Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our guide in Cusco Julio Cesae was fantastic, he went above and beyond to ensure we had a wonderful experience and treated us like family. I highly recommend him!

We only had 1 negative experience, on arrival our guide Bosco slept then entire drive to the hotel. I wonder if he might have sleep apnea or just had a late evening.

Overall we had a wonderful trip!

Hotel Review

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción

Puerto Maldonado

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Sacred Valley: Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was amazing everywhere.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Guide Julio Cesae was amazing and treated us like family. He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. He is also very well educated regarding the Incan history and ruins.

Transport

Lima Market & Hands on Cooking Program

Lima

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Valentina and the trip she was able to curate for my parents and I. She was very helpful with making sure that activities were not beyond their physical limitations in their older age, took great care to arrange fantastic accommodations for us, guides were some of the friendliest people we’ve ever met anywhere on earth, and were always ready for us whenever we were to be on our way. If we had any questions, she was quick to answer ie helping when we lost a passport and when our guide had a flat tire. The hike to the sulfur mine was a great trek, we absolutely loved the kayaking experience, and I cannot say enough how much I personally loved all of the snorkeling. I intend to book with her again when we come back for a much longer adventure next time!

Our family of four had an amazing experience planning our Portugal trip with Kimkim! 🇵🇹

Adam and Summer were wonderful throughout the entire planning process. They really listened to our requirements, especially when it came to hotel locations, and the hotels they selected were in fantastic locations and worked perfectly for our family.

The activities and experiences throughout the trip were also very thoughtfully chosen. Every vendor we worked with was professional and met—and often exceeded—our expectations.

What impressed us most was the support throughout the entire trip. Adam, Summer, and the rest of the team were always there to answer questions and assist us whenever we needed anything along the way. It made traveling to a new country feel easy and stress-free.

This was our first trip planned through Kimkim, and based on our experience in Portugal, it definitely won’t be our last. We would happily use them again for many more trips in the future. Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We checked in very late at night so no one could go over hotel info that time. It’s understandable but next day even we were not told all the highlights of this hotel. We found out in our own very last day that hotel had beautiful hiking trail right behind and there was an easy access to that trail for hotel guests. Wish we would have know that on day 1. That hiking trail was stunning and we got glimpse of it and would have enjoyed extra time in hiking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

🥾 Self-Guided Coastal Hike: Lagos Old Town to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos (Algarve)

It was not all that and rather do trails that specifically for hiking for views.

Quality of Experience

Guided Alfama Walk

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Local Markets

Porto

Quality of Experience

Porto Highlights Walk

Porto

It was not all that and we could have done this on our own and felt like it could have been better with guide. What we did was something very basic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Benagil Cave Visit by RIB

Lagos (Algarve)

We did not know thjs tour can be done with dolphin viewing too. Wish we had given that option. We couldn’t do separate dolphin tour as they were sold out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ponta da Piedade by Boat Excursion

Lagos (Algarve)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pastel de Nata Pastry Class

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was memorable and adventurous in every way. The detail timing of the taxis, cruises, and tours was perfect for us to have personal time as well. Taylor was accommodating and helpful in choices to make our tailor-made trip perfect. Aselund in the Lofoten Islands was the highlight of the Norwegian region with the majestic mountains, lakes, rivers and Fjords. The city tours in each region were helpful and educational to understand the history and culture of Norwegian heritage.
One Negative...The "Norway In A Nutshell" day tour was a disaster with the distance that had to partake to get to the Fjord over 12 hours in trains (3), busses, and a ferry. The day in Flam was a tourist trap with souvenir shops everywhere. However, we captured a waterfall hike in Flam that overshadowed the transportation distance to get there.
The Norwegian trip overall was a bucket list expedition of nature, cultural presence, adventurous Fjords that will be memorable forever.
KimKim will be used in future regions that we are not familiar in travels going forward. Thank you for your knowledge, experience, and support to make this a comfortable, relaxing, adventurous holiday for our 45th Anniversary celebration!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Excellent location to Old Town, Galma Stand of Stockholm. Nostalgic hotel by the waterside with immediate access to Palace, ferries, and activities.

Authenticity & Character

Everything...the room was fabulous with 3 bay windows facing water.

Location

close to Galma Stand, Old Town.

Staff

Great people who were accommodating to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large spacious room

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The room is not comfortable as it was 2 levels with an upper bedroom loft with stairways, a living area with crossing wooden beams throughout the room that we hit repeatedly and one small window looking out to the courtyard and market. We asked for another room but they said they were fully booked and did not accommodate us.

Authenticity & Character

Accessibility

Location

In Old Town where all the action was in the city

Staff

Very cold appearance when we arrived with no alternative to change room. The temperature of room was cold and room heaters had to be brought in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

With multiple step down levels, crossing wooden roof beams, stairs to bedroom, no heat, bathroom was open shower with no tub (requested), etc

Nordis Suites

Svolvær

Views looking out were fabulous. Cleanliness good but service poor as this is an apartment complex.

Authenticity & Character

Service

Location

Staff

To have service....This was an apartment so they did not have immediate service attendents.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Door glass to balcony shattered...more shelving for luggage.

Hotel 1904

Ålesund

Historical Elevator is very small. Breakfast is great. People were hospitable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Depart Norway

Norway

Too early to airport as it was a very small airport and waited 3.5 hours.

Evening Kayaking Excursion

Svolvær

Excellent tour guide and experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

Somewhat knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Ålesund

Norway

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Svolvær Exploration

Norway

We did this on our own.

Private Lofoten Floating Sauna Experience

Svolvær

Excellent Experience especially when diving into the cold 46 degree Farenheit water temps.

Quality of Experience

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

It was the same cruise area region we did earlier in the day. We did not like the food quality and service. Taylor was adamant on doing this tour after I told her we prefer personal foodie restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Quality and Service of Food; No selection of wines.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Good, personable, knowledgeable, kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

We never went as we were Fjorded out!

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Excellent tour of the entire area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Day Trip

Bergen

I should get a credit on this trip as it was too long in distance with 3 trains, 1 bus, and cruise over 12 hours. Refer to clients next time private tour to the same cruise.

Quality of Experience

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

It was the best Fjord we saw! No changes to God's world.

Quality of Experience

Private Lofoten Sightseeing Trip

Svolvær

He was excellent to take us to the majestic mountains of the Lofoten region. His knowledge and experience on the island was very good to give us a pleasurable time seeing nature at its best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Costa Rica was wonderfully amazing. Huge credit to all the team at KimKim and Serendipity! We have already recommended many times.

We started off with amazing personal service on arrival, outstanding bookings in Cloud Forest at Savegre Resort where the room had a private enclosed balcony with jacuzzi tub and views of the river. They also had a special anniversary table and dinner for us, that we did not know KimKim had even set up. Beautiful and very thoughtful.
Bird watching was great with local guide and we managed to see the bashful quetzales. Horseback tour was a wonderful outing through river and up into hills. Our planned coffee tour was great and gave us unique perspectives into local growing cooperative.
We moved on to the Pacific coast and Uvita where we had another amazing balcony room at Cristal Ballena overlooking the ocean. With monkeys and toucans out our window it was a wonderfully natural landscape. Plus the afternoon in the pool was so relaxing and the staff took amazing care of us.
Our whaling tour actually saw humpback whales and dolphins so that was a bonus.
Kimkim set up everything and Serendipity was right there to answer any questions in real time. The service was outstanding! We can’t say enough great things for all the assistance. So easy to work with and everything came through even better than expected.
Would HIGHLY recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Ballena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa

Páramo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding Along the Savegre River

San Gerardo de Dota

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marino Ballena National Park: Boat Trip

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coopedota Coffee Tour

San Gerardo de Dota

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Birdwatching and Natural History at Hotel Savegre

San Gerardo de Dota

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In one word: SUPERB!
We had an amazing family trip that showed us many different sides of Peru including cities (Lima, Cusco) and desert landscapes, rainforest and wildlife, history and culture . Everywhere we went the people were extraordinarily nice and the food was always delicious. A special mention goes to the Inca Trail experience culminating in Machu Picchu, led by the wonderful Iza.
We had a packed program with lots of travel and activities in 2 weeks, and all the transitions were managed very smoothly and we never experienced any problems. Really great how the program was designed and executed on the ground.
Would recommend this to anyone.

Our trip to Iceland was great. Emanuela was only a message away at anytime and we felt very supported throughout the trip.

Hotel Review

Blue Hotel Fagrilundur

Bláskógabyggd

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was so quiet and relaxing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure

Golden Circle

This is so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

We had a great guide and enjoyed this a great deal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marianna took our visions for our dream Italian vacation and made them a reality. No detail was left out. Everything she promised, came through. I would highly recommend KimKim and Marianna! We are already looking at booking another vacation and Marianna will be the first person I reach out to!
Thank you for making our 35th Anniversary vacation become a reality!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dei Dragomanni

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel The Square Milano Duomo

Milan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH La Spezia

La Spezia

Amazing! I only wish there was a pool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dei Mellini

Rome

Grand Hotel De La Ville

Sorrento

Rooms were clean and very nice. We wished the pool was open a bit later. Otherwise, I would stay here again. Staff was very friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Basic Rome Tour with Pizza and Gelato by Electric Golf Cart

Rome

The golf cart tour is a must. I do wish we would have had more time to spend at the Colosseum .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

This was amazing even though there were quite few people visiting that day and Rome was in record high temperatures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essential Tour Of Venice

Venice

Our tour was for St Marks Basilica and the Doge's Palace and we were only able to do the Palace. That was very disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Bernina Express From Milan

Milan

This was unbelievable! A must do! We are planning a trip to Switzerland to see more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Como & Bellagio Day Tour From Milan

Milan

Top 3 experiences. Our Guide, Renzo was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour To Capri From Sorrento

Italy

Top 3 experiences of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour Τo Positano, Amalfi & Ravello From Sorrento

Italy

I wish we would have done the boat tour. We felt a bit rushed during this tour. Our guide was friendly and the area was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mathia provided knowledgable and professional consultation and coordination to create a customized itinerary for our trip to Stavanger to experience the fjords in this area. He arranged our hotel and tours and provided valuable recommendations for restaurants and things to do. Mathia was very responsive and attentive to our needs and interests. He checked in during our trip and was extremely helpful in making last minute adjustments we requested to ensure our holiday was all we dreamed it to be. We would be very happy to work with Mathia again in the future.

When my friends and I started planning the trip to Japan, it wasn´t clear exactly where to begin. Fortunately for us, we discovered Kimkim, and shortly after completing the preferences survey, Shona got back to us with an itinerary proposal in no time. Since then, she has remained actively engaged with us through the rest of the planning, the trip, and up to the end.

In the planning phase, Kimkim´s itinerary chat allowed everyone on both sides of the chat to make and take into consideration others´ suggestions and recommendations. Shona let us know the requirements, addressed our concerns, and kept us up to date on bookings and reservations at every step, and we worked together to plan the best trip based on our budget. Thanks to this coordination, the itinerary was complete a long time before the trip. This breathing room ahead of the trip allowed for last-minute adjustments, which Shona actively managed for us.

During the trip, Shona and her team at Odynovo did not waver. From the moment we left for our trip up to when we returned, her team of coordinators, guides, and drivers was in constant communication with us. They made sure everything went smoothly, checking in to make sure we were where we planned to be and when we planned to be there; despite the language barrier.

The trip flowed seamlessly, a testament to their thoughtful planning. It was evenly paced, neither rushed nor laggy, considering the many activities we did and places we got to visit in a few days. The order of activities was well put together too. In every new place we visited, the guided days came first, followed by the self-guided days. Our tour guides were engaging and enthusiastic, intuitively showing us around, thereby boosting our morale to manoeuvre on our own and explore freely.

Leading up to the end of the trip, we only wished we had planned for more time. Shona and her team set a benchmark, a high bar, to which all trips to come, to Japan and other places around the world, will be compared. Japan is an interesting place, with a lot to offer in many aspects, and this trip, great as it was, was only an introduction, a momentous one. We look forward to returning sometime in the future, and we hope it will be just as amazing, if not more.

So, if you´re planning to visit Japan, and Shona is your agent, you´re in good hands. Actively participate in planning, remain engaged, and keep an open mind. Thanks, Kimkim, Odynovo, and thank you, Shona!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Monterey Le Frere Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views from the higher floors.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can walk around the local area and discover a lot with little effort.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

It´s close to great local places to explore for a tourist.

Staff

Welcoming and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall, well-maintained.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Authentic Sake Tour in Fushimi: Sake Tastings & Explore Historic Breweries

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samurai Sword Experience for Adults in Kyoto

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kinkakuji Temple

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We returned last week from a 7 day self-drive tour in Iceland. We connected with our Icelandic travel planner Gudmundur Oli, better known as Gummi, through Kimkim. Planning our customized tour with Gummi was easy through online chat, Zoom calls and phone calls. We were a group of 6, ages 10 to 71 and Gummi helped us plan a trip with something for everyone.

Our trip was fabulous! From the Blue Lagoon, to the stunning waterfalls, to the thrilling Zodiac boat ride on Glacier Lake, and the ice caves, and the black sand beaches, to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and the puffins!!

The landscape of Iceland is a study in contrasts. One day you feel like you could be on the moon and the next like you might be in the Rockies in Colorado. It's stunning. I loved the contrast between the vast open spaces and rocky landscape and the warm and cozy indoor spaces like our accommodations and restaurants. There's a very Zen feeling to it all.

If I had to mention one negative it would be the cost...of everything. Lunch for 2, no drinks will cost you 75 bucks. Even souvenirs are outrageous. I thought Bermuda was expensive, but Iceland has them beat.

Thanks Gummi, it was great! We felt like we had a friend in Iceland and knew you were just a phone call away.

Hotel Review

Frost & Fire Boutique Hotel

Hveragerdi

Loved this property! It was our favorite. The location is so unique and interesting along the river with views from our room.. The hot tubs and heated pool were great, even on a cold and rainy day. The staff is great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The river view and quiet area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Fabulous! The lake was full of ice floes and seeing the glacier up close was very exciting.

We had driven the golden circle in 2023. This time we wanted to see the North. The Kim Kim team did a superb job on planning the routing, suggesting stops along the way, sourcing great accommodation, and even suggesting some restaurants. They made it easy, with clear maps, descriptions of points of interest, confirmed arrangements along the way, and clearly a thorough understanding of what would interest us. I don't think we could have made these kinds of choices on our own, since we don't have the experience of Iceland and it is a very long way between towns. There was a huge advantage for us to have a rental car so that we could stop where we wanted, spend extra time at places of interest, or skip something where we didn't have the time to stay. The highlight was seeing the full solar eclipse at the Western most tip of Europe. When we return (and we will), we will be contacting Kim Kim again for the planning.

All the guides, drivers, hotel staff, etc were very friendly, caring and tended to all our requests and needs.

Hotel Reviews

Buri Rasa Samui Village

Samui

The beach was great! Extensive food options and staff ready to greet and assist with needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa

Chiang Mai

Breakfast was extensive and staff always ready assist with anything needed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Vista Riverfront Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

Close to temples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Once Bangkok

Bangkok

Great breakfast and able to get it “to go”!

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop

Location

The view of the river

Staff

Breakfast staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lanna Lifestyle & Cooking Experience with A Local Family with dinner

Chiang Mai

This was some fun and the family was just delightful. That two sons are very funny and personable. We got lots of great information and had lots of fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Monk Blessing at Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vivid Arts of Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Joining)

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium Koh Tao & Koh Nangyuan Snorkeling by Joining Speedboat (Tue/Thu/Sun)

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Culture and Art

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Scenery of Golden Triangle Region

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to The Glorious Days of Ayutthaya Kingdom

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was planned flawlessly by Leslie at KimKim! Can’t say enough how incredible the trip was and how every place, guide, and tour were wonderful - - - even in 100 degree heat!

Venice:
Our guide Sara was so warm, informative and loved her City. We learned so much about the history, saw the basilica, and went on a gondola ride. So lovely. Our hotel was fabulous and we made friends with the staff.

Florence:
Our guide Marco was charming and knowledgeable. We did some wine tasting, visited sites and were again spoiled at our hotel.

Rome:
Once again our guide and hotel were memorable. Our guide did her best to help us be more comfortable in the extreme heat, while we learned about our host city. We visited the Collisium and the Vatican; both left us speechless in their beauty.

Amalfi Coast:
We had a full day boat ride. The Captain and Marta were the perfect hosts who love their professions! We were shown the Blue Grotto, Mt Vesuvius, Capri, and the Sorrento coastline. We swam in the sapphire blue water, had a delicious Italian lunch and learned about the locations history. Our hotel was on the water and we got to relax a couple days and even got to see the Solar Eclipse!

I’m really not able to do the trip enough justice. Every guide, tour, ride, etc. was on time and high quality. Each hotel had a great location and was 4 - 5 stars. The memories my kids, grandkids and friend made together will last a lifetime. Can’t thank Leslie enough for her careful planning, availability, and kindness.

Review of Road Trip In France
What a great service! Marianna, our local specialist, was wonderful to work with. She was very responsive and had some good insights. Now for some specifics:
Picking up the rental car was seamless. With everything prepared and paid for it took just a few minutes to do the paperwork and drive away. As with every other driving excursion, a quick click on the embedded link brought up a saved Google map with a detailed route right to the exact next location.
Deauville was a good stop for us. It was a short drive after leaving our cruise ship to this wonderful seaside resort that had obviously been visited by many film stars and other well-known people. The Hotel Barriere Le Normandy deserved the 5-star rating – great facilities, great service, wonderful charm.
Another click on an embedded link, and we were off for the drive to Mont-Saint-Michel. This was one of the highlights of the trip. What an inspiring feat to build such a grand abbey on an isolated small island so many centuries ago.
Next stop was Amboise in the Loire valley region. The Hotel Le Clos d’Amboise was a charming converted chateau with a courtyard and inground swimming pool. The reception staff was extremely gracious and helpful. The breakfast included was okay. However, we would not recommend the restaurant for dinner. The servings were small, the service was slow, and the price was way too expensive for what was received.
A major highlight of the trip was the visit to the Clos Luc Castle, the final home of Leonardo da Vinci. It was fascinating to see his drawings and the replicas of machines based on his ideas. What a visionary individual he was!
Now came the only hiccup in the entire experience. Before we took the 30-minute trip to turn in the rental car we called the transfer company that was to give us a ride back to our hotel. The company had the return transfer scheduled for the following day and could not get us a driver for the current day. The hotel staff lined us up with a different transfer. We paid for the transfer, but Kimkim graciously refunded us the charge. Specific instructions on how to return the car to the underground parking garage would have been very helpful as the Avis representative was not in his office and did not speak very good English as he tried to transmit instructions as we circled the train station a few times.
All in all, working with Kimkim exceeded our expectations. We have already recommended them to others and will not hesitate to do so in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Nice converted old chateau. The reception staff was very good and helpful. The restaurant was OK for breakfast but would not recommend it for dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Mont Saint Michel

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

Typical U.S. style basic modern hotel. We wanted to make sure we had A/C, though it was not necessarily needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy

Deauville1

Great old 5-star hotel in a wonderful seaside resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very short walk to the beach.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer in town

France

Transfer was scheduled on the wrong day.

Visit the châteaux Chenonceau on your own (timed tickets provided)

France

Quality of Experience

All guides and drivers were great as we have become to expect from Kimkim.

Hotel Review

Electra Palace Athens

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free Afternoon in Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Y

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Highlights Private Guided Driving Tour with Jewish Heritage

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Athens Food Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Archaeological Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides God bless and George were fantastic. Request them!! George maneuvered well in heavy traffic in and out if Nairobi and always provided fantastic views of the wildlife. We had bird enthusiasts in our group and Godbless was very knowledgeable. He also gave us excellent views of the animals. He had an engaging personality and it was obvious he had good relationship with other guides.
Joseph did an excellent job of curating a customized experience for our group of six.
He was responsive to our questions.
It was an experience of a lifetime.

