Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

We were a group of family members who traveled together to Japan for the first time. We had no idea what to plan when we first started so a lot of ideas and plans were made and then changed. Angel was able to work through all that with us and was flexible and helpful all along the way. I am sure that it was frustrating for her as we made decisions and then changed them! In the end we had an amazing trip that all 10 of us enjoyed and I think we saw and did everything that Japan could offer in 3 weeks. I would defiantly use KimKim again. They were reasonable in pricing yet were able to provide us with private tours, transport and guides all along the way. Transport was excellent. Guides and drivers showed up on time and ready to give us their best. Suggested tour ideas from Angel turned out well. We had the first foodie tour that was below our expectations and Angel worked hard to provide us a better experience for the next one. I appreciate that. Not everything works out the way you envision but being able to change and improve on the fly makes this company and this agent great.
One activity that I would recommend was the meditation session that we had with Rev. Takafumi Kawakami at Shunkoin in Myoshinji Temple. Not only did we have an enlightening session along with a tea service but the Reverend was also engaging and free with his time and knowledge about his temple and his life. Such a learning experience for all of us.
We make katana's at a forge just outside of Kyoto and that was also a crowd pleaser. The small but mighty samurai and ninja museum in Kyoto was well worth the small entrance fee and short time that the tour lasts. The Gion Geshia show and walking tour was an experience that shouldn't be missed. The rickshaw ride through the bamboo forest was very cool. We did a cooking class in Tokyo that was excellent as well as enjoyed the team lab planet experience. We were fortunate enough to be in Japan during the sumo wrestling tournament and everyone enjoyed that event. Just for future - don't get the 4 person box for 4 people. Way too small! Angel did warn us but we wanted to experience it that way so that's what we did. Next time only 2 people in a 4 person box. Thanks Angel for putting our trip together for us.

Sandy was amazing. No question went unanswered and no detail was missed!! Would highly recommend to anyone that wants to plan a street free vacation. The local guide we had while in Japan were amazing as well.

Overall, we were pleased with the advice and guidance that Nancy of Japan Travel provided. We saw places that we would not have otherwise experienced.

However, the itinerary did not seem to take the actual traveler experience in mind. Some examples include:

Obtaining Transportation Cards
• Because our JR Rail vouchers were delivered to our Tokyo hotel, we were not able to pick up our Japan Rail Passes while we were at the arrival airport, so a few days later, we had to take time from exploring Tokyo to get to and navigate Tokyo Station to get our JR Passes.
• One of our surnames (Walker) was misspelled on the JR Rail voucher, which we discovered as we got to Tokyo Station. Upon messaging Nancy of Japan Travel, she informed us that we would have to go back to our hotel (on the other side of Tokyo) to meet an operations team member from Japan Travel to get a corrected JR Rail voucher, again taking time out of our day to handle administrative tasks that should have been done by Japan Travel. During our Metro ride back to our hotel, Nancy called to tell us to return to Tokyo Station, use the vouchers with the typo, and call the Japan Travel Operations team if there were any problems. So, back we go to Tokyo Station to get the actual JR Rail Passes. A significant portion of our days was devoted to getting our JR Rail Passes, which is not how we wanted to be spending our holiday.
• Had JR Travel arranged for us to pick up our JR passes at the airport and told us to get a Pasmo or Suica card at the airport, it would have alleviated much of our frustration with this matter.

Timing of Tours and Travel
• Tours and experiences seemed to have been set up without regard to travel times or overlapping timetables. Two examples include:
o The tour of Hakone was scheduled to last until 5pm, which allowed very little time to enjoy the ryokan experience since we had only a few minutes to soak in the onsen hot springs in order to get to dinner at the appointed time. The next morning, we had to leave the ryokan very early – missing the breakfast experience – in order to get to Kyoto in time for our appointment at the Kimono Tea Ceremony, which could have easily been scheduled for later in the day, if Japan Travel had thought through the actual travel schedule. We had to figure out the early-morning local bus and local train schedules since taxis did not come to the ryokan at that hour. What should have been a highlight of our trip – a relaxed afternoon, evening, and morning at a traditional ryokan – turned out to be a “rush in-rush out” experience, all due to timing of the Hakone tour (lasting until 5pm) and the need to leave early the next morning. Japan Travel should have provided adequate time for these experiences, taking travel and tour times in mind.
o The tour of Osaka was scheduled to begin at 10:00am, which would have meant we would have had to take a 6:20am Shinkansen train from Hiroshima to arrive in Osaka and get to our hotel for a 10:00am tour. Consequently, we decided to cancel the Osaka tour and take a Shinkansen train at a reasonable hour.
• Had JR Travel provided suggestions on travel from one city to another, perhaps they might have avoided these issues of tight time schedules

Tours
• Both guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and professional, but seemed to feel that we had to experience everything on a “checklist” of activities, even though we weren’t interested in everything of their list.
• Some of the tour plans were inordinately long for the limited number of sights to see.
o For the Nara tour, 2 hours were planned for Nara Park and visiting the Tōdai-ji Temple, 2 hours were planned for visiting the Isuien Garden, and 2 hours were planned for shopping. We had to be firm in stating that we didn’t enjoy visiting gardens all that much and that we did not want to shop at all.
o We cancelled going on the Osaka tour because of the aforementioned travel timing, but the proposed tour would have included 2 hours of shopping and 1 hour visiting gardens.
• While we knew that we were responsible for local transportation, we were not informed that we would have to pay for long-distance taxis in Nikko (from the Oawakudani Volcanic Valley to the British Embassy Summer Villa and then to the Hakone train station). Fortunately, we had the ¥17,000 ($117 USD) in cash, but would have preferred knowing in advance that the transportation would be that price.

Quality and Location of Hotels Varied Greatly
• The Tokyo Center Hotel is a mediocre hotel, at best. Our assigned room was so tiny that there was not space for us to put clothes, store luggage, or even sit at the small shelf that served as the desk. One of us had to move to the bathroom or get on a bed in order for the other person to get around in the room. Simply put, it was an unacceptable room. Fortunately, one of the front desk team members was able to move us to a larger room, and we paid for the “upgrade.” Breakfast was unexceptional, with below-average food quality. The hotel is located in a business-centric neighborhood, so there are few restaurants that are nearby and even those close early.
• The Kijitei Hoeiso Ryokan in Hakone was wonderful, but, as stated above, we couldn’t enjoy the experience because we were rushed, due to the tight schedule planned by Japan Travel.
• The Kyoto Takasegawa Bettei was a nice hotel, but a bit remote from sights.
• The Hiroshima Hilton was superb. Room sizes were large, with many amenities. The breakfast buffet was excellent. The location was fairly central.
• The Hanshin Osaka was run-down, with a limited-choice, low-quality breakfast buffet. While the Hansin Osaka’s location was OK, a modern hotel in the Osaka Station area would have been a much better choice.
• Many of these hotel experiences could have been avoided, if the itinerary discussions included the level of accommodations, Accommodations were, in many locations, below our expected standards.
• with a discussion of the level of accommodations being part of the itinerary discussion.

In summary, we were glad we got to see all the sights that were on the itinerary, but the experience was marred by the poor timing of tours and transportation. We would not recommend that friends use Japan Travel.

I wasn't really sure how to approach a trip for Japan so I was grateful to the suggested itinerary by Fei that helped me eliminate things I didn't want to do and focus more on the ones that I did. Having hotels, transportation and guides all sorted out made the planning a lot easier and allowed me to only have to focus on a few things. Our guide in Tokyo, Yumi was excellent. She had great energy, sense of humor, and really thought about our wellbeing during the day. I can't recommend this guide enough, she went beyond what I've seen other do. Satimo who guided us through Kyoto and Osaka spoke excellent English and really shared with us her story of life in Kyoto as we trekked all over the city to very interesting sites. She demonstrated patience and understanding on one of the hottest days of our trip. Both guides provided great history to the sites we visited and were able to answer all questions about Japan and life there. The activities booked without guides were excellent too. The tea ceremony in Kyoto and visit to the Samurai museum are must-dos for any visit there.

Hotel Reviews

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

Premium Twin Room, beds were pushed together which we immediately had to seperate but had limited space to do so. The majority of one side of the room was taken over by an oversized daybed. This could be half the size in the room and still be very useful and make more space for the table and chair by the window to not make the space feel overcrowded. The closet is not enclosed here. This was my favorite bathroom set up of all places I stayed. The sink area had plenty of counter space for storage of personal items. The shower was huge and easy to operate to the right temperature. The breakfast buffet had the most fruit selection of all places I stayed at because they had bananas. The tricky part of this hotel is that you go up to level 16, then take another set of elevators down to the rooms. There wasn't a constant presence of taxis in front of the building but the front desk was happy to call for one and let us know when the car was downstairs.

Authenticity & Character

This place felt very lux.

Location

It was close to a station but didn't stay long enough (only 1 night) to explore the area.

Staff

The staff was happy to assist with getting a taxi for our departure. This thoughtfulness is the reason I gave them 4 stars.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was very soft and sheets very comfortable. The temperature in the room was perfect.

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Premium Twin Room was very large and spacious. A lot of seating options. AC was controlled by the hotel but was a comfortable level. There was an in room air purifier/humidifier. I don't know if it helped as I developed a scratchy throat during my stay here. I also woke up with a puffy face, having an allergic reaction to something in the sheets/pillow. There are not enough bedside outlets. There was only the one in the middle for 2 people to split. So instead one of us had to leave our phone on the other side of the room charging and could not have it bedside. The breakfast buffet was very good and had a great variety of foods to choose from. The shuttle to and from Kyoto station saves this hotel. It is too far to walk with luggage to and from on any day, let alone a hot day in September. I with the shuttle was larger and more frequent. The location of the hotel is out of the way of most things. Thankfully there seemed to always be a taxi available. Food options in the area are difficult to come by but it did lend itself to the most authentic food place we ate at on our trip (we were the only foreigners in the restaurant).

Authenticity & Character

This hotel felt very lux catering to international visitors

Location

More shuttle options to more places. Perhaps a shuttle that took guests to Gion Area to eat, shop and visit.

Staff

I didnt have much interaction with staff but when I did they were polite and prompt.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The space feels clean.

Shibuya Tokyu REI Hotel

Tokyo

The standard twin room was very small. Couldn't really find a place to have my luggage opened all the way, had to pull everything out (thank god for cubes) and then leave the suitcase under the bench the rest of the time. There is NO STORAGE in this room. The bathroom has NO COUNTER SPACE. Everything had to be brought into the bathroom if you were going to use it. The biggest plus about this hotel is the location. Right by Shibuya station, Miyashita Park and the famous scramble. So much to shop and eat in the area!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by Shibuya station, Miyashita Park and the famous scramble. So much to shop and eat in the area!

Staff

I didnt find the front desk at all helpful or even wanting to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Senso-ji Temple

Tokyo

Yumi was our favorite guide of the trip. She was so knowledgeable, thoughtful and fun to spend the day with. She gave a great history lesson of the country and related stories about what we were seeing. She brought us handheld fans to deal with the weather of the day, bottled water and even hydration tablets which then became our obsession of the trip. She had great energy and humor that matched ours.

Quality of Experience

We visited the right amount of places in the long day that were a variety, from shrine, to castle to temple.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough how much I loved spending the day with Yumi.

Transport

I felt comfortable being led by Yumi on the public transit.

I have just returned form a busy and rewarding trip to Japan.

Angel was helpful in assisting me putting the itinerary together and booking internal flights and train tickets.

The hotels selected were all well chosen and positioned and the timings of trains appropriate.

I had a wonderful time, thank you Angel.

Activity Review

Kyoto Samurai &Ninja Experience

Kyoto

Fun and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide in Tokyo as well as our guide in Kyoto/Nara/Osaka were great. Both were very informative and did a great job. Our favorite thing was visiting Nara and seeing the deer and the big Buddha statue. But we really loved the whole trip.

To Fei - and all who helped make this such an enjoyable trip with so many memories to keep. (Sorry if I am slow in sending in this review, and if there may be too much here to read.)

Day 1: This was a long day, taking the train early in the morning from Tokyo to Nagoya and then on to Nakatsugawa, followed by bus to Magome. But the walk from Magome to Tsumago was as marvelous as I had heard it would be. Shade on the trail was welcome, and part of the way through I met and joined up with a couple from Japan. I took a leisurely near four hours for the walk, the trail was very well marked, and I arrived at my destination in good time for dinner at 6:00pm. Dinner and the ryokan accommodation were excellent, as indeed they were at the end of each day’s hike. As a result of this exposure I gained a much better appreciation for Japanese cuisine, and how much variation it has - ‘very welcome indeed.

Day 2: The links to maps and timetables in Fei’s detailed itinerary were very good, and gave me the confidence I needed traveling on my own, but I had not been good at downloading them onto my phone in a format that I could use offline, which I anticipated needing when out of cell phone contact on the trail. So, I walked in to Tsumago and enjoyed looking around, then took a slow walk into Nagiso away from the roads along part of the Nakasendo way - I had cell phone contact to do this.
I had picked up a map at the tourist information office in Tsumago beforehand (“Let’s walk the south-Kiso road”) which had detailed maps of the trail sections from Magome to Tsumago and from Nagiso to Nojiri. I could have used this map, but a little tired from the first day and not sure that I could cover the distance to Nojiri in time, I spent a little longer in Nagiso then enjoyed the train ride into Kiso-Fukushima instead. I hope I might take the trail route to Nojiri another time. At Kiso-Fukushima I looked around, then visited the old Fukushima Nakasendo higway station and the Yamamura Daikan Yashiki Museum among other places
At the Kiso Mikawaya accommodation I really appreciated the onsen baths but, even better, I was lucky to have a room where I could hear the Kiso river as I went to sleep and woke up in the morning.

Day 3: I took the train early from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara. At Kiso-Fukushima station I met two sisters, Janis and Joann, from Singapore, whom I had first met earlier while walking in Tsumago. Also at the station I met a couple, Kim and Wah Fong, from Australia who were originally from Singapore and who had stayed at the same ryokan in Tsumago. The sisters took the train on to Narai, and I joined the couple from Australia for the three of us to walk the trail from Yabuhara to Narai. This was probably the best hike of the trip - definitely one to remember, with many things to stop and see along the way. Kim had the trail directions on his phone, which was reassuring, but the trail was very well marked.
The accommodation at Narai was really quite up-market, and the evening’s dinner was perhaps the best of the trip, although that is a difficult choice to make because it was all so good.

Day 4: After looking at the train times, I decided to take the train from Narai through to Matsumato, instead of walking to Kiso-Hirasawa first. I met the two sisters again at Narai station and we travelled, found coffee in Matsumoto, and then went on a guided tour of Matsumoto Castle together. The castle and grounds are well worth the visit, especially with a guided tour which was provide free by the local tourist’s office. The sisters had to leave the castle early to get back to Tokyo for that evening, but I stayed there enjoying the gardens for a while before going back to Matsumoto station - where I happened to meet Kim and Wah Fong again. We caught the same train on to Karuizawa, before going our separate ways to our accommodation. I was looking forward to the next day’s hike, and was lucky to be at a ryokan for the night that was away from the town and close to the beginning of the path. For each night’s stay the hotel staff were outstanding, helpful and welcoming, but perhaps especially so here. The onsen baths and dinner rounded out another great day.

Day 5: I felt that the planned hike from Karuizawa to Yokokawa was on the long side for me to be certain of being back in Tokyo in time for the evening, where I had to cross the city to retrieve my carry-on luggage. Also, it was the first part of the hike, up to the Usui Pass and Kumano Kotai Jinja that looked the most interesting, and it was indeed beautiful. The trail was paved road all the way but was quiet and winded past waterfalls before giving way to magnificent views from the top of the pass. This choice also meant that I could leave both my small backpack and carryall at the ryokan, instead of taking them on the trail. I took the hike at a leisurely pace before returning to Karuizawa station to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo. I had not been in the Shibuya neighborhood before, and it was a very lively place to spend the night.

Day 6: After walking around Shibuya for a while and enjoying some air conditioning at Miyashita Park, I went to Haneda airport on the subway. Although there had been opportunities to see Mount Fuji earlier at times on the three week trip, it had eluded me each time, being obscured by clouds. However my wish to see it came true from the comfort of the window seat I had, just after the flight took off, with the top of Mount Fuji clearly visible some seventy miles away above the clouds as the sun was beginning to set.

Two things I would do differently on the trail next time around, that are definitely on me and not you. I would go in the spring or autumn, instead of August, when I knew the weather was likely to be hot and humid. But I did not have much choice in the timing because this was a side trip arranged around a trip to Japan for my job. Also, I would either take less with me on the trail or take a slightly larger backpack. I took the 10 liter backpack that I usually carry on trips, but I took more clothing than I needed, and that had to go in a separate carryall bag, which was about another 10 liters. If I had known or planned better, the 10 liter backpack would just about be big enough, although a 15 liter pack would be better. I had left my main carry-on bag in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo before going on the trail, and used the local luggage-forwarding services on the trail when I could, but it was not practicable to do this every day, especially on the first and last days of the trail.

Thank you, sincerely.

Angel worked with me to build out options for a trip itinerary and patiently helped me refine it. Many of her suggestions were great and things I would not have thought of, while also keeping us flexible to do what we wanted with much more autonomy than if we were part of a group tour. When we had to delay our arrival by a day because of weather, she helped us get a refund from the booked hotel for the first night.

Anna our guide in Tokyo and Hakone and Lily our guide in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima were truly fantastic. They were informative and made us feel as welcomed guests to their country every step of the way.

Food was amazing . The most memorable stay was at a traditional Ryokan in Yamonochaya Hakone. Very relaxing and a great escape.

We had a fabulous trip to Japan thanks to Sandy and the Kimkim team. Sandy helped us arrange a detailed to our interests vacation that was easy to follow and organized. She even gave us helpful instructions for transportation and sightseeing for our free days and checked in with us during a typhoon watch to make sure we were ok. When we had to make some last minute changes to our accommodations and train, Sandy was extremely helpful, attentive and timely. Our guides in Hiroshima and Tokyo, Hiroko and Yukari, were both gracious, delightful and informative. They made our sightseeing days fun and educational, and I would highly recommend them both.
I would use Kim Kim again for my next Japan adventure, theirs is so much more we want to see!

Hotel Review

Mount View Hakone

Hakone

We loved our stay here. The accommodations, the wonderful traditional cuisine, and the friendly staff all made for an unforgettable experience. It was our favorite of all our accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

A traditional ryokan with a wonderful onsen.

Location

Easy access to public transportation.

Staff

All were friendly and extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire accommodation was delightful and clean, the onsen especially wonderful.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Despite the heat (August) this was a great day and our guide Yukori delightful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Tempura

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yukori as our guide!

Transport

Easy public transportation.

A Fun-Filled Cooking Class in Tokyo - Wagyu Beef and More

Tokyo

We lived this class. The staff was great, the recipes easy to follow and delicious. Hopefully we can recreate them at home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Itsukushima Shrine and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

By far one of our favorite excursions. The history of Hiroshima and the beauty of Miyajima island and Itsukushima Shrine were both beautiful and emotional. And our guide Hiroko was delightful and attentive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy ferry and public transportation.

Transport

Kyoto Cooking Class

Japan

We loved this class! Cooking and then eating delightful food that we hope to recreate at home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy. We walked.

We could use Nancy's itinerary very effectively as she gave us several options for the day. The hotels she booked were very convenient to the rail stations which made navigating our outings very easy. All but one hotel was perfect, the one was just a bit older and the sleeping situation was a bit uncomfortable. Overall, the trip was great and we will work with KimKim for another destination.

The overall itinerary was great and we enjoyed most of the lodgings, etc, but one of the main reasons we booked was so we could get the local knowledge and instructions that we couldn't google and piece together ourselves. That part of it ended up being pretty unhelpful. E.g. On days when we were supposed to hike from town to town along a trail, we were given links to google maps that showed the shortest walking path between the two towns along a highway instead of directions to the trail and information about how to navigate it. All this info was available locally.

(We also found the interface (that included an itinerary in one place, a separate pdf with instructions, plus a separate page for info that was conveyed via "conversation" quite cumbersome; there were plenty of errors along the way that caused us delay, from what was included in the trip to whose name each reservation was under).

Our specialist made efforts to address our concerns, which we appreciated.

Angel did a great job in helping to plan a 2-week itinerary for my mother and I to Japan. Extremely thorough in making sure every day's details were taken care of (transportation, meeting times, hotels), and very responsive to any change requests. The itinerary was tailored well to the interests we provided, and she took extra care to stay within our desired budget. I would highly recommend Angel to anyone looking to plan a trip to Japan!

The guide were very helpful, and also provided a lot of suggestions on our free time. Arranged to mail my extra luggage from my first hotel to the last hotel, that made my trip a lot of easier!

The planning allowed us to see and interact with all the places and events we requested. The travel agents were able to accommodate our specific hotel requests. The guides throughout the trips were professional, knowledgeable, and able to react quickly to help us adjust to changes.

The planning was good overall but missed some critical local information like the availability days to attend an event and details of moving our luggage with us throughout the country. They would benefit from input from a local travel agent more familiar with Japan. The agents were quick to help fix issues and maintained good contact with us throughout the trip.

Overall we loved the trip and will certainly consider using KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Shikinaen Garden and Prefectural Museum Tour

Naha

The gardens of the ancient Ryukyu kings was magnificent. I am sure it must have had a powerful impact on their visitors. The cultural influences of many countries were impactful to the people of Okinawa. What a great learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Kobe Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum and Himeji Castle Tour

Osaka

The sake history museums were fantastic. Well designed to help any audience grasp the work, tools, and techniques of sake brewing. The Himeji castle was the most amazing of them all! The volunteer guide was so knowledgeable he enhanced the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

I loved seeing the heritage of Osaka. Fascinating to learn more about the differences across Japanese cities. The ancient merchants of Osaka vs. the ancient samurai of Tokyo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half Day Katana Maker Experience in Kameoka

Kyoto

The boys loved this event! Talk about getting a hands-on experience with a uniquely Japanese cultural event.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Geisha Dinner Show

Kyoto

The Geisha was very knowledgeable of Japanese history and also America. She was a delight to interact with and highly entertaining. The multi-course meal was spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Kyoto

A fun way to learn about Japanese history.

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

Tokyo

We started the day with a cloud bank covering the top half of the mountain. By the afternoon, the clouds had moved off, and the full majesty of Mt Fuji was revealed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Ghibli Museum and Pokemon Center Tour

Tokyo

Fascinating walk through the vision of creative artists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Great experience but be prepared to walk a lot in Tokyo.

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

The bamboo forest was awe-inspiring to walk through. The scenic railway ride was fun but I could have skipped it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Japan got postponed by three years due to COVID and Japan's borders being closed. Gibwa was flexible and amazing to work with throughout this waiting period! She took time to understand our needs and put together a fabulous itinerary. Her communication was always timely even while we were in Japan and contained the necessary details . This made it easy for us to explore on our own using the itinerary as a guide. My son and I had a trip of lifetime to Japan during the cherry blossom season, thanks to Gibwa.

I think we made the most of the 11 days we had in Japan. Instead of going to Shibuya, we went to the Skytree and instead of going to Nikko, we went to Koriyama to visit family. The subways and trains are very convenient and efficient, there was no need for us to get a taxi or ride service.
Without KimKim, we would not have gotten the guided tour of Nara and our guide Emi was amazing. In addition to her knowledge of Nare, we asked her a lot of questions about Japan in general.
We also would not have booked the traditional tea ceremony without KimKim and that was another great experience. The hosts were very informative and allowed us to stay a little longer to ask additional questions. The kimonos made for a very nice family photo.
The running routes suggested by Myaen were very useful although I did like the path going north along the Kamo river better than the path going south. We also visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to swim per her guidance. I would warn people to bring a towel. The gyms that I go to in the states provide locker room towels but the Tokyo gym does not.
Myaen was frequently checking in with us to make sure we were getting along well and was quick to answer our questions.

This was our second time using kimkim travel (last year they organized our road trip to Ireland)... and thank you kimkim and Myaen - another "home run!" We just returned from a phenomenal 2-week self-guided trip to Japan, which included several days in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Naoshima Island, and Hakone. Myaen was superb as our Japan specialist, helping us think thru what made sense for 2-weeks, as well as recommending the right neighborhoods and hotels to stay in. Our focus for this trip was Japanese contemporary art, and we were not disappointed... so many wonderful museums, exhibits, and places to see. We were also delighted that our contact with our trip planner, Myaen, did not stop once the trip was planned and paid for. Myaen contacted us regularly before the trip, reminded us about appropriate local travel passes to purchase, how to use the visiting Japan website (which makes entry into Japan easier and faster), etc. And Myaen reached out almost daily to make sure the trip was going well, and that any questions we had were promptly answered. We plan on using kimkim again for our next adventure, and wholeheartedly recommend them to others. Kimkim listens, and helps you plan the trip you want - not the most expensive package they can sell. And if you are planning to visit Japan - ask for Myaen.

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Departure

Japan

We had a private car from Hakone to Haneda - very pleasant and stress-free way to end our trip. It was a snap to check-in and check our bags, and to get thru passport control.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

We wanted a traditional onsen experience and we got one. Our hotel was very traditional, and had several beautiful communal baths right on the property... Our days typically started with using the baths before breakfast, and again after dinner. While it was unfortunately too cloudy to see Mt. Fuji, the Hakone area was beautiful and relaxing. A great 3-day end to our 2-week trip.

Quality of Experience

The Hakone Open-Air Museum

Hakone

We had heard this was a great museum... it was fantastic. The setting and the sculptures together added to the experience - it really needs to be seen.

Quality of Experience

Transport

The trains and buses in Hakone (all free with the Hakone free-pass) made everything accessible / easy

Traditional Kyoto

Kyoto

We loved being in Kyoto. Within a few blocks of our hotel were temples, shrines, as well as many restaurants and shops. And it was very easy to get to the Bamboo forest and the Fushimi Inari Shrine. We spent three nights in Kyoto and could easily have enjoyed several more.

Quality of Experience

Explore Asakusa

Tokyo

We stayed in Ginza, and as we started our trip in Tokyo, we were pretty jet-lagged and tired - and came close to not leaving Ginza. Boy are we glad we decided to make the short subway trip to Asakusa. Ginza is beautiful and modern, and not far away in Asakusa, you can get a feel for old Tokyo. Temples, shrines, and real neighborhoods. We even had dinner Sunday night outdoors on a small street where we were the only tourists.

Quality of Experience

We very much enjoyed our 2 week Japan vacation, thanks to the careful planning of Irish. Irish was a great problem solver when issues came up, she was a thoughtful communicator, responding quickly to questions and she was thorough and organized so everything was arranged on time and without issue.

Our guides were wonderful for the most part. We thought that Shu was exceptionally good in his knowledge, organization and consideration. Miyuki was also terrific, even though she pushed us to our limits of walking. Mike helped us get part of way from Hakone to Naoshima and he was delightful and efficient. Stephanie showed us around Tokyo one morning on a fun and informative food tour which was a lot of fun.

Together, they made our trip smooth and easy!

Hotel Reviews

THE KNOT HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima

Great hotel, comfortable rooms, excellent location. The hotel restaurant is excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naoshima Ryokan ROKA

Naoshima

We loved this hotel. A peaceful refuge in a beauty setting. The service is excellent, as is the food. We would definitely return!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Airu

Hakone

Beautiful hotel! The photos don’t do it justice. The staff was exceptional. We worked definitely return.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Century Southern Tower

Tokyo

Average corporate hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zentis Osaka

Osaka

Beautiful hotel, comfortable rooms, excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

The Traditional Tea Ceremony was one of the highlights of the trip. We really enjoyed learning about the culture and the matcha was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiku Chiku CAFE- A hedgehog home and cafe in Shibuya

Tokyo

The visit to Chiku Chiku Cafe was fun, but the hedgehogs could have been more alert.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Sumo Training Visit

Tokyo

The Sumo Training Visit was a unique experience and it was nice to learn about the culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nakameguro Food Tour

Tokyo

The food tour in Nakameguro was great. We enjoyed trying different types of food and our guide, Stephanie, was super helpful despite a minor miscommunication about timing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt. Fuji and Hakone Tour

Hakone

The Mt. Fuji and Hakone Tour was enjoyable, although we only saw the top of Mt. Fuji due to cloud cover.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Buildings by the architect Shin Takamatsu

Tokyo

The visit to Shin Takamatsu's buildings was interesting and we enjoyed seeing his work.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Departure

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Arashiyama

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Uji and Nara

Kyoto

We loved it but the 2.5 hour walk to Todai-Ji was too much, especially in the rain. Would have preferred a more direct route.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Red Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TeamLab Planets Tokyo

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Akihabara- Tokyo's Electric town

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yayoi Kusama Museum

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Tokyo

Tokyo

Our greeter was very kind and helpful and helped us secure our JR pass and pocket Wi-Fi. Our driver was a little disappointing. We arrived in heavy rain due to the typhoon. He drove quite aggressively in the rain, and then dropped us in the pouring rain when we were not sure which was our AirBNB. Just put our luggage out on the street and drove off. It would have been really helpful if he could have helped us read the Japanese numbers and signage.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

14-Day Ordinary JR Pass

Japan

We enjoyed having our JR pass. I wish that I would have ordered it myself online so that I could have made seating reservations online. That’s the only drawback.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic vacation! Our favorite activity was the Ramen Cooking Class in Kyoto. Thank you!