Odynovo Tours Co., Ltd

What a great 12 days in Japan! Hilda was an excellent organizer and helper from beginning to end. We had very specific things we wanted to do that were not that easy to arrange (i.e. hiking parts of the Nakasendo Trail) and Hilda managed it with grace. Her attention to detail (including photos of train stations and visitors centers, obtaining train seats that had the luggage space right behind the seats, arranging knowledgeable and personable tour guides, etc) was exceptional. We were traveling with our 30 year old daughter, so having logistics taken care of but not being with a big tour group, was really important to us. Thank you for a memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Magome Chaya

Tsumago

Great experience in a charming town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kanazawa Chaya Ryokan

Lovely rooms and exceptional service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu

matsumoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Japan

Yukari our guide was excellent. We enjoyed using the subway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yukari was knowledgeable, enjoyable to be with, easy to understand, and took us to a great lunch place.

Transport

Lived taking the subway.

Half Day Nara Park & Todai-Ji Temple

Japan

Very fun petting the dear and swing the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Afternoon Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

It was interesting and well done. Location was excellent but the space was impersonal.

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

Japan

Very enjoyable day. Could have spent way more time at Fushimi Inari-Taisha and way less at Kinkaku-ji which was impossibly crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip to China was incredible!

Mike was a local agent, how know when, where to head to the mountains. I enjoyed our great conversations and his company.

I felt secure and taken care off at every moment which is quite important for a solo traveler like me.

The planning by my local specialist was great, she tailored the trip to my needs and budget.. could not say more than Amazing service!!

This is my third trip planned by Kim Kim, will keep traveling using their services.

Activity Reviews

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

The mountains are spectacular, it is worth the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tianmen Mountain – Skywalks, Cliff Roads & Heaven’s Gate

Zhangjiajie

The fog was disapointing.. so be aware it can happen!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

WE just returned from an INCREDIBLE Japan trip
Sandy customized all as I asked her and understood my needs
We mostly did all our tours organized by her or her suggestions
It was VERY useful and convenient having an agent on the ground in Tokyo-all her tips were amazing -I messaged her often in the day and being on the same time zone was amazing.She even helped me on packing items -We took carry on only so I had space to shop.She educated us on cabs and trains and tipping.
I LOVED all the hotels she picked out-we reached a stage where we had seen enough temples and shrines and she pivoted and we were so happy with her choice.
Friends of ours were there at the same time and I think ours was better organized -we did 2 nights Tokyo-then drove to Fuji and the lakes on our way to Hakone-we spent 2 nights there-then bullet train to Kyoto for 3 nights and then bullet train to Uno to get ferry to Naoshima for 2 nights-art island -then bullet train back to Tokyo for 5 nights-you dont need to go to the other mountain or another big city-Japan is so frenetic and busy that its good to do CITY_COUNTRY_CITY_COUNTRY _CITY
We loved it-the country is the best country I have traveled to and I have traveled a lot-the people are so polite and kind and humble-the food is outstanding and everything about it -bar a cab driver on the last day trying to rip us off was perfect

Judy and her team did an awesome job working with my sister and me. Kimkim took the budget and time schedule my sister and I had and was able to put together a memorable trip that took us from Tokyo to Hakone to Kyoto.

The tour guide who took us from Tokyo to Hakone was very knowledgeable in history and gave us a rundown of the history of Japan from the warring states period (and the moving of the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo) up to the end of the Meiji restoration. I enjoy learning about history; listening to his explanations was a fun way to fill the silence during our travel time between Tokyo and Hakone.

While our tour in Hakone was mainly riding vehicles (we took a car, a cable car, and later a boat), our trip in Kyoto was a lot more walking (especially uphill). Our tour guide in Kyoto I felt was very considerate on maintaining a pace that wasn't too strenuous with all the inclines. She would make sure to suggest a short break if anyone seemed winded, which I appreciated. The last place she took us to was the 1000 torii gate shrine, which we arrived around 4PM (I'll explain why I included this later). We all walked up probably about 20% up the mountain, past most of the notable gates and the shrine that sells charms/personal sized gates. By this point, the tour guide mentioned that the rest of the mountain is pretty much just more stairs and gates and not much more to see. She asked if we wanted to keep going or if we had seen enough and wanted to turn back around. My sister asked to go a little farther, and the tour guide took us another 5 minutes before my sister and I agreed that we were good with turning back and ending our tour. While we were walking back to the car, I asked our tour guide how long it takes to get to the top and if any groups ever ask her to go all the way to the top with them. She replied that it takes about 2 hours round trip and that earlier this year she had gone to the top with 2 separate groups. I honestly feel like if my sister and I wanted to climb all the way to the top, our guide would have accompanied us, which I appreciate because she never mentioned anything about the time and how it would be at least 6PM if we did the whole mountain. (Side note: the guide told us that the shrine doesn't have a closing time and my sister and I could come back later in the evening if we really wanted to get to the summit. We did.)

Overall, I really enjoyed our trip to Japan and would like to thank Judy and her team once again for the wonderful time they planned for me and my sister. Besides the wonderful guides I mentioned above, the logistics behind the trip were equally well thought out. The hotels they picked for us were fantastic and the transportation between each city were seamless.

Thank you again Kimkim for an awesome trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande

Tokyo

The hotel is very clean and provide complimentary toiletries at the front desk. The staff were very friendly. The breakfast (which I'm not sure if is normally included or was paid through our tour guide) was always well laid out with a good selection to choose from.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka

Hakone-machi

The hotel is very clean and provide complimentary pajamas you can wear during your stay. They also give you the option to borrow yukatas (free of charge) if you want instead of using their pajamas. The staff were very friendly (although our server during dinner did seem very stressed). The highlight of this hotel/inn is that you can try out their onsen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Sanjo

Kyoto

The hotel is very clean. The staff were very friendly. The breakfast (which I'm not sure if is normally included or was paid through our tour guide) was always well laid out with a good selection to choose from. The location of the hotel is very good. Once you leave the main entrance, if you go one way, you're a minute walk from the main street with lots of different stores/restaurants to choose from. (There's also a great currency exchange place at the corner of the street for foreigners.) If you go the other way, you're 5 minutes walk away from the metro station. There's also a river you can walk alongside, giving you an alternate path if you don't want to have to walk next to noisy streets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

The monkeys were very cute. I can tell the staff there really care about the wellbeing of the monkeys because they make sure to sell only 1 bag of snacks to feed the monkeys per group (to ensure no overfeeding).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour

Hakone

My sister and I were very lucky to be able to see the top of Mt Fuji. Our tour guide said normally (unless you go during the winter) the mountain is often hidden behind clouds/fog. Going to the top of Mt. Hakone using the cable car and getting to see the Hakone shrine at the summit of the mountain was very cool. Although it wasn't as flashy as some other shrines we saw later in the trip, it was the most memorable shrine for me since it was the first one on our trip/my first Shinto shrine I've been to. The lake tour was nice, but without our tour guide pointing out the historical checkpoint between Kyoto/Tokyo and explaining the significance of it, I would have probably missed it. Did enjoy sailing past the floating torii gate and seeing the many couples trying to take a picture (apparently if you take a picture with your partner at that gate it will bring good luck to your relationship).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Kinkakuji Temple is very pretty. Sad to hear that the original burned down due to arson. Fushimi Inari Taisha was good cardio.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a varied and busy 10 days. Our favorite hotel was the Ace hotel in Kyoto. We loved the Sumo wrestling academy, a highlight was dinner and spending the evening with the Maiko in Kyoto, and feeding the deer in Nara. I would recommend the “Happy Cow” app to find vegetarian restaurants. We had good guides although I feel we scheduled too many excursions and had more time driving than ideal. One guide Yasuko Nagai was really a gem. She was so knowledgeable and flexible about our itinerary. I like the personalized approach that we get with KimKim. Thank you for your service Ada. The had a great trip.

Thank you, Shona.

Our driver guide in Seoul, Taylor was very good and our driver guide in Busan/Gyeonju was great

Hotel Reviews

SIGNIEL BUSAN

Busan

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SIGNIEL SEOUL

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hwangnamgwan Hanok Guesthouse

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day with Gyeongju National Museum, Tumuli Park, Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa, Haewundae Beach and Traditional Market Tour

Busan

Danny our driver and guide was the highlight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

a lot of traffic in Seoul......not something that could be improved

Personal Color Analysis experience in Seoul

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Gyeongju Highlights: Bulguksa, Seokguram & Folk Craft Village

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Korean DMZ Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gamcheon Culture Village, Songdo Skywalk and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same as before: Danny , our guide and driver was great

Transport

Shona did a wonderful job crafting a personalized itinerary for our family. She was patient through multiple revisions to ensure everything was just right, and the result was the trip of a lifetime, filled with memories we will cherish forever!

Tokyo: We loved the Keio Plaza Hotel’s convenient location, helpful staff, and exceptional breakfast buffet. Highlights included the mesmerizing TeamLab Borderless, an outstanding hands-on sushi-making class led by Yummy and Rinako, and a full-day tour with Bea Hirata. Bea was professional, friendly, and attentive, seamlessly guiding us through Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, Tsukiji Market, Meiji Shrine, and Harajuku. Exploring Tsukiji with her was especially memorable, with incredible fresh food and local specialties.

Hakone: This was where Shona and her team truly demonstrated their value. With a typhoon approaching, they quickly adjusted our plans, ensuring Bea and our driver got us safely to Hakone before the storm. Although some activities were canceled, we enjoyed a longer, relaxing onsen experience at the spectacular Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu. The private in-room onsen, mountain views, and outstanding crab and wagyu beef shabu-shabu dinner made this a trip highlight. Without the team’s quick thinking, we might have missed Hakone altogether.

Kyoto and Nara: The Cross Kyoto Hotel was comfortable, well located, and offered an excellent breakfast. Our guide, Hideki (Hal) was good-natured and thorough. He showed us Kyoto’s highlights, including Arashiyama’s bamboo grove, Tenryuji Temple, and Nijo Castle. In Nara, our daughter loved the deer, and Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha was among the most impressive sights of our trip. Fushimi Inari’s iconic torii gates were unforgettable. We also enjoyed a wonderful calligraphy class with Aya and a magical evening walking tour of Gion with Sophia, whose insights into geisha culture made the experience especially memorable.

Kanazawa and the Countryside: The Hyatt Centric Kanazawa was convenient, comfortable, and close to the station. Nozomi introduced us to a talented ceramic artist and guided us through the samurai and geisha districts, enthusiastically sharing her extensive knowledge of Japanese history. Our final excursion to the UNESCO-listed villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama with Ian was a wonderful way to experience Japan’s beautiful countryside. Ian was attentive, conscientious, and gave us a unique western perspective of life in Japan. He further enriched our cultural immersion by taking us to a well-preserved Gassho-zukuri house, where the owners brought history to life through storytelling and a traditional folk-art dance.

Seamless Logistics and Exceptional Support: Shona arranged excellent private transfers and Shinkansen tickets, making travel between destinations effortless. Our drivers were punctual, professional, and reliable, and the vehicles were immaculate. Shona’s team checked in daily, and our guides and drivers communicated clearly throughout the trip. Most importantly, when unexpected challenges arose, we knew we had knowledgeable, dependable support on the ground.

Overall, we cannot recommend Shona and Kimkim highly enough. From thoughtful planning to flawless execution, their expertise made our family’s Japan adventure truly exceptional. Japan is fascinating, and with the right team, it is an unforgettable destination. Good luck with your trip!

We really enjoyed Uni, our guide for the food tour. He spoke fluent English and was very personable. Cannon was very responsive and helpful. The employees at the Ryokan Gyokutei were wonderful the entire stay, serving us dinner even though we were late because of traffic. We loved the facility. Unfortunately alot of our drivers didn't speak English so it was difficult to communicate with them. The drop off at airport on the last day was disappointing. We were very confused about where to meet our driver at the train station. He seemed to be rushed and dropped us off far from the doors of the airport. We would have liked more guidance on how much time to allot to each activity so that we wouldn't fall behind on our itinerary.

This was our first “vacation” trip to Japan and we wanted to blend a traditional travel trip with a cruise that also covered Japan. Angel was able to make this happen very well, adding some hiking elements that were perhaps not on your typical US travelers wish list.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Great location to many sites, restaurants, and the subway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

Hakone

It appears to be a nice hotel. Unfortunately the arrival time ( 5 pm ) and an early morning departure time ( 7 am) didn’t allow us to enjoy the facility. I think the travel TO the hotel was way too long ( not the hotel’s fault but a travel planning fault )

Authenticity & Character

full traditional experience

Location

Train station error. The trip plan did not specify that the local station was 30 minutes from the station we needed to be at for our travel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taoya Kisoji

Tsumago

Following the experience in Hakone, this hotel seems large and not comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a Disney land hotel

Location

Probably our worst KimKim moment when after a tough hike we realized the hotel was 2 miles away from the end of the hike with no easy way to get to the hotel. We ended up with a taxi, but were very frustrated

Staff

Really didn’t see much of the staff. Cafeteria style dining was just too much

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kiso Mikawaya

Kiso-Fukushima

While the property doesn’t look very good, the river front option for the room and dining area was great

Authenticity & Character

Again the look of the hotel is not appealing to the eye

Location

convenient to the hike

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BYAKU Narai

Narai

My wife and I are “split” on this hotel. It’s nicely restored in a beautiful town along the trail. But the windowless room was a real problem for me.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful restored property

Location

Right on the trail.

Staff

nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Window less room was a problem

Onyado Nono Matsumoto Natural Hot Spring

Nice blend of modern and traditional Japanese hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa-Eki Nishiguchi

Kanazawa

Really liked this hotel - near good shopping and the train station

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable from the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Ekimae

Kyoto

Nice location near the train station, which is amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Driver was on time. But the activities were boring. The restaurant recommended by the guide was very overpriced ( our most expensive meal on a 40 day trip )

Quality of Experience

Not much to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, I felt the driver was only focused on the dining experience. And we kindly paid for his lunch at an expensive tourist trap

Transport

He was on time,, and had a nice van

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Our guide, Ayumi, was excellent! She helped us navigate the practicalities of the Japanese train system and Tokyo subway (use of the Suica Card)…as well as provided an overall overview of Japanese history, culture and religion. In addition, she made wonderful recommendations for dining and activities for us for the remaining days in which we were on our own. Her English was also excellent. She refused accepting a tip from us saying it was not the Japanese custom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good to experience subway in Tokyo. (Angel, you might disclose up front that Tokyo uses subway extensively …and that while crowding is common, the trains run on time AND are easy to navigate since they have English)

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

This was a highlight of our trip: it felt authentic and gracious, showcasing an important Japanese custom without cheapening the experience. This Tea Ceremony experience is a MUST!

Quality of Experience

5:00 PM time was perfect! Need to disclose that one should arrive at 30 minutes before to ensure enough time to change clothes and take pictures.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Need to disclose that the location of the ceremony required a cab drive since it was somewhat removed from our hotel (though we walked back using Google Maps)

Kanazawa Full Day Walking Tour

Kanazawa

Great mix of sites and places, Nice use of bus and taxi to help out

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Saya was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed spending the day with her.

Transport

Full Day Gokayama and Shirakawago Tour from Kanazawa

Japan

There was still more to do in Kanazawa versus going by car to Gokayama. And both sites we visited seemed to be the same

Quality of Experience

Boring

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was nice but seemed to be in a hurry

Transport

Didn’t like being in a taxi versus a car

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

Japan

Yuki was an exceptional guide and with so much to see in Kyoto was able to give us a quality experience. Many sites in Kyoto were very crowded, however

Quality of Experience

good pace. Detailed explanations of Japanese culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good use of public transporation

Transport

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

The second day in Kyoto was a good shift from the first. Nice to see the landscape around the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day with Osaka Castle

Japan

Our driver/guide was on time and very knowledgeable. He spoke very good English, too

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I appreciate that we made sure we were at the cruise port before departing

Transport