he lost steam and was off to do the tasks on his agenda. I have to take my time walking and cannot do stairs well. The guide knew this; he was accommodating the first half of the tour, yet for the last hour or two, he did not take time to look for elevators and escalators; he would walk fast and way ahead of us. We had to try to catch up. That evening, I could not get up to walk as my right leg hurt too much; fortunately, it recovered after the night's rest. One good positive attribute of the guide: his English was good, he did make a good effort the first half of the day and guided well.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Part of the transportation should be by taxis, to save time and walking.

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

The driver was excellent, and it was a smooth ride. The driver was helpful. The guide was personable and had a good command of English. The guide and driver accommodated our suggestion. The weather was foggy and rainy in the morning, so we adjusted our destinations on schedule and could see Mount Fuji in the afternoon when the sun came out.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Transport

See above

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Our guide was terrific. He is passionate about his work and talks almost nonstop about the history and background of Japan. He is friendly and personable, has a wealth of knowledge, and has a good command of English. He was attentive to our needs. He is the best guide I have ever met.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Some of the transportation should be done by taxis to save on time and energy.

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

The guide's English can be better. He needs to have a better knowledge of the public transport system and the structure and layout of the Aryashima bamboo grove. We needed to walk around the loop of the bamboo grove twice as the guide did not know the train station's information. The guide is well-meaning, though. He was unfamiliar with the Kyoto public transit, he took us to the wrong station etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide's English can be better. He needs to have a better knowledge of the public transport system and the structure and layout of the Aryashima bamboo grove. We needed to walk around the loop of the bamboo grove twice as the guide did not know the train station's information. The guide is well-meaning, though. He was unfamiliar with the Kyoto public transit, he took us to the wrong station etc.

Transport

Some of the transportation should be done by taxis to save time and energy.

Day Trip to Nara

Nara

I liked the Buddhist temple, but the rest of Nara was not as exciting as it was portrayed. The guide was well-meaning; she studied the destination ahead of time and did her best to give us information, but her English was not good, so I found it difficult to understand. She was unfamiliar with the public transportation system and made some mistakes. It would have been far better if we had taken taxis that day. We asked her to call the office for permission, but the office did not respond.

Quality of Experience

I liked the Buddhist temple, but the rest of Nara was not as exciting as it was portrayed. The guide was well-meaning; she studied the destination ahead of time and did her best to give us information, but her English was not good, so I found it difficult to understand. She was unfamiliar with the public transportation system and made some mistakes. It would have been far better if we had taken taxis that day. We asked her to call the office for permission, but the office did not respond.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I liked the Buddhist temple, but the rest of Nara was not as exciting as it was portrayed. The guide was well-meaning; she studied the destination ahead of time and did her best to give us information, but her English was not good, so I found it difficult to understand. She was unfamiliar with the public transportation system and made some mistakes. It would have been far better if we had taken taxis that day. We asked her to call the office for permission, but the office did not respond.

Transport

I liked the Buddhist temple, but the rest of Nara was not as exciting as it was portrayed. The guide was well-meaning; she studied the destination ahead of time and did her best to give us information, but her English was not good, so I found it difficult to understand. She was unfamiliar with the public transportation system and made some mistakes. It would have been far better if we had taken taxis that day. We asked her to call the office for permission, but the office did not respond. It ended up the day was very uncomfortable and tiring.

Full Day City Tour with Osaka Castle

Japan

The whole day exceeded my expectations. Others had biased me to think Osaka was uninteresting. The guide was very good. She had a good command of English and gave us information on interesting facts. She was attentive, problem-solving, and knowledgeable. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went a lot more smoothly.

Quality of Experience

The whole day exceeded my expectations. Others had biased me to think Osaka was uninteresting. The guide was very good. She had a good command of English and gave us information on interesting facts. She was attentive, problem-solving, and knowledgeable. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went a lot more smoothly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The whole day exceeded my expectations. Others had biased me to think Osaka was uninteresting. The guide was very good. She had a good command of English and gave us information on interesting facts. She was attentive, problem-solving, and knowledgeable. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went a lot more smoothly.

Transport

The whole day exceeded my expectations. Others had biased me to think Osaka was uninteresting. The guide was very good. She had a good command of English and gave us information on interesting facts. She was attentive, problem-solving, and knowledgeable. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went a lot more smoothly.

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Round Trip From Osaka)

Japan

The guide was good. His English is fair; it can be better, but it is better than some. He was attentive. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went much more smoothly.

Quality of Experience

The guide was good. His English is fair; it can be better, but it is better than some. He was attentive. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went much more smoothly.

Food

The guide was good. His English is fair; it can be better, but it is better than some. He was attentive. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went much more smoothly. The guide took us to amazing place for oysters, best oysters I ever had.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was good. His English is fair; it can be better, but it is better than some. He was attentive. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went much more smoothly.

Transport

The guide was good. His English is fair; it can be better, but it is better than some. He was attentive. The main agent, Shona, responded to our request to use taxis, so the day went much more smoothly.

The overall experience was great. Our KimKim specialist was very helpful, responsive, and available especially during our trip.
All the guides that we received in Japan were amazing and went above and beyond.
Just to clarify, I would categorized this trip as an adventure and not so much of a relaxing vacation so we did lots of activities and sight seeing (30K+ steps on daily basis). I had 3 children (9-14) with me so it was a bit challenging at times however the guides were incredibly helpful to minimize the pain.

Sandy was very easy to work with and incorporated all our input into the itinerary. She helped us plan a really well-rounded Japan trip! We got extremely lucky while we were there as the cherry blossoms were delayed in their blooming and therefore coincided perfectly with our travel dates! Additionally, we had great weather.

Hotel Review

Watermark Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Rooms at the Watermark are quite small, but it was very comfortable for the four nights we stayed there. There are really pretty lighting options in the rooms (lantern and wall lighting), which was a fun feature. The buffet breakfast was an excellent way to start the morning! There are both western and Japanese options. The hotel is not located very close to restaurants or epicenters, but is close to a subway line or a 25-30 minutes walk to more exciting areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Our tour guide, Meiji "May," made this day particularly special. He has a great personality and was clearly a very experienced guide, navigating crowds and transportation like a pro. He also recommended an AMAZING restaurant for lunch, Asakusa Tsurujiroh Hanare.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour (join-in)

Hakone

Mt Fuji is beautiful! The drive up was a great way to see the countryside, but where we stopped up the mountain was very crowded. The boat ride wasn't our favorite part, though Lake Ashi is lovely. The gondola ride offered great views but also wasn't a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shibuya Sky and Sumida River Cruise

Tokyo

Shibuya Sky is very cool; even our Tokyo-based guide was impressed. It was his first time visiting and he thought the view was more expansive than some other vantage points in the city, like Tokyo Tower or Skytree. The Sumida River Cruise was a bit underwhelming in our opinion, but a unique opportunity and cool way to see architecture along the river.

Day Trip to Nara and Uji

Kyoto

This was a long day with lots of driving! The temple is very impressive with it's scale, but at this point of the trip we had seen so many shrines and temples. The dear were cute, but we both felt we didn't need to go back to see them. Good food in Nara! We really liked our guide. Very helpful, positive, and fashionable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour with a Boat Ride

Kyoto

The Bamboo Forest was very crowded which made it feel less magical. The garden at Tenryu-ji Temple right near the forest however is beautiful! The monkey park was very fun; it's a bit of a hike to get up there but subsequently offers a great view of the area. Lastly, the boat ride (Arashiyama Tsusen) was one of our favorite experiences! It's very cool to see how the boat is propelled with a bamboo stick, and there's a motor powered boat that comes up halfway through the trip to sell food and beverage.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Kyoto guide, Tomoko, was lovely! We enjoyed spending the day with her.

Transport

We engaged with KimKim because of a very positive experience to Spain last year Frances, one of the traveler had. We expected the KimKim standard to carry through.

This is my first experience in engaging an agent for a customized itinerary. Both of us had visited Japan before. We loved the country and was hoping to get a good glimpse of the cherry blossoms, thus a repeat itinerary was acceptable, while we were also hoping to see new things.

Shona as an agent was efficient in setting up an itinerary and responsive to our questions and requests during the month long planning. We were hoping for a more comfortable tour but amenable to public transportation even though we indicated excessive walking can be an issue. We were told that private cars would not be an option because of high season demand, even though some guides commented it was a surprise that we did not have a car.

Our transfers to and from hotels were handled well. The drivers were punctual and efficient. Our transportation via local subways and trains much less so, especially when some guides did not seem to be very familiar with the system. There were excessive walking, as well as time spent in figuring out the proper trains to take, acquiring tickets, or finding escalators/elevators. It was exhausting in a busy city. The situation was rectified on the last three days in Osaka when we were given taxi service to destinations. The Osaka experience was much more pleasant without the hassle of public transportation.

We had 6 guides during this trip. In general, I find the local guides to be average. Most of them were guides to take us from one destination to another, without depth of knowledge of the place. Their English language skills were mostly sub-par. I wonder about their qualifications of being tour guides than just being local. Learning about their personal background stories were more interesting than the knowledge I gained about the places from them. They were all friendly and polite. Some tried harder than others.

The hotels were ok. They all offer great breakfast buffet. The New Orani Hotel in Osaka was the best in terms of amenities and space, exactly the kind 5-star hotel we were asking for.

Regarding the logistics during the trip. I was not happy with the communication between the central office and the local guides. We had questions from a guide asking what hotel we were at in Tokyo, we had to tell another guide in Kyoto our new hotel, and one guide actually went to the wrong hotel because of the change which costed half the morning. That type of information should be communicated properly from the office.

We had to change hotel las minute in Kyoto, which had costed us substantially extra to secure during initial booking. We looked forward to staying in that 5-star hotel in a nice city. We ended up having to change hotel at the last minute because of a mix-up in reservation. Shona did well to get us a hotel quickly but there was a lot of anxiety and it was very disappointing. Shona was on top of things during our trip and responded quickly to the needs and other issues we encountered. She should be commended for her attention and willingness to compensate for shortfalls.

All in all, Japan is a very beautiful country with friendly people and a lot to offer. I would definitely consider visiting again but I would scrutinize the details more carefully to assure my experience meets my expectation.

Hotel Reviews

HOTEL MYSTAYS PREMIER Akasaka

Nice location. Comfortable bed and conveniently located. 7/11 store in basement and availability of free laundry are nice amenities. Buffet breakfast is very good. Room is a little cramped. Enough chairs to sit but almost no space to move around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New Otani Osaka

Osaka

Very nice hotel of 5-star quality. The room is spacious with chairs, coffee table and desk. The beds are comfortable. The buffet breakfast is excellent with high quality and variety of both western and Japanese food. The hotel lobby is linked to high end shops - fun to browse. Its location is right across from the river with a bridge to the Osaka Castle. Very pleasant walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Spot Early-Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo

Public transportation to the city sights quite hectic. We did not follow our exact original itinerary. Our customized itinerary allowed us a visit to the Fish Market, which is interesting with great seafood. The visit to the bottom of the Tokyo Tower was a waste of time and effort, especially since we were not scheduled to go up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was ok to start the trip, but seemed to have lost interest in the afternoon and was in a hurry to finish up and get us back to hotel. He was walking at least 1/2 block in front of us :(

Transport

Take taxi or use private car to save time and energy.

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

Mt Fugi boat ride on Lake Kawaguchiko was beautiful with perfect weather. Oshino Hakkai Village was very scenic with the small ponds. Great grilled fish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

The touring of the various sites were good, very crowded in most places because of the high cherry blossom season. Beautiful sites, streets with interesting shops. Kyoto never disappoints.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is amazing. The boat ride was also very enjoyable. The scenery was captivating, just wish for more cherry blossoms. The Sagano Railway was supposed to be a highlight, but the guide did not know our booking was for a certain time and location. We ended up in the wrong station, and walked through the bamboo grove twice to the right station.. Also with advanced booking and assigned seating, the tour company should be aware of the direction of the train and booked us on the scenic side (water side). We were not able to enjoy the scenic water front, a bit disappointed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Nara

Nara

It was a long ride from Kyoto. We started late due to meeting location mixup. The guide was not given our hotel. BY the time we get to Nara, it was well past noon. Even the deer were full and not interested in our food. Nara is a nice city with long history thus the temples were all interesting. The guide tried hard and did her homework, but a more knowledgable guide might be able to give us more information. We were short of time and did not make it up the hill to see the city of Nara. IT was a long day as we were also heading to Osaka the same evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day City Tour with Osaka Castle

Japan

Even though it was a rainy day, I enjoyed the castle visit, the exhibit was nicely done. The city museum was also fun to visit, especially indoors on a rainy day. The Umeda Building has amazing architecture. Very enjoyable. The guide was not experienced, since she was very new, but she conducted herself well. Her English was also the best among the guides we had. The Shinsaibashi was very crowded, as expected. It was probably not the best option to put at the end of a long rainy day. We had good kobe beef dinner there though. We used taxi service for the day. Much better than negotiating subways. We were also just in town, so not very tiring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

taxi service.

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Round Trip From Osaka)

Japan

Miyajima Island is beautiful. It has interesting touristy sights, eats and scenery, but not crowded. I was able to enjoy the sights and scenes without much anxiety. Hiroshima is a sobering experience. The Memorial and the Museum were all well done. I am glad I finally get to visit the site of such an important event in human history. The day was not rushed. Very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Oysters!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mie in Kyoto and Osaka was the best guide!!! She was so kind and helpful, Layla in Tokyo was nice the only problem was that she was all the time in the cellphone like every minute, and Mina in takayama and Emily there were nice I liked the trip….

The other thing was that I noticed was missing that the tour was nice but had a lot of anime and a few spots in the cities that were important… so sometimes we had a chance to change the itinerary a bit but other times we couldn’t… so it was a bit disappointing no to see the city specially in Tokyo and Kyoto but we were able to manage things!!

The drivers were very helpful and the van is excellent!!!! I really enjoyed having a van and it was not a usual van it was in perfect conditions

Hotel Reviews

Ryokan Asunaro

Takayama

The best experience in Japan !!! I love the tradicional hotel, the staff was very nice!!! And it was perfect

Authenticity & Character

The tradicional stile

Location

Everything is really near!! Restaurants, the market, train station

Staff

Very nice and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

The comforter of the bed is the best I’ve tried, and everything was very clean and in their place

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

The beds were perfecto for a family of 3!!! And very nice the breakfast buffet, well located

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything was close

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Takayama & Shirakawago Tour by Private Car(Miyagawa Market, Takayama Jinya, Shirakawa-go region )

Takayama

Loved both places!!!!

Quality of Experience

The vans that took us everywhere were the best traveling vans ever!!! Very comfortable

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Kyoto Tour by Private Vehicle

Kyoto

Mie the guide made everything better!!! She is the best guide tour, helpful and nice!!!! And Kyoto is amazing city

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the best best guide ever Mie!!!!!! She is a must in this tour!!!!

Transport

Full Day Osaka Highlights Tour(Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, Umeda Sky Building)

Osaka

It’s was nice I would have skipped the kimagata museum! But all of the rest was very nice !!! Since we had Mie as well and she is from Osaka she knew exactly where to take us!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto Arashiyama Tour by Private Car (Okochi Mountain Villa, Bamboo Groves, Nonomiya Shrine, Tenryuji Temple, Vegetarian Shojin-ryori Lunch, Monkey Park, Sagano Scenic Railway)

Kyoto

We had a great time!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emily was very nice, she saw we were very tired this day so she made the trip less stressful and understanding with us!! She knows a lot of the culture and had a very interesting was of explaining things

Transport

Half Day Afternoon Make Your Own Anime Tour By Public Transport

Tokyo

I’m giving 4 stars because we didn’t go to the museum, instead we change the itinerary so we could know the city more since I’m not a fan of anime!! And the guide took us to Meiji which was a must and we didn’t have it in the original plan! And she took us to a restaurant I had made plans so it was nice and we got to travel by publicly transportation which was a nice experience as well

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’ll just tell Layla to use the cellphone less

Transport

All in all a memorable trip that gave us a good overview of Japan. Everything went smoothly. Guides and drivers showed up on time and handled all the details- the little things that can blow up a trip- efficiently. Our guides were personable and friendly and eager to help. Except for a period where Kate was on holiday she always responded to us quickly. (It might be a good ideas to have a back-up person to cover holidays)

We were a bit disappointed that our guides in general didn’t speak better English. I realize it’s kind of arrogant to travel to another country and expect to communicate like at home, but for a relatively high end trip like this we expected better.

Also, a couple of our guides were Chinese students studying in Japan. Delightful people but English was at least their 3rd language. We also found their knowledge of Japanese history to be lacking.

It’s also worth noting that the train system in Japan is pretty intimidating for Americans unfamiliar with train culture. We were given Shinkansen tickets by our guides but had to figure out how and where to use them. Thankfully the Japanese people are very helpful when the see bewildered Americans standing in an overwhelmingly busy train station. Just something to keep in mind when you plan future trips.

2 of our 3 hotels were great. Who is disappointing by the Ritz? After booking and paying for the trip our Kyoto hotel was changed from a 5 star to a 3 star. While the Resol Trinity was very pleasant and well located the rooms were very tiny and hard for two people to move around in. We put our luggage in the bath tub to get it out of the way.

All in all a delightful and well planned trip. Lots of moving parts and with so much that could have gone wrong but didn’t. All very professionally orchestrated.