Kimkim Trip Reviews

We are almost back home in Chicago after an amazing 2 weeks in Morocco. Abdullah did a fantastic job choosing activities, tailoring the excursions to what we requested and picking wonderful places to stay in each location. The scenery of the country was so varied, and all beautiful, but ai was most blown away by the people. Everyone was so kind - everywhere we went! Our driver Farid took wonderful care of us and let us adjust times and activities along the way. I would definitely recommend KimKim travel to anyone wanting to customize a trip - and if you ever though about going to Morocco - just do it!

Aline did a wonderful job planning our trip to Tours and Paris. She worked with me to answer all my questions and design a trip that met all our expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Le Basile Hôtel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was exemplary. Beyond helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless!

Oceania L'Univers Tours

Tours

Authenticity & Character

Lovely interior!

Location

Right by tourist office and train station.

Staff

Extremely helpful staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class in Tours, Loire Valley (Small Group Tour/2.5Hours)

France

Alex was a superb chef and teacher. He gave us many skills we will continue to use. The meal was excellent. Location easy to find. Kitchen was spotless and a very lovely space.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Villandry, Azay-Le-Rideau & Vouvray Wine Tour (Group Tour/9Hours)

France

Agathe was a superb guide. Very knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed our day with her?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day E-Bike guided tour, Loire Valley Chateaux : CHAMBORD (Small Group/8Hours)

Tours

Very fun day! Dimitri was an excellent guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful experience with Marianna and the whole team! From figuring out what kind of trip we were looking to plan and shifting around our original itinerary to making sure every detail was handled flawlessly, Marianna was available to guide us every step of the way. She planned an amazing itinerary and all of the details (transfers/inner island flights/ferry tickets) were super organized. While we were in Greece the team was very responsive and the WhatsApp thread was super helpful in making sure we knew what was next and we never felt we needed to stress about anything! We did an amazing bike tour and cooking class on Naxos with Aurelia Bikes and it was our family’s favorite excursion but here were so many good ones to choose from. ATVs on Santorini and a boat tour allowed us to see much of the island. Excursions were all different and spaced so that we still had free time to explore on our own. The guided tours in Athens and Naxos were amazing as well. Overall we are so happy with the itinerary and the entire trip. Thank you so much for making our vacation so memorable and easy!

We had an unforgettable family trip to Japan, traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka. Our local specialist Ben did such an amazing job planning our trip. He was so responsive to all of our questions and provided great suggestions. Our daughters were thrilled with the activities that were planned for us, from shopping for anime in Akihabara to petting capybaras. We were able to enjoy all of the beauty of Japan's temples, shrines and scenic landscapes and the KimKim team put together an absolutely beautiful trip for us. We had wonderful, knowledgeable guides, particularly Mr. Hiroyuki, who my daughters are still talking about after our trip has ended. I cannot express how much gratitude we have for everyone involved in our trip and I would definitely recommend the KimKim team to anyone travelling.

Hotel Review

Yuno Yado Shoei

This was a beautiful, peaceful Ryokan. We enjoyed the traditional food in the restaurant, and I had a very nice massage. It was a great experience!

Authenticity & Character

The onsens were peaceful and the food was delicious.

Location

A little far from downtown Kyoto, but easily accessible by bus

Staff

Friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Day Trip to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo (by private transfer)

Japan

We enjoyed this day, even though we were not able to see the top of Mt. Fuji, it was still beautiful. Our guide also had a wonderful suggestion for lunch where we got to enjoy some local udon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved our guide Mr. Hiroyuki and our diver Mr. Tashiro, who was a familiar face as he had also picked us up from the airport

Transport

Although the drive was longer than expected due to traffic, it was still smooth and comfortable

Have Fun in Nikko (Full day by public transport)

Tokyo

This was a great way to enjoy the beauty of Japan through nature.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip, accommodations, activities and recommendations made by our local specialist Adrian were great! We did encounter a couple snags along the way and found the emergency contact line helpful in resolving the issues! We appreciated the check ins and follow up from the team throughout our vacation.
Overall, we were very happy with the trip itinerary and service. We would recommend using kimkim and Adrian!

