Shona Zhang

We were fortunate to have several great guides and drives 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

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

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

Activity Reviews

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Tokyo

Lovely groundsNot

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful!

Transport

Amazing

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

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

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

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 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

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!

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

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

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

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

Activity Reviews

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

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

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

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

Tokyo

Excellent food and instruction

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

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Really liked this island tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

Our 11-day Japan experience in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka was positive from start to finish, through a combination of fully-arranged activities [like the Asakusa Sumo Club] and self-guided tours/free time in alignment with itinerary suggestions from the KimKim site. Having reservations at great hotels [our favorite was Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji] , a planned agenda, and emergency contacts in place was reassuring, but truly the reason for our rating is Shona Zhang.

Shona was knowledgeable, amazing to work with, and always quick to respond. She made suggestions and adjustments as we planned our trip and always answered questions promptly. (As a quick note for those reaching out from another country, please remember to reasonably factor in the time difference for responses.) She handled all arrangements for our skilled drivers and our wonderful Tokyo guide, Yumiko Toyoshima, and Shona checked in with details close to time. She also clarified questions, made hotel/breakfast arrangements, and even checked in on us while in-country.

Thanks for helping us have a wonderful adventure in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Dai-ichi Hotel Tokyo

Comfortable bed, great view and breakfast, and extremely convenient to Shimbashi Station [an entrance downstairs] and local sites.

Authenticity & Character

Old-style European style, with a range of food

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Onyado Nono Kanazawa Natural Hot Spring

Kanazawa

They held onto our luggage while we explored Kanazawa, the staff was professional and polite, freebies were provided, and the hotel was conveniently located to the sites we were seeking.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel going for the style of a ryokan

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Candeo Hotels Osaka Namba

Osaka

Staff was professional, we had a nice room and breakfast opportunity, and the relaxation room on the top floor had a great view of Osaka. This hotel is very convenient to the Donburi nightlife, and the metro is a short walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji

Kyoto

This was our favorite stay in Japan. The room was comfortable, the staff was friendly, the grounds were peaceful and beautiful, and the hotel had a nice onsen with extensive hours. There was nearby shopping and food as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour - East & West

Tokyo

Yumiko Toyoshima (Yumi-San) was a wonderful and friendly tour guide! She was knowledgeable about the sites, the history, and navigating and living in Japan in general (she is from Tokyo). She shared about shrine and temple etiquette, helped us have a great local tempura lunch, and also explained traveling and helped us learn to navigate the metro system.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sumo Morning Practice in Ryogoku with Sumo Wrestler Lunch

Tokyo

The lunch show was fun, seeing a geisha performance and learning about sumo wrestling through demonstrations and a Q&A. The wrestlers were great with the crowd - especially kids - and the ability to leave with a photo was a nice momento.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Tokyo

We enjoyed getting to see Mt. Fuji (breathtaking) and the surrounding area through a convenient day trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport