Greg Varga

We are so thankful we used Greg with Kimkim to help us plan our 8 day trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. He was not only helpful and answered all of our questions thoroughly throughout the entire planning process, but he gave awesome suggestions. We were traveling with our 8 and 11 year old daughters and wanted to make sure we hit the high points, but didn't totally beat them into the ground. We did various walking tours. Our guide Pam, who did the Temple and Shrine Walking Tour in Kyoto was one of the sweetest humans ever and we could tell she knew her history and has so much pride in Japanese history, which made the tour that much more fun. She was fantastic with the kids too and really made them feel included. Our guide on our vegetarian food tour through Shibuya, Mayu, was also fantastic. She took us to spots we would have never known were there in a million years. Our guide, Yujiro, on our walking tour through Nishiki Market, was kind and let us stop at food stalls and shops along the way to taste test everything. We had originally booked a tour to see Mt. Fuji, but it was so hazy the entire time we were here, that Greg actually recommended switching gears since he knew we weren't going to be able to see the mountain. So, he recommended TeamLab Planets and Tokyo Sky Tree for that day instead. TeamLab ended up being one of the kids' all-time favorite things to do. So if you're traveling with kids of any ages, I highly recommend going there. Also, 3 of the 4 of us are vegetarian, so with each day, Greg also listed out specific restaurants to try in whatever area we were in that day. Lastly, we are tall. My husband is 6'6 and I am 5'9 and we weren't sure if we'd fit in the beds there haha! Greg and Cory went above and beyond to help us find accommodations that we could configure beds together to be comfortable. We kept saying on our trip that had we not had Greg's help, we wouldn't have known where to start. We also would've never found some of the gems he led us to. If you are wondering if it's worth it or not to use Kimkim to help plan your trip - it 100% is. There is no way we would have had as great of a trip if we did what we normally do where we just plan it all ourselves and hope for the best. Greg also recommended getting a pocket wifi which was worth its weight in gold. We were surprised that Japan doesn't have free public wifi in a ton of places, so having the pocket wifi was immensely helpful. And we used both the subway and taxi cabs (which we used the Go Japan to hire) for so many rides, we became "gold" members on Go Japan in just one week. Greg also sent us guides on how to pack and tips on how to fit in with the customs in Japan, which I appreciated as we never want to show up in an unfamiliar place and come off as rude. I can say a million great things about all of the guides, tours, and Greg but the most important one is that you won't regret using Kimkim to help plan your next big trip! Thank you to all of our guides who made the trip that much more special too!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Garden Tower

Tokyo

The hotel is clean and in a great location. If you've ever been to Las Vegas and stayed on the strip, that is what this hotel reminds me of. It's not easy to just go in the lobby and get to your room. You walk past shops on the basement level and take two different sets of elevators and meander to get to your room. So the vibe of it reminded me of one of the larger casinos. Rooms were clean and we got two that joined together so we could have our 8 and 11 year olds in the room next to us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nohga Hotel

Kyoto

We loved this hotel! We got the large suite on the top floor for our family of 4. (My husband and I and our 2 daughters - age 8 and 11.) The beds were comfy and large enough for my husband who is 6'6 which is always a feat! We also loved this breakfast buffet that our trip planner, Greg, added in for us. The location great and close to so many things. The room was clean and huge with so much space. Would stay here again and request our room in a heartbeat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Yuraku Kyo-yasaka

Kyoto

This was such a unique place to stay in Kyoto. We loved having an onsen in our room, as our 8 and 11 year old daughters did not want to go to a public one and be nude in front of other women haha! We loved our room and it was huge which surprised us! Beds were comfy and the staff was so accommodating on getting us a fantastic vegetarian breakfast in the morning. It was like a five-course fancy meal that we were not expecting at all. It also was walking distance to so many things including the Yasaka Shrine and Pagoda, all things we wanted to see. Would stay here again in a heartbeat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Blossom Hibiya

Minato

Loved this hotel! We were here the first two nights of our trips and got two separate rooms for my husband and I and our 8 and 11 year old daughters. The view from the higher level rooms knocks your socks off as your first time in the city. We included breakfast in our daily stays and loved the breakfast buffet too. The location was great, hotel was clean, staff was friendly, and it was in a great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kyoto Temples & Gion Afternoon Walking Tour

Kyoto

Our guide Pam is what made this walking tour even more magical. She was so sweet and kind and made our 8 and 11 year old daughters feel included. She knows her history and really gets excited to share it, which made us so excited to hear it. She led us through various shrines and temples and was so patient while we shopped at washi club which is a unique stationary store. She gave great recommendations for restaurants and even helped us find ones that had vegetarian options. It was blazing hot on the day of the tour and she handled it like a champion. She was definitely one of our favorite guides we have ever had on any tour ever in all of our travels.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pam just has the best demeanor. She's so kind and thoughtful and knowledgeable.

Transport

We were walking distance from our meeting spot at the Yasaka Shrine which was fantastic!

We were so happy with our trip to Japan. From our first phone call with Greg and Cory to the last day of the trip, we felt well supported. They took the time to understand our preferences and budget expectations and gave us excellent suggestions for how to structure our 2 week trip. They even asked about our children and how we wanted to pace ourselves. It was such a relief to have them figure out all reservations, transfers, subway tickets, train tickets, and even the finer details of how to get around in Japan that we would not have expected. Another piece we found very helpful were their restaurant recommendations- it was a lot more relevant than quick google searches and we were always happy with what we found. For certain excursions we booked tours and all of their tour guides were friendly, informative, and geared their tours towards our children.

Most importantly, in real time during the trip they were able to address any issues. There was a day we wanted to change an excursion due to weather and they handled changing a bullet train ticket and tour reservation seamlessly. It was a big relief to know there was someone to help us in this way. We will be using kimkim again and would recommend Cory and Greg to any of our friends going to Japan.

Greg was our local specialist. He made the planning easy and fun and was also very helpful during our trip.

There were a few specific things that Greg helped with during our trip. We had a few questions about navigating the subways and trains that he was able to answer. One of our pocket WiFis stopped working after a day and Greg ordered us a replacement. One of our travelers forgot the QR code on the bullet train. This prevented us from getting out of the station. There was a moment of panic but Greg was able to resolve this issue quickly by sending us an image of the QR code.

We started in Tokyo, spent a few days in Kyoto, and one day in Osaka. The selected hotels were small but very nice. We stayed in rooms that had tatami mats which was cool. Everyone was very kind and helpful.

Travel got easier after a few days once we figured out the public transportation: subways, trains, and buses. Greg provided tickets with reserved seating and space for our luggage for our bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto.

It was our first time in Japan so we did a lot of the first time in Japan things: Shibuya Pedestrian Scramble, Skytree tower, Art Museum, Shrines, Temples, traditional tea ceremony, and a food tour. All of these experiences were amazing.

All the food from restaurants to street food was delicious. Themes for us were sushi and ramen.

Overall a 10 out of 10 experience. It would be fun to go back at some point. Thanks again Greg.

KimKim and Greg in particular did an amazing job planning and executing our once in a lifetime trip to Japan! Greg took all of our input and put together a wonderful trip plan. His knowledge of, and experience in, Japan was invaluable and was reflected in our very robust itinerary. We visited 6 cities and traveled across much of Japan taking many trains and ferries, all planned and ticketed with perfection by Greg. We also had unique and memorable tours and meals we never would have experienced had Greg not scheduled them. As important as planning was, Greg's ability to timely and helpfully respond to our questions during the trip was hugely important to us. We HIGHLY and without hesitation recommend Greg to anyone thinking of traveling to Japan!

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

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

Travel for 5 people to Tokyo and Kyoto. We love both places!

Best parts of the trip were:
Hotel Accommodations & Car Service: Excellent!
- Blossom Hibaya in Tokyo
- Hotel Higashiyama in Kyoto
- Car Service from and to airport, and to Disney: excellent drivers. On time and friendly.

Best Venues: Would recommend!
- TeamLab Borderless n Tokyo
- Tokyo Disney
- Nintendo Museum in Kyoto

Self guided tours of Temples - would have been better with knowledgable tour guide to help educate & appreciate it.
Self guided tour of Kyoto Shrine: 3 mile walk was too long. Tori gates are beautiful. . Guide would be helpful.

Guided food tours: Interesting. Knowledgable tour guides. Probably only needed to do one.

Travel supplies:
-Bullet train tickets and directions - well done
-Tokyo metro tickets and directions - missing one ticket for 5th person. Directions were helpful.
-eSims not used. Not needed. Returned in envelopes provided. Mailed from hotel on last day.

Restaurant suggestions: very helpful
Shopping information: very helpful

Venues that needed additional info or cautions:
- Kyoto Tour Guide Max was wonderful! Highly recommend him.
-Travel to/around Bamboo forest - slippery, uneven rock steps. Caution for older or disabled travelers
-Bamboo forest itself was beautiful!
- Iwatayama Monkey Park - steep, uneven, slippery climb up a mountain. Caution elderly or disabled travelers.

Art museums; Multiple museums. In Tokyo and Kyoto. Variable size, content and interest.

General issues:
- Payment for 5th person at Blossom Hibaya in March missed. Direct payment made to hotel. Reimbursement coming.
- Nintendo Museum ticket errors (wrong name listed). Delay at gate as name had to be changed to match ID.
- Thank you for Shellfish Allergy info translated into Japanese for restaurants.