A wonderful experience of collaboration for personalized tour of Japan
Japan
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Oct 4 - Oct 21, 2025
This was our first experience with KimKim, based on recommendation from friends. After many years of self-managed independent travel, what a wonderful experience! We wanted to design our own itinerary for Japan after previous travels there. It was a true collaboration with many iterations and exchange of ideas. The result was a unique experience, much of it to out-of-the-way places. KimKim's management of lodging, travel, drivers and guides was excellent. The final detailed itinerary guided us every step of the way. Specialist Sandy had great knowledge, made many helpful suggestions to improve our plans, and then was on the spot every day of travel to address any concern. We feel this was a good value and produced one of our best travel experiences.
Hotel Reviews
A traditional design, older property, with excellent location close to Gora station and cable car. Beautiful outdoor bath, comfortable traditional room. Chosen to begin our Japan trip, it was excellent. Property a little worn, and food not the very best we had, but very good and overall the location and atmosphere make this an excellent place both for relaxing in place, and for touring the Hakone area.
After a day of hiking on Nakasendo trail, a beautiful and serene place, both modern and traditional. Excellent food, great bathing facilities, a nice common room, well-designed traditional room. Remote location with good shuttle service to train station and local village. Would have liked to stay on.
Spectacular location in remote Iya valley. Older buildings, rambling layout, very good food, beautiful baths at the bottom of the canyon, rooms high above with great views. Hard to get to but worth the journey, and well-located for Oboke gorge exploration.
A small, quiet, and beautifully designed modern building well-located in Takayama. The room was small but so carefully designed that it was one of the better places we stayed.
Modern building just across from Uno station. Not fancy but functional, and very good restaurant attached. Baths a short walk away - a separate facility more like a US spa, but many good bathing facilities and other amenities. However, for exploring Naoshima, not the best choice, as ferry schedule limits time on the island. If Naoshima is the objective, stay on Naoshima.
Extraordinary place, high on a hill with panoramic views of Takamatsu and inland sea, and private outdoor granite baths for every room. Yet convenient by taxi at reasonable cost to Ritsurin Garden and other tourist sites.
A medium sized chain hotel, well-run and well-located for touring Kyoto and environs.
Excellent location for tourism in Osaka. A busy property, small but comfortable room, good breakfast, no evening restaurant - but it the center of unlimited dining places.
Activity Reviews
We visited Katsura 30 years ago, and it was our most memorable experience in Japan. This time, the garden is still an extraordinary example of design - one of the finest gardens of the world. The feeling is both ancient and modern - as though Frank Lloyd Wright went back a few centuries. But the tour felt rushed, the group of 20 was too large, the English speaking guide was full of information but careless about whether her group could hear it. It seems they are trying to get as many people through as possible, timing the tour to 60 minutes, with no time for reflection or calm. Yet, if this is the only way one can see Katsura today, the experience is still worth it.
Oboke George scenic boat ride is short but spectacular with stunning views and important geology. Vine bridge we expected to be trivial, but turned out to be a wonderful piece of engineering: now with steel cables hidden in the structure, but the design of the fiber structure is a wonder.