Excellent Experience Traveling to Japan with KimKim
Japan | Jul 16 - Jul 28, 2025

Ryan
Ryan K.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Aug 04, 2025

We had a great time on our 13-day trip to Japan. With 6 people traveling (4 adults and 2 kids), Greg and the Kim Kim team were able to help us find great locations to stay while providing us with a unique experience that we will not soon forget. I recommend participating in the local foodie tours as they provide a great way to orient you in each of the cities we were visiting and submerse you in local history and culture. Our guides were very informative and provided a lot of insight into the areas and shops we visited and we will definitely be looking to use KimKim again on our future travels.

Hotel Reviews
Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower
Osaka

This was probably our most favorite place to say during our trip. Our room with on suite onsen was specular. There are a number of tourists that stay in this hotel so breakfast can get pretty packed but they staff and amenities are specular.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tawara-An
Kyoto

Truly an amazing, one of a kind experience. The house was beautiful and it was great to change up our setting after being in two hotels in other cities. The house has a huge shower/cedar tub that was great for relaxing in after a long day of walking in the summer heat. We really appreciated the breakfast that was delivered to the house and that it showcased local food. If you are looking for something a little different and very authentic this is a great option.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff were very helpful - we had our luggage delivered from our previous hotel and the staff were very accommodating and offered to wait while it was delivered so that we could meet up with our local tour guide. There are not usually staff on the premises 24/7 because it is a residential home but they were only a quick email/whatsapp message away.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour
Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour
Japan

Our tour guide Pam was incredibly knowledgeable about the Gion district, and Temples she took us to. Her knowledge and insight made the tour extremely interesting and is something we would absolutely do again. She even provided us with additional recommendations for places to visit or specific shops to see based on our interests.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Tokyo Night Food Tour in Shinjuku
Private Tokyo Night Food Tour in Shinjuku
Tokyo

We had an amazing experience with our host. One of our attendees didn't fully appreciate the intricacies of the Wagyu experience but he was an unfortunate outlier. Emily was an amazing guide and we greatly appreciated her knowledge of Shinjuku, it's history and insights into areas to visit again on another trip. My son has a peanut allergy and she was very sensitive to that issue and made sure we did not have anything to worry about in that regard and we were very happy to have her when we stopped at the retro candy store and she was able to double check all of the food labels for us!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Japanese Calligraphy Class (Nara)
Japanese Calligraphy Class (Nara)
Japan

This was an amazing treat. We received instruction on Japanese Calligraphy from an amazing family in Nara. Our senior instructor had incredible skill and made the process look so simple. She and her daughters were gracious hosts helping us work on our brush strokes before getting to create a final version that they then framed. We ended the session with a light snack and some tea, which absolutely hit the spot before we continued our sightseeing at Nara park. We could have spent the entire day with these magnificent ladies and it was a true pleasure to learn from them.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Greg Varga
Greg
Greg Varga
Local specialist in Tokyo, Japan | Replied on Aug 06, 2025
Ryan, thank you so much for this wonderful review. It truly made my day and I’ve shared your kind words with the whole team — we’re all so happy to hear how much you and your family enjoyed the trip. It’s great to know that the foodie tours helped you connect with the cities and local culture in such a fun and meaningful way. Our guides will be so touched to hear your feedback — they always aim to make every moment memorable, and it sounds like they really hit the mark with your... Read more

Ryan, thank you so much for this wonderful review. It truly made my day and I’ve shared your kind words with the whole team — we’re all so happy to hear how much you and your family enjoyed the trip.

It’s great to know that the foodie tours helped you connect with the cities and local culture in such a fun and meaningful way. Our guides will be so touched to hear your feedback — they always aim to make every moment memorable, and it sounds like they really hit the mark with your group.

Planning this trip for your family of six was such a joy, and I’m so glad the hotels and experiences worked out well. You were a pleasure to work with, and we’d absolutely love to help you explore more of Japan on a future adventure.

Thank you again for your thoughtful words. I really appreciate it. 感謝しています 🙇