Sandy Ren

Where to start on our Mother & Daughter trip to Japan...

My daughter Rose and I were fortunate enough to spend just over 3 weeks travelling to Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Koya, Okayama, Naoshima and Hiroshima.
I came across KimKim when looking for Japan travel itineraries while trying to plan this excursion myself. Apart from the fact I had left it very last minute in an extremely busy Cherry Blossom season we also had specific experiences and attractions we wished to incorporate; I decided to give Kimkim a ring!!
The best decision I made as was put in touch with Sandy who put together an itinerary which included accomodation, travel and daily schedules, amazing.
Sandy took into account and included all our travel requests and more linking it all up in a comfortable travel package. I also liked the fact that even though this was a planned itinerary we also had a lot of free self-guided time, this made it more relaxing and gave us extra time where needed.
I cant thank or recommend Sandy enough as we would not have seen or had the experiences we did if we had of planned ourselves.

We went thru a lot of iterations. Sandy was very flexible and invariably polite and responsive.

Both guides were excellent. Mr. Tan went above and beyond to help me deal with the logistics of additional adventures in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa-Eki Nishiguchi

Kanazawa

very nice but nothing really special. Rooms small for US but nice for Japan. Great bathroom. Good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

standard westernized hotel. No complaint but nothing special

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

love the pajamas

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

we were pleasantly surprised by how big the room was

Authenticity & Character

it's ok. Standard westernized hotel without much character but no problem

Location

Location is fine. Only thing better would be closer to Tokyo station. Not really possible to take subway with luggage. But no complaint. Tokyo is so huge that we can't really comment on location. Near a very nice park which we enjoyed.

Staff

very helpful with some addtional requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything

Activity Reviews

Full Day Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Tour

Kanazawa

Really nice to walk around with Summer

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

We loved being in the nice private car. Definitely an upgrade from a bus. The driver really knew the area and took us to a great small local restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

so nice

Transport

big comfy private car

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tokyo

Mr. Tan was super nice and knowledgeable. He changed the experience since we'd already been to the imperial gardens

Where do I start regarding our trip to Japan. Firstly it was so far a trip of a lifetime!!! From the moment we landed to the sad moment we left my son and i could not have had a more memorable experience..

Sandy our local specialist did a great job hitting the high points of each of the 4 cities that we visited. Every reservation went off without a hitch including our tickets on the Shinkansen bullet train and our Universal and Ghibli Museum tickets. The hotels picked were conveniently centrally located allowing us to get around easily either walking or using the excellent subway system.

Each of our tourguides were excellent and really made our trip very informative and helped so much given the language barrier we experienced. Satomi was helpful a helped me purchase kitchen knife from a knife shop in Dotonbori. She had lived a while in the US and knew what we were all about. She balanced touring with shopping and was flexible regarding our schedule. Naoko was a wealth of knowledge in Kyoto and went above and beyond in trying to explain the dense history of the various temples and shrines we visited. Kyoto was one of our favorite cities. The other one being Tokyo. Kyoji was our guide for beautiful Mt. Fuji and even took us to a special local Ramen shop where we were treated to a wonderful customary meal. Keiichi, our guide in Tokyo took us to a Sumo practice session which was a treat to be a part of. Having lived quite a while in Tokyo he was very familiar with the different Tokyo districts and provided us with local knowledge of the areas. Finally, Yuki was both our driver and guide during our trip outside of Tokyo to Nikko and really showed us the beauty and splendor of rural Japan. Everyone was so kind and obliging. It made our trip so much more informative and special.

We especially enjoyed Mt. Fuji and couldn't get over the grandeur and beauty of the site. Kyoto had its own special vibe which was really to our liking. Finally Tokyo was a wonderland!!! The subway system was so easy to use that we had not problem getting wherever we need to go. And did I mention the food! We did not have a bad meal. We tried to try it all and were not disappointed.

This is my second trip planned with KimKim . The first was to Portugal and was a private tour with my wife. This was a trip with my son and although I didn't think it was a private tour it might as well have been. The attention to detail was on point and it was comforting knowing that any problems were only a phonecall or text away to solve. I will definitely be using KimKim again for future trips.

Activity Review

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kobe Tour

Osaka

Being on of the few original Castles not devasted by war or fire this was a wonderful site to see. You got to see all floors all the way up to the shrine at the very top. The castle itself was beautiful but the grounds were even more beautiful.

Quality of Experience

One of first sites we saw.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sandy was very easy to work with and incorporated all our input into the itinerary. She helped us plan a really well-rounded Japan trip! We got extremely lucky while we were there as the cherry blossoms were delayed in their blooming and therefore coincided perfectly with our travel dates! Additionally, we had great weather.

Hotel Review

Watermark Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Rooms at the Watermark are quite small, but it was very comfortable for the four nights we stayed there. There are really pretty lighting options in the rooms (lantern and wall lighting), which was a fun feature. The buffet breakfast was an excellent way to start the morning! There are both western and Japanese options. The hotel is not located very close to restaurants or epicenters, but is close to a subway line or a 25-30 minutes walk to more exciting areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tokyo

Our tour guide, Meiji "May," made this day particularly special. He has a great personality and was clearly a very experienced guide, navigating crowds and transportation like a pro. He also recommended an AMAZING restaurant for lunch, Asakusa Tsurujiroh Hanare.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour(join-in )

Hakone

Mt Fuji is beautiful! The drive up was a great way to see the countryside, but where we stopped up the mountain was very crowded. The boat ride wasn't our favorite part, though Lake Ashi is lovely. The gondola ride offered great views but also wasn't a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shibuya Sky and Sumida River Cruise

Tokyo

Shibuya Sky is very cool; even our Tokyo-based guide was impressed. It was his first time visiting and he thought the view was more expansive than some other vantage points in the city, like Tokyo Tower or Skytree. The Sumida River Cruise was a bit underwhelming in our opinion, but a unique opportunity and cool way to see architecture along the river.

Day Trip to Nara and Uji

Kyoto

This was a long day with lots of driving! The temple is very impressive with it's scale, but at this point of the trip we had seen so many shrines and temples. The dear were cute, but we both felt we didn't need to go back to see them. Good food in Nara! We really liked our guide. Very helpful, positive, and fashionable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour with a Boat Ride

Kyoto

The Bamboo Forest was very crowded which made it feel less magical. The garden at Tenryu-ji Temple right near the forest however is beautiful! The monkey park was very fun; it's a bit of a hike to get up there but subsequently offers a great view of the area. Lastly, the boat ride (Arashiyama Tsusen) was one of our favorite experiences! It's very cool to see how the boat is propelled with a bamboo stick, and there's a motor powered boat that comes up halfway through the trip to sell food and beverage.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Kyoto guide, Tomoko, was lovely! We enjoyed spending the day with her.

Transport

Sandy organized some amazing local things for us. We especially loved the Tea ceremony and Fushimi Inari hike in Kyoto and our half day tour in Nara.

Todai-Ji is an absolute must see in Nara.

Overall, we had a memorable experience in Osaka and Kyoto and we're glad we opted for the private tour and driver. The accomodations recommended were authentic and excellent in service, especially the Imperial Hotel Osaka. The Ryokan in Kyoto gave us a really good feel of the traditional way of living.

The guides were all really polite, attentive and knowledgeable. The driver himself was good and acknowledged his minor technical hiccup and went out of the way to get it sorted. Overall we had a great experience and impression of the places we went.

Hotel Reviews

Imperial Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Momijiya Honkan Takaosansou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Tea Ceremony KYOTO

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Cooking Class

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kinkakuji and Nijo Castle Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you so much for making our trip to Japan memorable and fun. Our guide Lay-la in tokyo, mt. Fuji was also nice to work with. Dennis in Kyoto is very informational too.
Our accomodation locations are also great right in the center of the city.

Activity Review

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at dark

Osaka

Okini Osaka! Aina-san is the best guide in this tour. She is so jolly and educational which made our trip enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the privilege of having 2 different guides for different days, Shu and Dennis were both incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and accomodating. Guides provided facts and knowledge about the various planned stops on our trip as well as general local info about Japan. Behind the scenes Sandy was a great coordinator and helpful every step along the way. The level of service from KimKim is great. We hit an issue due to a technology failure, but the team fixed everything quickly and were very professional.

Our family has travelled to more than 30 countries and all seven continents. We have used various travel agents for trips to Africa, Latin America, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

I can say without hesitation that Kimkim is the best travel agency, and our local specialist Sandy is the best individual travel agent, that we have ever worked with.

The planning process with Sandy was easy, transparent, efficient and informative. We went back and forth several times as we narrowed down our itinerary, chose our hotels and selected our experiences. Sandy always had great options, common sense suggestions and creative ideas. Every time I had a question or a message for Sandy, I would have a direct and helpful answer from her the very next day. And, importantly, she always respected our budget. We never felt rushed, manipulated or "up sold" on anything.

Our Kyoto guide Sunny was delightful. A longtime guide, his love for Japan showed through at all times. He was very easy to be with -- always going out of his way to find just the right snack or restaurant, shortcut or camera angle.

Or Hiroshima guide, Yuji was terrific. During Covid, he created a series of illustrated notebooks that cover every possible aspect of Japan's history, geography, culture and traditions. I think I learned more about Japan while reading his notebooks than at any other moment on the trip. Yuji also plays the flute and gave us an extraordinary sample of his musical talents while we walked through a beautiful forest on Miyajima island -- it was a totally magical and unexpected moment for us.

Yoshi, our Tokyo guide, was equally excellent. He took us across Tokyo on various subway and commuter lines -- covering more sights and attractions more immersively than we could have imagined. His choice of sushi lunch restaurant was absolutely perfect -- some of the best sushi I have ever had in my life. After just one day with him, we were sorry to say goodbye.

Finally, Ryoji, our guide for a night time food tour of the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, was absolutely amazing. Over the course of four hours, he took us to five different eating establishments, down narrow alleyways, along wide boulevards and through crowded neon-lit intersections. This was probably my favorite single experience on the trip.

Unfortunately, while in Tokyo, we had an unexpected health situation (totally unrelated to our activities or Kimkim's planning) that required us to cut short our trip and return home. In these difficult moments, Sandy was unbelievably supportive and helpful. She helped us make immediate and urgent changes to our plans, was available 24/7, and helped us get refunds on the activities that we could not do. Her constant availability, encouragement, and support helped us get through a difficult moment which required difficult choices and stressful adjustments to the trip.

Even weeks after our trip, Sandy was still engaged with us, helping wrap up final details and offering encouragement.

In summary, I highly recommend Kimkim, Sandy and our local guides. They really are the best travel professionals we have ever worked with.

We will definitely use Kimkim for our next trip.

If your experience is half as good as our experience was, you won't be disappointed!!

Activity Review

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

This was a fantastic experience. I highly recommend this. The highlight of our Tokyo visit!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ryoji was excellent! Ask for him!!

Transport

All credit goes to Sandy. She provided just the right amount of assistance - very responsive when asked but not overbearing. I have referred a friend who is using KimKim to visit Italy and Sandy should get the credit. I’m also trying to reach her - so far unsuccessfully - for a friend planning to visit Japan.

As to the trip, we were pleased with the planning and Sandy always provided us with the information we would need the next day. Our guides and drivers were generally good and our train tickets and train instructions were always helpful. We especially liked our guides in Hiroshima, to Nara and to Nikko. Our driver to Koyasan drove too fast. We loved the leader on our bike tour out of Takayama but were disappointed at how little time we actually spent biking. Our tour to Mt Fuji was perhaps our biggest disappointing especially the stop by a lake where we waiting for an hour to go up a cable car with an unimpressive view. Our second stop where we could visit a pagoda with a great view of Fuji was terrific. Wish we had not had that first stop as it was a waste of time we would have preferred to spend in Hakone. And our best view of Fuji was actually from the train between Hakone and Takayama. Kanazawa was also disappointing. Fortunately one of our guides told us about the light show at the castle which we went to and loved. We really needed a guide in Kyoto and wish Sandy had pushed that a bit. We ended up hiring someone from Viator - the pickings were slim - and regretted it because the guide was so bad.
All in all we were pleased. We tend to like our independence even though things often turn out badly - we are the masters of Plan B and even Plans C and D. We avoid travel agents and mostly do our own planning. But I would definitely use Kim Kim again if we were guided by someone as helpful as Sandy.

Activity Reviews

Miyajima Island tour( Itsukushima Shrine)

Miyajima

Wonderful place. We wished we had stayed two nights rather than one, or perhaps it would have worked if we had arrived early in the day or stayed later the second day. But we arrived late in the day and left early the next - not good planning.

Izakaya Food Tour in Tokyo

Tokyo

One of the most fun things we did.

Excursion to Mt. Fuji -Japan's Iconic Landmark

Tokyo

Too much time on cable car with hour wait and mediocre view.

Japan Alps Kamikochi Day Hike

Kamikochi

Nice trip but likely not worth a whole day. I would not recommend.

Takayama-Shirakawa-Kanazawa

Kanazawa

This was a fun little town but certainly not a highlight.

Museum and site tours of Hiroshima

Hiroshima

This was made special due to our excellent guide.

Full Day Rural Bike Tour

Takayama

Loved our guide! She made this a great experience. However we were disappointed at how little time we spent on the bikes.

Day trip to Nara

Kyoto

We loved Nara and we had an excellent driver.

Mt. Koya and Temple Stay Experience

Mount Koya

We loved the little town and the Buddhist temple stay. It was definitely worth the long drive (tho as mentioned previously, we thought our driver drive carelessly)