Odynovo Tours Co., Ltd

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.

Our guides, Mike and Tim, were just wonderful. They made sure we saw all the items that were on our lists and even some unexpected ones. The visitation to all the Buda sites, the gold and people dressed in clothing from the country was so great. Seeing how the women made the flower decorations to honor the temples was amazing. All the areas to shop and the street food vendors were a site to see. Great time!! Now looking forward to the next adventure.

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 with East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tokyo

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

I had the most amazing wk tour. Originally opted for 5 days but Odynova tours and KimKim suggested 7 for a more comprehensive tour and it worked out really well. The tour guide, Ms Jang, was friendly, courteous and very informative. She was always on time and met me at my hotel each morning. I had a few reschedulings for my departure transfer but Jessica from KimKim/Odynova tours, was able to respond immediately and made the changes for me. I was very impressed by how efficient they were on resolving curveballs in my end and all with a friendly manner and followed up after as well. I will not hesitate to book through them again and recommend them to anyone looking for a tour in Seoul. South Korea. Thank you. Jessica, KimKim, Odynovs and Ms Jang. I am bringing back memories that will last a lifetime!

Hotel Review

NINE TREE PREMIER HOTEL MYEONGDONG II

Seoul

Bed was a little too firm. Only complaint but that’s my individual preference . The rooms were clean on arrival and always kept clean. Cleaning staff were on top of it and I was very happy. Front desk was helpful, the gym was adequate and the rooftop lounge had a great view and my fav drink - toddy. Very satisfied with the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Heart of Seoul. Within walking distance to anything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover K-drama Locations in European Villages & Nami Island

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Highlights & K-drama Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Food Tour: Street Eats and Korean BBQ

Seoul

Quality of Experience

K

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Suwon and Yongin Tour From Seoul

Seoul

Quality of Experience

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.

Jessica planned a great experience for us and was very attentive to all the details.

Activity Review

Full Day Hiking in Seoraksan National Park - Biryong Falls Course

Sokcho

The hiking and national park were stunning. The hike was not to hard but provided great scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Our 10 day trip to Korea was absolutely amazing. Our travel planner, Jessica, worked with us to cater to our every desire from hotels, private tour guides, private car service, and plenty of recommendations on what to see and do. We spent six days in Seoul, two in Busan and two in Jeju. At every step, from pre-planning, to booking, to checking in with us during the trip, Jessica was checking in to ensure all of needs were being met. Our tour guide in Seoul, Don Lee, was fantastic. Jade Park expertly showed us around Busan. And Suzie was a wonderful guide in Jeju.

We couldn't be more impressed with everything Korea had to offer - it's incredibly clean, the people are friendly and many speak English so language wasn't a problem, the sights are amazing, and the food scene is off the charts. It was a trip my family will remember forever. And I'll look to KimKim to set me up with all of our future vacation plans.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Experience and Gwangjang Market

Seoul

A must see. Definitely rent the traditional wardrobe for an elevated experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Haedong Yonggungsa and Haeundae Beach Tour

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Manjanggul Cave and Seongsan Ilchulbong Tour

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour For Families

Seoul

Zero stars for Petite France. 5 stars for Nami Island. Anyone who has actually been to France will likely find Petite France a little silly and not worth spending any time there. Nami Island was absolutely amazing so spend as much time there as possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Hyeopjae Beach, Spirited Garden and Green Tea Plantation Tour and Arte Museum

Jeju Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport