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Tour Itinerary: One Day Trip in Kyoto via KKday

Kyoto private day tours from osaka.

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One-Day Trip in Kyoto via KKday

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T o unwind from the stresses of life and reward themselves for the hard work put in, many Filipinos travel out of the country every once in a while. To experience different cultures and traditions, one of the places frequently visited by Filipino tourists is Japan.

Now that AirAsia already has in the past months mounted flights to Osaka –the airline’s eighth international destination–more Filipinos can now explore the land of the Rising Sun. AirAsia, in partnership with KKday , recently hosted a familiarization tour to Osaka , Japan—the international gateway to connect to other destinations such as Nara and Kyoto. Those invited came from a mix of print media and travel bloggers. Fortunately, Team Out of Town was part of it.

Since some participants were no longer first-timers, holiday expert KKday decided to just sponsor a coaster for us. By having our own coaster and an English-speaking tour guide, we were able to customize our tour itinerary. And unlike joining group tours, we were free to extend time in certain tourist spots without ruining anyone’s schedule.

We were picked up from the hotel where we stayed in by our KKday coaster . We visited Kinkaku-ji (also called the Golden Pavilion) for our first stop. About an hour and a half from Osaka, we reached the temple in Kyoto.

Golden Pavilion

Officially named Rokuon-ji, Kinkaku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple one can visit in Kyoto. It is one of the most iconic sights in Japan, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Built overlooking a large pond, Kinkakuji is the what remains of the former retirement complex in Yoshimitsu. Throughout its history, it has burned down a number of times. These include once during the Onin War, a civil war which caused destruction in most of Kyoto; and another one in 1950 when it was set on fire by a religious monk. It was then rebuilt in 1955. The admission fee is only 400 yen.

Yasaka Shrine

From the Golden Pavilion, we then proceeded to Yasaka Shrine. Also known as Gion Shrine, Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. The shrine hosts several buildings, including its 360-year-old main hall and its photogenic gigantic red gate.

It was built in honor of Susanoo as its chief kami (god), with his eight offspring deities (yahashira no mikogami) on the west, and his consort Kushinadahime on the east. This religious spot is popular among pilgrims who wish to receive good fortune and health.

Gion District

From Yasaka Shrine, we walked towards the famous Gion district. Situated along Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west, Gion is Kyoto’s most popular entertainment district dotted with restaurants, bars, shrines, shops, and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentices) can be found.

Its wooden machiya merchant houses, which were built with facades spanning only up to six meters wide, are some of what tourists in Gion check out.

Nishiki Market

After exploring Gion, we then headed over to Nishiki Market, a narrow, covered marketplace situated in downtown Kyoto. Lined by more than 100 shops and food stops, the market is said to be the place to go to for many of Kyoto’s famous delicious food.

Nishiki Market offers a wide array of fresh and preserved foods. These include different types of pickles, fresh grapefruit juice, yummy grilled meat, mochi, dumplings, sushi, and fish cakes. One can also find high-quality cookware, ceramic wares, condiments, and even souvenirs in the area.

After strolling around the 400-year-old market, our group then had lunch at one of the traditional udon restaurants inside the market. Unlike other markets, business at Nishiki does not start in the early hours of the day. It usually opens at 10 am and closes at 6 pm. And since it can become very crowded, it is best to visit as close to 10:00 am as possible or around lunchtime.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

For our final stop, we visited Fushimi Inari Taisha . Located in Fushimi-Ku in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari-Taisha is the head shrine of the kami (deity) Inari, who is not only the Shinto god of rice and agriculture but is also deemed the patron of business by merchants and manufacturers in the area.

The shrine rests on the base of a mountain Inari which stands 764 feet above sea level. Its 4-kilometer-long trail may take approximately 2-3 hours to traverse. The trail is also where Senbon Torii (which means “thousands of torii gates”), two parallel rows of orange gates donated by individuals and businesses through time, begins at the back of the shrine’s main grounds.

How to get to Osaka via AirAsia

Budget airline AirAsia offers daily flight services from Manila to Osaka through its website. Manila-Osaka flights are available for booking via this link and the AirAsia mobile app. Daily Manila to Osaka flights are set at around 8:30 am and take around 3 hours and 45 mins.

For the latest AirAsia news, activities, and promotions, follow AirAsia on Twitter ( twitter.com/AirAsia ), Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia), and Instagram ( instagram.com/AirAsiaFilipino ).

Written by Melo Villareal

Melo Villareal is the Online Publisher of Outoftownblog.com. He is an Accountant by profession who left the corporate world at the age of 23 to explore his beautiful country and the rest of the world. Today, Melo works as a part-time Social Media Manager for local and international clients. His full-time work focuses on discovering interesting culture, explore different cuisines and take memorable photos from local and international destinations he's visiting.

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KKDay Tour from Tokyo: Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai & Gotemba Outlet

• JAPAN - Tokyo

KKDay Tour from Tokyo: Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai & Gotemba Outlet

What to do when you are in Tokyo? How to visit Mount Fuji from Tokyo? One of the most popular tourist attractions near Mount Fuji is Lake Kawaguchi and taking a public transport will take around three hours one way. However, if you take a day tour with KKday, you can visit Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai and Gotemba Outlet in a day from Tokyo! You can check it out from Kkday at https://www.kkday.com/en/product/10999?cid=8500 and this is KKday Signature Tour means this is operated by KKday and not third party tour operator.

The meeting point is at Tokyu Plaza at Ginza Tokyo. Watch the video and we have show how you can find the meeting point. It is just above the Ginza Train Station Exit C3. You will spot the Kkday tour leaders in front of Emporio Armani outlets. Please make sure you are early or punctual, this is Japan so they will leave on the dot whether you are in the coach (bus) or not.

According to the itinerary, we should visit Gotemba Outlet first and then Oshino Hakkai and ends with Lake Kawaguchi before heading back to Tokyo City. However, due to traffic accident at the highway towards Gotemba Outlet, they brought us to Lake Kawaguchi first to avoid the traffic jam.

Lake Kawaguchi

We reached Lake Kawaguchi early before everyone else and it was a very clear day. The guide told us that it was foggy just days ago and we were happy to see Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi.

Firstly at Lake Kawaguchi sop, you will see a mini replica of Mount Fuji. This mini version of Mount Fuji is made from rocks of all the mountains in Japan. Lake Kawaguchi is a huge lake near Mount Fuji and this is one of the tourist stops along the lake.

You need to be fast and smart to take photos here as there are many locals and tourists taking turns snapping photographs. You can see that most of our photos look empty as we took time for our best shot.

In this stop, there is a souvenir shop that sells the ‘Mount Fuji Ice Cream’ for 500 Yen. You have the choice to have the Blueberry or Vanilla or Mix flavour for the Mount Fuji Ice Cream. It comes with one piece of Mount Fuji biscuit.

Everyone will take the photo of the Mount Fuji Ice Cream with the backdrop of Mount Fuji. You can really enjoy the ice cream with the view to kill.

The pictures are beautiful and the actual fact is the emotion of seeing Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi is phenomenon. You can chill here all day long but we have to move on to our next stop, Oshino hakkai.

Oshino Hakkai

Oshino Hakkai is the set of eight ponds in Oshino, a small village in the Fuji Five Lakes Region and a short drive from Lake Kawaguchi. It is also near to Lake Yamanakako.

The eight ponds are made from the snow melt from the slope of Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through layers of lave for a period of 80 years. That is the reason why you can see clear spring water in every pond in Oshino Hakkai.

There are a few ponds in Oshino Hakkai and the first few ponds are extremely popular as it is nearer to the entrance and also there is the spring water straight from the source available in one of the ponds. You can easily identify it the pond with most people queuing up with empty bottles. There are many myths about the spring water and mostly on health purposes.

If you plan to get some of these spring water, you walk into the souvenir shop and there is a water tap there instead of queuing up for the spring water source outside.

The souvenir shop sells local produce food, local souvenirs and snacks too. Since this is a tourist attraction, prepare to pay more than what you can get in the city but there are some food and souvenir available in this part of Japan only.

Please do not throw coins into the pond to wish luck as it is not a norm here. Our guide reminded us not to throw anything into the pond as it will pollute the clarity and purity of the water.

As you walk past the river and pond, you can see through the bottom of it. The water here is very clear and you can see the water plants and fishes in the water.

Gotemba Outlet

Our last stop is the Gotemba Premium Outlet. We have a few hours in this outlet and to be honest it is never enough time to shop. We spent too much time in Adidas outlet as the sales are too good to be true.

On top of that, there are restaurants and food court in Gotemba Premium Outlet. The Gotemba Outlet is huge and it comes with two sections with over two hundred shops. The guide will give you the map so you can plan your shopping adventure in advance.

After few hours of shopping and the shopping bags, we went back to our coach and it is all the way back to Ginza Tokyo. Depending on which day, there could be traffic jam but the coach is very comfortable so most people will nap until they reach Ginza Tokyo. This is the experience of KKDay Tour from Tokyo: Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai & Gotemba Outlet. If you are planning to visit Tokyo, do consider this day tour and book it at https://www.kkday.com/en/product/10999?cid=8500

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Tours were unavailable after booking

I had booked two separate tours in Barcelona through them, Sagrada Família and Monserrat. A day or two after each booking they regretfully cancelled them due to lack of availability. By this time tickets were sold out everywhere and we missed going to them. Will never use them again.

Date of experience : May 02, 2024

We enjoyed a day tour in Hokkaido

We enjoyed a day tour in Hokkaido. The bus was clean and comfortable. Our tour bus driver drove us safely and smoothly throughout our visits to Asahiyama zoo, ningle terrace, shirahige falls. Our guide "Joe" was the best! Informative, fun, knowledgable, and organized. Thank you, Bobi and Mel

Date of experience : February 08, 2024

Horrible company, deceptive tactics

Horrible company who hides behind their ‘no refunds’ blank statement even when they have provided a product and service that is not usable to a consumer. Upon numerous attempts to reclaim my $1000aud that was paid for universal studios japan express passes to super Mario world, they have done nothing to help me even though they gave me tickets for a time I won’t even be in the park. They do t tell you they won’t give you options for your area entry time like all of the other booking sites do and upon ordering I kept waiting for the section to come but then my transaction went through with no choice. The random time they gave me is later than when we will even be here and they refuse to give me a cancellation or refund. I am fighting this and will dispute with my bank. When you buy a service or product that is not usable you are entitled to a refund. Get off your high horse hiding behind stupid ‘policies’ and help me.

Date of experience : February 18, 2024

Don't buy from this app. I haven't got my refund after 14 working days. No reply from kkday

I purchased airport transfer from kkday. It was a friend who recommended this app to me. I followed the instruction, that I should contact the supplier mobile number by sending them messages, should I not hear from them 48hours after my purchased. I sent them messages, read but no response, even a day before I travel. Requested kkday to cancel my purchase. I was given lots of unnecessary stress, queries by kkday. Untill now, 14 working days passed, still haven't received.y refund. Contacted kkday many times, also no feedback. Don't bother to use this app. There are more apps or websites providing same services.

Date of experience : June 04, 2023

Highly unprofessional

Highly unprofessional - I regret not taking the negative reviews seriously. Everything was fine until our last stop. The driver/tour guide did not respond to our repetitive text requests for pick-up for more than 30 minutes. We were left waiting under the brutal sun. After the pickup, we ran into the rush hour due to this delay. The driver/tour guide kicked us off his car when the time is up for our 8-hour service. We did not get the drop off at the agreed ending destination. If you are from out of town/country, think twice before you hire this service. You will have to pay for the entire service upfront without any protection for your trip!! If you get assigned to this guy "鄭煥睿", request a reassignment immediately!!

Date of experience : May 26, 2023

This info on their website was…

This info on their website was incorrect: "Taipei 101/ World Trade Center MRT Station (Exit 4), turn right, walk for 10-15 meters and the KKday bus stop will be on City Hall Road". We lost the bus and found out that walking distance from exit 4 to shuttle bus stop is up to 100 meters. It was not possible to contact them thru their website. Additionally only taiwanese credit cards worked in their e-shop, although it was supposed to be international service and in english. Hong Kong and European credit cards failed. However the bus driver was friendly and flexible, and the trip itself was nice.

Date of experience : January 31, 2020

Reply from KKday

Dear JP, Thanks for taking a moment to give us some feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience with KKday was not satisfactory.  In order to help us provide the best service possible, please send us an email at [email protected] and provide our team with more details about your experience. We appreciate your understanding and we hope to serve you again in the future. Best regards, KKday Support Team

Book a day tour to Kyoto ( Fushimi…

Book a day tour to Kyoto ( Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizudera, Kinkakuji anda Arashiyama Day Tour) on Wednesday 17th April 2019 .. infact writing this review in the tour bus on the way back to Osaka. Summary : No advisable to buy this tour from KKDay due to (1) Tour Guide Language Proficiency in English - Bus full of Foreigner Tourist but still explain in Japanese. (2) Timing - Too many places over too short period of time and everything is rushed rushed plus the Tour Guide walk very fast. (3) Information Accuracy - Poor explanation for pickup place after drop-off i.e. Don't cover all contingency. plan and never emphasised "what if" scenario.

Date of experience : April 17, 2019

Frequent Flyer Freelancers

My wife and I are freelancers who travel all over Asia (and the world). We always check KKDay anytime we are planning the next trip, to see what deals we can get. Anything from local SIM cards and portions WiFi, to bus and train tickets, and exciting tours and experiences. We’ve used KKday fro trips to Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and also in our local country (Australia). A great be for I is being able to pay with credit card or Apple Pay, so we never have to worry about handling local currency (cash). Super smooth and easy experience every time, everywhere. Can’t live (should day travel) without it!

Date of experience : March 02, 2020

Worst experience ever!!

Worst experience ever!!! Confirmed thrice on the pick up location and kkday replied saying it is from our hotel! End up calling the agency and it should be the office location instead... Super angry and upset that they provided incorrect information to ruin our new year eve plans! Now we have missed the tour... how are you going to pay back the time we have lost? We are here to travel and explore the country, this is very unprofessional service! WILL NOT BUY WITH KKDAY EVER AGAIN!! (Pls do something about your service pls)

Date of experience : December 31, 2019

Hi there! Sorry for the inconvenience, would you kindly provide us your booking number or email address so we can check for you? Thanks!

This is the worst travel company ever.

This is the worst travel company ever. We booked a cruise through this company. After booking we realize the four of us are out in one room instead of two separate rooms. When contacting the company, we never get a proper answer. They dodge our questions, blame it back to the cruise company and just give mediocre responses. Three weeks later, we are still trying to figure out who can actually help us. If you want to feel stress out before your trip and over pay, definitely choose kkday!

Date of experience : September 14, 2021

Dear Reviewer, Thanks for taking a moment to give us some feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience with KKday was not satisfactory. In order to help us provide the best service possible, please send us an email at [email protected] and provide our team with more details about your experience (Booking number, Travel date, product name, etc) We appreciate your understanding and we hope to serve you again in the future. Best regards, KKday Support Team

Very misleading

Very misleading. Purchased Universal Studios Japan Express pass, particularly due to the inclusion of one ride, downloaded the vouchers and it states clearly that the ride that we want to go on is closed on the date we travel. We would never have bought the pass had we known. Emailed KKDAY on the same day I bought the tickets and they said they can't do anything about it. Misleading advertising to say a ride is included when you know that its not.

Date of experience : December 31, 2022

Excellent App!

Been using KKDAY for 2 years now. I started off buying my travel wifi with them and now use it as a platform to check for activities before I even buy my flight tickets! I absolutely swear by them and out of 20+ transactions in 5 different cities, I am definitely hooked. I also really love the app which is compatible with ApplePay so booking everything is super fast and easy.

Date of experience : March 11, 2020

Totally bad experience!

Totally bad experience!! Bought the JR Pass on 1st March 2023. However several times of delivery attempted failed but no phone call received particularly on receiving the delivery. After 2 weeks realized it still haven't arrived. Contacted support team but slow in reply. Only can call through kkday app which my friend helps me. Defer me to the a tracking website after that to courier services contact support since the product have been delivered (I need to call it myself) and it will take 2-3days for investigation. My trip will be in a week time. I'm not sure will they refund or how beause I'm too dissatisfied with their service! Please don't buy from them.

Date of experience : March 15, 2023

Untrusted vendor and Worst customer support ever

Worst customer support ever. I was cheated by one of their vendors and their only answer was: "It is your fault, you should have called us, now the problem is between you and them". Unbelievable! I would never recommend this company at all! 1- They work with untrusted vendors 2- They do not provide customer support but customer punishment when facing troubles. I have all the conversations with them, just unbelievable... Please, stay away, find other route!

Date of experience : October 13, 2021

Dear Reviewer, Thanks for taking a moment to give us some feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience with KKday was not satisfactory. In order to help us provide the best service possible, please send us an email at [email protected] and provide our team with more details about your experience. We appreciate your understanding and we hope to serve you again in the future. Best regards, KKday Support Team

Untrustworthy

1. I tried to purchase an USJ express pass and the system didn't allow me to purchase 2 at the same time but rather 1 at a time. So I did it and it ended up giving me two different time slots. 2. The system shows the currency in AUD but it charged SGP in the end and costing me higher exchange rate and credit card exchange rate surcharge. Now I regret not to purchase the tickets on Klook instead.

Date of experience : March 22, 2023

Bought a 7 day Sim card for Japan

Bought a 7 day Sim card for Japan, turns out it didn't have data, it has signal but no data. I think I just got scammed. Asked customer service they were not helpful at all, they keel telling me to contact an uncontactable person. Don't trust their websites review as well, they're all probably fake reviews and they block bad reviews.

Date of experience : September 18, 2019

Hi there, Sorry for this situation, please kindly provide your booking number(19KK...) for us, thank you and sorry for all the inconvenience caused.

Beware of hidden additional charges!

Be warned, this company will try to add on additional charges to their advertised transfer price, on top of what you agree to pay online. We were asked to pay two further charges (timely asked for at the garage whilst refuelling). Plus the car was old with poor suspension, and no rear middle seat belt (it was a family mpv). I’d recommend going with an alternative company. Do not trust KKday!

Date of experience : January 06, 2020

Hi there! Would you kindly provide us the booking number, or your email account, so we can check for you? Thanks!

Worst travel agent ever

Worst travel agent ever! I had purchased Taiwan Rail tickets through KKday. Taiwan Rail refunded one of the tickets to KKday due to an expired visa, but KKday refused to send the money back to me. Only after I complained to my credit card company did KKday return the money to me, and they pretended to do so happily, in the name of good customer service.

Date of experience : December 18, 2022

Less than 0 is a correct rating for…

Less than 0 is a correct rating for this fraudulent established mess! They are scammers the positive stars are not real the red one stars are all real! They just tried to do fraud… they are scammers.if you are saving money pay it all up front to a reputable company saving 10 15 or even 100s isn’t worth it if you never get any of what u pay for! SCAMMERS - STAY AWAY - CRIMINALS !!!!

Date of experience : June 30, 2022

I booked our Puerto Princesa Day Tour

I booked our Puerto Princesa Day Tour via KKday and it was hassle-free. Cheaper than anything i've seen. Although there are attractions that are more expensive than other travel booking sites, I find Kkday a bit cheaper

Date of experience : February 22, 2020

Travel to Japan is Booming, But Tour Operators Face Capacity Crunch

Selene Brophy , Skift

November 15th, 2023 at 11:22 AM EST

Taipei-based tours and activities operator KKday wants to grow its market share, but with it comes delivery challenges beyond the sector's offline fragmentation.

Selene Brophy

Tours and activities operators in Asia expect at least another 6 to 12 months of pent-up travel demand. However, maximizing this opportunity depends on addressing capacity bottlenecks, especially in markets like Japan. 

“It gets so chaotic that we have to help the suppliers,” said Wei-chun Liu , chief operating officer for KKday , a Taipei-based experiences booking company. 

Visitors to Japan surpassed 2019 levels for the first time in October, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.

Liu said that Japan has struggled to manage the surge in travel demand after restrictions lifted a year ago.

“We are seeing a lot of constraints from the industry, for example, the bus capacity, the tour guide capacity, are all a challenge right now,” said Liu. “Our team spent a lot of time trying to secure capacity for buses. The price of buses has probably doubled.”

KKday claims to have doubled its market share in key destinations like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan over the past year.

In particular, bookings for outdoor activities have grown 350% in 2023 compared to 2019. 

Founded in 2014, KKday’s business model has transitioned from business to consumer to include business to business, with the company reaching 6 million customers this year. In July last year, KKday raised  $95 million in series C funding , which it used to expand with brands such as Fine Day for the luxury market, and Activity Japan, one of the largest tour booking platforms in the country.

KKday also services over 3,500 small and mid-sized activity providers, offering 15,000 travel experiences in 550 cities through its reservations management software platform, Rezio. 

Curating Less-Conventional Experiences

Whereas KKday would typically outsource its specially curated tours, the company now manages more tour components to better deal with the service delivery issues it sees. Liu explained that KKday’s approach to creating less conventional experiences strategically looked at operational tension points in inconvenient and off-the-beaten destinations. 

“We wouldn’t do our own tour in Singapore just because it’s so convenient. We do places a bit far out, where it’s not easy to get to, where there’s no public transportation,” said Liu. 

“Because our demographic is mostly young people, age 25 to 35, they don’t want to go somewhere other people go. They want to take a new picture for their Instagram,” said Liu. “We curate products, look at social media trends, and the upcoming new destinations.”

Demand and the size of the route were added considerations. Liu said Southeast Asia destinations like Vietnam, Cebu, and the outskirts of Bangkok all matched this criteria.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by KKday Taiwan 🇹🇼 (@kkdaytw)

Local Seasonality

KKday continues to capitalize on the domestic business growth spurred by the pandemic, with local tours highlighting seasonal activities unique to the region, like apple picking and experiencing local festivals.

Liu said it expanded the company’s customer profile to include more families and older people with kids, with 15% of customers now coming from this new base. 

Luxury is another sweet spot for KKday, according to Liu. Its signature tours range from $40 to $60 per person, while Fine Day branded experiences can be 20 times higher.

Winning Asia’s Experiences Market

For Liu, KKday’s focus remains on delivering unique experiences rather than being a full-scale online travel agency (OTA) offering flights and hotels.

“I think it has to do with the region. In Asia, you still have a lot of suppliers that haven’t gone fully digitalized. And you cannot do that until you find them enough distribution channels, whether that be their channels, other partners, or our own KKday channels,” said Liu. 

The company is involved in supply partnerships with bigger OTA’s, including a partnership signed with Traveloka in October, but Liu declined to detail any other players it was working with.

“In our business, there’s always going to be regional players. Sometimes we compete against them, sometimes we work with them. I think it is really a very tactical decision. I don’t believe anyone will win the entire market share.”

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Tags: asia , experiences , hong kong , japan , korea , recovery , singapore , taiwan , tours and activities , vietnam

Photo credit: A boat cruises along Katsura River in Japan. Unsplash

KKday Review [2024]: Are The Tours & Experiences Legit?

KKday is an intriguing booking platform for travelers, but is it one of the top options for you? Allow me to end your curiosity! I'll explore this unique company in as much detail as possible so you'll know if it’s right for you.

It's no secret that there are many travel booking platforms out there. Trusted services such as  Klook  or Agoda tend to be the most used, and it can sometimes be challenging to try a company that isn’t as well known or new in the market. 

With so many of these competitive companies in the travel industry, standing out is key. One of the competitive advantages is usually the platforms that offer something unique, which tend to be attractive.

One of the main and favorable aspects of a travel booking company for most people is usually the price. There isn’t a bigger turnoff than booking a hotel and then realizing you could have gotten the same one for a discount somewhere else. 

That's why price and multiple other factors have to be considered when discussing travel booking platforms like KKday in particular. So, let's get into it with a detailed review of KKday and how it compares to the other top dogs in the travel space.

What Is KKday?

KKday  is an online travel platform where travelers can search and book travel experiences and activities in various destinations around the world. 

This large company offers a whopping 300,000 tours in over 90 countries! It was founded in 2014 by CEO Chen Ming in Taiwan and has since expanded to offer over 20,000 experiences in more than 80 countries, including popular destinations such as Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan.

You can book practically any kind of travel experience on KKday, with its most popular option being local tours. 

By booking a local tour, you can fully experience countries such as Spain or the Philippines with a tour guide providing a more authentic experience. 

KKday offers a wide range of travel experiences, including outdoor activities, cultural experiences, food tours, and more. They also allow users to book through its website or mobile app.  

The platform is designed for those travelers that want to experience off-the-beaten tracks.

How To Book With KKday

The booking process for KKday is straightforward, and it doesn’t take long to find what you are looking for. The platform offers a variety of different categories to tickle your fancy, such as food, sightseeing, outdoor activities, and more. 

Once you've chosen your activity or experience, you'll be asked to provide some basic information such as your travel dates, the number of travelers, and your preferred language. 

KKday also provides detailed descriptions of each activity, including photos and reviews from other travelers.

Where Does It Operate?

Although KKday originally started in Taiwan, it has now branched out and operates in 90 different countries, which is a lot, to say the least. 

It's an online platform for booking travel experiences and activities. It operates in various countries and regions around the world, including: 

• Asia:  Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka 
• Oceania:  Australia and New Zealand 
• Europe: France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom 
• North America:  United States and Canada 
• South America : Brazil, Argentina, and Chile

Cancellation Policy 

It's inevitable that people will need to cancel for unforeseen circumstances. KKday's cancellation policy is applicable in some of these situations, such as:

• The passing of a second-degree relative
• Terminal illness of a second-degree relative 
• Significant natural disaster in a destination that prevents the tour from departing 
• Flight cancellations or delays

But for customers to be eligible for a refund, they have to provide some sort of evidence that supports why they are cancelling. 

Note: KKday can only process the full refund when valid or supporting proof like a death certificate or medical certificate has been provided.  

Reasons To Use KKday for Booking Trips

KKday has some beneficial aspects that are worth mentioning:

Range of Available Experiences

KKday has a huge amount of experiences that you can choose from on the website. This isn't only a big benefit, but it separates them from the crowd, giving travelers more options.

This proves that KKday is not only well-established because of the range of activities to choose from, but it means that they're better than the more established travel websites when it comes to certain choices.

• Affordable Prices

Another interesting aspect about KKday which is worth mentioning are their prices. They have a wide range of promotions on offer, and their prices are better than most travel agencies.

As a traveler myself, I have to say that this is a massive deal and is possibly a dealbreaker for me. I'm always on the lookout for the most affordable websites to book my travels with, and KKday seems to meet those needs.

Redeemable Points 

On KKday, you can win points by accomplishing certain tasks on the platform. You earn 1 KKday point for every dollar you spend. Every 50 points equals to a $0.25 USD discount. 

The points can be redeemed on coupons or rewards for popular experiences and itineraries. To use the KKday points though, the booking total must be 1 USD or more.

Complaints About KKday 

Though some of KKday reviews have been impressive, there are some common criticisms that it receives.

Limited Choice of Countries

Although KKday does offer activities in a large number of countries around the world, it's nowhere near the same number as more popular travel websites.

This is a big issue, to say the least, and I honestly think if KKday expanded the choices it offers, it would be a much more efficient platform.

Not only do bigger travel platforms such as  Booking.com  and  Airbnb  offer more trip choices, but the fact they simply operate in more countries makes a ton of difference. If KKday wants to be a favored platform and keep loyal customers, it does need to expand the countries in which it operates.

Communication and Language Barriers

One of the most frequent negative reviews online are the communication and language barriers.  

Although most travelers don’t have a problem with booking on KKday, it's clear that booking activities in less popular countries can prove to be a problem for people as KKday languages aren't extensive. 

Unresponsive Customer Support

KKday has a  FAQs  page for any inquiries, as well as a phone call option available on the app. You can also email them at  [email protected] . 

Though these portals are available, quite a number of people have complained that the customer support is poor, often leaving customers to sort out any potential issues that may arise from booking on their platform.

Is KKday Worth It?

After doing all the research, I think it should only be used if it's the best option. By this I mean if it has the best pricing or it's the only option offering something. But it wouldn't be my first choice if possible!

Although KKday has clear cons that need to be improved, it isn’t the worst travel booking company in the bunch. So at least you don't need to feel downright scared when booking with this site.

Plus, the fact that you can book activities so easily with a wider range compared to most other travel websites can’t be ignored. 

But a lot of KKday reviews from customers online claim KKday partners with untrustworthy vendors, making them seem unreliable. Most complained of slow and sometimes unresponsive customer support, while some mentioned that KKday refused to issue a refund if there was any problem with the booking process.

Just like any other service, everyone's experience will be different, so the ultimate way of knowing will be to try it out for yourself.  

My Rating: 3.1/5

• Range of experiences
• Limited choice of countries
• Communication and language barriers 
• Poor customer support

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Now I wonder if there might be a day tour that I could join from Tokyo. Looked online but could not find anything.

I would appreciate information on this if anyone knows one.

Thanks in advance!

3 replies to this topic

You can look into JTB Sunrijse Tours.

https://www.sunrise-tours.jp/en/

Thank you both!

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Current Japanese Tourism Industry Challenges

The Japanese tourism industry is facing its own particular set of challenges. Particularly in the area of optional tours and activities, "DX at local suppliers has been lagging," according to Ohbuchi.

"In terms of hotels and accommodations, collaboration with overseas online travel agents (OTAs) has always been solid. But at the same time, many local non-hotel tourism suppliers are still managing their inventory and bookings on paper. This kind of request-based booking system inevitably results in a time lag when users make reservations," he said.

He continues, "We believe that DX in the tourism sector will become increasingly widespread. For example, QR codes and digital payments are finally becoming common, and I feel that on-site digital literacy has been increasing significantly. Promoting DX in tourism will yield many benefits, including eliminating losses of opportunity through more efficient sales and addressing manpower and human resource shortages, just to name a few areas that can be improved."

Nikko Toshogu Shrine found out about KKday's system through a nearby facility that had used KKday's supplier-targeted inventory management system to great success. The system likewise provided a solution for Nikko Toshogu Shrine. In the future, KKday hopes to use its knowledge of digital marketing to combine its own big data with data from nearby tourist locations to help boost sales throughout different regions in Japan.

Government Agency Support for Business Expansion in Japan

During the expansion, KKday had significant backing from government bodies and related organizations.

"KKday received outstanding support from organizations such as JETRO and the Cool Japan Fund when expanding its business in Japan. They explained how to expand our office in Japan, helped us build relationships with national and local governments and suppliers when we were still unknown as a company, and gave us the financial support we needed,” explains Ohbuchi.

KKday's Vision for the Japanese Market

KKday's prospects in Japan's tourism sector, anticipated to see sustained high-value growth, is filled with potential according to Ohbuchi.

"We are convinced that we can secure a balance in the tourism business when both inbound and outbound tourism are made viable. Regarding the culinary sphere, at restaurants and elsewhere, there are still an abundance of tourism resources in Japan that have not been explored in depth. From the viewpoint of product and commercial development, there remains significant room for growth in the Japanese tourism market. At KKday, we are focusing on inbound demand, while also strengthening our business in outbound tourism from Japan, as well as Japanese domestic tourism, to keep every type of new customer satisfied."

Ohbuchi believes that Japan's tourism market is highly alluring, with great untapped potential as an investment target. Moving forward, we will be keeping a close eye on KKday's moves in the travel and tourism sectors.

Cool Japan Fund, funded by Japanese government and Japanese private enterprises to support inbound travel businesses financially, decided on August 30 2019 to invest $10 million (equivalent to 1.1 billon yen) to KKday, a Taiwan-based local tour booking platform for Asian travelers. 

KKday lists about 25,000 tours in 550 cities in 92 countries and regions on the platform and has about 45 million visitors a month. Placing Japan as one of the important markets, the platform is trying to establish a network with Japanese tourist product suppliers and focusing on creating attractive products and developing marketing activities for travelers to Japan. 

Highly valuing the KKday business in Japan, Cool Japan Fund will help KKday expand partnership with Japanese suppliers and local governments and enrich its services to Asian travelers to Japan. Also, they will tie up for joint promotional campaigns to provide travelers from Asia with high quality local tour products. Cool Japan Fund expects that the financial support will be a great opportunity to increase regular travelers and also to increase their local spending in Japan. 

KKday raised funds from H.I.S. in February 2018, followed by LINE. 

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