All connections were smooth. A no hassle experience where we could still do things independently.
I thought the hiking around Pyha was exceptional. It is nice there was plenty of independent time in location ( except bear watching cabin) to be able to walk about.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ski-Inn Kultakero Hotel

Pyhätunturi

Loved this place off season , after the big concert crowd had left. Was so nice to have our own sauna and hot tub. Such a nice spacious room for two people with kitchen facilities. The walking and hikes nearby were great. Unfortunately, our two outings with the same guide we didn’t get a chance to see much wildlife, but the weather was an issue and we enjoyed visiting with him.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bear Watching Cabin

Kuusamo

It was a long time to be cooped up. I would have had second thoughts , if I knew it was 14 hours in a stuffy cabin with no chance to take a walk to get fresh air. It n the other hand it makes a memorable visit and a great story to see bears by the Russian border. I didn’t realize they bait the bears directly in front of the cabin. Something about this struck me as wrong , but my wife liked it more than I did.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Long drive to get to this cabin.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Can walk anywhere from here

Staff

Attentive and accommodating staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sauna in excellent shape

Overnight Train

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Haven

Helsinki

Liked the buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Midnight Sun Photography Tour

Rovaniemi

Ryan was a very patient and enthusiastic guy that made for a memorable evening.

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

Informative guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Canoe Trip in Lapland

Rovaniemi

Beautiful spot , very private. Good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki Sauna Tour

Helsinki

Was a fun trip. Bike riding was no problem , felt safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Supportive and informative. Excellent English.

Transport

Overnight Bear Watching Experience

Kuusamo

Long time at a stuffy cabin. An interesting experience to see bears that close to the Russian border. I didn’t realize they baited the bears to come to the right in front of the cabin.

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clearer communication

Transport

Good drivers on a long drive.

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

It was fine , seemed a bit touristy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fishing Experience

Finland

Didn’t have much time to get the line in the water, but still a nice spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour

Pyhä

Rainy day and didn’t see much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Reliable for a rainy day

Transport

River Cruise on an Eco Rubber Boat

Rovaniemi

Our guide was informative and personable. He gave us a choice of rubber or rustic wooden boat. I chose the wooden, but there was a problem with a bit of a leaking. The bailing made for a memorable journey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guide should have probably checked boat leak before guests.

Short Arctic Wilderness Hike (Summer/Autumn)

Rovaniemi

Nice hike , young French guide didn’t add much info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Never felt like Ryan was rushing through things.

Transport

Picnic Cruise Along the Aura River

Turku

Boat operator did not arrive.

Transport

Back up plan for boat operator.

Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea

Helsinki

Our guide Alex was excellent with good sized group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste of Helsinki & Tour of Suomenlinna

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a marvelous trip to Finland. Emerson established our itinerary, and every phase of the trip played out exactly as planned. For example, every driver we expected for a transport showed up early. I never felt worried that we would be stuck somewhere and have to figure out an alternative plan; things occurred as stated in the itinerary.
I loved the app too - it kept all of the important information, directions and tickets together in one source. I will definitely use KimKim again for international travel.
Emerson was available during the trip via the app or email, just in case we had questions or concerns. It was reassuring to know that we could consult with our travel specialist at any time. He was pretty quick to get back to us when we did contact him.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

This is an amazing hotel! The room was incredibly spacious, and staff was friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was incredibly eclectic! We loved it!

Authenticity & Character

It has its own bar and restaurant, and has a beautiful lounge area with an outdoorsy decor.

Location

This is a great location to walk to city center businesses and shops, but feels like it is on a quiet side street.

Staff

So helpful and friendly. We asked for directions to locations and businesses multiple times and always received friendly help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room had so much space I. It and that made it feel exceptionally comfortable to stay in.

Overnight Train

The sleeper cabins with private bathrooms are extremely small for two people! You barely have room to do anything in the room or the bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely not a typical space to stay in. Very unique!

Location

Very convenient to use for a long travel distance, making overnight travel attractive.

Staff

Helpful. Answered questions that we presented.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sleeper cabins for two people need to be a bit larger to allow both to be able to move around.

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

A very nice hotel in a great setting in Turku.

Authenticity & Character

It has unusual decor inside.

Location

Perfect setting in order to walk downtown, yet it feels like it’s on a quiet street.

Staff

So friendly and accommodating in every situation that arose during our stay!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was plenty big, and there was plenty of comfortable space to sit in the lobby or dining/bar areas.

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

This was a nice hotel, set in a very convenient location for walking around Helsinki. It is a smaller hotel, but the room was quite adequate.

Authenticity & Character

This was a smaller hotel, but was pretty adequate for most amenities.

Location

Close to downtown activities , businesses and parks.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was good.

Activity Reviews

Canoe Trip in Lapland

Rovaniemi

We had a great canoe experience that included our ability to look at a solar eclipse.

Quality of Experience

Excellent training by the guide before we began.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin gave clear directions and explained how to stay safe.

Transport

Mushroom and Berry Picking

Rovaniemi

This mostly involves picking blueberries to make juice.

Quality of Experience

It was fun and interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was nice and personable.

Transport

Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire

Rovaniemi

We enjoyed the campfire and whole experience.

Quality of Experience

Making pancakes was fun.

Food

The pancakes were good. We thought there might be other food provided, since it said dinner was included.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin told interesting stories.

Transport

Electric Fatbike Trip to the Reindeer Farm

Rovaniemi

The Fatbike made the ride so comfortable and easy. The reindeer farm experience we great.

Quality of Experience

Nice ride the farm was terrific.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was terrific. He quickly and adeptly made us lunch at the fireplace.

Transport

Ooo

Korouoma Canyon & Auttiköngäs Waterfalls Adventure

Rovaniemi

This was a fun, amazing, mostly moderate hike, and it had some nice viewpoints.

Quality of Experience

Good pacing

Food

I loved the fireplace at the shelter. It was so user-friendly and safe.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable tour guide.

Transport

Archipelago Ring Road Tour

Turku

This was a nice tour, but not quite what I thought I was getting. I thought we would get out of the vehicle more to see incredible sights. I didn’t realize that most of the time would be spent in the vehicle because it takes so long to complete the Ring Road.

Quality of Experience

Food

We only stopped to eat at once place to eat. The food was great, but we should have had a little more time to eat it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was very nice, and shared some good information.

Transport

Car was comfortable.

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

The guide was very knowledgeable, and gave us a nice mix of historical information as well as local cultural information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As mentioned previously, he gave a good mix of information. The only downside was that he seemed to become distracted by his personal wants when we entered the library.

Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea

Helsinki

We enjoyed a really nice hike through a forested nature area.

Quality of Experience

Very nice hike at a good pace, with free time given for exploration.

Food

The guide prepared traditional Finnish food, and the presentation was terrific!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very nice and interesting, and knowledgeable about forest plants.

Transport

She drive the van very carefully along these windy roads.

Helsinki City Walking Tour (3h)

Helsinki

Nice walk around the city with a nice guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My Uganda trip, booked through kimkim, was an incredible experience overall. The itinerary covered everything I had hoped for: gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and Queen Elizabeth National Park were all absolute highlights, each with fantastic wildlife sightings and well-timed, well-organized days.

A special mention goes to my guide and driver, Steven, who was outstanding throughout the trip. He was knowledgeable, attentive, and brought a level of care and professionalism that made a real difference, from the way he timed the trekking activities to how he handled logistics day to day. He's a big part of why this trip felt so memorable.

I also want to highlight Fred, who checked in with me by phone almost every day to make sure everything was going smoothly. That level of attentiveness gave me real peace of mind traveling alone, and it didn't go unnoticed.

One area for improvement: the overall pricing felt too high, not because anything was missing from the trip, but because it's clear a significant markup was added on top of the actual bookings. This isn't a reflection of Steven's or Fred's work, both of which were excellent; it's specifically feedback on kimkim's pricing structure. If I might book with them again, I'd go in more price-conscious, even though the on-the-ground experience was fantastic.

Activity Reviews

Kazinga Channel Water Safari

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride 4 a Woman Biking Community Tour

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chimpanzee Trekking

Kibale National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport