Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Everything was amazing to trips plans, drivers and tour guides. Hats off to all of you!

Both the guides - Ken in Tokyo and Junko in Kyoto were very good. Full marks to them. We enjoyed Tokyo and Kyoto, but Kanazawa was, for us, the really outstanding city. Takayama was interesting, but overrun by tourists. Hotels - Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku was adequate, as was Nohga in Kyoto - though the latter was overpriced. Zoushi in Kanazawa , though small, was truly outstanding in every way. In contrast, Oyado Koto no Yume in Takayama was both overpriced and pretentious and was the place we least enjoyed. The day trip to Hakone was a disaster - mainly owing to the crowds - and we didn’t even make it to the final boat ride. Overall we enjoyed Japan and are thankful to Claudia for making all the arrangements in a patient and efficient manner. Thank you.

Activity Reviews

Explore Asakusa and Hamarikyu Gardens

Tokyo

Asakusa was a fun area and very interesting. Hamarikyu Garden - it was unfortunately raining

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and courteous

Transport

Taxis were efficient and the drivers were always polite and helpful

Beautiful Hakone!

Japan

Complete disaster due to over tourism.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken, the guide was outstanding

Transport

Contro the nymbers

Tranquil Walks and Cultural Treasures: Kyoto's Outdoor Wonders

Kyoto

Junko the guide was extremely helpful and understanding and made an enjoyable day for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a fantastic time in Japan and we want to thank KimKim for making it so. From the first interaction with Kate to begin planning our trip back in April to being dropped off at Haneda Airport for our flight home, KimKim made sure that every detail and logistical need was covered and that we were well-informed about what to expect. Kate was our primary contact and she was superb! Every question we had was answered in a timely way before the trip and in real time during our visit to Japan. The hotels and daily itineraries she recommended were excellent. We had two guides, Fiona in Kyoto and Jennifer in Yokohama and Tokyo. Both were top notch! We learned about history, culture, local customs and saw remarkable temples, shrines, landmarks and scenery. The guides made excellent refinements to the daily itineraries to reflect weather, transit and our interests. Drivers and vehicles were also excellent. All-in-all, I would recommend KimKim to anyone considering a trip abroad in a place where one does not wish to be entirely independent. The custom-made itinerary, the exceptional level of communication and the quality of the guides, drivers and service were all reasons that we will likely return to KimKim in the future!!

Thanks again Kate, Fiona and Jennifer!!!

We wanted to do the Kumano Kodo trail and visit Kyoto and Tokyo and a couple of other spots and Sandy was really helpful. Her assistance was pivotal with planning the Kumano Kodo lodgings because we assumed that a couple months in advance were enough and had difficulty finding hotels, but Sandy made it all happen and came up with great options. Her assistance was crucial, that is perhaps the best part of Kim Kim the fact that they set you up with someone local who can really come through and provide insider suggestions and options that no foreigner would come up with

Another great trip organized with KimKim. Eleanor and her guides/drivers were amazing. We loved every minute.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Great and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Great location, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Really informative and complete.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We don't like organized tours but do enjoy someone doing the planning for us -- and kimkim was the perfect choice. The process of putting together a travel itinerary via emails was easy, and the kimkim people did a great job incorporating our own desires and aims with ideas of their own, which we listened to because, of course, they had matched us up with guides who actually live in Japan and know the country well. It was odd never speaking to a human -- and for awhile we wondered if we were dealing with chatbots -- but, magically, every single driver showed up, every single guide showed up when they were supposed to. There was one glitch in a train station (and Japanese train stations are CRAZY-CHAOTIC), but they worked with us in real time to get things fixed and even summoned a taxi for us, telling us the plate number so we'd recognize it. They were responsive and helpful at every turn and twist of the journey.....and they were willing to tweak our itinerary on the fly, which was very helpful. We loved having independence but didn't feel alone at any time. We definitely will use them again!

Hotel Review

Rengejo-in

koya

Our stay at Rengejo-in monastery in Mount Koya was a highlight of the trip. We were given an incredibly spacious and luxurious room dubbed the 'Silent Forest,' with fantastic amenities like a private garden view. The experience was spiritual and beautiful, including a morning chant with monks. It was unlike anything we expected and absolutely memorable.

Activity Reviews

Half day Experience Traditional Japanese Gardens With Japanese garden designer

Kyoto

The half-day experience with a traditional Japanese garden designer in Kyoto was absolutely amazing. Our guide, an expat landscape architect, shared incredible insights about Zen gardening, its aesthetics, and cultural nuances. It was a truly enriching experience, learning the history and philosophy behind Japanese gardens. I highly recommend this tour!

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

The tea ceremony at the Flower Teahouse in Kyoto was a fascinating and unique experience. We were unexpectedly upgraded to a private ceremony, which added a special touch. The hosts dressed me in a traditional outfit and my wife loved the entire experience. It was educational, and the location in the Geisha district enriched the cultural immersion.

We were a group of 21 people from US and South America, and enjoyed the tour to the fullest. It was a difficult tour (Nakasendo Trail) especially with such a large group, and the planning & operation was quite challenging. However, our first contact with Fei during the initial planning and operation was superb. Fei listened to requests patiently and skillfully understood our requirement to curate a perfectly suited tour itinerary. She worked real hard to get the suitable accommodation for the group's stay matching our expectations. As we moved closer to finalising the tour, Fei handed over the responsibility of looking after our travel arrangements to Angel. She too did a great job in delivering the tour services as planned and proposed initially by Fei. The tour went flawless, with only a few minor hiccups. Everything else was great. The selected guides, hotels, restaurants, vehicles and drivers were all nice and ensured the comfort level of the group during the tour.

Overall, the group had an amazing and fulfilling experience of the unique temple trail. We highly recommend traveling with Fei and Angel for travel to Japan to ensure peace of mind especially as language can be a great challenge. In fact, we are already planning to return back to this wonderful country with them for another experience next year.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha to Tofuku-ji Temple Hiking Experience

Kyoto

The guide was excellent, and we all had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

There was good and bad. We were happy with each of our guides, who were all very good and personable and had different strengths. Overall, we were very satisfied and pleased with their knowledge, affability, and ability to pivot a bit based on our personal preferences.

KimKim was recommended by friends who'd worked with them previously and had a good experience. We liked their process of filling out a questionnaire to understand better our personal preferences, backgrounds, and vision for our holiday. However, we found the back-and-forth on the website with our first travel agent a bit challenging and cumbersome as she created an itinerary based on our responses. The first several proposals did not match our interests or requests. It took about four versions to arrive at an acceptable itinerary.

Unfortunately, just a few months before our trip, that agent left, and we were assigned a new one.

About a week before traveling, we noticed that one of our hotels had been changed without notification for one of lesser quality. (It was corrected after we asked.) We also found it difficult to understand some of the itinerary's processes, such as when we were responsible for our transportation and when we had a driver.

Lastly, the agency never notified us about an impending typhoon in Okinawa, which was our penultimate stop. We learned about it on the flight to the island from a random stranger. After landing in Okinawa, it took hours to reach the travel agency after numerous calls and messages, including calls to their emergency contact line. (We never did get our agent on the phone.)

Rather than four days in Okinawa, we got less than 48 hours and had to pay an additional $2,000 to return to Tokyo before the typhoon. Had we known about the typhoon, we wouldn't have traveled to Okinawa. The last issue in Okinawa was our hotel, which was the worst of our trip. Luckily, we were only there for two nights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main

Tokyo

Lovely, older hotel that's popular with business people and small travel groups. The staff was extremely polite and friendly. It feels a bit out of the way, but it's actually close to many sites.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast restaurant overlooks beautiful gardens and koi ponds.

Location

Easy access to subway and easy to get taxis.

Staff

Wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Phenomenal! Stunning! I wish we'd had another night at this beautiful, modern hotel with wonderful hot springs tucked into a mountainside. The dinner we enjoyed was one of the best of our trip. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful architecture

Location

Stunning location and views; quiet and lovely

Staff

Very lovely staff; not a lot of English, but it was fine.

Cleanliness & Comfort

flawless

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Lovely hotel and location and very nice staff. Note that the restaurant for breakfast can get very busy if you don't go early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice area that's not very noisy or touristy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Great hotel that was the most "American" of all our hotels, so it felt a bit less "Japanese" in ambiance, but we liked it.

Authenticity & Character

More western in ambiance.

Location

Right at the train station, but very quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

Okinawa

I wouldn't return here. The hotel felt dated and needed renovation. The staff was very nice but not as friendly as others we experienced in other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You will need a car or taxi to get around. It's about an hour north of airport with very little around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs new carpet or flooring and updating

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

This gorgeous, elegant luxury hotel is in an upscale area of Tokyo and is attached to luxury stores next door. The staff was friendly. The clientele appears to be a mix of tourists and business people. (I would have preferred to have stayed here when we first arrived in Tokyo. It's a good, walkable location.)

Authenticity & Character

Modern architecture

Location

Walkable area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flawless, clean, and very well appointed

Activity Reviews

Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Every world leader should visit this museum and park. It offers a vital history and moral lesson. It was very poignant to us as Americans.

Quality of Experience

They should time the ticket entrances for better crowd control. It was extremely busy, making it difficult to view and read some of the exhibits.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We thoroughly appreciated our guide and driver.

Transport

Very comfortable vans used throughout our trip.

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

We loved our guide and driver, but I'd suggest not spending much time in this part of Osaka (walking around the area with many restaurants and tourists; feels gritty and over-commercial) and asking to see other areas of Osaka. We did, however, appreciate our guide's knowledge of the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent, thoughtful, and friendly.

Transport

Comfortable and newer vehicle

Tokyo Discovery with Shibuya & Harajuku - West

Tokyo

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day of touring in Tokyo and appreciated our lovely guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Excellent

Everything was super organized and the follow up made by the team was amazing and highly appreciated

Our trip to Tokyo was awesome! Ayumi, Yumi, and Chieko, our guides, were super helpful and made our 8-day adventure seamless. Angel helped us plan everything and was really flexible with any changes we wanted. We picked our own hotels and she worked them right into our itinerary. We loved every minute of it — it was the trip of a lifetime, and we’re already thinking about checking out different cities next time!

Activity Reviews

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Market & Senso-ji - East & Central

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience + Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Falls

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I did my first trip to Japan, 16 days and all by myself. I found it incredibly challenging planning, navigating and booking the things I wanted to do. I had literally spent weeks researching experiences and reading reviews of tours and trying to figure out which ones to do before I gave up. So did another first - booked the whole thing through Kimkim. SO GLAD I did. Shona my local guide was amazing. She totally heard and understood my wants and needs and every step of the way was right there with answers and advice. The tours and experiences she booked were exactly what I wanted and all were excellent, and it all stayed in my budget. I'm absolutely going to book every trip through Kimkim from now on.

Thank you Shona and kimkim! Shona planned our trip exactly as we'd hoped, and we enjoyed the tea ceremony, city sight suggestions, and easy train plans. However, we didn't have some of the final details until the day before our trip, which initially caused us a bit of worry. Additionally, the Mt. Fuji day felt like we could have used our time better, as we spent most of the day driving and didn't really see anything. In Japan, the tour guides are very hit or miss - we had one that completely overwhelmed us and were left exhausted by them, and had one that was AMAZING and went completely out of their way for us.

Hotel Reviews

The Royal Park Iconic Tokyo Shiodome

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

This hotel had the best hotel dinner!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Granvia Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Keihan Namba Grande

osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

You do not interact with the staff at this hotel. Instead of talking to you, they point you to screens.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Drive to Hakone with Mt. Fuji Tour

Hakone

We spent too much of the day driving up and down hills, and maybe were out of the car for 1.5 hours total. Unfortunately we did not see Mt. Fuji either.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide completely overwhelmed us (they didn't even let us check into our hotel ourselves, and insisted they do it, then gave us all the wrong information about the hotel). The driver seemed to be in a bad mood all day.

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Very touristy but still enjoyed the tea ceremony and found it meditative. Definitely recommend this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Nara Tour From Kyoto with Naramachi District

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was AMAZING!!!!! He took amazing photos of us and went out of his way to help us do things like shop for vintages camera lens and stop at a friend's coffee shop.

Transport

Himeji Castle & Arima Onsen & Mt. Rokko Day Tour from Osaka

Osaka

We decided to skip the onsen (as we already used one at our onsen hotel) and Mt. Rokko but still had an amazing time with our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was AMAZING!!!!! He took amazing photos of us and went out of his way to help us do things like shop for vintages camera lens and stop at a friend's coffee shop.

Transport

I had the pleasure to work with two different agents. Fei on the planning, and Angel on the implementation.
We were a group of 21 focused on meditation and tracking the Nakasendo trail.
Angel took care of every detail, forecasting any difficulty we could encounter.
She designed every dinner and hotel experience.

I do this around the world every year in different destinations and this has been by far, the most memorable, impecable and amazing experience.

They surpassed our expectations.

Congratulations for your hard work, it delivers exceptional results.

Thank you for a year long of planning this trip together.

We will return next year with a new group.

My complete admiration.

Had a wonderful time in Japan. Can't thank Elenor enough for a very thoughtful plan and for the extra support while on the trip.
Both our guides in Tokyo (Yumi) and Kyoto (Yuki) were delightful and very knowledgeable. Nara was a highlight as we loved the temples and the deer.

First off, Sandy is amazing. From the first day of planning to the end of the trip, she's always there with us. She answered all our (4 of us) questions. And is always one step ahead of our trip. She had always informed us 1 day ahead as who is our driver or who is our local guide, and what to do next. When we contacted her for a little hiccup, she and her team immediately jumped on it to resolve the situation. (BTW, the hiccup was from the other place booking, not Kimkim).

Jennifer, Fiona, Mike, Jade, and Micky are flexible and knowing their locals well. Drivers are on time. We like Hotel at Kyoto and Osaka best. La Valse at Busan has a very nice view, but the room is not too functional due to a not useful countertop. So it's just ok. All hotels are very clean btw.

All in all, I'm glad I found Kimkim and more so when having Sandy as our specialist. We'll look for Kimkim for our next trip, and hopefully we got Sandy again. And for sure, I'll share our experience about kimkim with our friends.

Thanks for wonderful memory.

Hotel Reviews

Lavalse Hotel

The view is amazing. But the room has the countertop (like kitchen countertop) which take up a lot of room. I would trade the view for the more functional room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great view.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean but not comfy due to the countertop takes up a big chunk of real estate.

Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Best hotel chain for my trip. Both lobby and room are nice and roomy. I would love to stay here next time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Best hotel chain for my trip. Both lobby and room are nice and roomy. I would love to stay here next time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER

Tokyo

Location is good but the lobby is so tiny. Room is clean but ok. I'm ok to stay here next time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NINE TREE BY PARNAS SEOUL MYEONDONG 2

Seoul

Good lobby, room is ok but one annoying thing is about the motion detection light. I would like to have an option to use it or now. At night if you have to go to the bath room, this light will be wake you up or your partner up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I had to leave at 7:00am at the same time, the buffet would just got open. The staff ordered our breakfast packed for us the night before. And actually they were ready before 7:00am. This is great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

annoying night motion detection light

Activity Review

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

I was really looking forward to experiencing the local food in Osaka, but honestly, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe it’s because I’ve had amazing street food in places like Thailand and Vietnam, which are hard to beat.

Angel was really helpful on several last-minute requests. The Kyoto guide was very knowledgeable. Marlene’s tour in Tokyo not so great, big language barrier and not a lot of interaction. Fuji Mt. Guides were terrific. Upgraded hotel room this week also terrific. Overall, I felt we got great value for money spent on this tour.

Hotel Review

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

Activity Reviews

Half Day Imperial Palace East Gardens and Senso-ji Tour

Tokyo

Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Sightseeing in Arashiyama - Boat Ride and Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

Hiking the Mt. Fuji SubashiriTrail (Jul-Aug)-Day 1

Japan

Hiking the Mt. Fuji SubashiriTrail (Jul-Aug)-Day 2

Japan

We had a 10 days most amazing tour of Japan thanks to our wonderful tour organizer Sandy who had put together a package covering just about every important site seeing spots and more , the tour guides were all anxious to teach us many important points, the accommodations were all very well chosen in best locations with reasonable prices, and considering we were stuck with a worst typhoon, she was able to change around on the spot

Everything about the trip was amazing! All our guides were so helpful! They went out of their way to help us with all our questions. We had a flawless 9 adventure!

Sandy was super diligent and thorough in planning our trip. She was very communicative and fully understood our requirements. All the events in the itinerary were top notch and appropriate for what we wanted. Both leading up to finalizing the program, and during the trip, she was on top of the itinerary and we never felt the need to reach out to her first - she would always proactively do so! KimKim and Sandy were the best - we'd highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Westin Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sumo Morning Practice

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at dark

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yoshi was great!

Transport

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

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geisha (Maiko) Tea Ceremony & Show in Kyoto Gion Kiyomizu

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuki was the best!

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuki was the best!

Transport

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Highlight of our trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuki was the best!

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yumi was the best!

Transport

I just finished my 10-day tour in Japan, with my 18yo daughter. Out itinerary, offered by KimKim, covered Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. We had a wonderful experience overall. Shona, our agent, did an amazing job planning our trip and promptly following up on my questions and inquiries. All the tours and transportations were arranged properly and went smoothly.
There was one confusion at the very beginning, when we mistakenly got a ride from the Narita airport with random driver, instead of designated driver, yet KimKim acknowledged some miscommunication on part of designated driver and fully reimbursed us for the ride. Other than that, we had a wonderful experience - the entire itinerary was offered in a way to get an enriching experiences via day-long tours (like Mt Fuji/Hakone), Kyoto sigh-seeing with private tour guide (Jun was very engaging and knowledgeable), visiting popular tourist attractions, like TeamLabs Borderless, but also allowed some easy relaxing days to explore on our own.
Japan is an amazing country, and KimKim travel can help you get the most of it. Shona also provided me upfront with some good information about customs rules and regulations, traditions and practices of Japan, and other details.
I highly recommend KimKim, and Shona Zhong in particular, for planning a trip to Japan; I assume that planning travel to other destination will as smooth and enjoyable.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Nice location at the heart of Ginza; friendly stuff. Rooms are small yet clean. Public baths with hot water is a plus. Minute walk from Higashi Ginza station and 7/11, which is very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel fits very well in overall landscape of Ginza - a modern understatement.

Location

Nice location at the heart of Ginza

Staff

All staff in Japanese hotels are nice and friendly. Mitsui Gardens is no exception

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good overall but pillows comfort could be a bit better. This applies to all the hotels we stayed.

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

kyoto

Nice hotel overall but location is a bit off the center, unlike the hotel in Tokyo.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing special, but fine overall.

Location

No convenience stores around the area.

Staff

Japanese people hospitality and friendliness is unmatched, including hotel stuff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillow comfort is a bit compromised (just as in all other hotels we stayed); otherwise very good

Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Perfect location in the heart of Osaka, few minutes walk to iconic Dotonbori, close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Perfectly fit the environment - airy and modern.

Location

Perfect location in the heart of Osaka, few minutes walk to iconic Dotonbori, close to everything.

Staff

Cross Hotel personnel is attentive, friendly, and helpful - like all in Japan!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Same story with pillows; other than that nice and clean, and comfortable!

Activity Reviews

1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour [Return by train] With Lunch, From Shinjuku

Tokyo

Very nice trip; unfortunately the foggy weather did not allow to see Mt Fuji in all of its beauty. Cable car ride to the top was a huge relief - a breath of fresh cool air comparing to hot and humid weather down there. I would not say that TK (guide) storytelling style was extremely fascinating but still he provided with adequate information and overall he kept the the tour at just right pace. I must admit I did not like much the canteen-style lunch experience, and food quality was just okay. The performance of traditional Japanese drummers did brighten up the things though.

Quality of Experience

Sheer beauty of the nature, escape from hustle and bustle of Tokyo

Food

I must admit I am not a big fan of Japanese food, so my opinion here is highly subjective. I felt the soup was a bit too greasy, and the rest tasted quite bland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

TK is knowledgeable but his narrative style is a bit dry.

Transport

Bus ride was good, safe, and seamless

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Unforgettable and unusual peek at Japanese tradition through real participation!

Quality of Experience

Recreation of things that I heard about before and considered exotic and fascinating.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staffers and master of ceremony made this experience truly remarkable.

Transport

Not applicable - self transfer (we took a taxi).

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Very interesting tour; Jun is knowledgeable and engaging; it is a big advantage to have a private guide so we learned many things through easy and laid-back conversations. The visited shrines and temples are amazing. However, heat was excruciating, and hopping between buses, trains, and walks contributed to our exhaustion and took away from otherwise wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

All visited temples and shrines were fascinating; the guide explained many things and gave us some insight into the Japanese history!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jun was friendly, engaging, and easy going - we learned a lot from him!

Transport

I'd prefer private driver vs hopping between public transports and relatively long walks, especially during summer months.