Hotel Reviews

Brooks Hotel

Dublin city

Great location and accommodations with helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ibis Belfast City Centre Hotel

Belfast

Good location and nice accommodations. Staff was helpful when having an issue with check in. Breakfast was also very good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gray's at Bushmills

Bushmills

Beautiful location and accommodations. Staff was very helpful and restaurant on site was great

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit out of town but worth it for the views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ship Quay Hotel

Londonderry

Great accommodations, pub and restaurant on site

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Menlo Hotel

Galway

Nice accommodations and restaurant on site was very good! Location was a bit far to be able to walk to Galway pubs etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Drury Court Hotel

Dublin

Nice accommodations and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Killarney Cottages

Killarney

Our booking was actually for Killarney Lakeland Cottages which were very nice and the caretaker was extremely helpful in helping us find the correct location when our itinerary sent us to the wrong location

The Victoria Hotel

Galway

Nice and spacious rooms in a convenient location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

George Hotel Limerick City

Limerick

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dingle Harbour Lodge B&B

Dingle Town, Co. Kerry

Very nice rooms and breakfast was good. A little bit of a walk to get to restaurants and pubs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Commodore Hotel

Cobh

Great accommodations, convenient location and fun pub on site

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hendrick Smithfield

Dublin 7

Small room but very nice accommodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rock of Cashel

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jameson Distillery Dublin - Bow St. Experience

Dublin

Very fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kinsale Mead Co. (Guided Tour & Tasting)

Kinsale

Super fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet

Ireland

So fun - highlight of our trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Brú na Bóinne and the Newgrange Tombs

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Titanic experience

Belfast

Quality of Experience

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

Our 3 hour tour actually lasted nearly 4 hours and was an amazing learning experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ferry to Inis Mór (Ferry Only - Return Trip)

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leslie and Francesca worked tirelessly to insure our trip was 100% the daily updates were the icing on the cake!! We loved the customer service and responsiveness to our many questions.

We will be sure to refer everyone we know and utilize yoir service in the future.

Thabk you for making our dream vacation a complete success. 5***** Bravo service!!

Grazie Leslie and Francesca. We appreciate you guys a lot!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Il Faro 3* Sorrento

Sorrento

Tiny bathroom with VERY low ceilings. Sorry this one let us down. Customer service was 2 star at best. The restaurant attached was good but the hotel was inadequate. Service was lacking. No porter ro assist with luggage. Every property but this one had assistance for our bags in and out. I think you can find a better property with Emglish speaking staff. Language barrier was unacceptable!!

Authenticity & Character

Cute but ... So so

Location

Bottom of the hill. We had ro walk and take taxi alot.

Staff

Customer service was lacking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing. It was pretty clean. Low ceilings in the bathroom caused me a lot of head bumps. I am tall!! No bueno!!!

Hotel Degli Aranci

Rome

Mr Marco is the coolest guy. He assisted us every step of the way.

Authenticity & Character

Very pretty property. Highly recommended.

Location

Except for having to take taxi everywhere we went it was located closely everything in Rome

Staff

Mr. Marco!! Bravo!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was squeaky clean

Hotel Adler Cavalieri

A very pretty hotel with every amenity possible. Brealfast was provided and it was good 😋

Authenticity & Character

Very cute property. genuine florence!!

Location

Once again, walking distance to everywhere we needed to be.

Staff

Helpful and friendlybstagg

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfy and clean

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Very nice newer property. Breakfast was amazing and well stocked with delicious local foods

Authenticity & Character

Located along the grand canal its definitely Venice-like

Location

Walking distance to all our tours!!

Staff

Awesome staff. Helpful and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean amd very comfortable

Andirivieni Bellagio Guest House

Bellagio

Wonderdully cute property. This very nice property started our trip off very well. We would highly recommend this property.

Authenticity & Character

Quaint family house

Location

Walking distance to everything we did

Staff

Irene was amazing and provided everything we needdd

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and tidy. Breakfast was amazing

Activity Reviews

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

OUTSTANDING!!!! Staff was amazing and the information given was great!!

Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Italy

Amazing tour. Pur guide was a historian. We.loved her presentation

Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Chianti: Fully Escorted Tour with guided Siena visit and Wine Tasting

Florence

We are not wine drinkers so this was partially boring and rather a bad choice for us. Partbof the rour was cool. Part wasn't

Private Florence Historic Walking Tour

Florence

VERY good tour. Guide was a genuine guide and exceptional customer servant

Venice Shared Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica & Doge's Palace

Italy

Amazing tour. Guide did well for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokoriki Island Resort was super impressive. Enjoyed the trip

Due to our hectic schedules in our native country, we often felt panicked during the planning process, but our guide Rinolda remained professional and calm alleviating our stress. In the end she created an excellent itinerary of suggested excursions.

Personally, I was unaware that the KimKim model included booking hotels, tours, and other reservations for us. That was extremely helpful. I thought we would have to do that ourselves. The only thing I wish we had made clear to Rinolda was that we were willing to pay a premium for lodging.

While Hotel Holt in Reykjavik (our first hotel) was charming, the room was uncomfortably small. Perhaps the fact that we departed from Toronto, Canada at 7:00 pm Saturday evening and arrived in Iceland 5 hours later, what would have been midnight EST in our brains, it being 6:00 am Iceland time might have contributed to our stress as we were unable to negotiate an early check-in. I would advise anyone traveling from the west to Iceland to book a room available one day earlier than their arrival. KimKim might suggest to clients the same.

Regardless of this hiccup, the breakfast at Hotel Holt was exceptional. As an aside regarding all breakfasts in Iceland, I now include tomatoes and cucumbers with my own back home.

While we were on our own for breakfast in Reykjavik, we did stumble upon a wonderful little breakfast joint called Grái Kötturinn (Gray Cat). We didn’t realize until later after checking our notes that Rinolda recommended it. Well done.

My only mistake—because I worked as a server in my youth—I tipped $20 US currency. Apparently tipping is atypical in Iceland. Whatever, I enjoy tipping.

Our entire trip was fabulous. Iceland is like another planet. I’ve never experienced such diverse landscapes. The glaciers, icebergs, puffins, waterfalls, black sand beaches, geo-thermal pools (ah), the tomato restaurant, skyr, cod, the bread, the churches, the lupine, the hikes—my wife lost 5 pounds trekking the wonders of this wonderful land.

Our second hotel in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Magma Hotel was perfect. From the outside it looks like a small, nondescript cabin, but the interior is a designer’s dream. Everything about it was style and comfort. And the view, to die for.

I feel like I’m writing a book, so I’m going to end it here.

Takeaways: Iceland is glorious. Rinolda is an excellent guide. Kim Kim Travel is a great solution for travelers. I’ll be back.

Adeline was a fantastic trip planner! She had so much patience as we moved our schedule around. The guides and drivers she found for us were great and the hotels were super convenient. She explained everything to us so we were able to take the subway, hail cabs, and use Uber in Japan. Favorite activities were driving street carts in Shabuya, tea with a Maiko in Kyoto, and Teamlabs. We scheduled three activities a day and got them all in!

All of the drivers that were part of our plan were wonderful people very friendly, very engaging and very enjoyable to travel with. In particular, our driver Martin, the day that we went on our genealogy search to the region around Rosscommon was especially generous with his time and his interest in our agenda.
When it comes to the choice of hotels that you booked us into, we were a bit disappointed. When we first saw the hotels that you proposed for us, we were remarked to each other that these were top-of-the-line hotels, expecting four star quality. In actuality, two of the hotels did not really meet our expectations. one was old and in run down condition, and the other was located far from anything in the center of the city and therefore requiring a long, and expensive cab rides.

Hotel Reviews

No.1 Pery Square Hotel & Spa

Limerick

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from city center and tourist activities

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful, especially at desk check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shamrock Lodge Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Of

Location

Nothing around the The hotel for tourist. Authenticity and character is the bathroom.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom had a leaky faucet much needed repair. Room needed updating. Lobby area was much nicer.

