Awesome 16 day trip in Japan!
Japan | May 12 - May 27, 2023

Nicola
Nicola R.
Canada | Reviewed on Jun 03, 2023

One of our dream destinations to visit was Japan, and the whole experience booking with kimkim was great! From the planning phase, Christine was able to grasp our needs quickly and was able to make all the adjustments we were looking for our 16 day long trip. The activities booked (shout out to the Osaka food tour and the Kyoto tea ceremony) were very memorable and the accomodations (shout out the the Ryokans on the Nakasendo trail) were also great! During the trip, Christine was also available to answer our questions and get us a functioning pocket wifi devices quickly after we received a faulty one upon our arrival. All in all, our trip was simply amazing.

Hotel Reviews
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Daimon
Tokyo

Good breakfast and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Relatively basic hotel, but the japanese breakfast buffet was delicious !
Location
Even if Minato City is not as vibrant is Shibuya or Shinjuku, it's close to transportation (and Tokyo Tower as well).
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Super clean, rooms a little small for western standards, but totally ok for Japan.
Wayfarer Hotel Kyoto Shijo
Kyoto

Nice little hotel, the tatami room was nice and comfy for 4 people.

Authenticity & Character
Tatami room was pretty nice ! Bathroom a little small for 4 people.
Location
Close to the subway stations and buses
Staff
Very friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
The futons were very comfortable!
Kinosaki Yamamotoya

Awesome Ryokan with a lot of character and good japanese breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Alot of 60-70s vibes with old-school japanese charm.
Location
Great location in Kinosaki, close to everything.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, but futons were not the most comfortable.
Ibis Osaka Umeda
Osaka
Authenticity & Character
Typical hotel, not much character.
Location
Super close to the subway, well located in Umeda.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Comfy beds!
Sanco Inn Nagoya Shinkansenguchi
Nagoya

Nothing fancy, but clean and well located.

Authenticity & Character
Nothing remarkable
Location
Directly in front of Nagoya station
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Windows were facing another building, so no natural light in the room. Besides that the room was comfortable.
Kisoji-inn Daikichi
Nagano

Awesome Ryokan, staff super friendly and one of the best meals of our whole trip.

Authenticity & Character
Very authentic and amazing food.
Location
Very cute location in Tsumago
Staff
Super friendly and welcoming
Cleanliness & Comfort
Kaidou Roman Onyado Tsutaya
Kiso
Authenticity & Character
A little more "hotel" vibes, but still very nice.
Location
A little far by foot from the station, but still well located.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very nice outdoor Onsen bath.
Ryokan Echigoya

We had the Ryokan to ourselves, it had a ton of Edo japense charm. Our host was amazing, the food was delicious, the room was comfy and beautiful and the overall experience was exactly what we were looking for in a Ryokan.

Authenticity & Character
Old building with a ton of character and authenticity
Location
Directly in the middle of Narai's main street.
Staff
Yutaka-san was an amazing host.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Arrive in Tokyo - Train to Tokyo Station
Arrive in Tokyo - Train to Tokyo Station
Tokyo

It was nice to have a greeter help us buy our IC cards and bring us to the train, but she seemed in a rush and we were expecting to have our wifi devices atthe airport, which would have helped us find our hotel faster.

Quality of Experience
We were expecting pocket wifi and passes upon arrival, which weew at the hotel. Thus, getting the hotel was not the easiest
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our greeter was nice but a little in a rush.
Transport
We made it, but instructions could have been a little more detailed.
Tea ceremony and see shrine, temples
Tea ceremony and see shrine, temples
Kyoto

This review will only be regarding the Tea ceremony in Kyoto (Maikoya). It was really fun, relaxing and authentic!

Quality of Experience
We got to wear kinomo/yukata, the tea was good, awesome experience!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The staff was very insightful and nice !
Day trip to Nara and Uji
Day trip to Nara and Uji
Kyoto

We didn't have a chance to stop in Uji, but even though it eas raining, we had a great time in Nara!

Quality of Experience
Visit Kinosaki Onsen
Visit Kinosaki Onsen
Kyoto

It was very nice being able to visit and use mutiple onsens.

Quality of Experience
The onsens were so nice and relaxing!
Welcome to Osaka
Welcome to Osaka
Osaka

One of the best nights of our trips, we ate and drank to our hearts content! We hung out with some locals, tasted delicious food and even went down a slide !

Quality of Experience
Magome to Tsumago
Magome to Tsumago
Japan

The hike was great, going through small towns and the country side! We saw watermills, water falls and awesome forest and mountain landscapes. The tea house on the way was really cool and the trail was well indicated.

Quality of Experience
Yabuhara to Narai Hike
Yabuhara to Narai Hike
Japan

Awesome little hike, nice fews atop the moutain in Yabuhara and very nice forest landscapes. Narai is probably the nicest post town we visited!

Quality of Experience
Exploring the Facades of Tokyo
Exploring the Facades of Tokyo
Tokyo
Tokyo Departure
Tokyo Departure
Japan

Not an actual activity, but we were very sad having to leaving Japan :( But we left with a ton of awesome memories!

Local specialist: Christine Mayol
Christine
Christine Mayol
Local specialist in Tokyo | Replied on Jun 05, 2023

Hi Nicola,
Thank you so much for taking your time to leave us this amazing review! I am so grateful I was able to work with you on this trip, you are very patient , understanding and flexible. I appreciate the kind words and the positive feedback about the places you have visited, this will help us recommend the experience to other travelers! Hope you will visit Japan again soon!