Our 9-day trip to Japan was a whirlwind

Japan | Jun 25 - Jul 2, 2026

Our 9-day trip to Japan was a whirlwind of last-minute planning, an ambitious schedule and special requests from our teens and we wouldn’t have made it without Ada and KimKim. They were our itinerary’s guiding light, wizards at scheduling and key factors in crafting the amazing adventure we just completed.

In mid-June, I started looking into Japan travel options, planning to leave the last week of June. I put together a rough itinerary and sent it to some travel groups to get thoughts on feasibility, additional options, and if they could help us coordinate things on the ground. Our family didn’t want a group tour and Ada, first to reply with a response that was professional and friendly, seemed to get that right away. She was always available for late-night or early-morning itinerary reviews, answered every question we had, made changes on the spot and never once mentioned how last-minute everything was.

Ada’s experience was clear, and I felt completely confident with her scheduling and suggestions throughout.

We left New York with a packed itinerary, tickets downloaded and easy access to everything we needed for the trip. Every part of the trip went exactly as planned, with drivers (and mini-vans), guides and all our bookings all uniformly excellent. The guides and drivers were always early, friendly, flexible and organized. On our first day in Tokyo, our guide patiently explained the city’s huge subway system—from buying tickets to reading the map and picking our seats - our kids felt confident enough to travel the subway solo the next afternoon.
One of our favorite guides was Yuki in Kyoto who maintained group calm and orchestrated a wonderful day despite heat, crowds and drooping family members. All guides spoke great English and were informative and hands-on without being overbearing.

Throughout the trip, Ada and her team were available and we felt supported every step of the way.

Now back in Brooklyn, our family of four gives Ada and KimKim 5 stars and would recommend them to anyone wherever they are in their planning journey.