The Gibson Hotel

Dublin

Location too far from the central city and tourist activities. Unattractive lobby to check in.

Authenticity & Character

Cold and unwelcome if

Location

Information on how to get into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Cobh!

Cobh

Weather was terrible. We came back early and did not take the tour scheduled. We had three hours of nothing to do in Cobb.

Welcome to Limerick!

Limerick

Nothing we could’ve read this in a tour book

Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Location for pick up was confused with the new location of the bike rental. Took us an extra 15 minutes to find where the bikes were.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very helpful, especially dealing with the traffic. He was very sensitive to our concern about riding in the traffic.

Transport

Private transfer

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycle Hire - Self guided - Limerick Greenway

Ireland

Transportation to and from the cycle rental should’ve been included in our cost. We had to hire a taxi to take us to from the area, which should’ve been done by kimkim.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Driver Tour of Roscommon

Athlone

Ancestry report was very thorough, however, we did not receive it until the day of our trip and would’ve liked to read it ahead of time. Martin are driver and tour guide was fabulous. He really knew the area and was very knowledgeable about all the stocks we took..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer/Taxi

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Federico was excellent and very accommodating. He delivered a first-class trip itinerary and experience for our family trip to Brazil. I recommend him to anyone wishing to organize a Brazilian holiday. Mike

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Carpe Diem

Paraty

This hotel is exceptional. Charming with a first class and very accommodating and welcoming staff. We recommend it and if we return to Paraty will plan to stay there again. Mike B.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor California Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Great location, service and accommodations at a reasonable price

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Green Paraty PRIVATE tour: waterfalls, forest and distillery'

Paraty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from Rio to Paraty with stop in Angra for PRIVATE boat tour '

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Teresa & Rio Antigo'

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio de Janeiro – Boteco: A Journey Through Carioca Flavors'

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio in a Day: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Selarón Steps and More'

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Norway. The combination of boats hikes and bikes was great and the food was surprisingly good. Highlights included boating through the fjord, sauna and cold plunge in Aurland and the midnight hike in the Lygen Alps. The lodge in the Alps was lovely and the chef, Seamon, was truly amazing. Mike, our guide for hikes and biking was great fun and very relaxed. Two lovely days in Bergen were a nice surprise (ie no rain) and some trails and views from the top of the tallest local mountain were so worth it.

Our experience booking through KimKim was exceptional from start to finish. The initial planning process was highly collaborative, and our coordinator, Zehra, was incredibly experienced, providing fantastic tips and suggestions. She went above and beyond by staying in constant communication throughout our trip, even checking in at odd hours to ensure everything was seamless. Zehra knew exactly how to structure our days to avoid the heavy crowds, and she ensured our family's allergen requirements were completely taken care of at every step.

The on-the-ground execution was flawless. We were met in person by a representative right at the airport when we landed, which made our arrival stress-free. Our daily guides—Eda in Istanbul and Kezban in Cappadocia—were absolutely fantastic. They knew wonderful tricks to keep our young children engaged throughout the tours, and they generously offered to let us contact them with questions even when they were off the clock. We highly recommend this team for anyone planning a family adventure!

Our trip to South Korea exceeded every expectation, and the people who guided us are the reason it's now one of our favorite countries we've visited in Asia.
From the very start, Christine handled all the logistics flawlessly. Everything ran smoothly and on time, and she anticipated needs before we even thought to ask. That kind of seamless planning is rare, and it let us relax and actually enjoy the trip instead of worrying about the details.
Our guides, Jinny and Heather, were simply outstanding — among the best we've ever had anywhere in the world. Both were warm, endlessly patient, and genuinely sweet to be around. They had a real gift for sharing Korea's culture, food, and history in a way that felt personal rather than rehearsed, and their enthusiasm was contagious. They made us feel less like tourists and more like welcomed guests.
We came home with not just incredible memories of the palaces, the food, and the neighborhoods, but with real affection for the people who showed us their country. Christine, Jinny, and Heather turned a great itinerary into an unforgettable experience. We can't recommend them highly enough.

Our grandmother's/granddaughters trip to Italy exceeded expectations. All elements of the plan curated and refined by Erica and Diliana flowed smoothly without any major glitches. Our guide for the Coliseum, Mirta, was knowledgeable and provided a lot of background. Oksana, our Vatican guide, had lots of inside info, although I feel we literally ran thru the Vatican museum. I somehow thought we were going to St. Peter's Basilica, but it was not part of the tour.
The train rides were supremely comfortable and we had no problems finding our car and seats due to the detailed info Kimkim provided.
Our Pompei excursion with Vincenzo was particularly fun for me because so much more has been unearthed since my last visit.
Our cooking classes with Lily in Rome and Leonardo in Florence were particularly fun for the girls. They learned a lot and we had delicious meals to boot.
Daniela, our guide in Florence, was excellent and highlighted and explained some of the pertinent history that makes Florence so unique.
Rita guided us in Venice, a magical city if there ever was one. She made the narrow passageways seem not so daunting and definitely hit the highlights. Gianmarco took us to Burano and Murano and explained why these islands are so special. He was patient and kind even when we were late getting back to the boat.
All our accomodations were clean, safe, and very well located. It made getting around these crowded places pretty easy to navigate especially with the embedded links to maps.
Diliana, Erica, and Grant all checked in during the trip to see if things were going smoothly and it was comforting to know they were only a text away and response time was almost instantaneous.
I must say I was quite nervous before the trip that all guides and drivers were where they should be at the right time and I shouldn't have worried.
Thanks, Kimkim for your attention to detail and excellent and thoughtful planning. I have already been recommending Kimkim to others and will continue to do so. You have provided my granddaughters with fantastic memories.

Every part of the trip was amazing and well organized, from our trip planner Paola, to our local guide Danny. The entire experience was A+!

Every guided tour was excellent. Every transfer was on time with helpful & courteous people. Everything was as planned; expectations met and exceeded.

Anna did a wonderful job of helping us plan and arrange our trip to Norway! With her very helpful insights and suggestions, she helped us create exactly the kind of trip we were looking for. Anna and her team were responsive and helpful whenever we had questions, both before and during our trip. I would highly recommend Anna and KimKim!

Our family of four had a fantastic 10 day June trip to Morocco in large part due to the planning assistance of kimkim (Abdel and Said) and the reliability, good cheer and guidance of our wonderful driver, Mustapha. The accommodations and activities/excursions were as described (or better!) and our local guides were knowledgable and friendly. We especially enjoyed our Sahara camel riding experience, our cooking class in Marrakech, our various kasbah visits and our time in Essaouria. We had some long travel days (as planned), but the multiple cultural pit stops along the way made the travel time much more manageable and interesting.

I do not write reviews usually but this one is well deserved.
Interacting with Mr. Long in preparation for our trip was very efficient, professional and well done. Everything during our 12 day trip was executed to the minute and as per our correspondences.
Mr. Long was in touch with us with instructions and checking that all went well contacting us few times a day.
Reminders were sent prior to arrival making sure visas were done. At every pickup point ( Airport arrivals, immigration procedures, drivers, guides and transfers ) we were greeted either prior to time planned or on time. One time that driver was late due to traffic ( 10 minutes ! ) we were notified prior. For every flight there were notices sent in advance.
As for guides and drivers as well as their vehicles they were all perfect as promised. However I have to commend specially the guide and driver in Angkor Wat ( 3 days ) It was very humid, every time we entered the vehicle driver had super cold small towels to refresh ( from ice box, 10 pieces in one day ) and in humidity it was great. Very nice guide in Ninh Binh. All drivers and guides were very attentative, polite and never experienced anything but careful driving. The cars were nice as stated prior.
Honestly, never gotten so much attention and sincere interest to make sure all is going well.
We want to thank Mr. Long and his choices of drivers and English language guides for making our stay and travels withing the country easy, pleasant and amazing!