Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

KimKim and Greg in particular did an amazing job planning and executing our once in a lifetime trip to Japan! Greg took all of our input and put together a wonderful trip plan. His knowledge of, and experience in, Japan was invaluable and was reflected in our very robust itinerary. We visited 6 cities and traveled across much of Japan taking many trains and ferries, all planned and ticketed with perfection by Greg. We also had unique and memorable tours and meals we never would have experienced had Greg not scheduled them. As important as planning was, Greg's ability to timely and helpfully respond to our questions during the trip was hugely important to us. We HIGHLY and without hesitation recommend Greg to anyone thinking of traveling to Japan!

We had an amazing time in Japan! The itinerary provided meant we got to see different locations and aspects of Japan that we wouldn't have done without help. We had a good mix of city and scenery and accommodation, both smaller Japanese style and larger hotels. Ben was responsive to our questions and suggested changes.
The guides (Miki, Betty, Yuki and Ursala) were fantastic, answering all our questions and giving insight on Japanese culture. Thank you so much to KimKim and team!

Hotel Reviews

Karaksa hotel grande Shin-Osaka Tower

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oyado Koto no Yume

Takayama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yuyaruru Saisai

Kanazawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kyuan

Kanagawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Temple Lodging Shukubo Kakurinbo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima by public transport

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See Kyoto review

Transport

Arashiyama One-Day Tour: Giouji Moss Temple, Bamboo Grove, and Transfer to Osaka

Japan

Quality of Experience

Moss temple was great, really enjoyed it being a bit quieter!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See Kyoto review

Transport

Discover Kyoto's Timeless Treasures by Public Transport: A Guided Tour of Culture, Cuisine, and Charm

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Kyoto, whilst interesting and with a long history, is very touristy.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really liked Ursala-san! She was knowledgeable about Japan whilst also providing context in comparison with other Asian countries. Being similar ages we found her very relatable and enjoyable company. She always made sure we were looked after!

Transport

Day trip : Kanazawa to Takayama with Unique Experiences (By Public Transportation)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuki was brilliant, he was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions about Takayama and Gokayama. He was thoughtful in suggesting a private car given Bryony's pregnancy. Hopefully we will come back and go skiing with him!

Transport

Morning tour in Minobu and then private transfer to Hakone

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from Tokyo to Minobu enroute tour to Mt. Fuji

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Betty-san was very sweet! She was kind and generous with regards to Bryony's pregnancy. Driver was very smooth and the car was great.

Transport

Explore Tokyo's Rich Heritage: Tsukiji Outer Market,Imperial palace, Shibuya crossing by public transport

Tokyo

Excellent, but would have been helpful to know that some shops in the market were closed due to the holiday and that this would have been better on another day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Miki-san was amazing! We loved hearing about life in Japan and she really brought it to life with personal anecdotes. Knowledgeable about the history and conscientious to Bryony's pregnancy.

Transport

We really enjoyed Angel’s recommendations in hotels and activities. Her organization of our trip made it seamless and unforgettable. Thank you Angel!

I have commented on the actual hotels and excursions on the trip details section of your web site. The trip that we went on was very enjoyable. We stayed in quality hotels, enjoyed amazing excursions to interesting temples and other tourist attractions. All our transfers were completed by professional drivers driving new vehicles. They arrived on time and always contacted us the night before to confirm details. The guides we had were both very impressive and did excellent jobs guiding us to the various sites we attended.
While the overall trip experience was very well done, we found the planning part of this to be frustrating at times. At one point we were prepared to walk away and went so far as to investigate this same trip with one of your competitors. Our agent, Shona, while knowledgeable and capable, also complicated the planning process. One of the items we requested was to have guided escorts into/out of the train stations in both Tokyo and Kyoto. This was agreed to by Shona and we promptly paid for our trip. We then spent the next three weeks re-negotiating this. It had been agreed to and paid for and three weeks later we were still talking about it. My wife and I were both happy that we did not let this drop. After being in both train stations, the escorts reduced our stress levels a lot by taking us to the proper spots to meet up with our train
or taxi. On several occasions we reconfirmed information that had already been provided. While saying this, Shona was spot on during our trip. She confirmed driver details and followed up on all excursions to check on our experiences. She was present and involved and committed to ensuring that our trip was a success.
So overall, my wife and I found some of the planning to be frustrating, but, in the end we had this amazing trip with many good memories. I would still go back to Kimkim for future trips and I have passed on your company name to friends to help them with their travel needs.

Hotel Reviews

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

This hotel feels like you are walking back in time. Very nicely decorated, it feels like you are walking through a library. It had an impressive breakfast buffet. The thermal bath facilities were high end with everything spotlessly clean. I would recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

This was another high end hotel that delivered a high end customer experience. We enjoyed everything about this hotel. It is conveniently located adjacent to the main shopping area and the train station. They had a beautiful buffet breakfast with sufficient choice to satisfy any diner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Arashiyama Onsen Ryokan Togetsutei

We have never stayed in a hotel like this one before. We loved our experience here and the introduction and immersion into Japanese culture. We were greeted with kimono-wearing inn staff, had a tea ceremony welcome and were provided with our own kimonos. The room was totally Japanese from the furniture, mats, bedding and water garden structure. The onsen was awesome with some of the hottest thermal baths we have ever seen. We were provided with a 12 course traditional Japanese meal with serving bowls that we have never seen before. The traditional breakfast the following morning provided enough food to feed 2 or 3 people. We totally enjoyed this hotel and this immersive experience into the culture of this country. We will remember this day for a long long time.

Authenticity & Character

If you are looking for a traditional Japanese inn/hotel experience this is it. Fabulous.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Tsukiji

Tokyo

Possibly the nicest hotel we have ever stayed in. The staff from the Manager to the room stewards were impressively polite and friendly. The breakfast served was the best hotel breakfast we have ever had with a full buffet and a menu to order other meals. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and would not hesitate to stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gion District and Nishiki Market

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Higashiyama Walking Tour: From Kiyomizu-dera to Philosopher's Path

Kyoto

The historic district was awesome to see. The Kiyomizu-dera Temple complex was very impressive. This was a most enjoyable day and we felt like we were able to see a lot of sights.

Quality of Experience

This was my favorite day of the week.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Another fantastic day with our guide Mitsui. The temples viewed were most impressive. We enjoyed our time here a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Our guide on this day (and the next) was exceptional. Mitsui was very personable and we enjoyed her company. The Bamboo Grove and the Tenryuji gardens were impressive. We were not a fan of the Yakatabune boat ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough good things about Mitsui our guide. Personable, efficient, well planed. Sheworked hard to ensure our time with her was enjoyable.

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

This whole experience was new to us. From dressing in kimonos to the actual tea ceremony itself. The staff were very accommodating and answered all our questions. We enjoyed the three hours we spent there and definitely gained some insights into Japanese culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

This was an excellent day of sight-seeing in Tokyo. Our guide Sayumi (Sam) was excellent, it was like spending a day with an old friend. She provided us with subway cards to make it easier/quicker to navigate around the city. We thoroughly enjoyed this day with Sam. In addition to the temples and shrines we visited we also got to see areas of the city "not on the tourist maps" which we always find interesting to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide (Sam) was awesome. She planned our route to ensure maximum coverage of the sites we were visiting.

Transport

All transfers/taxis/buses were well planned. Drivers were professional and drove late model high-end cars.

We were fortunate to have several great guides and drivers and on one case occasion guide/driver. Plus the drivers that picked us up and delivered us to the airport.
Toru was with us the first full day and did a city tour through a very rainy, but it was fun. The next 2 days we had Yuki for a 2-day trip to Mt Fuji and Hakone. Another great trip, with many adventures. The last day in Tokyo we went to Tokyo Disney with "Tours by Locals", great guide also.
We flew to Seoul and had 2 days with Ka, she was guide & driver. A great 2 days. lots to do and good eats. Then our last day was on our own and was good to.
Overall we were very happy with our tour, guides and hotels.

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Seoul

Very nice d pleasant. With great breakfast and lunch buffet. Helpful people.

Authenticity & Character

It was a hotel.

Location

It was central

Staff

veryone was nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and nice.

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

We enjoyed the whole place it was great and a type of place we had never encountered before.

Authenticity & Character

From our experience it was great

Location

Interesting

Staff

everyone was very helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean and well appointed

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Garden Tower

Tokyo

It was a great experience and very nice people.

Authenticity & Character

it was great

Location

beautiful grounds

Staff

All of it was great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfy

Activity Reviews

Full Day Korean DMZ and Hongdae Shopping Street Tour

Seoul

Fun to explore

Quality of Experience

We kind of split up and guide went with granddaughter and 2 of us went off for personal adventure

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was just great

Transport

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Ka did a great job guiding us around Seoul. Lots to see and very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Ka

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She did an amazing job for us, even with some changes

Transport

Ka was driver and guide. Great job

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway

Japan

As in any trip you can't control weather and some other things so some things didn't work. But you have to be flexible and so do the guides. And we were and the guides were.

Quality of Experience

It was just great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

Mt Fuji was just as you see in pictures. We had clear skies and could see the top most of the time.

Quality of Experience

The guide and where we were

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

always great

Tokyo Tower , Ueno Park, and Sumida River Cruise

Tokyo

Thoroughly great, enjoyed our time on these activities.

Quality of Experience

Awesome Just being there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, they were great. Clean

Transport

great

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Tokyo

Lovely groundsNot

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful!

Transport

Amazing

My guide was truly amazing, but so was the driver. One day it was raining and we had a few hours left and he suggested going to the library. I'm an academic, so I was up for it to get out of the rain. It wasn't a normal library. There was a scale model of the region with every building and tree. We spent two hours there and could have stayed longer. It was more like a museum.

We had a fabulous time during our 15-day trip to Japan! The trip was planned and coordinated by local specialist Shona. She did a great job in planning the trip the way we wanted (including all the train reservations). We visited Tokyo (5 Nights), Kyoto (5 Nights), Matsue (2 Nights) and Osaka (2 Nights). In Tokyo and Kyoto, we had several private full day trips to points of interest as suggested and planned by Shona. Our local tour guides Yumi (Tokyo) and Yuji and Ken (Kyoto) were all great in explaining the importance of the sites we visited. In Matsue and Osaka, we chose to do the sightseeing on our own but followed suggestions from Shona. The selected Hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka met our expectations. In Matsue we chose to stay at a Ryokan which provided a great cultural experience with Japanese traditions including the prefixed Japanese style dinners). If anyone is planning a trip to Japan, I would highly recommend Shona as your local travel specialist.

Shona was very responsive to our requests and needs. She always acknowledged our questions and concerns within 24 hours, and provided relevant trip guidance, information and options in a timely manner. We went thru at least 4 iterations of our trip plan, and she patiently and methodically worked thru each of these iterations and tailored the trip to our complete satisfaction. And when we were in Japan she reached out to us almost every day via email (and messages on KimKim portal) to coordinate the various private tours on our itinerary, including transfers to and from airport and various train stations. It was indeed her care and attention to details, her promptness in responding to our queries, and her clear, concise, and courteous communication skills which made our trip hassle-free and our Japan trip very enjoyable and memorable!

Sandy was very understanding and patient with me. This was a last minute trip and i have a tight budget, sandy happily assisted me to make my first Japan trip memorable! I was happy with the guide in Tokyo, the sumo experience was something i will never forget and the Tea ceremony in Kyoto was definitely an Ichigo Ichie experience. There was one activity which i originally liked but the final itinerary was showing differently. Sandy explained that there was no availability but it would be appreciated if it was brought to my attention before I finalized the trip. The guide in Kyoto was good but we did not connect that much. Overall, i still had a wonderful first Japan trip! Thank you so much Sandy!

Our trip to Japan during spring to see the magic of Sakura blooms was a hit from beginning to the end. Kim Kim (Olivia)'s support in planning and organising the visit was superb. She was extremely professional in her role and fucntions, we could not have expected any better. There were hardly any issues, since every detail has been looked into by Olivia. Whenever there was a need for a re- scheduling, Olivia took to the task and attended to it promptly. It was a pleasure to communicate with her. Thank you Kim Kim!
What we saw was amazing, the Sakura blooms we saw in Nara, Kyoto, Osaka can only be described as magical! It was a dream come true for us! Cherry blossoms painted the gardens, streets pink and white. As the petals fall and make a mosaic of a carpet beneath the trees, one realises that it indeed is celebration of beauty and impermanance.
Most of the tour guides who took us around were simply superb! namely - Yumi in Hakone, Hector, and NIck Nonaka in Nara and Kyoto. They understood our pulse and interests, were kind and helpful, all three of them made the tour super special. We also had a very good time with the guide who took us on the 'Foodie Tour' in Osaka, where we prepared and devoured Osaka special cabbage pancake!
I celebrated my milestone birthday donned in kimino with two of my sisters, strolling in the Osaka palace garden bustling with Sakura blooms. It was turely a memorable day!
Everything was wonderful, except:
i. The day in Tokyo - our Day One of the trip in Tokyo was nothing to write home about, it was dull, lacked any charm, and the guide did not make much effort to make the day special for us.
ii. The Tea Ceremony was a total flop (which had to be re- scheduled from the original plan due to the short time gap between 2 events). Olivia managed to find a different place, however, it was was not proper, run by a foreigner wearing a kimono, and what he preached did not match with the philsophy of the Japanese tea ceremony.
Except these two, the rest of the trip is a total win - 10 out of 10.
During our ten day visit we had a glimpse of wonders Japan offers, we returned with the promise to come back!

I had a fantastic trip with my two nieces to Japan. It was only nine days, the time I had with my nieces for spring break. I will say you definitely need more time in Japan to explore it. Unfortunately, I missed the peak of cherry blossom season, but I still saw some, and they were lovely. My travel agent, Katsu, arranged all the Transfers and set up the train tickets for me. Everything was pretty much Seamless. Saori, Hana, Harumi, Sachiyo, and Mr Ko were great. Attentive answered all our questions. I enjoyed visiting the temples and shrines. The Rickshaw Rides in the bamboo forest and Tokyo were a nice experience. The Rickshaw ride in Tokyo stood out since my driver was entertaining and charismatic. I did a bike tour in Kyoto my butt hurt at the end, but did also enjoy that unique way to see the city. I would like to thank everybody who was part of my trip, and one day, I hope to go again, but for longer.

We had a wonderful time on our trip to Japan. Eleanor was helpful and booked the perfect locations and tours for us to be able to explore and learn all about Japan. All of our tour guides were helpful, enthusiastic, and made us feel comfortable. Akiko and Nori were wonderful and made us feel as though we were travelling with family. Noo and Matt brought our small group tours together for an amazing time. Finally, Yuji was phenomenal and truly helped us to learn and understand Japan. He went above and beyond for us and was all around awesome. Some notable places we visited include Uji, Miyajima, and Senso-Ji. An all-around excellent trip and we can't wait ot book our next trip with KimKim!

Shona was super helpful with planning and coordinating our trip. She checked on us throughout the trip and promptly helped us when we ran into problems with our train tickets going missing at our hotel in Tokyo.

Most of the drivers were kind and would share with me details about what type of car they would be in and the license plate number. Most of them also had a sign with our name on it so it was easier to spot. The driver who picked us up on our first day though did not have a sign. It took us 20-30 minutes for us to find each other. And when we did finally meet up, he was not friendly. But other than that one driver, the rest were great.

The first part of our trip we were in Tokyo, specifically Shibuya, Akihabara, and Ginza. Our time in Tokyo was mostly on our own but Shona did reserve us tickets to teamlab Borderless. We went there before doing some of the other things she recommended for us.

The second part of our trip we went to Hakodate. We had a tour guide for one day. Her name was Mutsumi. I later learned that we were her first tour group! I felt for her first time giving a tour she did well. She gave us water bottles to drink throughout the day and was attentive to our needs. She also answered any questions we had about Hakodate. Mutsumi also took us to places that weren't on our itinerary such as Hakodate park. My favorite place we went to that day was Goryokaku tower/park because we got a good view of the cherry blossoms.

For the last part of our trip we went to Sapporo. We also had a guide for one day while in Sapporo. Her name was Yumi. Yumi was also great because she gave us more history and information about the places we went to. Playing the simulation games at the Sapporo Olympic Museum and going to the top of Mt. Tengu were the highlights of the day for me.

Hotel Reviews

Sapporo Stream Hotel

Sapporo

To get to the hotel room can be a bit tricky. You take one set of elevators to get to the lobby on the 7th floor. Then you take a different set of elevators to get to your room. Our room was very clean and if you participate in the eco cleaning, they reward you the next day with a free drink from the vending machine. All the amenities are in a "community bin" in the lobby so if you need a razor, lotion, coffee, or tea, you would have to go to the 7th floor. One of the downsides of the place was that you can hear the street noise from the room. The shower was also a bit weird because the stream of water shoots directly at the door, and there's no way to adjust the angle. Lastly, if you want to use the onsen, you have to upgrade your room whereas other hotels let all guests use the onsen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakodate Kokusai Hotel

My family and I enjoyed the buffet and the onsen. Our hotel room was nice but the beds were 1) on an elevated platform and 2) a little on the lower side. Since I was traveling with older people, the low beds made it hard for them to get in and out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is so close to many of the places we went to.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu

Tokyo

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu was a really convenient place to stay. It connects to Shibuya station and Shibuya Mark City. I thought the city noise would travel up to our room but it was pretty quiet where we were staying. The continental breakfast was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otaru Discovery: Glass Works, Music Boxes, and Ropeway with Sapporo Olympics Museum

Sapporo

This tour was lots of fun because there was lots of activities to do. The Sapporo Olympic Museum has different simulation machines of the different games. Then when we went to Mt. Tengu, there was ziplining and a nice photo area. Otaru canal was also nice and walking along the music box street was also fun. You'll find lots of omiyage over there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chasing Cherry Blossom in Hakodate

Hakodate

My family and I came at the perfect time when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. We got to see them at Hakodate Park and Goryokaku Park. Our guide Mutsumi took us walking all over Hakodate which was funny because we didn't realize how close everything was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eleanor took care to arrange our trip full of tours we requested. She also checked in during the trip to make sure we had everything we needed. We especially loved our tour guides in Nara.
Thank you!

Hotel Review

Osaka Tokyu REI Hotel

Osaka

Breakfast was amazing. We got a room with 1 bed that was definitely too small for 2 people.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was clean & modern, but not special

Location

Close to transportation

Staff

Helpful and caring

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small beds, get a room with 2 beds if you're sharing

Activity Review

Exploring Yoshino: A Journey through Mount Yoshinoyama and Historic Temples

Nara

Our guide was wonderful, knowledgeable & interesting. She clearly knew all about the area and had great lunch recommendations. Yoshino is beautiful & peaceful in the off season.

Quality of Experience

It was beautiful & our guide was lovely

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable clean ride

KimKim & Oshinobi Travel (Reina, Hiroshi & Emi) helped plan and execute an unbelievable trip to Japan in April 2025 in which 4 of us visited Tokyo, Nikko, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and Koyasan. Leaving things a bit late (end of February), KimKim was the only travel agent able to put together the itinerary we wanted, finding us hotels, activities and guides that were all top notch. The travel logistics (trains, cars, subways, etc.), coordination and level of service during our trip were second to none, with excellent responsiveness on WhatsApp or by phone during all hours of the day. The suggested activities were all excellent choices as well, and we would not have wanted to miss any of them. Thanks very much for an awesome trip!

Hotel Reviews

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Executive Rooms are roomy and worth the money. Standard rooms very cramped.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fufu Hakone

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tsukiji Fish Market Walking Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Start to finish Cory created a wonderful itinerary for our girls trip. Her choice of hotels were impeccable and so well situated. She was always responsive and helpful when we’d run into little bumbs. Based on her suggestions we truly had a memorable trip and loved every minute of it .

We booked the trip to Japan in April 2025 during cherry blossom season with Kimkim. Olivia did a great job helping us with the planing before and during the trip. She responses promptly whenever we had questions or issues to resolve.

Hotels in Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto were nice and centrally located. Hotel in Osaka were below our expectation. I wish we could stay longer in the Hakone ryokan hotel as it was raining from the time we arrived in the afternoon until the next morning (not even one day) so we did not have time to view and enjoy the beautiful surrounding as well as to spend more time in the onsen.

It was a bit short of time to check in the hotel in Kyoto and then go for the tea ceremony right after that. Thanks Olivia quickly provided us with the driver so we could get there in time for the event. Much appreciated!

The guides were kind and friendly, however, I wish they could tell us more stories during the travelling to and at the historic sites like other guides we were with in the past. We had some minor communication issues with the drivers as well at the airport and in Kyoto. We heard that it is more difficult for Japanese to learn English than people from other nations.

Overall we had a great time . Thanks Kimkim and Olivia for helping us with our memorable family trip to Japan!

Activity Review

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Excellent food tour, enjoyed the food and the city tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the private guides were amazing. We really liked our time with them, usually they would pick a restaurant for lunch that included a local dish, which was very enjoyable.

Hotel Review

Hotel Fukinomori

We booked a private onsen under the stars... The authentic dinner experience was marvelous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Rural Bike Tour

Takayama

Beautiful location to bike. Guide was very enjoyable to work with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Really liked this island tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove & Arashiyama Walking Tour (Join-in)

Kyoto

We were unable to go on the boat ride, which took away a lot from the tour. Too many shrines and gardens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Tokyo

Excellent food and instruction

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, a great trip, with guides who were personable and helpful. We experienced a few logistical hiccups that could be corrected for future travelers:
1. Wrong info for train from Kyoto to Nagoya. Told car 10 then had to move to car 15 when traveling.
2. Needed more info for first train trip to Hakone.
3. Kyoto - would have preferred a hotel in better location - closer walking distance to train station, restaurants and shops
4. Arrived at flower arranging late but loved it
5. Hakone hotel and experience was excellent. Loved the Onsen.
6. Sushi making activity was great fun - very enjoyable
7. Instructions on how to find Hakone hotel would have been helpful, for example “the hotel is walking distance from the station. Walk up the hill from the train station. Entrance is via a gated path and signage is in Japanese only”
8. Takayama - not enough time to visit the museum and do sake tasting without paying driver and guide overtime. Not sure why that happened?
9. Takayama - long drive for 1 hour monkey visit.
10. Loved the tea ceremony and sushi making class.
11. Hotel in Tokyo in great location.
12. The guides who were provided were all good, and Johnny, who accompanied the Tokyo leg of our trip, was outstanding.

Hotel Review

Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka

Hakone-machi

Great onsen and room accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nagamachi Samurai District

Kanazawa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kenrokuen Garden

Kanazawa

Definitely a worthwhile experience to walk through this beautiful park and gardens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Kado (Ikebana) Experience

Tokyo

We were very interested in this activity and the hands on opportunity it offered. The instruction was excellent, and the individual feedback on our arrangements much appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kyoto Tour by Private Vehicle and Guide: Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), Geisha (Maiko) Tea Ceremony & Show Nishiki Market, Nijo Castle

Kyoto

Well organized, interesting and beautiful experience with a geisha. Enjoyed the hands on tea ceremony and the Q&A session with the Geisha.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tsukiji Outer Market Visit and Sushi Making Lesson

Tokyo

Our favorite experience in Tokyo! Teacher/chef was delightful! He was both expert and very funny, communicating in Japanese but making things clear by demonstrating the steps involved. We ended up laughing our way to a delicious sushi dinner!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo Tour by Private Vehicle and Guide

Tokyo

Guide Johnny was great. Only note is make sure arrival to classes is timely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks to Kimkim we had a wonderful trip of Japan and South Korea. We got to see all the must-sees, from the Imperial Palace Gardens to Himeji Castle to the Korean DMZ, but we also got to see a few less-obvious places. We went to Kinomoto to visit a soy sauce brewery and a sake brewery, we stayed in a wonderful hotel with hot springs in Hakone and we visited teamLab Borderless in Tokyo - which was incredibly impressive, a very *different* kind of art experience. And of course, we got to try all kinds of different foods, which was half the point of our trip :D

Our tour guides were all friendly and the trip went smoothly. Shona coordinated with us and even provided alternative ideas for a self-guided day when her original suggestion turned out to be unexpectedly closed.

Hotel Review

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

Lovely hot spring tub in the room, very comfortable room overall. The food was great, and we got lucky enough to have a geisha performance while we had our kaiseki dinner. The "public" section of the hot springs was also really really nice, including sitting outside during a rainstorm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Fuka was lovely company on a fun trip to Shinjuku - and she selected great restaurants, too!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport