Angel Tang

Japan was a trip of a lifetime! The Japanese sure know how to cook, loved all the food we tried! We especially appreciated how smooth our guides made the trip- Hal was a great historian in Kyoto to explain the history of Japan during the rule of the Sho-Gun. Safi was especially helpful explaining how the trains work in Tokyo and navigated us around Tokyo seamlessly and gave us a great recommendation for ramen in Harajuku. Tomi was very knowledgeable about the Toyota company foundings and provided a great recommendation for hitsumabushi in Nagoya. If we had a do-over, we probably would want to spend more time in Nagoya after having visited, it’s a lovely city and we appreciated the smaller size compared to Tokyo.

Hotel Reviews

The Thousand Kyoto

Kyoto

The lobby smelled nice when you enter, of lavender! We spent two nights here, loved the proximity to the train station. There is a very nice ramen restaurant that we found near the hotel to enjoy our thanksgiving dinner at. The hotel breakfasts, both Japanese and western style were yummy.

Authenticity & Character

Once we figured out how the iPad in the hotel controlled the room, that was a nice feature. It had lots of info on the restaurants in the hotel, services, room lights etc.

Location

Proximity to trains, made it very easy for our return trip home

Staff

All of the staff were great, very accommodating for letting us drop off our smaller luggage and hold at the desk while we explored Kyoto in the day time.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was extremely clean

Hilton Nagoya Hotel

Naka-ku Nagoya

Very nice hotel, they had a cool train display for the holidays in the lobby! Staff were friendly and the breakfast was very good! We were only here one night and enjoyed our brief stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were able to enjoy a nice walk to the train station from the hotel!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, extremely clean room.

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, A Pan Pacific Partner Hotel

Loved the closeness to the Shibuya station for exploring around Tokyo. The staff were all extremely helpful when we had questions about setting up a cab or shipping our luggage to Kyoto. The bar on the 40th floor made really good cocktails and the Japanese breakfast was so yummy.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern hotel with lots of nice amenities

Location

Closeness to train station, food and shopping

Staff

Extremely polite and patient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enjoyed the turn down service with tea and chocolates provided

Activity Reviews

Museums Exploration in Nagoya

Nagoya

My husband loved this! He was like a kid in a candy shop at the automobiles museum. It was very cool learning about how Toyota originally started as a textile company and then became an automobile maker- especially enjoyed how the Industries museum noted different events occurring in the world as they became a car maker company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Even though the weather was not the most cooperative, we had a good time. It was impressive to see how a 12,000 foot mountain can be completely hidden with what I’m assuming is snow clouds. Enjoyed the 400 stair walk to the pagoda that overlooks the Mt Fuji valley and learning about its construction during WW2 for missing and injured Japanese soldiers (was nice to get a Japanese perspective on events in the pacific theater). We bought some cool souvenirs and tried pizza with sweet potatoes as a topping!

Quality of Experience

The fall foliage was stunning- even though we could not see the mountain, we could still enjoy the fall foliage

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Having a private driver was nice, especially to be able to nap on the return trip to Tokyo while still adjusting to the jet lag. Again, very nice to do this with Safi again, we liked the continuity of the guides as she was with us in Tokyo.

Transport

Nice and smooth, the Alphards are nice vehicles to travel in.

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

Tokyo

Loved trying the food- only thing I wish we would have done is to have had a smaller breakfast. We were both pretty full by the time we started exploring the fish market but were able to enjoy some really nice matcha and crab. I especially enjoyed the deep fried sweet potatoes in the market from Asakusa.

Quality of Experience

Liked seeing all the activity in the market and trying Japanese snacks

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safi was fantastic! We enjoyed running around the city with her, she’s a very fun person and easy to communicate with.

Transport

Loved riding all the trains

I recently organized a group trip to Japan for 15 travelers through KimKim and worked directly with Angel as our specialist. This was my sixth time working with KimKim and once again the level of customer service, communication, and genuine care stood out in a major way.

Even though I did not travel with this group myself, Angel and her team were responsive, patient, and committed to supporting a very full itinerary across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Managing a group of this size with many moving parts is not easy, and overall the coordination, accommodations, and activities were excellent.

Our hotels in all three cities were beautiful, centrally located, and convenient for exploring on foot or by train. The activities chosen for the group were engaging and memorable. TeamLab Planets was a highlight for many and became one of the most talked about experiences of the entire itinerary. Travelers also enjoyed the castles, shrines, markets, and cultural touches throughout the journey.

We did encounter a few hiccups during the trip, which I believe are helpful to name for growth on both sides. Some of the full day excursions were too long and packed too tightly, which made the days feel rushed for travelers who wanted more time to absorb the history and culture. Time management and pacing are especially important for first time visitors to Japan, and future itineraries would benefit from shorter days, more breaks, and a bit more built-in flexibility.
We also had inconsistent experiences with local guides. One of our female guides was phenomenal, thoughtful, and highly communicative. Another guide struggled with communication and cultural expectations, which created some strain during one of the full day tours. That said, Angel was receptive when this was brought to her attention and took action to support the group.

There was also an issue with the tea ceremony and samurai museum tickets not being booked in advance even though they had been paid for. This was understandably frustrating for travelers who were looking forward to these activities. I appreciate Angel and Sandy stepping in quickly to help resolve this, and I am currently processing reimbursements on my end with their support. Mistakes happen, and I appreciate the team’s transparency and willingness to correct it.

Despite the challenges, what impressed me most was the care, grace, and helpful attitude Angel consistently demonstrated. She was in daily communication with our trip leaders, monitored the group’s needs closely, and made every effort to keep things running smoothly. Her dedication did not go unnoticed by the travelers or by me.

Overall, this was a meaningful trip for my community. My travelers experienced Japan through culture, food, history, and shared connection. The minor issues do not overshadow the fact that KimKim curated a beautiful journey for us, and our group made incredible memories together.

I would absolutely work with KimKim again and with Angel again. With a few adjustments to pacing and guide selection, I know future Japan itineraries will be even stronger. Thank you, Angel and Sandy, for your time, flexibility, and support through the entire process.

My son and I took a trip to Japan and planned it through kimkim. Our local agent Angel was amazing to work with and connected us with the best tour guides in Tokyo and Kyoto. She stayed in touch with us throughout the trip and made sure we had all the information we needed to travel efficiently. We could not have asked for a better experience. I definitely will use kimkim again when booking a custom luxury vacation.

Hotel Review

Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Osaka Station

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Could tell it was an American brand

Location

Near train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sightseeing in Arashiyama - Boat Ride and Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

Due to weather our boat ride got cancelled but our guide made sure to keep us busy with other sites. In addition to the bamboo forest we visited another site that was not on our list but one that I had heard about. Yoshiko was very accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was extremely professional and very accommodating

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

This was so much fun! I loved getting dressed in the kimono and learning about the traditional tea ceremony customs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai and Ninja Museum with Experience

Kyoto

Although this was interesting, the museum was very crowded and was my least favorite part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff and guides at the museum felt rushed.

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Our guide in Kyoto, Yoshiko, was such a pleasure to tour with. She was very knowledgeable and despite the rain (and crowds) she made this day interesting and memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gion Geisha Walking Tour

Kyoto

This tour was very informative. Our guide gave us a ton of historical information about the area and the Geisha culture. We didn’t get to see everything I would have liked to see but still very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Hakone from Tokyo

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vehicle was extremely comfortable

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

Japan

This was one of my favorite days. Motoki was once again very accommodating and made sure we got to see everything we wanted. Our driver was also very accommodating and there to pick us up whenever we were ready to move on to the next stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Minnie was a great guide and the food was incredible. Loved that it was a small group and we got to know our guide and the other couple in the tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour - East & West

Tokyo

Our tour guide Motoki was fantastic. He made sure that we got to see and do all that we wanted in addition to what was on our itinerary. He also shared stories of the Japanese culture that added to our experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Motoki was the BEST!

Transport

This was the worst trip I have ever had via Kimkim. Actually the worst guided trip of my life!
It’s zero or even negative value for money. We were charged a bomb excluding hotel and we realised that after going there. And the whole trip was planned in an extremely subpar way. I feel the specialist is a real amateur here. And the support has been very poor as well. Especially when we were trying to reach out bd or help regarding something.

Previous experience with kimkim was so great and that’s why we blindly believed and went ahead here. The previous tour specialist were so professional and amazing as well.
Forced to give 1 star here. Ideally wanted to give zero star.