Sandy Ren

We had a wonderful experience working with Sandy to put together our trip to Japan. We had 3 couples traveling both together and separately which made the trip quite complex. Sandy listened carefully to the parts of the trip where we knew what we wanted and then made excellent suggestions for hotels, tours and transportation where we didn't have specific ideas. We had particularly wonderful tours in Kanazawa for the artisan tour and Michico's Sumo Championship tour through Sunrise. The trip went perfectly every day, every tour, every transfer, every train ride and every hotel. Sandy was very responsive for the year of advance planning and then she was in touch with us every day of the trip. She answered our questions quickly, sent ongoing information on time and made sure everything went smoothly. This was independent travel at its very best. We were so fortunate to have been able to work with KimKim and Sandy to create our incredible trip to Japan.

Sandy was in contact with us almost every day and was very responsive. I would recommend her for sure

The trip was great. We planned our trip to Japan during a very busy season of life when we didn't have time to do the research we'd normally like to do. Sandy connected us with all the important sites and was accommodating to our requests. She booked all our train reservations and knew what needed to be booked ahead of time in terms of trains and museums. Her suggestions about what to do in our free time were very helpful. Highlights were the Ghibli museum and Food tour in Tokyo and the bike tour in Kyoto. Our tour guides in every city were knowledgeable and kind. The hotels she chose for us were very nice, and all throughout the trip she shared updates of what was coming up next and info on using the transportation in that city. The only thing that was disappointing was finding out the Peace Museum was closed while we were there for the new year holiday. We would have scheduled our itinerary differently had we known that ahead of time and put Hiroshima earlier in the trip. So double check those types of details if you are traveling during the new year, or other major holiday. For a family of 5 it's also much easier to eat if you have a reservation, so plan ahead for that. Overall it was a fantastic trip and the experience with KimKim both before the trip, and while we were there, was very good.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

This hotel is clean and had rooms with 3 beds if you are traveling with kids/a group. The breakfast was good with a good coffee option in the morning. Location is near the Senso-Ji temple and markets around there. Nice friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good for visiting Senso-ji temple and markets but far from some other parts of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Fun to have bathtubs on balcony to have hot springs baths not in the onsen. Buffet was huge but got old after 2 days. Shuttle available to take you to the Open Air museum, but it doesn't pick you back up so need to acquaint yourself with public transportation. Staff was nice, had great massage at their spa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE KNOT HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima

Loved having the bar area on the 14th floor to hang out with views of the city. Great proximity to the bus that takes you to the train station! Breakfast was decent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Great location, nice lobby, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district

Tokyo

Good overview of the city. Our tour guide was flexible and accommodating to what we wanted to see. nice to have a driver to take us around on our first day in the country, helped us get our bearings!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa Sumo Club: Sumo Show Admission with Chankonabe in Tokyo

Tokyo

This was campy fun. Glad we did it but felt very touristy! Food was pretty good.

Quality of Experience

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

One of our family's favorite things we did! Jun was our guide and he was fantastic and had great energy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drive to Hakone with Mt. Fuji Tour

Japan

Had a great guide who shared a lot of history as we drove. We ended up with a freezing cold day which made it a little less comfortable than it would normally be!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto: Guided E-Bike Tour

Kyoto

Our family of 5 (2 teens + a 20 year old, plus parents) loved this. Our guide Philippe took us to off-the-beaten-path locations in east Kyoto which was great after having seen all the crowded main sites. Our kids ranked this high on the list. We had electric bikes so it was easy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Our guide Mayumi was excellent, telling us a lot of history about Hiroshima and the impact of the bomb there. She took us somewhere yummy for lunch, then onto Miyajima. It was a great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Hakone and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway

Japan

Tour guide was great but this just wasn't our favorite part of the trip. The hike we did on our own, Mt. Kintoki, was wonderful. A little steep so a bit of a challenge but we were rewarded with amazing views of Mt. Fuji!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we found the experience to be very good. While the itinerary was somewhat fast-paced, it was ultimately very satisfying and offered a nice balance between cultural activities and experiences specifically enjoyable for the girls. We truly appreciated the effort and care that went into designing the program.

That said, we would like to share a few recommendations that we believe could help strengthen future trips:

First, in some cities we arrived in the late afternoon and were directed to places that were already closed or about to close. This happened in Kanazawa, where despite rushing, we were unable to access the gardens, which closed at 5:00 pm. It might be helpful to adjust recommendations or arrival times in these cases.

Second, several of the guides did not speak English well. While we fully understand that the general population is not expected to speak English, we were told that we would have support from guides with at least an intermediate level of English. Unfortunately, this was not always the case. We prefer not to mention names, as we feel that would be inappropriate, but we believe this is an important point to take into account.

Third, the last day in Osaka felt too short. It may have been more beneficial to spend less time in another city in order to make time for Osaka or possibly skip Osaka altogether.

Finally, we suggest taking into account the situation we shared regarding the museum in Hiroshima, in order to be especially careful with schedules during public holidays.

We share these comments with appreciation and in a constructive spirit, as we truly value the experience and the work behind it.

A big hug and congratulations on such a well-organized trip.

Warm regards,

Sandy planned and supported our family trip to Japan (a food-focused itinerary with Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hokkaido), and I can honestly say she made the whole experience feel effortless — even when it wasn’t.

From the planning stage she was proactive and transparent: she flagged when hotels were selling out, offered alternatives quickly, explained things like ryokan room sizes and shared bathrooms, and matched accommodation to the kind of “Japanese experience” we wanted (inns, futons, breakfasts, onsen where possible). She also gave practical advice that genuinely mattered on the ground — luggage rules for the Shinkansen, what to expect at onsen (and tattoo limitations), and what we needed for arrival procedures.

What impressed me most was her care and problem-solving once we were travelling. We changed plans and added an extra night in Tokyo; she immediately worked through options and locked in rooms for all five of us. We hit payment limits and she offered solutions (split payments / alternate options) so we could keep moving. When a booked cooking class had to be cancelled due to a genuine emergency at the host’s home, she reorganised our day and processed the refund quickly. When we spotted an airport mix-up in the itinerary, she corrected it straight away. When we asked last minute about extra luggage for a flight transfer, she upgraded us to a van so we weren’t stressed or late. She also helped with special requests (including securing rugby tickets and train travel) that weren’t part of the original plan.

Throughout the trip she checked in, sent clear day-by-day details, and made sure we had contacts and instructions — so we could relax and enjoy being together rather than constantly troubleshooting. Sandy made our first organised tour abroad a genuine breath of fresh air. We’d use her again in a heartbeat and recommend her to anyone who wants a trip that’s well planned and well supported.

Sandy did a phenomenal job of planning our trip to Japan. Never having experienced Japan I knew nothing of best places to go for our interest and methods of traveling. The hotels were picked to our specifications, we care about both location and quality. We had expert private guides who took us places and helped us manage where to eat for our special diets. Everything went according to plan and we are currently planning another trip with KimKim.

Whenever I return to Japan, Sandy is the first person I will contact for planning support. Her kindness, meticulousness, and attentiveness have always stood out — especially during my solo travels as a woman.

Activity Review

Tokyo Private Driver One-Day Itinerary (updated-2)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first experience with KimKim, based on recommendation from friends. After many years of self-managed independent travel, what a wonderful experience! We wanted to design our own itinerary for Japan after previous travels there. It was a true collaboration with many iterations and exchange of ideas. The result was a unique experience, much of it to out-of-the-way places. KimKim's management of lodging, travel, drivers and guides was excellent. The final detailed itinerary guided us every step of the way. Specialist Sandy had great knowledge, made many helpful suggestions to improve our plans, and then was on the spot every day of travel to address any concern. We feel this was a good value and produced one of our best travel experiences.

Hotel Reviews

Gora Kansuiro

Hakone

A traditional design, older property, with excellent location close to Gora station and cable car. Beautiful outdoor bath, comfortable traditional room. Chosen to begin our Japan trip, it was excellent. Property a little worn, and food not the very best we had, but very good and overall the location and atmosphere make this an excellent place both for relaxing in place, and for touring the Hakone area.

Authenticity & Character

A true traditional construction with extensive grounds.

Location

Ideal both for quiet and for proximity to station and cable car.

Staff

Very welcoming and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little worn, but attractive and comfortable.

Hotel Fukinomori

After a day of hiking on Nakasendo trail, a beautiful and serene place, both modern and traditional. Excellent food, great bathing facilities, a nice common room, well-designed traditional room. Remote location with good shuttle service to train station and local village. Would have liked to stay on.

Wanoyado Hotel Iya Onsen Natural Hot Spring

Miyoshi

Spectacular location in remote Iya valley. Older buildings, rambling layout, very good food, beautiful baths at the bottom of the canyon, rooms high above with great views. Hard to get to but worth the journey, and well-located for Oboke gorge exploration.

Hotel Kanazawa Zoushi

Kanazawa

A small, quiet, and beautifully designed modern building well-located in Takayama. The room was small but so carefully designed that it was one of the better places we stayed.

UNO HOTEL

Okayama, Tamano

Modern building just across from Uno station. Not fancy but functional, and very good restaurant attached. Baths a short walk away - a separate facility more like a US spa, but many good bathing facilities and other amenities. However, for exploring Naoshima, not the best choice, as ferry schedule limits time on the island. If Naoshima is the objective, stay on Naoshima.

Wat Hotel & Spa Hida Takayama

Takayama

Yunagi no Yu Hotel Hanajyukai

Extraordinary place, high on a hill with panoramic views of Takamatsu and inland sea, and private outdoor granite baths for every room. Yet convenient by taxi at reasonable cost to Ritsurin Garden and other tourist sites.

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Shinmachi Bettei

Kyoto

A medium sized chain hotel, well-run and well-located for touring Kyoto and environs.

Onyado Nono Namba Natural Hot Spring

Osaka

Excellent location for tourism in Osaka. A busy property, small but comfortable room, good breakfast, no evening restaurant - but it the center of unlimited dining places.

Activity Reviews

Katsura Imperial Villa

Kyoto

We visited Katsura 30 years ago, and it was our most memorable experience in Japan. This time, the garden is still an extraordinary example of design - one of the finest gardens of the world. The feeling is both ancient and modern - as though Frank Lloyd Wright went back a few centuries. But the tour felt rushed, the group of 20 was too large, the English speaking guide was full of information but careless about whether her group could hear it. It seems they are trying to get as many people through as possible, timing the tour to 60 minutes, with no time for reflection or calm. Yet, if this is the only way one can see Katsura today, the experience is still worth it.

Day tour from Takamatsu to Iya valley

Miyoshi

Oboke George scenic boat ride is short but spectacular with stunning views and important geology. Vine bridge we expected to be trivial, but turned out to be a wonderful piece of engineering: now with steel cables hidden in the structure, but the design of the fiber structure is a wonder.