Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

This was an absolutely incredible trip and Kimkim and Cory made the planning and traveling process as easy and smooth as could be. Not only were we able to customize our trip to what our interests were, we had support throughout the whole planning stage as well as once we were actually in Japan. We definitely plan on using Kimkim again in the future as well as returning to Japan in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Keio Prelia Hotel Kyoto Karasuma Gojo

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako City Tokyo Takanawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Akihabara Anime & Gaming Adventure Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai Ninja Museum with fun experience

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sushi Making Cooking Class near the Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Izakaya food tour in Shinjuku (14 small tastings)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hilda did a wonderful job coming up with things to do and then coordinating everything. I had no idea where to start. I told her what kind of things we like to do and she designed a great trip centered around what we like to do. She also stayed in contact with us throughout the trip and made sure we knew how to navigate all of the travel between cities.

Mina was a crucial part of planning a week-long visit to Japan with my two teenage kids. She was responsive to feedback, made changes at our request and was extremely thorough going over all the details, especially in the days leading up to our trip. We particularly enjoyed her recommendation for a casual dinner on our first night after arriving at a wagyu beef-centered restaurant. Kudos as well to our guides Franziskus (Tokyo), Seika (a delicious Shibuya food tour) and Zef (Kyoto).

One note for U.S. travelers: a "double" room doesn't necessarily mean two beds in international hotels -- so if you definitely need a room with two beds, make sure you specify it clearly before booking.

We had already book trip for skiing in Japan but needed some details filled in for transfers, place to stay in Tokyo and a tour. Winnie was very helpful. The hotel in Tokyo was spot on and our food tour was great. All transfers were seamless and on time.

I choose KimKim because I simply don't have time to sort out all details on any given trip. They are flexible and willing to help with full trip planning or just helping with details.

Hotel Review

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Very comfortable, walking to many attractions, breakfast included gets day started right.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great. Nice young guy that managed our group and helped explain why we re tasting various foods.

Transport

Master Tokyo's Must-Sees: 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour

Tokyo

This was a good tour for our day in Tokyo. Our guide was insightful and we enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is my third trip to Japan but my second time utilizing Kimkim. Wanted to try them again to see if there are improvements if I were to go Kyushu. So I booked a trip with them to head to Kyushu, Chugoku and then Osaka.

So my journey was Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Hiroshima and then Osaka.
Lets start with the positives.

The journey itinerary was mostly planned well, activities had somewhat sufficient time for most locations. Shona had made a sturdy plan in theory. And had hired a good team of guides to show me around.

My favorite would be the boat ride in Takachiho Gorge followed by the Food tour in Hiroshima. That was amazing.

Now on small things to work on. This is alot better than when I used them for the first time.
Firstly, for locations that require longer travel distance by public transport, do either make sure the guide is hired for sufficient time, sometimes, 8 hours in insufficient to cover 4 locations.

For me specifically, Miyazaki, it is a location far and also public transport has an interval of 1 hour and 30 mins. There was a rush between Aoshima Shrine and Udo Shrine. And also the guide could only cover 2 out of 4 locations. I personally could not cover Haniwa Garden within the time limit before it closed.
Do try to check in during the planning stage on potential transport requirements due to this

Lastly for Kumamoto, I was not able to go to Mt Aso, but its understandable due to the weather and the recent tragic accident on the crater. But even if we had tried to go, the time is quite tight and within the day period, we could cover only 3/4 theoretically speaking.

Overall to help with feedback, my advice is to understand the distance between locations and reserve the guide and drivers for the right amount of time. This is of course best done in the planning stage given the months to do so

But overall, it was an amazing trip, Shona did try to be as helpful as possible to alleviate the trip needs which I do feel is commendable. Thank you for the improvement from my previous engagement with you.

Looking forward to utilizing them again should the need arise.

Hotel Reviews

Citadines Namba Osaka

Osaka

This is my most favourite hotel in Namba. If you are staying in Namba, this is a good place to stay especially for anime fans

Authenticity & Character

You really feel like you are in your own apartment rather than a hotel. Thats my feeling on its character

Location

it is just a few minutes walk away from Namba station and the closest to DenDen Town.

Staff

super helpful staff. Or maybe my minimum japanese did help make conversations more fun haha

Cleanliness & Comfort

No doubt, its like you have a clean house

The Royal Park Hotel Hiroshima Riverside

The name is quite royal but the place is alright. The rooms are quite small. Luggage wise you will need to have a think fo where to set up. It is abit of walking distance from Hiroshima Station but with that, reasonably price. TV options are its weakpoint when you are chilling. Not much channels and also the VOD card is more for... special viewings...

Authenticity & Character

it has that hotel look in the USA.

Location

alittle bit of walk to Hiroshima station but you walk past a very nice river.

Staff

Very polite and friendly helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

it is clean thought abit squeezy potentially

THE BLOSSOM KUMAMOTO

Very very easy to access as its just infront of Kumamoto station. The rooms are super nice similar to Solaria Nishitetsu series. They have a public bath for guests to use. but with that being said, your room doesnt have a bathtub for you to soak privately

Authenticity & Character

Maintains its high profile look

Location

Just beside Kumamoto Station. Easy to access Train, buses and Trams

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Its very comfortable

JR Kyushu Hotel Miyazaki

The hotel is easily accessible from the Train station and located at the main bus terminal, ease of access around the City. You can also walk about maximum 20 minutes to core food and nightlife areas

Authenticity & Character

Good for quick, easy movment. Nothing too fancy

Location

its in the heart of the transport system. Eae of access around the city

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

abit more smaller than nishitetsu. Definitely made to just stay for sleep without anything too fancy

Solaria Nishitetsu hotel Kagoshima

Again Solaria Nishitetsu, you cant go wrong with this choice

Authenticity & Character

It incorporates the Yatai village for people who want a quick Yatai feel and has that professional feel

Location

Near the train and bus services. Ease of access around the city and alittle outside

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is comfortable for solo travellers. Maybe huge travellers might find it uncomfortable to walk through room with a corridor. It is comfy for asians like me

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Fukuoka

Fukuoka

The Solaria Nishitetsu is a hotel chain that you cant go wrong with. Accessibility is good to public transportation. Rooms are super clean and have sufficient space for solo travellers

Authenticity & Character

Its standardized service and professional style

Location

Near subways and trains. Ease of access

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Its clean and has the needed amenities. Enough said

Activity Reviews

Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour

Hiroshima

Hiro was a great guide and has excellent english to guide

Quality of Experience

Miyajima is a great sight with very cute deers

Food

momiji manju is yum. It goes well with Georgia Sarutahiko coffee

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiro is excellent at guiding

Transport

easy enough to take the ferry

Hiroshima Bar Hopping Food Tour

Hiroshima

this is a definite must for first timers. To try all types of food. And with the friendly company of Kensuke. Its great

Quality of Experience

The food was great. amazing variety

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kensuke was friendly and engaging.

Transport

Easy enough to chill and walk around

Shrine and Takachiho Gorge 1 Day Highlights Tour From Kumamoto

Kumamoto

Takachiho Gorge and Amanoyasugawara are great sights to go to. Couldn't go to Mt Aso but its weather and road conditions and also accident so it cant be helped

Quality of Experience

Takachiho and Amanoyasugawara made it worth

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zeal was an understanding and good planner

Transport

Ride was comfy to get from point to point

A Journey Through Myth and Nature

Miyazaki

Miyazaki was almost perfect. What was lacking is the realization that public transport intervals are horrendous. But Aoshima and Udo Shrine are definitely breathtaking places

Quality of Experience

Everything was great except for transport. Made me rush at Aoshima

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elvis was great at managing as best given the situation

Transport

The buses are bad. Intervals horrendous. Would have liked transport

Full day to Kagoshima with Sakurajima

Kagoshima

Sakurajima and Sengan-en and ending with the sunset at Shiroyama. Amazing planning by Eve

Quality of Experience

Sengan-en and Sakurajima is a must to go and see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eve is superb at planning. Everything fell into place

Transport

ease of transport as long as you plan

Full Day Nagasaki Peace Park and Glover Garden Tour

Fukuoka

A great day trip here. Loving the peace and zen fo the park and some understanding on the history of the bobing

Quality of Experience

Nagasaki is a good experience outside of the bustle

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jyo plans the route well

Transport

ease of access around the area. just need to take the right train to Nagasaki

Full Day Fukuoka Castle Ruins ,Hakata Folk Museum,and Canal City Tour

Fukuoka

Had Jyo for my guide. she is a vert smart guide and knowledgeable. And she had good planning for the flow of the itinerary

Quality of Experience

The vibes of the place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jyo is a good planner

Transport

easy access to the locations

Another great trip planned by Olivia and the team at KimKim; it was a true winter adventure. The prefecture of Hokkaido is not to be missed in winter. The Sapporo snow festival and visit to Otaru were my cultural highlights of this trip and would have been missed without Olivia’s guidance! Thank you ensuring we experienced those.
And of course was the snowboarding! The japow! Unforgettable experience again with true ski in/ski out facilities.
Thanks again and can’t wait for the next one!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Niseko Village

True ski in/ski out!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Sapporo West

Sapporo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Activity Reviews

2026 Sapporo Snow Festival

Sapporo

Otaru Winter Stroll: Canals, Lights, and Love

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Our guide was great - knowledgeable and great energy!

An absolute 10/10 trip. My time in Japan was 2 weeks, next time it’ll be a month, and I’ll probably work with kimkim. Li, Mie and Satoko were all friendly, copacetic, and wonderful one on one. As part of a group, you will feel informed and with your friends. My trip was solo, so if you work one on one, you’ll have made a friend. Thank you for the best trip I’ve ever had, and I’ll definitely be coming back. Ja matta!

Hotel Reviews

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great location! Asakusa has everything Tokyo had to offer, but you should still visit the rest of Tokyo. Great staff, great breakfast! Thank you

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako City Osaka Hommachi

Osaka

Good breakfast. Overall great experience. I like the lounge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Excelllent! Liked the robot! Came in handy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryokan Aura Tachibana

Hakone

Excellent stay. Lovely onsen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Beautiful experience I’ll never forget

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From sorting trip details- airport transfers, hotel suggestions, tour… things went pretty seamless for our group of 8 traveling to Hokkaido to ski. Managing how to get from point A to point B with all of our ski gear. Then 4 of us went on to tour Tokyo. Kimura our tour guide in Tokyo was very knowledgeable and going to the temples, shrines, fish market, gardens and lunch spot was fantastic. He even made us a dinner reservation!

Hotel Review

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Beautiful hotel in great location- right near shiba park and Tokyo tower. Subway nearby. But if up for walking- also easy to get to nearby neighborhoods

Authenticity & Character

600 year old bonsai tree. Great book collection

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Kimora was very knowledgeable and thoughtful. Took us to beautiful temples and shrines. Made us a dinner reservation! Our driver was very safe and courteous as well. Would highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were fantastic

Transport

Clean vehicles with space for our group and ski gear

Great trip to Japan! (Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo). Olivia was a fantastic planner and her recommendations did not disappoint. She helped make our trip (with children) as painless as possible and even helped us postpone and rebook when an unexpected family emergency popped up. If you want to get the most out of your time, I can highly recommend KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Gion Ryokan Karaku

kyoto

This was a fun way to spend an authentic Japanese night in Kyoto. As expected we slept on mats on the floor, the room had a traditional Japanese table & chairs (very low on the floor.) . The complimentary breakfast was traditional Japanese style also with rice and miso soup and fish. If you have mobility issues or you want a typical North American breakfast this is probably not the experience for you but if you're looking for adventure, our Canadian family with young kids loved it! The location was very conveniently located at the end of the shopping district. Subway was about a 10 minute walk, or you can take a cab for 15 mins to get to Kyoto station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

The complimentary breakfast was amazing, showcasing many traditional Japanese breakfast elements, with plenty of European / North American options for the less adventurous. Their auto-coffee / hot chocolate / matcha machine was incredible. A wide selection of alcoholic beverages (complimentary) at both breakfast and the evening appetizer event each night. There were traditional activities each afternoon. The subway station was a 8 minute walk and takes you straight to Kyoto station and the rest of the network for Kyoto / Osaka / Nara. Room was comfortable and the hotel was quiet and private with a 10 minute walk to massive shopping district from narrow street bizarre type feel to high end luxury goods. This is a great location to stay in Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ninja Training in Kyoto: Ninja Experience - 2 HOURS / SWORD INCLUDED

Kyoto

This was a fun activity. We dressed up as ninjas and got to shoot blow darts and throw ninja stars at targets. We also got to fight each other with foam-covered swords. This was most fun for our kids (8 & 10) but we got some nice photos out of it. The first portion was an hour, then the second portion: we walked about 1km to the ninja museum and got a 30 minute tour through the 3 storey facility on the history of Samurai & Ninja culture. Great displays and a very well done tour / history lesson. This was more fun for the adults. I'm not sure what the "SWORD INCLUDED" refers to. We did get a plastic throwing-star as a "prize" for the person closest to the target, but no swords.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Geisha and Maiko Makeover Experience in Kyoto

Kyoto

Wow, what an amazing transformation! My daughters (8 & 10) loved it, and my wife who isn't much for dressing up or putting on make up, enjoyed the experience too. The professional photos that were included are really fantastic. Definitely the highlight of the trip for one of my daughters.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto: Authentic Sushi-Making Cooking Class

Kyoto

We did the bento-making class with kids and had a great time! We learned a lot (feel comfortable to try on our own at home) and the food was delicious. A great way to learn about this history of the food, and the ingredients and have a great (large) meal too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asakusa Sumo Club: Sumo Show Admission with Chankonabe in Tokyo

Tokyo

Wow. What an amazing experience! I didn't know what to expect but this was really well done, catering to visitors who want to learn more about sumo culture. Explanations of the history, rules and lifestyle of sumo wrestlers plus an authentic match between 2 former professional wrestlers and the opportunity to wrestle one yourself. The sumo-meal that is included was fantastic too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

What a great way to experience a nice cross-section of Tokyo in a single day. We walked about 20,000 steps but mainly used the subway to jet all over town. It was a brilliant introduction to what otherwise could be a very intimidating city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kumiko was fantastic!

Transport

It was a great introduction to the Tokyo subway system at various levels of congestion during the day.

Our tour was very well executed, the guides well versed and committed to making sure each moment of our trip was special. All pre-planned travel vouchers, event tickets, etc. were accepted without any problem. All in all, it was our first trup with KimKim and we will be certain to use it again.

Cannon was incredibly on top of things from start to finish. Recommending activities and places we hadn’t even thought of. Originally we had a list of places we wanted to go and he tried his best to make it work before he kindly explained that our plan was physically impossible. This trip would not have gone as smooth or as well without Cannons help, I genuinely wish he could book everything I do.

Cannon was very clear an communicative, answered and question we could throw at him. Was very knowledgeable and accommodating of our needs and wants. Our two tour guides were also excellent and i would highly recommend them to anyone!

We had an absolutely incredible experience with KimKim on our 14-day trip to Japan. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organized, making the entire holiday completely stress-free. Our travel specialist, Ben, was amazing to work with. He was extremely communicative, thoughtful, and clearly passionate about creating the best possible itinerary/experience for our family. Every detail was planned flawlessly, from transportation and accommodations to event tickets and daily logistics, so all we had left to do was enjoy the trip.

Our local guides, Peter and Ursula, were just as outstanding. They made our time in Japan seamless, fun, and incredibly enriching with their knowledge and kindness. They truly elevated our experience and helped us feel comfortable and excited every step of the way. We loved exploring Tokyo with Peter, as we were able to visit areas that we wouldn't have otherwise known about. And Ursula was an exceptional guide through Takayama and Kyoto, enriching our experience with her historical knowledge of each region.

Because of how exceptional this experience was, we are using KimKim again to plan our next trip to Brazil. That alone says everything about how happy and impressed we were with their service. We couldn’t recommend KimKim, Ben, Peter, and Ursula highly enough for anyone looking for a perfectly planned, unforgettable travel experience to Japan.

We enjoyed our recent trip to Japan. Olivia, our local specialist was a big factor in the success of our trip. The language barrier in Japan was more challenging than we expected so we were grateful to have transfers, tours, and excellent tour guides organized by KimKim. These details ensured that our short time in Tokyo and Fukikawaguchiko was efficient and enjoyable. We had a nice balance of culture, history and local food mixed with glimpses of modern life in the busy cosmopolitan city of Tokyo, as well as a smaller town experience near mount Fuji by lake Kawajuchiko. We were fortunate to have a clear day with excellent views of Mount Fuji. We enjoyed the brave experience of bathing in the Onsen within the hotel supplied by a natural hot spring near the mountain.
Olivia checked up on us frequently and kept us up to date with timing of pickups and meetings with guides. Our trip was seamless.

Everything Kimkim touched in preparation for our trip was flawlessly arranged and executed.
Our long standing hotel accommodations, transit connections, and air and rail tickets made for seamless enjoyment and ease of travel flow.
The availability of Shona to assist or answer questions was a given and much appreciated when we received her help managing a luggage transfer between hotels.
The four days of guided excursions were flawlessly executed and so easily accomplished thanks to the expert handling of the local guides and professional drivers. Even our day in Kyoto where we relied on mass transit to visit multiple locations on every side of the city were incredibly easy thanks to the excellent transportation infrastructure of the city, prefecture and country.
Shout out to Ayumi and Sochi for insight into both the history and current lifestyle of Japanese culture. Guide Ian’s perspectives provided a good contrast as a western expat living the dream in Japan.
Lastly, we arranged our ski portion of the trip mostly independently and it went really well thanks to the most excellent service provided by Hokkaido Nomad car rental in Sapporo. The camp car service was flawless. We had engine trouble on New Year’s Eve and Suzuki (our rental lead) delivered a brand new camp car to our location in less than an hour, ON NEW YEARS EVE. Amazing.

We had a wonderful experience working with Sandy to put together our trip to Japan. We had 3 couples traveling both together and separately which made the trip quite complex. Sandy listened carefully to the parts of the trip where we knew what we wanted and then made excellent suggestions for hotels, tours and transportation where we didn't have specific ideas. We had particularly wonderful tours in Kanazawa for the artisan tour and Michico's Sumo Championship tour through Sunrise. The trip went perfectly every day, every tour, every transfer, every train ride and every hotel. Sandy was very responsive for the year of advance planning and then she was in touch with us every day of the trip. She answered our questions quickly, sent ongoing information on time and made sure everything went smoothly. This was independent travel at its very best. We were so fortunate to have been able to work with KimKim and Sandy to create our incredible trip to Japan.

Hotel Reviews

BYAKU Narai

Narai

BYAKU Narai was a standout on an international level. It was just an extraordinary place, and it is such a lovely location.

Onsen Ryokan Yuen Shinjuku

The Ryokan Onsen in Tokyo was a fantastic choice, thanks to my son-in-law. The onsen on the roof, despite being only on the eighteenth floor, offered a great view of Tokyo. Watching the sunrise and sunset while in the onsen was an incredible experience.

Gora Kansuiro

Hakone

Gora Kansuiro was a place filled with history as it was the first in the entire area. While a little funky, we really enjoyed it. The people were fantastic, and the food was incredible. Nestled in a garden, it offered a unique experience surrounded by nature and history.

The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa by Hulic

Kyoto

We absolutely loved the Gate Hotel in Kyoto. The location was terrific, situated in the middle of everything, making it easy to get around. The hotel has a wonderful history as it was an old school before being transformed. Everything is based on the eighth floor, from check-in to the bar and breakfast – offering a spectacular view of the hills with temples. Witnessing the sunrise and sunset from there was magical.

Activity Review

Private Snow Monkey Tour

Nagano

The Private Snow Monkey Tour was our first tour and it was utterly charming despite the cold weather. Learning about how the monkeys adapted to use the hot springs from watching humans was fascinating. The area is managed, and the monkeys thrive in a well-cared environment. It's exciting seeing them up close without barriers, and our tour was perfectly timed to witness the monkeys descending for their morning routine.

Sandy was in contact with us almost every day and was very responsive. I would recommend her for sure

THANK YOU for the trip – it was SO well planned, and clearly a LOT of thought went into it. We are so grateful, and we are now big KimKim fans!

We travel a LOT, to all kinds of crazy places! It is unrealistic to travel across the world and expect things to NOT go wrong. What matters, and why we work with travel professionals like you KimKim, is to have support and back up when things DO go wrong – THAT is what matters! KimKim seamlessly fixed an issue on our travels, and they are THE BEST, and you can travel worry-free!

Our planner Ben was remarkable - attentive, knowledgeable and friendly, and our guides Roy, H and Piter were exceptional.

10/10, DO recommend! Thank you, team KimKim, for an amazing experience and incredible 'whatever it takes' service!

My Husband and I had a fantastic honeymoon in Japan, all thanks to our trip planner/agent Eleanor, our Tokyo guide Yoshi, our Osaka foodie tour guide Jimmy and Moika, and lastly our Kyoto guide Maasake. We especially enjoyed a Temple in Kyoto where we descended into a pitch black, dark area to make a wish on a stone, and come out the other side "rebirthed". It was such a different experience and we felt immersed in Japan's spiritual culture. The food was incredible. The foodie tour showed us unique foods that we had not had before and wouldn't have though about trying otherwise. They were great company too; it felt like going out on the town with a couple of local friends. Tokyo was our first destination and Yoshi was fantastic about teaching us how to use the public transport system and appropriate ways to enter Shrines. He answered all of our questions that mightve come off as "silly" or "ignorant" without judgement. This was our first trip ever to another country and it couldn't have gone better. Eleanor answered every single question cam and I came across, even during the trip. She always got back to me no matter what, and gave some good advice to avoid struggling a lot through some of the busiest areas of Japan. Thank you everyone and Kimkim for an unforgettable honeymoon.

The trip was great. We planned our trip to Japan during a very busy season of life when we didn't have time to do the research we'd normally like to do. Sandy connected us with all the important sites and was accommodating to our requests. She booked all our train reservations and knew what needed to be booked ahead of time in terms of trains and museums. Her suggestions about what to do in our free time were very helpful. Highlights were the Ghibli museum and Food tour in Tokyo and the bike tour in Kyoto. Our tour guides in every city were knowledgeable and kind. The hotels she chose for us were very nice, and all throughout the trip she shared updates of what was coming up next and info on using the transportation in that city. The only thing that was disappointing was finding out the Peace Museum was closed while we were there for the new year holiday. We would have scheduled our itinerary differently had we known that ahead of time and put Hiroshima earlier in the trip. So double check those types of details if you are traveling during the new year, or other major holiday. For a family of 5 it's also much easier to eat if you have a reservation, so plan ahead for that. Overall it was a fantastic trip and the experience with KimKim both before the trip, and while we were there, was very good.

Hotel Reviews

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Great location, nice lobby, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE KNOT HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima

Loved having the bar area on the 14th floor to hang out with views of the city. Great proximity to the bus that takes you to the train station! Breakfast was decent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Fun to have bathtubs on balcony to have hot springs baths not in the onsen. Buffet was huge but got old after 2 days. Shuttle available to take you to the Open Air museum, but it doesn't pick you back up so need to acquaint yourself with public transportation. Staff was nice, had great massage at their spa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

This hotel is clean and had rooms with 3 beds if you are traveling with kids/a group. The breakfast was good with a good coffee option in the morning. Location is near the Senso-Ji temple and markets around there. Nice friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good for visiting Senso-ji temple and markets but far from some other parts of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Hakone and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway

Japan

Tour guide was great but this just wasn't our favorite part of the trip. The hike we did on our own, Mt. Kintoki, was wonderful. A little steep so a bit of a challenge but we were rewarded with amazing views of Mt. Fuji!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Our guide Mayumi was excellent, telling us a lot of history about Hiroshima and the impact of the bomb there. She took us somewhere yummy for lunch, then onto Miyajima. It was a great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto: Guided E-Bike Tour

Kyoto

Our family of 5 (2 teens + a 20 year old, plus parents) loved this. Our guide Philippe took us to off-the-beaten-path locations in east Kyoto which was great after having seen all the crowded main sites. Our kids ranked this high on the list. We had electric bikes so it was easy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Hakone with Mt. Fuji Tour

Japan

Had a great guide who shared a lot of history as we drove. We ended up with a freezing cold day which made it a little less comfortable than it would normally be!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa Sumo Club: Sumo Show Admission with Chankonabe in Tokyo

Tokyo

This was campy fun. Glad we did it but felt very touristy! Food was pretty good.

Quality of Experience

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

One of our family's favorite things we did! Jun was our guide and he was fantastic and had great energy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district

Tokyo

Good overview of the city. Our tour guide was flexible and accommodating to what we wanted to see. nice to have a driver to take us around on our first day in the country, helped us get our bearings!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport