Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Shona planned an amazing trip for my family which included me, my husband and 2 daughters ages 12 and 16. It was the perfect blend of learning about Japanese culture and activities that my daughters would enjoy. We had several activities that we liked a lot. On our 1st day, we had Yuto as a guide for 2 different activities. We did a bike tour all around Osaka during the day and a food tour at night. He made sure we were safe and allowed us to take breaks when we needed to (it was extremely hot that day). In Kyoto, we loved the tea ceremony where we dressed in kimonos and learned about the traditions of hosting a tea service. We also had a wonderful guide named Yasuko who took us to a temple, a shrine, and a boat ride down the Hozugawa River. This was a highight of the trip. Yasuko was very knowledgable and she took great care of us (getting our tickets, guiding us with the public transportation) during these excursions. In Tokyo, we had a lovely time with our tour guide, Yumi, who ventured with us in the rain. She was very patient with us as my daughter who loves anime and Harajuku fashion wanted to shop along a busy area in Tokyo. Again, we had another tour guide who kept us safe while teaching us about Japanese history and culture. Lastly, to celebrate my husband's upcoming 50th birthday, Shona planned a beautiful fine-dining experience on a boat going around Tokyo Bay. The staff made the experience a memorable one!
In terms of accommodations, the hotels were very clean and comfortable. Check-in was easy. We liked that we were able to do some laundry at the hotel during our trip and breakfast was included everyday. The location of the hotels were convenient and close to different restaurants and shops. Lastly, riding the bullet train was a blast. Although going through the train station was hectic with people everywhere (luckily, my husband is knowledgeable with using public transportation in different countries), Shona planned 1st class accommodations along with room for our big luggage which was key when traveling.
Overall, this was a trip of a lifetime. Shona planned the perfect blend of fun stuff for my kids (Universal Studios, sumo wrestling, anime) and historic stuff for me and my husband. It was busy and we were tired, but it was worth it! The communication before and during our trip was great. Everyday, we would get a text with all the information we needed for the day (tickets, which public transportation to use, locations on Google maps). As someone who usually plans our family vacations, using KimKim and having Shona plan everything made me feel at ease with no stress. Thank you to Shona, tour guides, drivers, and KimKim staff who made this trip one of the best we have experienced as a family. We look forward to having another trip with KimKim in the near future!

We had a great time planning and going on the trip! With 8 people it was a lot of coordination! All of our travel and check-ins were seamless. My one concern was two of the tours were a lot of walking, which would have been better to known given we had flagged we were traveling with someone who was seeing impaired! Other than that we had a great experience that could not have happened without the amazing specialists at kimkim, thanks Bastien and Elizabeth!

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Sightseeing Tour with Sake Tasting

Kyoto

So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gion District Guided Tour

Kyoto

Amazing addition, learned a lot about culture which was very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at Night

Osaka

Amazing tour! Guide was above and beyond

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Senso-ji Temple

Tokyo

Truly only downside of the trip, we did a lot but wish things were communicated to us instead of just following the guide behind. There was a lot of walking and not a lot of explaining./

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour

Tokyo

Probably the best part of the trip! It was a great way to keep us going our first night there and the tour guide Yuki is above and beyond- everyone should go on tours with him!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am so glad we hired Sandy from Kim Kim for our vacation. The service was white glove all the way. We did like 10 or so versions of the same vacation with me changing this like every week until we got the vacation we wanted. She was very patient through the process. And she even gave me really good advice and suggestions. During the vacation, we were able to get support throughout the vacation. The guides she booked were all wonderful. The accommodations were progressively amazing. Each one being better than the previous, and we loved all bookings. I will use her services again. for our next trip. We went for 26 days to Japan and Thailand.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Osaka

Osaka

Great hotel and very comfortable lodgings right in the middle of the town. Walking distance to the castle.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa by Hulic

Kyoto

5 star hotel in the middle of Kyoto. Right in the middle of the town, with easy access to the city's attractions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Matsuzakaya Honten

Kanagawa

Step back in time to have an authentic old-fashioned Japanese experience. Loved the spacious room and the onsen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice, picturesque mountains

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Nice accommodations. Great restaurant. I like how this hotel provides self-laundry service on every floor, though it was always busy and we couldn't use it ourselves. Great bar also.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kyoto-Nara -Osaka

Osaka

Very fun tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyama Village Tour From Kyoto

Japan

Very fun; got to do Japanese tie-dying, which was a last minute change due to another feature being unavailable. We had a blast with our tie-die. You should add this permanently to the tour. The village was fun, though far, and it gave us a unique experience. We are glad we did this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the guide was wonderful. She's a teacher and very friendly.

Transport

transport in an SUV, with comfy chairs!

Osaka Highlights Bike Tour

Japan

Loved this tour. Got to eat Okonomiyaki. Most of the biking is easy, with a lot of it downhill.

Quality of Experience

Food

Okonomiyaki is the best!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly; we thought this would be worse than it was since they changed the guide at the last minute.

Transport

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

It was fun although my least favorite of the experiences we booked. I have never been through a tea ceremony. So it's worth doing if you haven't done it before. Funny thing if you go into a regular tea place, they will do a form of this if you order matcha.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Beautiful grove, nice boat tour. I loved the tour of the temples. If you want to learn about Japanese history, this is the tour for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was a teacher and also knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Very fun! Also a very edifying experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

Yanaka Historical Walking Tour in Tokyo's Old Town

Tokyo

It was fun. Not what we thought, but we liked the shrine, the city, and the cat cafe was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

The cat cafe.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable guide.

Transport

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

I loved the Shibuya crossing and Parco Department store. Also we did some wonderful parks, shrines, and even the Emperor's Castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sam was amazing and very knowledgable.

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

It was a cloudy day but great attractions. We got our Mt Fuji picture anyway thanks to some clever photography. Nice places to shop and eat close by. The funicular to the top of the hill was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We still have the Singapore journey
The Japan portion was great
Kento, Hide and Victor were amazing. They were very attentive and knowledgeable
They were also very patient with us
Sharon was very thorough and responsive
The only suggestion I have is to remind us of the international time line
I would have factored that in and left a day earlier (US time)
That caused confusion on the first day
The bullet train from Hakone to Kyoto was great
Need to be more specific where the pickup will be
The train station is gigantic
Other than those MINOR inconveniences the trip was fantastic
We are looking forward to Singapore
We have already booked Colombia with Margarita in 2027

Cory planned a seamless trip for us and was available to fix any hiccups along the way. We had a short tour of three cities and we feel we saw the best highlights of all three. The information given beforehand was helpful setting up the best plans. I will use this service again!

Working with KimKim, and our local specialist, Shona, was simple and efficient.
Shona worked hard for us. She went above and beyond with helping us before and also during our trip.
We are very grateful for Shona's service, expertise, timeliness, and dedication to ensuring we had a great trip.
Shona had so many great ideas for our family to do each day in different areas around Japan.

All of our daily guides and drivers were also excellent, helpful, and patient. Our group was not always easy for them, but they did a wonderful job despite some challenges that occurred during our daily activities and tours.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make our trip a great success!

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom sink area was rather small it was very dimly lit.

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

This was probably my favorite hotel I've ever stayed at. The design and decor was phenomenal. Everything was very clean. The breakfast buffet was amazing! The location was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Aura Tachibana

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

The location was perfect! The staff was extremely kind and helpful. Everything was very clean. The breakfast buffet was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Osaka Castle and Shinsaibashi Tour

Osaka

We loved learning about the history of the Osaka castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Miyajima island and the shrines on the water were so beautiful! Our guide had some extra challenges with our group that day, and she did an amazing job with dealing with the circumstances to ensure we could finish seeing all the things and the museum in Hiroshima.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

We loved learning about the traditional tea ceremony and dressing up in the traditional clothing and taking photos together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Hakone to Kyoto

Japan

We had good experiences riding the bullet trains.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

The boat ride to see mount Fuji was disappointing because the mountain was behind clouds. This is not the fault of our guide. We also got caught in a thunderstorm downpour that day, which added some spice to our day. We were not able to complete the full experience our guide had planned for us because of the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Yokohama Tour with Cup Noodles Museum

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time on our 13-day trip to Japan. With 6 people traveling (4 adults and 2 kids), Greg and the Kim Kim team were able to help us find great locations to stay while providing us with a unique experience that we will not soon forget. I recommend participating in the local foodie tours as they provide a great way to orient you in each of the cities we were visiting and submerse you in local history and culture. Our guides were very informative and provided a lot of insight into the areas and shops we visited and we will definitely be looking to use KimKim again on our future travels.

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower

Osaka

This was probably our most favorite place to say during our trip. Our room with on suite onsen was specular. There are a number of tourists that stay in this hotel so breakfast can get pretty packed but they staff and amenities are specular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tawara-An

Kyoto

Truly an amazing, one of a kind experience. The house was beautiful and it was great to change up our setting after being in two hotels in other cities. The house has a huge shower/cedar tub that was great for relaxing in after a long day of walking in the summer heat. We really appreciated the breakfast that was delivered to the house and that it showcased local food. If you are looking for something a little different and very authentic this is a great option.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff were very helpful - we had our luggage delivered from our previous hotel and the staff were very accommodating and offered to wait while it was delivered so that we could meet up with our local tour guide. There are not usually staff on the premises 24/7 because it is a residential home but they were only a quick email/whatsapp message away.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Japanese Calligraphy Class (Nara)

Japan

This was an amazing treat. We received instruction on Japanese Calligraphy from an amazing family in Nara. Our senior instructor had incredible skill and made the process look so simple. She and her daughters were gracious hosts helping us work on our brush strokes before getting to create a final version that they then framed. We ended the session with a light snack and some tea, which absolutely hit the spot before we continued our sightseeing at Nara park. We could have spent the entire day with these magnificent ladies and it was a true pleasure to learn from them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tokyo Night Food Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

We had an amazing experience with our host. One of our attendees didn't fully appreciate the intricacies of the Wagyu experience but he was an unfortunate outlier. Emily was an amazing guide and we greatly appreciated her knowledge of Shinjuku, it's history and insights into areas to visit again on another trip. My son has a peanut allergy and she was very sensitive to that issue and made sure we did not have anything to worry about in that regard and we were very happy to have her when we stopped at the retro candy store and she was able to double check all of the food labels for us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Our tour guide Pam was incredibly knowledgeable about the Gion district, and Temples she took us to. Her knowledge and insight made the tour extremely interesting and is something we would absolutely do again. She even provided us with additional recommendations for places to visit or specific shops to see based on our interests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katsu provided helpful and interesting recommendations that helped make our Japan journey amazing! In addition, the detailed service on ground transportation and tour reservations allowed us to spend our time learning and enjoying, not trying to figure out a new country's systems and processes. We would definitely work with Katsu for another vacation - he was friendly, reassuring, funny, and a true expert. Arigato gozaimashita!

Activity Review

From Scenic Walks to Soba Making: A Cultural Day in Togakushi with Temple Inn Stay

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great planning and preparation by Shona. We did hit a snag, but kimkim jumped on it and resolved. I highly recommend using them over others. The trip cost was a fraction of what others charge after getting proposals from several others for same activities.

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The breakfast offered was awful compared to other hotels on our trip

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Historical Highlights Bike Tour with UNESCO Zen Temples

Kyoto

Great Guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn the Secrets Behind Sushi in a Cooking Class

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ramen Cooking Class Experience

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Ho Pot was not good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Night Foodie Tour

Kyoto

Food was awful! I cant believe I paid for a tour that involved food and it was awful in Japan. Only place we ate that was bad during 11 days.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first trip with KimKim — who was recommended to us by friends who recently had a great experience — and we’d have to say it was a pretty flawless ride. Completely easy and enjoyable start to finish, and ultimately unforgettable.

We are a family of four (including two college-age sons) and none of us had ever been to Japan. KimKim connected us with a regional specialist (Jasmine Z) who took time to get to know us a bit online and figure out what we liked / didn’t like, what specific anchor places/events would need to be worked in, and what our budget would be. After that we were working with a Tokyo-based travel company, Hiroshi T., and his colleague Emi M., (Oshinobi Travel) who could not have been more pleasant, efficient, and accommodating. We did essentially 5 cities/hotels in 14 days, including Tokyo on the entry and exit, plus about three day-long excursions. All main island (Honshu) this time. Our itinerary was documented day by day on a shared Google doc, and tweaked a bit through Q&A up to about a month ahead of departure. Pre-trip, KimKim hosted a phone call with Hiroshi at a mutually convenient time to walk through the whole itinerary and answer questions. Result: Amazing trip.

Hiroshi’s hotel choices were all Japanese-owned hotels, superbly located, and nicely varied, all very high quality and all with epic breakfasts, which made getting out of bed an event to look forward to. Hiroshi made a point of meeting us in person and spending essentially half of his day making sure we were able to find and attend a particular site that was difficult for non-Japanese visitors to negotiate. In every city, transfers/drivers as needed were available and on-time. They lined up superb guides in (Ms. Kyoko in Tokyo, and Mr. Shohei in Kyoto, and Ms. Miyuki in Kawaguchiko); we felt that the guides not only provided key history and cultural insights, but gave us a leg up on a hundred different travel basics & hacks, which gave us the confidence to make our way around on the days (most of them) when we didn’t have a guide. Our time was dramatically more efficient given the foundation they gave us. Hiroshi provided train tickets and explicit use instructions in a nicely organized portfolio, so it was easy to track chronologically through our itinerary, and saved us tons of time figuring out the amazing but rather complex transportation systems. As English (and non-Japanese) speakers, we appreciated their command of both languages. We’ll also note that communication was super easy — they were seemingly available all the time (including weekends) when needed, via WhatsApp, and copious itinerary, contact, and basic travel information was shared through Google docs. That info, coupled with our own use of Apple Maps (for transit and walking navigation) and Google Translate (totally useful in the clutch more than a few times) made for a surprisingly smooth journey through even the largest city on the planet.

Kudos and thanks to the KimKim team and Oshinobi (Hiroshi and Emi) for getting it right at every turn and for helping our family make some great memories.

I recently returned from a trip to Japan, and I can confidently say it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life—thanks in large part to Angel from Kimkim.

From the very beginning, Angel demonstrated exceptional professionalism, care, and attention to detail. The planning process was smooth and stress-free. Every aspect of the trip—from hotel selections to tours, transportation, and local experiences—was thoughtfully curated. Everything ran seamlessly, and I truly couldn’t have asked for a better itinerary.

Angel maintained consistent and timely communication throughout my entire stay in Japan. She followed up regularly to confirm each day's activities, ensuring that transportation and logistics were all in place. I felt incredibly well-supported at every step, which allowed me to fully enjoy the experience without any worries.

If you’re considering a trip to Japan and want it to be smooth, personalized, and truly memorable, I wholeheartedly recommend working with Angel. Her dedication and expertise made all the difference in turning a great vacation into a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Hotel Reviews

Imperial Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Thousand Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gora Kansuiro

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Imperial Hotel

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Mount Koya: the Ultimate Destination of the Pilgrimage

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Osaka Castle,Shitennoji Temple,Umeda Sky Building and Shinsaibashi Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara City Tour from Kyoto

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove with Gion Area

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea Ceremony with Kimono & KAISEKI Dinner

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Arakurayama Sengen Park Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Hakone by Private Car

Japan

Quality of Experience

Transport

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was perfect for us. We had the hotels in amazing locations, and we had the trip with what we requested. Leisure food and adventure hikes. As well, thought the trip Angel was available for us and answered any question. Thank you so much Angel!

I am not one prone to overenthusiasm, but I honestly would give kimkim 6 out of 5 stars if I could. They were simply incredible - perhaps the most distinguishing accomplishment was them getting us tickets to the Ghibli museum for our trip. I did not think that much of it until I discovered asking others that NO ONE else had been able to get tickets.

That seeing the Ghibli museum was a dream come true for my son, leaving him almost in tears, made it that much more special.

But that was far from the only thing: we put forward an aggressive schedule of wants, assuming perhaps we could get half of them in. Eleanor did an amazing job finding us the bullet trains, planes, buses and private cars to allow us to somehow - manageably! - fit it all in.

The private car in Kyoto that allowed us to see the big three shrines there was particularly key - it was a comfy enough car to allow us to take catnaps between events and be fresh as a daisy for the next shrine!

The guides were also exceptional - Yukari who guided us through Tokyo, was impressive - with a great command of English, sense of humor, good energy - and a wealth of knowledge! - to keep us in good spirits through the entire day. Taku, Nammi and Michi were also first rate - guiding us through Kyoto as well as the nightlife of Kyoto and Osaka. Taku gave us a wonderful short list of key japanese words to know in addition to relating the history of the shrines. All very knowledgeable and positive.

And the drivers always seemed to pop out of nowhere to sweep us up directly at the exits and on to the next event.

We had a couple of crises I won't bother with the details of but suffice it to say that Eleanor and the KimKim team had the solution and saved the day - every time.

As a bit of an aside, I came from a week working with the KimKim agents in Vietnam and Thailand - and they were quite impressive as well. So, if you are planning a larger trip to Asia or just Japan, I cannot - cannot! - recommend them more highly. Spectacular.

We had a great trip and Hiroshi and the team were great. One potential item for improvement would be improved communication during the planning stage. Sometimes we were confused about why our itinerary was set up the way it was, but when we asked for clarification the explanation always made sense.

Highlights of our trip were the Ryoken in Narai, Sushi in Osaka, day trip to Hiroshima, Kimono photoshoot and Kinstugi in Kyoto, walking the Nakasendo. Great trip.

Hotel Reviews

Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel

Osaka

The view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Great location in Asakusa. Just be aware the neighborhood gets quiet after 8 PM, so if you want a later meal there are slim pickings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Gora KARAKU

Beautiful facility with opportunities to improve service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The service is not up to par. For example dinner is included and we were asked for the time when we checked in. The food was fine, but the service was not. We were served a kaiseki meal in less than an hour. Servers hurried the experience and it was rushed and uncomfortable. The service is below average for a property of this caliber.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The onsen facilities were lovely.

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Amazing location in Kyoto, close to everything. Rooms were compact and breakfast was all tourists. I think this is typical for Kyoto at this time of year.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Byaku Narai

Nagano

Beautiful property in a quiet Japanese village.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Making Your Own Sushi Followed with a Top-Notch Sushi Dinner

Osaka

My favorite meal of the trip. Outstanding Omakase experience.

Quality of Experience

Private Kintsugi Experience with Kiyomizu-yaki: Restoring Beauty with Gold and Silver

Kyoto

What a neat experience at a 7th generation family business.

Quality of Experience

Dressing Up in Traditional Kimono and Enjoy a Photoshoot!

Kyoto

I thought this would be silly, but it was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

We traveled to Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto for 7 days. Sandy arranged all of our transportation, hotels and several guides and outings. Beginning in Toyko, we spent a day with a guide which was very helpful because it helped us get familiar with the public transportation. After that we were able to wonder around the city easily with helpful suggestions on what to visit based on the areas we were in. Our hotel, Shiba Park Hotel, was perfect for us. The neighborhood was more relaxed and low key, but still very accessible to parks, shrines and temples that we wanted to visit.
Next, we traveled to Hakone. We had a wonderful driver and guide get us down there and we enjoyed the Mishami Skywalk and ziplining through the nature. I loved stopping in this town, as it was fun to wander along Lake Ashi and was a nice respite from being in the busy city. It was amazing how green and lush the entire area was. And don't miss staying at a ryokan so you can experience the onsen - a wonderful, relaxing experience and I was able to get a much needed massage (from all the walking!)
We then traveled by bullet train down to Kyoto. Traveling by train was the best, in my opinion, because it allowed us to sightsee and still travel efficiently. I loved Kyoto. It had a smaller, older feel than Tokyo. It felt like you could wander for hours, stopping to look a temples and shrines at almost every corner and grabbing a bite to eat and drink - which is exactly what we did. We opted to walk most of the city to see things and enjoyed going at our own pace. Sandy set up a sake tasting tour which was great. It was in a cool neighborhood we probably would not have a chance to visit - it was informative and a great group of people. We also rented kimonos one afternoon and participated in a traditional tea ceremony - a true highlight of the trip! It was a wonderful activity that brought us to a neighborhood we ended up hanging out in for hours - the ceremony itself was calming and culturally informative. The woman who lead it was wonderful.
Overall, we had a great trip. Unfortunately, we did not have as much time as I felt necessary to really experience everything we wanted to do and see, but Sandy made the most of the time we did have! Would definitely use this service again!

Taking a six and eight year old halfway around the world can feel pretty daunting. Our two kids came to us a year ago and said, “ we want to explore the world!” In hand was a list of 10 countries to start and Japan was at the top. My husband and I said well, go big or go home. I knew I needed some help with this one and KimKim and Sandy, our trip coordinator, to the rescue. The trip was designed so seamlessly, with an initial input from us and one tweak to the first draft, we had an incredible 10-day tour of Japan mapped out, to include a night in the mountains at a Buddhist temple! We were taken care of every step of the way. Cars, trains, tour guides, hotels, excursions . All taken care of. A very special thanks goes to Keiko, our tour guide in Tokyo, and Sanae, our tour guide in Kyoto. We loved them both! And we are already working with KimKim on our 2026 adventure to Iceland…the next county on the list:).

Hotel Reviews

Jokiin

Koyasan

The family room was beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

We loved this hotel. The location, food, staff were all excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

This was one of our favorite days. We absolutely loved the small mountain town around Mt Fuji, the boat ride on the lake, the old village we toured where they used to make silk and a beautiful Shinto shrine with the biggest cedar trees I’d ever seen! The landscape was amazing and we had the best sushi of our lives at this wonderful restaurant our guide, Keiko, picked out. They even made a special dish only available for dinner for our son for lunch. Everyone was so friendly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Keiko was the best! Our driver was also friendly and did a great job.

Transport

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

We loved the market and the temple! Keiko our tour guide also took us to her favorite paper store for stationary which was a great little side trip I to a beautiful shopping area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Keiko was amazing! We stayed in touch after we departed Tokyo!

Transport

We walked and took the subway the whole day and we couldn’t believe how quiet and clean the subway was. And we all felt completely safe. Very different experience than a lot of big cities in the States.

We truly enjoyed our Japan trip that was a graduation gift from my son’s grandmother. I stumbled across KimKim reviews looking for help trying to plan a memorable experience. All the hotels we stayed at were very good and they offered free breakfast. I would say that having private drivers transferring us to different destinations like to train stations and hotels was great since we didn’t have to worry about those kinds of logistics and could enjoy the experience. All the drivers were attentive and notified me of all the meeting points. The WhatsApp texting application is required but I already use it so at was not a big deal. Our favorite experience was the “Sumo Experience”, this is a must if you go to Tokyo. Our guide Charlie was fantastic. He was born in California and speaks English perfectly. He was knowledgeable, fun and friendly. The sumo wrestlers were charming themselves and put on a fun and interactive show.

Visiting Tokyo landmarks with our guide Chieko was informative and we learned about Shinto and Buddhism. We even learned the correct way to pray for each. We think we got some Shinto luck from the temples too!

Kyoto was fun visiting all the temples. We had a guide Jun to visit some temples which included a train ride following the Oigawa river. We waved to the boaters in the river. We then went into the bamboo grove. It was astounding.

We then went back to Osaka. Here we enjoyed taking a Sushi class where we learned how to make Sushi and rolled eggs. This was our second favorite experience. Osaka is very busy and much more confusing trying to use their subways. We gave up trying to figure out how to navigate the system and walked to the foodie tour. We liked our guide from the magical tour but the food we had was not very inspiring and could’ve been something I did on my own. I wouldn’t have chosen this experience if I knew it was not more unique.

The Japanese people are very friendly and helped make this vacation so great. I recommend using KimKim since all the complications about transferring luggage and ourselves to different locations is taken care of. Some people’s review complain that the trip cost is not itemized but I didn’t find this disconcerting. The trip was designed to be able to enjoy where we were at a given time and not have to worry how we would get to the next point. I would use KimKim again in the future if my plans coincided with their trip destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Very nice accommodations

Location

Right by the shopping district.

GOOD NATURE HOTEL KYOTO

Kyoto

Loved the green vibe

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Great location and good breakfast food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location for exploring Tokyo, it’s right pm the Ginza line

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Cooking Class

Osaka

Fun learning how to make sushi and some Japanese food

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

We experienced some local food but it was not unique. The restaurants were just on the tourist strip and not places that would be special finds.

Quality of Experience

Not local enough, just tiuristy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice

Authentic Sumo Experience in Tokyo: Enter the Sanctuary

Tokyo

Recommend this for everyone visiting Tokyo. It was our favorite experience in Japan.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I used Kim Kim travel to help me create my much anticipated family trip to Japan this summer. Because my husband and I were traveling with our children, ages 13 and 10, I wanted to be sure that everything went smoothly. After doing my own research online, I had a list of the places and activities that I wanted to visit and experience in the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto. It was easy to schedule the initial 15 minutes phone call to discuss my basic preferences for travel accommodations and the things that were most important to me. I wanted a smaller, more intimate experience with just my family instead of a larger group because I was traveling with young children and needed flexibility if we wanted to end one of our days short to return to our hotel. (Sometimes kids get tired). After relaying my wants on the initial call, I was connected with Ben via email. Ben was wonderful! Over the next few months, he and I emailed back and forth on the Kim Kim site about every minor detail of my trip. He was able to take my list and organize which activities were near each other so that our time was efficiently spent. We were able to visit every place that I requested, including a few random restaurants that my kids and I found online that we wanted to experience. He booked 2 fantastic hotels for us in Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as our train tickets to travel to and from both cities. He reserved the times and tickets for the majority of our activities. The best part of all were the 2 wonderful and knowledgeable local guides that accompanied my family around each city. Ms Yoko was our guide in Tokyo and she was amazing! She was an expert at navigating the Tokyo subway and train system. Every restaurant and store that I inquired about, she was able to write down directions for us on how to get there on our free day. Ms. Yoshida was our guide in Kyoto and she was also outstanding! Not only was she extremely knowledgeable about our activities there, she was also helpful in making suggestions to make our time as efficient as possible. Having our personal guides really put that special touch on our trip. With all that said, this travel service is a MUST! I HIGHLY recommend using Kim Kim for your trip to Japan. It is a great way to experience the country and the culture.

Hotel Reviews

PROSTYLE RYOKAN TOKYO ASAKUSA

Tokyo

Great location close to many attractions as well as the subway.

Authenticity & Character

The food at the restaurant was a good cultural experience

Location

Close to subway and many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

KAYA Kyoto Nijo Castle, BW Signature Collection by Best Western

Kyoto

The beds were comfortable and the shower was great. The breakfast was also very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Day Trip to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo (by private transfer)

Japan

Beautiful scenery. We enjoyed this a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Q was our private driver and he was great.

Transport

Experience the Magic of Kyoto with a guide : Monkey Park, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market (By public transport)

Kyoto

We enjoyed hiking up the mountain to see the monkeys. My daughter enjoyed feeding them. Great exercise experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya in Public Transportation

Kyoto

Both the kimono tea and Samurai experiences were fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tokyo's Rich Heritage : Tsukiji Outer Market,Imperial Palace,Sushi Making Class, Senso-ji Temple，Nakamise-dori by public transportation

Tokyo

We loved the sushi making experience with Chef Tuki and his assistant Ms. Yoki! We highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great sushi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Fusion: Odaiba, TeamLab, Harajuku and Shibuya food tour（Day tour with public transport）

Tokyo

Team lab was my kids’ favorite activity! A very unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip to Japan that worked for all ages, from young children to grandparents. We were active and moving every day which was exhausting in the heat (so maybe I"d pick a different season), but I started to get excited to surpass each days steps on my pedometer! Our tour guide in Tokyo, Allen, was fabulous. He really taught us a lot on our rides to and from sites and helped us understand the Japanese culture. He brought Pokemon cards to a disappointed fan when the store had an hour wait, and seemed to just "get us." Our tour guide, in Kyoto and Osaka, was also knowledgeable, but we seemed to struggle some with communicating our desires and being understood. He was flexible when we needed a break from the heat or when we were ready to skip another temple/shrine. If I had the trip to do over I would spend more time exploring the different areas of Tokyo, see one or two fewer shrines and temples, and more of the day to day living of the Japanese people. I'd even like to stay in a traditional Japanese home set up with the tatami mats. Heidi, our local specialist, revamped our trip several times to meet our needs and was lovely to work with.

Hotel Reviews

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

The rooms were sufficient and clean, but they were quite small. I wish we had more space to put our luggage and that the bathroom set up was different.

Authenticity & Character

Some really cool art adorned this hotel. It was also neat how it was built at the top of a building and you had to go up to get out.

Location

Right near shopping and a mile walk from Dotonbori.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

What a fancy place to be. While there was minimal A/C in the central atrium, the rooms were nice sizes, the beds were comfy and the amenities were plentiful. The breakfast options were also a plus, as after being in country for a week we were ready for something more familiar than a Japanese breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was nice to be in a quiet neighborhood that felt safe to walk at night alone. We were nearby to restaurants and saw some of the residential side of Kyoto.

Staff

Greeted us with cool wet towels when we arrived after a HOT walk from the train station, helped us make reservations and were ultimately super respectful and polite.

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable. Loved the shower/bath set up.

Activity Reviews

Authentic Japanese drum (Taiko) experience

Osaka

So much fun and quite a work out! The language barrier meant that we didn't learn as much about the history of Taiko drumming as we would have liked, but we did learn how to play them and play for an entire hour!

Quality of Experience

We would have liked more history so we understood the significance of the Taiko drum to Japanese culture.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

We had so much fun being dressed in traditional tea ceremony outfits. My kids and I loved the experience of what it's like to layer on a kimono and kneel to make tea. The sweets were delicious and we learned a lot about the ritual of making tea. Plus, lots of fun photo ops in the garden.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day driver and guide service:Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, Lake Kawaguchi, Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, Kawaguchiko Music Forest, Cruise on Lake Kawaguchiko

Tokyo

Fuji sang did not come out from behind the clouds on our visit, but it was still a beautiful area. The music forest was closed the day we visited and our tour guide pivoted us to a museum sharing the history of Mt. Fuji and a World Heritage Village that was amazing to see. This was when I learned that in Japan your wealth is measured by your garden, not your house. Our tour guide also took us to a traditional soba house for lunch where we sat on tatami mats and ate huge bowls of soba with tempura.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Allen took us to some neat places that were not on our itinerary.

Transport

Safe, smooth, drive in rainy weather.

The Ghibli Museum

Tokyo

It was very neat to see how Miyazaki created his animated films. I think we could have spent less time in this museum.

Sumo Show and Experience (with Sumo Lunch)

Tokyo

Super fun to learn about Sumo and get to try it ourselves. The entire experience was geared toward tourists, but it didn't matter. We had so many fun photo ops posing with the sumo wrestlers.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food left us wanting. The kids weren't into the pork cutlet and the gluten free meal was quite bland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver in Tokyo was top notch, cool vehicle, safe, and always there when we needed him.

For the first time in years, I decided to use a travel agent to help me plan our trip to Japan and a friend told me about Kimkim. It was the best decision! Angel, our travel agent local to Japan, prepared a perfect itinerary for our family, was quick to respond to any questions I had and planned a stress free trip for us. Kimkim and Angel were amazing!

Hotel Reviews

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu

Tokyo

We spent only 1 night here but loved the view of the crossing and convenience to the train station. Had a great meal in the cafe and breakfast buffet was amazing! Bed was very comfortable and room was the largest we had in the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Unique location

Location

Great views of the crossing

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable and breakfast was great! Knocking off 1 star as the AC was not working great in our room. Had it at the coldest setting and still a bit warm at night.

Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Perfect location a few steps away from Dotonburi in one direction and high end stores in the other. The staff was especially friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was the best we had on the trip. So many options!

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast buffet was memorable, location perfect

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the bathroom set up and beds were comfy

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto ekimae PREMIER

Kyoto

Very comfortable hotel in a convenient location near train station. Great amenities available with laundry, breakfast and a toiletries bar in the lobby for anything you may have forgotten. Check in/check out was so efficient. Loved the soaking tub in the bathroom!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but bed and pillows were quite firm for me

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

The hotel is in a beautiful and peaceful location with a close walk into town. So interesting and unique to experience a traditional Japanese hotel, the onsen, and authentic meals in our room overlooking the river.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and unique experience

Location

Beautiful and serene yet close to the small town and walks by the river

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was incredibly clean, however, I was not expecting how uncomfortable I would be sleeping Japanese style.

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Comfortable stay in a quieter yet tourist friendly part of Tokyo. No complaints

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quieter part of the city with lots of places to see, shop and eat

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day City Tour with Osaka Castle

Japan

We added Osaka to our itinerary last minute and I’m so glad we did! Although Osaka is another large city close to Kyoto, the vibes were so different. Very friendly and fun place. Had a great guide Senei who we really enjoyed spending the day with! Having a private driver made transport a breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had the best English in our trip and tailored the itinerary to our family

Transport

Mr Kole was a great driver! Very easy to get around and see a lot in one day!

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

We got to see so many sites on this tour and learned a great deal about ancient history. Kyoto is an amazing place and very unique. Unfortunately one of the main castles was closed the day of our visit and the tour guide had purchased tickets in advance so it felt like a letdown

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide on this trip was very difficult to hear as she only spoke to one of us at a time. We regrouped after the tour and shared what we each learned to get a better feel for what we saw that day

Transport

We spent a good amount of time commuting to the castle only to find out it was closed. Felt like a waste of precious time in a great city

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Really fun touristy experience that gave us a lot of laughs and pictures! Only drawback was the time of year being summer did make the kimonos uncomfortable but we had a lot of fun with it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tea guide was a bit reserved but our guide at the Samurai experience was really funny

Transport

Not applicable

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Such a different experience from Tokyo - serene landscapes with Mt Fuji as the backdrop with a private guide and driver. Ayumi our tour guide was great at giving us information on the area and history. She also tailored the experience based off of my family’s interests which made the day very special. Ayumi and Mr Kong, our driver, made the day fun and relaxed.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful landscape and area

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ayumi and Mr Kong were our favorite guides on our whole trip

Transport

Best driver we had!

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

While we had some great food in places we would not have found ourselves, the food itself did not stand out to me as being that memorable. I had hoped for something a bit more special. The guide was very hard to hear in loud places and I felt like we missed out on interesting info about the area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was average

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Difficult to hear

Transport

Walking tour in cool areas

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Culture & Life

Tokyo

Nao was our tour guide for our first full day in Japan. She was the best and asked us if we liked the planned itinerary and made subtle changes along the way to our plans that perfectly suited my family!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nao went above and beyond to change things up and give us the Tokyo intro we won’t forget

Transport

Walked or used the subway. Having someone explain the subway system to us the first day was sooo helpful