Angel Tang

I can't say enough about KimKim and our agent Angel, and how seamless the trip she put together for us, was. The experiences - knife making in Kyoto, kintsugi in Tokyo, visiting the kaga yuzen master in Kanazawa - were wonderful, fun, and informative, real learning experiences about each craft and its history. The guides were each great. They were each thoughtful, attentive, a wealth of knowledge and information, fluent in English, on time, and receptive to our inputs as we went through our time with them. They were also founts of information about what to do during our times on our own, where to go for particular interests (e.g., purchasing indigo fabric in Osaka, restaurants in each city, gardens to visit, where to purchase ceramics), and general information about each city, including providing a detailed understanding of how to use public transportation in Tokyo & Osaka. All local arrangements were also perfect - pickups at airports and hotels, train and hotel reservations. One small thing - we found hotel rooms to be on the small side, and in Tokyo & Kyoto, upgraded to larger rooms on our arrival. Had we paid closer attention to the information about the hotel rooms we were booked into, we would have handled this prior to departure. I see this as something that was our responsibility. In summary, we were very pleased, we would consult with Angel and KimKim first on any trip in their domain for our future travel, and we are highly recommending Angel and KimKim to all of our friends and family!

Hotel Reviews

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Lovely setting with sitting area. Great location 2 blocks from major shopping and food areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Shopping, food, the river! Great buffet breakfast!

Staff

Very attentive and responsive to our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

Great staff, lovely hotel - including public bath - and while a bit outside of the main attractions, next door to a subway station and some lovely parks!

Authenticity & Character

Public baths, adjoining park

Location

CLose to beautiful parks and subway

Staff

Very attentive and responsive to our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Impecable

Ryokan Aura Tachibana

Hakone

Authentic experience of a ryokan. Excellent food. Great baths!

Authenticity & Character

A real ryokan. Baths, included dinner and breakfast that were authentic foods.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako City Osaka Hommachi

Osaka

Beautiful room with balcony. Excellent buffet breakfast. Large sitting area with soft drinks and sake/wine (for a small fee), very comfortable overall. Very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well situated in relation to major sights, and for those who shop, to Takashiyama and a major wholesale building (9 blocks long!).

Staff

Very hlepful and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Beautiful room, excellent location, great staff, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all the things we wanted to see, including the historical garden, samurai section, other sights.

Staff

I left a treasured hat on the train that took us to Kanazawa; I realized this had happened as soon as we got to our room. Went to the desk and told the staff. They went into action, calling the train station and other parties. The hat was located and returned. I can't thank them enough!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel JAL City Nagano

Excellent location (close to major interests & train station) and breakfast. Excellent staff, helpful with dinner reservations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to attractions, comfortable room, excellent breakfast

Staff

Very helpful with dinner reservations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake in Nagano

Japan

Words cannot describe the experience of visiting the area with snow monkeys! great sake tasting experience, very educational. Also excellent - and huge - lunch!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katana Sword Making in Kyoto

Kyoto

WOW, We REALLY made knives! A real blacksmithing experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Tokyo

A very full first day in Tokyo with our guide Yumi. She was excellent, spoke English fluently, helped us find gifts to purchase, our first teacher on this trip about Shinto and - among other things - the history of the fish market and associated shrine, how to approach a shrine and temple, etc. Taught us how to use the subway. Can't say enough!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Pure Gold Kintsugi Workshop with Master Taku in Tokyo

Tokyo

Very interesting to learn about this practice and do it! We worked with a master. We have our pieces on display in our home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked and found a beautiful garden

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Yuki was amazing. He was our driver and guide. Excellent English, very informative all along the way,, explaining and describing, and answering our many questions. Helpd us locate and purchase sparkling sake! Beautiful trip through a mountainous area. Cedar 'forest at teh Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen shrine (other worldly big), Mt. Fuji was in the clouds, but its top emerged as we walked along one of the lakes. Delivered us safely t our hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Wow! Dressed to the 9's in kimono, AUTHENTIC! Not quite a formal teas ceremony, but more of a learning experience. Lots of fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

A VERY full day with our guide Zumi! Visited the Shogun castle, and both Shinto shrine and Buddhist Temple. Each highly worth the visit with much learned and extraordinary beauty. Especially the garden at the Golden Temple and overall, the castle, where we learned about how each room of the castle was used to communicate awe to those who sought an audience with the Shogun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Can't say enough about how attentive and informative Zumi was. He forgot to give us a few pieces of information we had gathered during the day (and which he carried for us). he delivered them to our next hotel!

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

An immersion in street food of Osaka. Interesting, but not the food of my first choice. Nonetheless, and worthwhile evening. VERY jam packed with people!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was a bit of a 'newbie' and a bit nervous, but she was lovely.

Osaka-Nara day trip with Osaka Castle

Osaka

The deer! But the high point was the Buddhist Temple, largest man made wooden structure in the world circa 740s. It left me in awe. I was deeply moved and did not have the words to describe how or why. It stopped me in my tracks. The castle was also interesting. We chose not to visit the tower as it had already been a full day and we wanted time to find indigo dyed fabric - which we did!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asuka was an excellent guide!

Kanazawa Geisha District Night Tour with Dinner

Kanazawa

A VERY interesting and educational experience regarding the history of Geisha 'culture' and how it lives on today

Quality of Experience

Food

Had a great, authentic dinner.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Gokayama and Shirakawago Tour from Kanazawa

Japan

Into the mountains - beautiful! Two villages comprised of thatched roofed houses, less than 200 left in Japan. Beautiful setting, very peaceful. Learned a great deal about this culture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Mai was also our driver -safe, excellent. A fount of information.

Transport

Half Day Artisan Tour in Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Kaga Yuzen! Unbelievable craftsmanship and beauty. Also, the visit to the samurai section was interesting, educational, and beautiful, and was helpful for us to find ceramic gifts

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ai was great!

Angel was absolutely wonderful to work with while planning my trip to Japan. Traveling through several cities can be overwhelming, but she made the entire process seamless from start to finish.

Having every detail organized and a clear plan in place allowed me to relax and truly enjoy the experience. With accommodations, transportation, and tours were carefully coordinated, and everything went smoothly throughout the trip.

What I appreciated most was that Angel checked in along the way and reminders of the next days activities. She was always available if I had any questions.

I highly recommend Kim Kim to anyone planning a trip, especially a more complex itinerary. Kim kim took the stress out of travel planning and helped make my Japan adventure an unforgettable experience

Hotel Reviews

Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport

Tokyo

clean and quite and close to Hotel

Authenticity & Character

clean

Location

Haneda airport location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

Kyoto

Clean and comfortable hotel. Rooms were great size and laundry on site and location was great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

property is beautiful, peaceful and surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. The onsen facilities were a highlight of my stay. The staff was AMAZING !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Tokyo Hotel

Tokyo

Great location and shuttle service to Shinjuku. Rooms were spacious and clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Glimpse into Shinto Religion: Fushimi Inari Taisha Visit

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geisha (Maiko) Tea Ceremony & Show

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nara Half Day Trip Walking Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Arashiyama Rickshaw Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kamakura Historical Walking Tour with the Great Buddha

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Planning a pilgrimage as meaningful and complex as the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan requires extraordinary coordination, care, and expertise — and our travel specialist Angel, exceeded every expectation.

From the very beginning, every logistical detail was handled with precision and professionalism. The itinerary was thoughtfully organized, transportation was seamless, hotel arrangements were comfortable and perfectly located, and every reservation — from temple visits to dinners — was flawlessly executed. The timing throughout the journey was exceptional, allowing our group to experience the pilgrimage deeply without ever feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

What truly made this experience unforgettable was the incredible team assigned to accompany us. Every member of the support staff was attentive, knowledgeable, kind, and deeply committed to ensuring our group felt supported throughout the pilgrimage. Their cultural understanding, patience, and ability to anticipate our needs created a sense of ease and trust that allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the spiritual and personal aspects of the journey.

The dinner experiences were another highlight — beautifully selected venues that introduced us to authentic Japanese cuisine while also accommodating the needs of our group with care and thoughtfulness. Every day reflected an extraordinary level of preparation and attention to detail.

Coordinating a large group on a pilgrimage of this scale is no small task, yet everything felt effortless because of the dedication and excellence behind the scenes. We are profoundly grateful for the care, professionalism, and heart that went into creating this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I would recommend this agency and Angel as the best team without hesitation to anyone considering a pilgrimage or group journey in Japan. Their expertise transformed an already meaningful trip into something truly extraordinary.

Angel was the most amazing organizer; informed, personable and fun to work with. We were 4 women who enjoy adventure and talking to local people. We each have done a fair amount of traveling on our own and arranging our own trips with family and friends but this time relied on KimKim to make our arrangements.

Their local day trip guides were extremely knowledgable, thoughtful, kind and with a sense of humor. We appreciated times when the various local guides adjusted the schedule or site given to avoid the crowds. Sometimes we explored new places and had to adjust the schedule given unknown circumstances. The experiences felt unique while at the same time we were visiting major sites. So many places we went were so special. We made a number of requests in the beginning and made a few major adjustments just before embarking. When we had an unexpected emergency she responded immediately --anticipating the next steps with calm.

I wish Angel could arrange all my trips.

We’re not typically “tour bus” travelers, so we wanted the freedom to explore on our own while still having the support and security of a tour company—and this trip delivered exactly that.
Angel, our contact at Kimkim, arranged everything seamlessly, including hotels, transportation, and local guides in each town we visited. Throughout the journey, Angel stayed in touch, which gave us great peace of mind.
In Tokyo, our guide Koiku was excellent. Not only did they show us many key attractions, but they also taught us how to navigate the subway and train systems, giving us the confidence to explore independently.
The hotels along the way were consistently clean, comfortable, and very welcoming. Traveling by train between destinations was smooth and easy to manage.
In Takayama, our guide Ikue introduced us to off-the-beaten-path spots we never would have discovered on our own. Masa, our driver and guide through the mountains to Kanazawa, was both informative and entertaining, and made the journey truly special by taking us to some lesser-known locations.
In Kanazawa, our guide Ai went above and beyond. She not only provided an excellent tour, but also took us to her favorite restaurant and even helped us make arrangements for an event the following day—on her day off. Truly exceptional service.
Overall, the trip was incredibly well organized and made for a comfortable, stress-free experience. A big thank you to Angel and the Kimkim team—I would absolutely travel with them again on a future adventure.

Working with Angel via kimkim was fantastic! She was very patient with my many questions, requests, and concerns. She was very responsive as well. She planned a fantastic, kid-friendly trip to Japan. I wouldn't have changed anything! I would definitely use kimkim again, and I would recommend Angel if planning a trip to Japan!

Activity Reviews

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Our full day tour with Ai from Kanazawa Tours was fantastic! She is very knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of Kanazawa. The entire tour was interesting and educational, and she explained everything so it was easy for the kids to understand. Speaking of the kids, she interacted with them so well! It's clear that she loves children and went out of her way to make sure they were having a good time. I would absolutely recommend requesting Ai for this tour, especially if traveling with children!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Japan

Yoshiko was a fantastic tour guide! She was very patient with us and with the kids, despite our slow moving pace. She was kind, knowledgeable, and explained everything so well!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport