Odynovo Tours Co., Ltd

Winnie listened to us and helped build a very special itinerary.

I had 3 guides:
1) Sophia Kim: An absolutely incredible guide. Helpful, knowledgeable, supportive, funny. Her only weak spot was a lack of knowledge of wildlife, which was the entire focus for this portion of the trip. She did the absolute best she could, calling experts, checking the internet for good spots, so she made the best of it. But do try and pick a wildlife expert next time a client requests a wildlife tour.

2) Danny Kim: He put up with the chaos of our group very well. He was patient, and thoughtful and helpful and accommodating. When people didn't want to do a particular event, he made sure we were safe and entertained while the rest of the group went off with him. Other than 4 of us catching the flu, we had a very fun time with Danny.

3) Mickey Park: We only had 1 day with him, and with the typhoon weather we had to drastically change the itinerary, but he handled it like a pro, and made sure we did cool indoor stuff the whole day, even as several of us were succumbing to the flu exhaustion.

Favorite parts:
* Walking amongst the farm fields with Sophia Kim spotting spoon bills and geese and storks and praying mantises.
* Solo walking through Seoul Forest Park and spotting all the birds and bugs
* Being introduced to Tteokbokki by Sophia Kim and wanting to eat it every day now
* Experiencing the underground market on Jeju and eating black pork.
* Having the best burger of my life at Welcome Burger on Jeju Island.

Least Favorite Parts:
* Not focusing on wildlife at the DMZ the first day.
* Discovering that the giant park west of the hotel was entirely walled off by the US government.
* Being told that the hike for Ancient Seunggasa Temple was "Easy". NOTHING about that was easy. That is an advanced, all uphill hike. OMG exhausting!
* Getting rained out of all the outdoor activities on Jeju

All in all it was a fantastic experience and I am very thankful to Christine for organizing it all and making run as smoothly as she could.

Next time, I need to return to Jeju when it's sunny, and experience Busan as well!

What a memorable trip all around Japan! We honestly couldn’t have done it without Cannon. He went above and beyond from start to finish, helping us plan our trip, answering any questions we had while we were there, and making sure we had great recommendations for places to visit, eat, and explore.

Tokyo was an absolute highlight, especially getting to experience Akihabara and all the amazing things to see and do in Asakusa. Having Cannon’s guidance made the entire trip so much easier and allowed us to enjoy our time without worrying about all the little details.

We had an incredible experience exploring Japan and made memories we’ll never forget. We’re already talking about going back, and we would absolutely recommend Cannon to anyone planning a trip to Japan. His help and dedication truly made a difference in our experience!

Hotel Reviews

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

So close to a train station and being a easy place to get into festivities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

A great little coffee shop beside it and also close to a train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Osaka & Nara Day Trip with Osaka Castle and Minoh Park

Japan

The highlight of this trip was definitely getting to check out Osaka Castle. You really need a full day to see everything there but it was still a great time. Nara was great too just have to be careful with the deer because they will check every pocket to see if you have snacks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our first trip to China was an unforgettable delight, exceeding every expectation. It felt as though we had discovered a travel secret too good not to share.
Heidi was responsive, flexible, and attentive to our wishes throughout the planning process. Scheduling conflicts and unexpected visa requirements ultimately reduced our travel party to just my sister and me, but what began as a scouting trip became a wonderful adventure.
Each city captivated us with its distinct history, culture, and character. We encountered extraordinary kindness, and our Muslim dietary requirements were thoughtfully accommodated. Everywhere we went left us eager to return and explore more.
Our guides—George, Sue, Iris, and Ren—made the experience especially memorable. George’s relaxed manner and thoughtful perspectives brought Chinese history and contemporary life into focus. In Xi’an, Sue went above and beyond to make us feel at home, becoming more like family than a guide. Iris’s cheerful energy and thoughtful gifts made our visit to Chengdu and its delightful pandas even more special. Ren helped us experience Shanghai’s vibrant character despite our brief stay.
Transfers were seamless, the hotels offered excellent amenities, and we felt safe and well cared for throughout. Heidi quickly resolved the few unexpected hiccups along the way.
We returned deeply impressed and eager to visit again with our extended families to share the wonders of China.

We had a excellent experience with KimKim and our local specialist Eleanor.
Eleanor listened carefully to our ideas and interests. She was also very considerate of our medical needs. Our local guides Yumi, Yasuko, Mayumi, and Natsu were all experts! They were extremely kind, knowledgeable, considerate and time sensitive. They expertly showed us the history and beauty of each location, and kept us on schedule without rushing us.
Eleanor provided excellent suggestions for activities and locations for us to visit on our days without guides
Our whole experience was seamless and well managed. Thank you!

Thank you Winnie for the organization of our nice tour of Seoul and Japan. We had a marvelous time especially that the weather was so perfect all through the trip. a special mention - the hotel in Kyoto- the Yugen Kyoto Shijo, beautiful. and the Hakone Gora Karaku, very special. Our guides were ok , some difficult to understand. worth mentioning a nice lady in Tokyo -Yoshi.
thank you again, Anat

Hotel Reviews

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, A Pan Pacific Partner Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Aoyama Grand Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Gora KARAKU

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

yugen kyoto shijo

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

have windows that open

Lotte Hotel Seoul

Seoul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Full Day Nara Tour from Kyoto

Kyoto

Tokyo City Tour with Culture & Life

Tokyo

Feel the Charm of Old Town Tokyo: Nezu Shrine and Yanaka Disctrict Walking Tour

Tokyo

Explore the Old and New Capital with Insadong

Seoul

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