Eleanor Chen

We had the best trip with KimKim to Japan! I loved working with Eleanor, she communicated quickly and throughout the entire process of planning, updating things along the way that we asked for, as well as updated us throughout the trip! Having the help planning and scheduling our Japan trip was so nice and easy! And it was easy to tailor the trip to what we wanted to do etc. I highly recommend this company and Eleanor! Thank you so much! Worth every penny!

Activity Reviews

Enjoy a Guided Tour of Tokyo with teamLab Planets

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Historical Highlights Bike Tour with UNESCO Zen Temples

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a excellent experience with KimKim and our local specialist Eleanor.
Eleanor listened carefully to our ideas and interests. She was also very considerate of our medical needs. Our local guides Yumi, Yasuko, Mayumi, and Natsu were all experts! They were extremely kind, knowledgeable, considerate and time sensitive. They expertly showed us the history and beauty of each location, and kept us on schedule without rushing us.
Eleanor provided excellent suggestions for activities and locations for us to visit on our days without guides
Our whole experience was seamless and well managed. Thank you!

We really enjoyed the itinerary that Eleanor created for our visit to Japan. She was friendly, responsive to our preferences and full of ideas. Our transfers, drivers and guides were all professional and friendly.

Our initial planning of out trip to Japan was very easy & exciting. Eleanor quickly responded to our questions and understood the type of experience we were looking for. Once we booked the trip and reviewed the itinerary, we found several errors and contradictory information. When this was pointed out, Eleanor quickly acknowledged the mistakes and fixed them. The planning of having to get ourselves to the Kimono experience/tea ceremony first thing on the first morning after arriving was stressful, as we had to navigate the subway system during rush hour while we were jet lagged and in a hurry. After that our guides made everything easy and interesting. We enjoyed 5 days of hiking on the Kumano Kodo Trail, also arranged by Kimkim. The luggage transfer was flawless. Our first night accommodation on the hike was by far the best. The host family was warm & inviting. The guest house was excellent. The 2nd night in Chitkatsuru was well below acceptable. After that 3 night of futon on the floor. Would have been nice to have had the option of western style bedding the last night at the resort in Katsura. All-in-all a very good tour.

I will start by saying I loved Japan. The itinerary was based on a trip another kimkim representative – who had left kimkim – had put together but was still on your web site, and that trip really appealed to us. What we did do was a nice mixture of cultural things (shrines, temples, even riding the subway) and food-oriented activities – sushi making class, ramen making class, sake tasting, street food tour, sushi and waygu beef tasting, etc. This is a nice way to get to see Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka in a relatively short time. I now have a better idea of what we can do ourselves in terms of getting around, and what we need help with.

Our tour guide in Tokyo was one of the best we have ever had anywhere. I mean it. She was super!!!! Not only did she know a great deal about Japanese history and culture, but even while we were waiting for things, she would explain things – like bowing, etc. She also gave us tips about keeping cool - -5 degree neck towels, using a small fan, using a spray to cool us down. These are ‘forever” tips, and I just shared them with our daughter who is heading to Italy.

Our guide in Kyoto and Osaka was fine and extremely nice, but she did not have a depth of knowledge – particularly about food – and I believe her English was not quite strong enough. She was adaptable, however, and found us a place to buy knives and other things we asked about. So overall I thought she did a good job. Thus, we found her very responsive and helpful, despite the bit of English problem. And since I was in Japan without being able to speak more than a modicum of Japanese, one can hardly complain!

My main concern is with communication problems with our main travel agent Eleanor. We found it impossible to get detailed itineraries in advance. We waited for a very long time to get picked up in the Tokyo airport. We did not see anyone with a sign when we left baggage claim, and walked outside. We kept asking where the driver was, but couldn’t seem to get an answer. I felt very bad for him, and I still have absolutely no idea where he had been waiting. A simple email, text, or message on What’s App with his exact location would have been helpful. All we got was “he was there” and a photo of his sign. I think I sent the message “where” about 5 times.

For our foodie tour, it was super unclear where we were expected to get to. One set of itineraries said we needed to get to that part of Tokyo by subway. Another said we were to get driven there. We were very mixed up about pick-up and meet up times and places on many occasions. While taking the subway at rush hour in a new city would have been challenging, and we were glad to be driven and picked up, a detailed itinerary would have solved this problem.

We had another extremely stressful incident getting on the bullet train in Tokyo to head to Kyoto. We almost missed our train, because we were not given whatever “code” we needed to scan at the entrance. I sent a lot of messages on this one, and the bullet train person ran us to the gate and got us through somehow. Luckily a person named Jonathan sent us the correct bar codes or we wouldn’t have been able to exit either.

When we were leaving to fly home, Eleanor sent us a message late the night before and said the car would pick us up at 11 am (for a 12:45 pm flight to Tokyo – then U.S.) and the driver sent us a what’s app message that he would pick us up at 11:20 pm – and neither time was acceptable. It was over 30 minutes to get there by car, and we had baggage to check. Having less than an hour to get checked in for what is an international flight technically is just crazy. When I saw this the night before, I immediately sent a message through the Kimkim app that we needed to be picked up by 10 a.m. at the latest. Eventually this got arranged, and the new driver was very prompt the morning we left. However, a question to us before hand of how much time we needed and when we would like to get picked up would have saved a lot of late night scrambling on the part of Eleanor.

I view these issues as a lack of ability to provide detailed itineraries for the entire trip, with times, bar codes, meeting spots, etc. in advance – certainly by at least 2 days in advance. Receiving this late at night the day before a specific set of activities was difficult. By providing detailed itineraries in advance, we wouldn’t have a panic late at night. This all adds up to insufficient clarity and timeliness in the communications from Eleanor.

Overall, the trip was great. I adored Japan, and I cannot wait to go back. It is unfortunate that we had the communication difficulties we had. We did not have any of these problems on our February trip to Costa Rica – nor when my husband used your group in Morocco.

Hotel Reviews

Fairfield by Marriott Osaka Namba

Osaka

This is a modern hotel in downtown Osaka. The rooms were very comfortable, and the bathroom very modern. They also have a great breakfast in the morning. I highly recommend this hotel.

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo

Kyoto

This is a very large hotel, but it could not be more convenient if you are taking the ultra-fast train to Osaka or Toyko. It is directly across from the train station. It is also really close to two excellent shopping areas - one directly by the train station and another just up the street. The rooms are small but comfortable. The bathroom is also small, and needs some towel bars! We had one small window with no view at all. This is not particularly a problem, but it is disconcerting to look onto a wall! FYI: If you want a late check out, they will charge you for it. However, they will hold your bags for you. They have a big breakfast, with something for everyone.

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

This is a small boutique hotel. While the rooms were small, they were really comfortable. I loved the little origami crane inside a box in the room. The lobby has small snacks and coffee 24/7, and this is really nice when you crave a little something. They have a great breakfast. They also have a HUGE book collection on two floors. This is very unique, and it feels very special. I would stay here again, although I wish they would have more towel bars in the bathrooms (which are small).

Activity Reviews

Full Day Senso-ji, Meiji Shrine and Harajuku Tour

Tokyo

This was one of my favorite days in Japan. Our guide in Tokyo was the BEST EVER! I learned so much more than what we actually "saw". We learned about Japanese history, the history of religion in Japan, and even things about gravel use on paths and when and how to bow. The things were saw were quite interesting. The shop associated with the Meiji Shrine is absolutely the best - the curation of items is first rate. The cafe is also excellent, offering a great variety of snacks and interesting drinks - which we needed because it was so hot!

Quality of Experience

The Meiji Shrine is very interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was the BEST!!!

Transport

We took the subway. I am glad we did it with our guide, as everything I had heard before coming to Japan made it seem intimidating. It was great - so clean and well labeled. We even took it later that night by ourselves.

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

This was a lot of fun. I certainly have had sushi many times, but our particular Magical Tour guide took us to 4th floor restaurants and 17th floor ice cream places. One could not have found these easily on ones own. All three restaurants were excellent and fun. Plus the view of Tokyo at night from the 17th floor of the Kabukicho Tower was AMAZING!

Quality of Experience

Great food.

Food

Great sushi, great wagyu beef, and lovely ice cream with Japanese-specific flavors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was very energetic. We walked by the giant 3-d cat and the godzilla "statue" - this was quite fun and amazing.

Transport

We walked. That was part of what made it interesting.

High-Quality Japanese Whisky Tasting in Shibuya

Tokyo

This was quite a surprise. We were led up stairs to the "tasting room", which was basically like a small apartment. We had our 10 whiskies, and because I don't drink that, I got to taste a local gin. We actually ended up buying two bottles. I would have appreciated a bit more snack food - as it is hard to drink even small tastes without some food. They really had a lot of whiskeys. It was unclear how the 10 we tasted were chosen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seemed to know a good deal about whisky.

Transport

We walked over there. It is important to let people know they will be climbing stairs. That was a bit hard for my husband.

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

I was very surprised that this was actually a "dress in kimonos" tea ceremony. I had assumed we would be tasting different types of Japanese tea. In the end, it was actually fun to get dressed up. The actual tea ceremony - the details and then the actual matcha making - did not take long. It was interesting, however. I certainly would not want to do this more than once.

Quality of Experience

The kimono process was interesting in and of itself. The actual tea ceremony was rather a non-event.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto: Ramen Cooking Class at the Ramen Factory & Souvenirs

Kyoto

This was fun, and we did get to make ramen noodles. The instructor was enthusiastic (all women). You get to then eat your ramen, so that is nice too. You do not get to make the broth (but they did give me a recipe when I asked at the end). They also cooked the chicken that went into the soup, and gave us eggs, etc. already cooked. Maybe that is all you can expect if you are there for such a short time. However, it was fun, and people of all ages could enjoy doing this. I figured we would get chopsticks, but instead we just got the white cloth we tied around our heads. I do not view this as much of a souvenir. Next time I would prefer an actual cooking class.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Strolling through Osaka's food streets

Osaka

I found this a bit of a bore. There are so many restaurants, and it is clearly a HUGE tourist street. I prefer to eat at places where locals are eating, and eat better food. That being said, I ultimately picked a restaurant that seemed to have the least hype, and it appeared to be full of Japanese people eating their lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Sightseeing Tour with Sake Tasting

Kyoto

It was very hot, so we never made it to the shrine. My husband stayed back to sit in an air-conditioned rest area. I also did not realize that the zillion tori gates were all actually donated by businesses and were actually advertisements. My guess I would feel differently if we had walked as far as the shrine. We asked about tasting my favorite gin at the distillery tasting room. That was amazing, and we appreciated the last minute addition. The sake tasting was not good. It was so unmemorable I cannot even remember the name of where we went. It was at a single sake distillery, and thus all we tasted were three of their sakes. They were good, but it seemed odd. We were expecting to hear about the process of sake making, the different types of sakes, etc. but there was little in English - and basically no one talking about these things. I would have preferred to go to a sake bar and just tasted the recommendations of the bartender.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tsukiji Market & Sushi-Making Workshop tour

Tokyo

The market was not open because it was a national holiday...bummer. We would have liked to see the fish market. Our travel agent should have known that the fish market would be closed. It made our guide a bit at a loss, since a fair bit of time was alloted for this. He did a good job of filling in, but of course it was a non-event. The sushi making was fine. We basically got to assemble sushi from fish they cut, rice they prepared, etc. I guess I thought we would be actually making sushi. Was it fun? Yes. Could I go home and know how to make sushi? Well, a bit I supposed. Next time I would take a real cooking class.

Quality of Experience

Food

How can you not like sushi?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Osaka day trip with Kuromon Market

Osaka

If this was the street food tour day, that was fun. We tried takoyaki (the octopus balls) although ours were not cooked in the middle, an okonomiyaki (fun to eat and watch the theatrics of the decorating), but no skewers. As you can't buy food and walk with it, as it is rude in Japan, you had to sit. I think this could have been better planned. I think our guide was not particularly interested in food. And since we are interested in food, the experience was not as good as it could have been. We walked a lot, and we were both hot and tired. This area is very touristy - it doesn't make it bad, but it is good to know that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

First, I should say we had a fun and memorable trip to Japan. We did pretty much everything we had in mind, and many things were good. The shortcomings were in the details. Although it is not the fault of the travel agent or Kimkim, the part of Japan in which we traveled is very hot and humid in July. We really should have gone during a different time of year. Many of the fine details arranged by the travel agent were problematic. For example, we arrived in Tokyo via Mongolia Air, which uses terminal 2. Our driver was waiting for us in terminal 1. It took over an hour and a lot of angst to connect with our driver. The travel agent had our flight information, and should have directed the driver to the correct terminal. Another example, is our departure from the Osaka airport. The travel agent told us our driver would pick us up at our hotel at 11:00. The driver sent us a text saying he would get us at 11:20. Our flight boarded at noon. It was a half hour drive to the airport, and it took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get into the terminal, check our luggage, get through security and walk to our gate. Obviously, there was a scheduling problem. We did insist on an earlier pickup, which happened. The quality of the tours varied. We had a guide for a day in Tokyo who was possibly the best guide we have ever had. She taught us so much about Japanese history, culture and religion. She was a wonderful traveling companion, and her English was excellent. We had a different guide for three days in Kyoto and Osaka who was a poor guide. She was very nice and friendly, and she was great at navigating between sites. She knew a few historical dates, but she really taught us nothing. And her English was poor. The quality of some of the things we did was variable. We did an excellent ramen making class. Our sushi making class was superficial. We did not even get to cut our own ingredients. The sake class and museum were nothing more than an ad for one sake company. It taught us absolutely nothing and was a waste of time. I expect a travel agent to be more selective. I could have done better using Trip Advisor. In summary, the quality of the trip was variable. Due to the problems, I really am not sure if we will use Kimkim again.

I will mention that we started our Asia trip with two weeks in Mongolia. We used a different travel agency for that portion of the trip. Our Mongolia experience was absolutely perfect in every way.

Eleanor did an outstanding job planning our family vacation trip to Japan. The itinerary was well‑organized, the tickets were handled smoothly, and the train directions were incredibly easy to follow. Every guide we met was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience even better. I truly recommend KimKim for anyone looking to book a stress‑free and well‑planned trip

We had a great time in Japan. I love the Kimkim app. Everything is well organized and it was very easy to get the day-by-day details. It is convenient that you can add attachments like the Shinkansen tickets. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work, especially since it was our first time taking the bullet train.

Eleanor did a great job putting our itinerary together. It was very easy to communicate through kimkim to work on the itinerary. It was easy to communicate with Eleanor during our trip.

The tour guides were fantastic. Yumi, Asuka and Yukiko were all very knowledgeable and communicated well. They each had notebooks with more details during our tours.

I researched about how much the hotels and tours would cost before I connected with kimkim. So when Eleanor asked about the budget, I was able to give her the budget. She stayed within our budget.

The only thing that I would do differently is to add a couple of days to our itinerary. I would add at least one day of “rest” after three days of touring or maybe even after each day of touring. But the itinerary was built on what our planned stay already was.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this trip worked out. Our itinerary went as planned. It was a great trip and experience. I will definitely use Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Tsukiji

Tokyo

The rooms were comfortable. It was great having a washer/dryer in the room. I didn’t have to pack as much since I knew that we coul wash our clothes. The breakfast was very good with lots of selection. I was disappointed that the restaurant was booked out for a private event our first two nights there. Usually we like to eat at the hotel on our first day if arrivals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close to everything - train stations, restaurants, 🏬

Staff

Everyone at the front desk were very helpful,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Very nice location. It is close to the Shinkansen station so we were able easily walk to the hotel. The cafe had great breakfast with lots of selections.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the train station, restaurants and department stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori

This kind of an unusual location in the middle of the Dotonburi. We didn’t realize that we couldn’t take a car right up to the hotel. Our driver dropped us off on a street as close to the hotel ad possible. The hotel is a bit obscure. The lobby is on the third floor. We quickly figured it all out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a great location for exploring the Dotonburi.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Nice hotel in the middle if Ginza. Very nice breakfast. The hotel has three washer and dryers for the entire hotel, This hotel was the last one we stayed in on our trip. So I wanted to do some laundry, but the washer/dryers were in continuous usage late at night and even early in the morning. I gave up in doing the laundry! Fortunately, we had enough clean clothes to finish out our trip. If we really need to do laundry, I would have/ could have used the hotel’s laundry service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the train stations, site seeing , restaurants and stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Osaka: Himeji World Heritage with Scenic & Culinary Kobe

Osaka

Himeji castle tour was amazing. We learned a lot. Yuki-san did a great job explaining the history of the castle and Japan. We then had lunch nearby. Afterwards we toured the Kokoen garden. Then we proceeded to the Herb garden in Kobe. We were late getting to the garden and didn’t have time to walk down through the garden.

Quality of Experience

The notebook that Yuki-san was very good with lots of information.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakone Exploration with Mt. Fuji Views & Volcano

Japan

We really enjoyed the tour of Hakone. The ropeway to Owakudani, and boat ride on lake Ashi and ropeway to mount Komagatake. Yumi-san was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Yumi-san was very knowledgeable. She prepared us for what to look for before the cable car reached the top of the area where it opened up over Owakudani area where we could see the volcano area. That definitely helped us pay more attention as we came over the top. She told us about the black eggs so we definitely bought and ate some!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was aware of the traffic by using a gps navigator app. He told us how long it would take to reach Hakone. On the way back to our hotel, traffic was building up so the driver(I think his name was Oh-san), took the backroads to save time, which was a fun and scenic drive. And he saved a lot of time.

Transport

Family Kyoto Sightseeing: City Highlights & Arashiyama

Kyoto

We learned a lot about Japan’s history. Nijo castle was very interesting. The singing floors were a special experience. At first, we thought there were birds nearby. Asuka-san is very knowledgeable. She had a book containing a lot of information that she used to explain the history. The Arashiyama bamboo forest was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asuka-san and the driver were very nice.

Transport

Transfer from Kyoto to Osaka via Nara

Japan

We started to tour in Nara-machi. We visited two old homes, We visited Nara Park. Our first activity at Nara Park was to feed the deer! Then we walked to Todaji temple and saw the great buddha daibutsu. Daibutsu-san was awe inspiring. The Kasuga shrine area is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

The Diabutsu is beautiful and breathtaking.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asuka-san and the driver were very nice.

Transport

Eleanor helped plan the trip so perfectly. We began at Mizumari, a Ryokan on the Izu Peninsula for 4 glorious, restful days. The food was amazing. We took walks to waterfalls and went to the beach. From there we traveled to Kyoto. The train station at Kyoto was incredibly confusing and we struggled to find the hotel which was right there. Finally, a cook at the hotel showed us where it was. Otherwise, the app that was provided gave us all the information we needed to find temples, museums, Saihoji and wander the city. One rainy day we went to the Kyocera museum and were awed by the work of Ida Shoichi. We were in Kyoto for a conference with Japanese Psychoanalysts and Eleanor found us a hotel right around the corner from the conference. The conference was a highlight of the trip. Getting to meet people who live and work in Japan--not just hit the tourist spots. Wandering around the area where the conference was, gave us an additional feel for the city. We found the wood block prints of Hokusai--the 36 views of Mount Fuji, a fabulous food market and incredibly friendly, open people to chat with. Our final meal was with in a teeny restaurant with a couple who made us noodle soup. We fell in love with Kyoto.

Eleanor is an excellent planner. She was knowledgable and helpful in the planning process as well as throughout our trip. I appreciate how clear Eleanor was in her communication with us. She was prompt and consistent in her responses, and always available and able to answer questions/ change bookings etc. Knowing Eleanor was on hand to help in the event of difficulty was reassuring to myself and the other members of our party.

Eleanor also put us in touch with Yoshika, who was a fantastic tour guide for our time in Kyoto.

Many thanks to Eleanor for helping us to make the trip of a lifetime in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Kyoto Umekoji Kadensho - Private Bath Facility

Wonderful space with traditional tatami mats throughout (no shoes allowed past entrance). The rooms were comfortable, clean and quiet, and the breakfast delicious. The staff was helpful and attentive. Would definitely stay here again when traveling to Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional tatami floors, futon beds, shoji doors throughout. The baths were lovely too.

Location

About a 45min-1hour walk from the central shopping area and Gion neighborhood, 20-30 min walk from Kyoto Train Station. It was nice to retreat from the crowds to have a relaxing sleep and leisurely start to each day.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Groove Shinjuku

Tokyo

Nice spot to start and end out trip with. Large, western-style hotel in Shinjuku (busy commercial and transportation hub area). A reliable choice for cleanliness and tasty food.

Authenticity & Character

Fun theme of records and vintage music.

Location

Bang in the middle of a very busy area of Tokyo (Shinjuku). Good if you're happy to be in crowds first thing in the morning with lots of commercial outlets near by.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive staff who managed the chaos of check in and out with ease.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quiet and clean. Very comfy beds for an excellent sleep.

Activity Reviews

Sightseeing in Kyoto: Arashiyama & Zen Temples

Kyoto

Fun, quirky and beautiful sites to visit. More crowded but helpful to have a guide to help navigate and cut-down the need for constant decision making on our part!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful Day in Uji & Nara

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Spiritual and Tranquil Kyoto with Fushimi Inari (for Laura)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quite a touristy experience. Wasn't my favorite of the trip, although not sure if there were other ways of witnessing this special practice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff