Pegasus Travel

The trip planning and recommendations by Ben were superb. The local guides (Yo, Roy and Ricky) were very friendly and went out of their way to ensure we say everything. 10/10.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Unbeatable location. The breakfast, while good, was not at the same level as the other hotels we stayed at and there are no public baths.

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Mercure Hida Takayama

Takayama

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower

Osaka

Incredible views from the Onsen.

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Skytree, Sumo Experience & Michelin Tempura Tour with Public Transportation

Tokyo

Tokyo One-Day Public Transport Tour: Tokyo City Exploration: Tsukiji, Shibuya & Afternoon Independent Leisure

Tokyo

Private transfer from Tokyo to Hakone via Mt. Fuji

Japan

Day Trip Itinerary to Shirakawa-go from Takayama with Public Transportation

Takayama

Shirakawa-go is incredibly beautiful and it was a nice change from the big cities.

Day in Arashiyama: Rickshaw Rides, Bamboo Strolls, Serenity at Three Temples, & Delightful Encounters at the Monkey Park with Tea Ceremony with Public Transportation

Kyoto

Osaka Exploration: Castle, Cuisine (Ramen Included), and Sky-high Views (Private Guide & Public Transportation

Osaka

Using KimKim was one of the best decisions I made when planning a trip to Japan for my son and I. It was so nice to not have to agonize over which hotel to stay at, which train to take, which sites I should go see, and many other very important/stressful things I didn’t have to worry about since Bella ( my trip planner at KimKim) had already taken care of it. She was wonderful to work with the entire way through my trip. She was super flexible when I realized my 15 year old son and I needed more flexibility than having an actual guide with us everyday midway through our trip, she pivoted and was able to give us all the reservations for us to explore alone, rather than with a guide. They booked so many cool experiences for us that I wouldn’t even know existed ( kimono wearing tea ceremony, monkey park, romantic train, water front shrine in Hakone). We loved our guides we did have- big thank you’s to Yo and Frank for making our trip stress free, informative, and lots of fun. Bella, Yo, and Frank made my son’s and my trip to Japan so much fun and not at all stressful, and for that I cannot thank them enough! I would use kimkim again in a heartbeat!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro

Tokyo

Breakfast was so good! Hotel was a little out of the tourist area, which we found to be nice and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Hotel Kowakien Tenyu

Hakone

The VIEW! And the baths. Wish I stayed here a couple more nights. Absolutely beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Great location, next to train stations, but no amenities and a little far from the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to Kyoto train station, but farther from sites.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No ameneties ( qtips, razors, etc)

Citadines Namba Osaka

Osaka

Great location and had bigger rooms. Only downside is you could hear trains when they were rubbubg ( like 5am on) nice bright room with all the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tokyo Tour by Public Transport：Tsukiji Outer Market, Sushi-making class and Free Afternoon

Tokyo

So fun. Sushi making was hands on and so tasty?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fuji Five Lakes Tour, Transfer to Hakone

Japan

The sites are beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yo and driver were wonderful

Transport

Day tour by public transport in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nikishi Market, Converyor belt Sushi , Samurai and Ninja Museum and Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

The shrine is beautiful- go early for less crowds. The tea ceremony was amazing. You get to dress up in beautiful kimono and learn about why they have tea ceremony then make your own matcha tea. So fun, so worth it!

Quality of Experience

C

Guides, Drivers and Staff

R

Transport

Hidden Paths of Arashiyama: River Journey, Moss Temples & Bamboo Whispers（Private Guide, Public Transportation）

Kyoto

The boat was shut down due to high/ rough water, so we did monkey park and romantic train instead. So much fin and absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Exploration: Castle, Cuisine & Sumo Culture(Private Guide&Public Transportation)

Osaka

The sumo show was great fun for my teenage son and I. The castle was magnificent. We ate conveyor belt sushi for lunch ( something we really wanted to try-so fun!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We went to Japan for 11 days. I will not lie to you and tell you that I was not nervous. However, been with kimkim made this so easy. We had amazing guides who all spoke English justice fluently as I do. We had drivers Medicine train stations and airports. They would not leave until they were ensured that we were checked into the hotel. I have not had a more seamless vacation in the United States and to have this kind of experience in a foreign country was nothing more than a miracle. I cannot tell you how skeptical I was about this, but our tour guide, Hal, in Tokyo had spent 12 years in Houston. Our tour guide in Kyoto, Khang, was actually in the United States Navy and grew up in California. Our tour guide in Osaka had spent eight years in United States. Not only do they speak the language, but they also helped us negotiate prices on things we were trying to buy. For example, my wife wanted to buy a fairly pricey purse at one of the resale shops in our tour guide, not only recognized that we were being up charged than negotiated down the price. I wish that I had done this years ago. If this is what traveling the world was like, then I have absolutely no reservation reservations.

Bella was great. She organized a custom trip through Japan for our family. She was helpful at suggestions for what might work best. We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. We had two wonderful local guides, Ms Cho and Mr Hideo. We also had two different drivers. Bella was great at keeping in contact through planning and during our trip. If you get the chance to work with her, you won’t be disappointed.

We just returned from an incredible 7-day journey through Japan, and we are still floating! From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the tranquil hot springs of Hakone and the historic charm of Kyoto, every detail of this trip was flawlessly executed thanks to Bella.

A massive shoutout to our incredible team who made the logistics effortless. Right from the start, we were picked up at the airport by a very capable driver named Song, who also safely and smoothly drove us out to Hakone later in the week. Navigating the country was a breeze thanks to our spectacular guide, Roy. We cannot say enough good things about him! He helped us master the Tokyo rail system and expertly guided us through our stay in Hakone. We affectionately referred to him as our Japanese Dad. If given the opportunity, request Roy to be your guide.

In Tokyo, we stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel, which was incredibly comfortable and so convenient for exploring the city. Tokyo was a whirlwind of amazing sights, perfectly balancing futuristic fun with deep history. Some of our highlights included, flying through the streets doing Akihabara Go-Karting, immersing ourselves in the stunning digital art at teamLab Borderless, and experiencing the organized chaos of Shibuya Crossing.
We slowed things down with beautiful tours of the Imperial Gardens and Meiji Shrine, and ate our way through the spectacular Tsukiji Food Market.

We then traveled to the countryside (Hakone) with our guide, Roy and driver, Song. Hakone was arguably the highlight of the entire trip, largely because we stayed at the stunning Ten-Yu hotel. It featured amazing hot spring onsens, which quickly became our absolute favorite part of the trip. We cycled along Lake Yamanaka with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji framing the background—a picture-postcard moment we will never forget. We traveled by cable car and gondola up to the Owakudani valley to see the steaming volcanic vents. While there, we tried the famous black eggs boiled in the hot springs, which are said to add seven years to your life!

We then traveled to Kyoto by bullet train. We wrapped up our week staying at the Celestial Hotel Gion in Kyoto. It was in a fantastic location right in the heart of the historic Geisha district, and it even featured its own onsen for us to enjoy. We got dressed up in traditional Kimonos and attended a beautiful, serene traditional tea ceremony. On our last day, our wonderful guide Ursula took us to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the monkey park, wrapping it all up with a food tour through Nishiki Market. Ursula was fantastic—incredibly flexible and more than willing to adjust our schedule on the fly to make sure we got the most out of our day.

This trip was the perfect blend of fast-paced city life, deep relaxation, and rich cultural immersion. The warmth of the people, the expertise of our drivers and guides, and the sheer beauty of Japan made this a vacation we will cherish forever. Thank you to Bella for all her help in planning it.

Hotel Reviews

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

Convenient to the rail system and had a 7 Eleven in the lobby. The breakfast buffet had an amazing variety of Western and Japanese food. The rooms were large and quiet. I would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

More modern. Not much Japanese character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

Loved this hotel. The Onsens were spectacular! The views from the 6th floor onsen were breathtaking. The breakfast buffet had a wide variety of food.

Authenticity & Character

Probably the most authentic hotel of our stay. Each room had "bath clothes" or Yukatas for you to wear around while during your stay. We were even encouraged to wear them to dinner (which we did).

Location

Not really a hotel in which you can walk to many places. But the hotel had all the amenities you could ask for. They had 3 restaurants on site.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Celestine Hotel Gion

Kyoto

Location, location, location. This hotel was in the Geisha district and surrounded by shrines and temples. You could also walk to the more modern areas of Kyoto within 5 minutes. The rooms are very well designed with probably the best water pressure in the showers that I have ever experienced. The onsen is also very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

🚗Tokyo Cultural & Culinary Adventure: Markets, Shrines, Sky-Views （Guide, Public Transportation）

Tokyo

I would skip the Imperial Gardens and just do the Meiji Shrine. Our guide, Roy, knew all the best spots in the Tsukiji food market. We got some of the most delicious fatty tuna thanks to Roy's knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roy was the best!

Transport

Afternoon Cultural Experience at Kinkaku-ji & Kimono Tea Ceremony, and Gion（Private Guide &Public Transportation）

Kyoto

A must do.

Tokyo Highlights Full-Day Tour (with Guide, by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo to Mt. Fuji (Lake Yamanaka Biking) & Hakone Relaxing Day Trip

Japan

Had amazing views of Mt Fuji while cycling around Lake Yamanake. Roy led us around the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakone Adventure: Exploring Mt. Owakudani and Majestic Landscapes in Public Transportation

Hakone

Traveling by cable car and gondola up a volcano was so cool! We even added 7 years to our life by eating the black eggs cooked in the natural hot springs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Cultural & Active Full-Day Tour (with Guide, by Public Transport)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Both Pitt and Hideo were wonderful guides to the beautiful country of Japan, five stars for both. The trip was well organized and went very smooth thanks to the planning assistance. We just had to show up every day ready to roll and the guides took care of the rest! Would do it again!

Our guides were some of the most memorable parts of this trip:
Pitt was incredibly enthusiastic, professional and knowledgeable. He made every day super fun and was so kind. He also takes amazing photos!
Hideo was calm, knowledgeable and made us feel so comfortable while navigating the cities of Kyoto and Osaka. He always had great suggestions for places to eat and shop

Ben was very attentive and filled our trip with multiple cultural and food experiences which was exactly what we were looking for. I feel like we had a good taste and view of traditional Japanese life! So happy with our recent travels, would recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, A Pan Pacific Partner Hotel

Great Stay, staff is very friendly and professional. This hotel has amazing skyline views and a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

We came to this hotel on a very busy week since it was golden week. Very family oriented so if you are a young couple looking for a romantic escape this may not be the place. Still, the breakfast buffet was really good and our reservation included a Kaiseki dinner at a near by restaurant (they took us there in a shuttle bus from the hotel) It ended up being the best meal we had in our whole trip to Japan. Nice Japanese onsen experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dhawa Yura Kyoto

Kyoto

The location of this hotel was everything. Near Pontocho alley, shopping and Gion District. Nearby metro station. We really enjoyed the stay at Dhawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centara Grand Hotel Osaka

Osaka

This Hotel is amazing! I regret not spending enough time here to enjoy it completely. We had a good dinner at the steak house restaurant and the views were amazing. Really enjoyed it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Cultural Immersion with Public Transportation: Sake, Torii Gates, Tea Ceremony & Hands-On Ramen Making

Kyoto

This was one of my favorite days on the trip. I have to admit that a bit intense and we were very tired at the end of the day but amazing overall.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo’s Cultural Vibes & Cozy Evening: Temple, Sumo & Intimate Bar Escape

Tokyo

THis day was great! specially Centofilia Bare

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport