Kimkim Trip Reviews

Greece did not disappoint! Wonderful sights, history, food & people. Everything Kimkim.com put together for us was well done and went off without a hitch. The hotels were well situated and just right for our uncomplicated style of travel. We didn't want to do anything too touristy and the island of Sifnos, in particular, was fantastic for us. The day trip we took to Delphi was amazing, how these ancient civilizations tamed their environs is beyond my imagination. Some of our favorite tours/bookings: Acropolis tour, Athens food walk, guided tour of Sifnos monastery/churches & pottery workshop, and the e-bike tour of Paros. The food was amazing everywhere, as were Sydney's recommendations for restaurants.
I've been making the best Greek salads at home the past 3 weeks.
This is our 3rd trip put together by kimkim.com highly recommend their services, and at least 10 days in Greece!

Activity Reviews

Private Delphi Day Trip

Athens

We had a delightful driver for this day long trip. He was very knowledgeable, as was our guide at the temple of Apollo and museum. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Athens Acropolis & Mythology Walk

Athens

Our guide, Athena, was very knowledgeable. She had a good pace for our tour and managed to find shady spots for her discussions! She was delightful and we learned so much. Highly recommend her services.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gems of Sifnos: Villages, Monasteries & Pottery Workshops

Sifnos

Our guide, Christina, was very knowledgeable. She had took us all around southern part of Sifnos. The village of Kastro is not to be missed! The pottery studio tour was a nice stop too. She was delightful and we learned so much. Highly recommend her services.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Neighborhood Food Walk

Athens

Our guide, Fotis, was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting stories of growing up in Greece. The tour was small & well paced. We were able to try so many different Greek specialties that none of us needed dinner later! He was a delightful guide with an easy manner, we learned so much. Highly recommend his services.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a fantastic time on our trip to Southern Spain and Morocco. Janelle did a fantastic job arranging a trip that was the perfect balance of arranged activities and enough free time to soak in the culture and sites around you. All our hotels were top notch and all could not have been better located to easily reach desired neighborhoods or sites. Our arranged activities were all exactly as advertised. Jose, our guide for the Tapas Tour was incredibly knowledgeable of the neighborhood and made us feel like locals for our fist night in Malaga. The Alegria Flamenco Show was awesome and a perfect second night in Malaga. We had the entire sailboat to ourselves (4 of us) in Marbella, where our guide Oliver made sure we had a great time that even included a quick dip in the Mediterranean. Our self- guided tour of nearby Rhonda was not to be missed. Aziz, our guide in Tangier, made sure we were oriented to the Medina and the Kasbah and helped us arrange an evening drive to view the sunset over the Atlantic on one of the most norther parts of Africa. Cadiz afforded a beautiful day spent on the beach and we wish we had more time in Seville as there was so much to see and do there. Our hotel, Las Casa de la Juderia, btw, was an incredibly unique hotel made up of 27 separate buildings connected by a tunnel complex made to look like Roman ruins. Truly a great way to end a perfect Southern Spain getaway!

Hotel Reviews

Molina Lario Hotel

Málaga

Perfect appointed and perfectly located. Our view was the Cathedral one of the main sites of Malaga.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Oasis Marbella

Marbella

The view and the pool were both beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Zahia

Old Medina, Tangier

Charming 4 star hotel in the middle of the Medina. Exactly what you would hope for in terms of a taste of old Tangier in both decor and ambience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador de Cádiz

Cádiz

Beautiful views form all rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

Incredibly unique hotel with 27 separate buildings and a tunnel complex connecting them made to look like Roman ruins. The hotel is an experience in itself. The staff here could not have been more helpful or accommodating, including ensuring a change of rooms did not impact our ability to see the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

An Evening of Flamenco

Seville

Perfect second night in Malaga. The show was fantastic and really fun and easy to get too. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Tapeo Like a Local: A Tapas Walk Through Málaga

Málaga

Our guide, Jose, was great. He really new the neighborhood and helped us experience it as if we were locals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Cruise on the Mediterranean

Marbella

We had the entire sailboat to our small group of 4. Our guide Oliver was fantastic and made sure we had a great time, including a quick dip in the Mediterranean.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tangier Immersion: History, Culture & Daily Life

Tangier

Our guide, Aziz, was fantastic. Really helped us understand the history and culture of both the Medina as well as the Kasbah in a short afternoon tour. Also helped us arrange for a evening drive to observe the sunset over the Atlantic at one of Africa's most northern points.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Egypt was incredible!
Kimkim helped us plan our dream trip to a T.
All the coordination of travel and guides was seamless.
Our guides in Egypt were fantastic, knowledgeable, and friendly!
The Jordanian guides were amazing! They knew so much information, kept us on track schedule wise and just the best people.
The drivers in both Egypt and Jordan were also exceptional.
I would highly recommend Kimkim as a tour service if you are planning a trip anywhere!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Cairo Zamalek

Zamalek

The Hilton was great! Gorgeous views of the Nile. Their restaurant was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

A very nice old world style hotel

Location

It was in a beautiful neighborhood and overlooking the Nile

Staff

The staff was wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was very clean

chateau lafayette nile cruise

luxor

The Château Lafayette River cruise was a fantastic experience

Authenticity & Character

The boat was beautifully laid out, and our rooms were very nice

Location

Cruising the Nile with this boat was wonderful

Staff

The staff was wonderful, kind and funny

Cleanliness & Comfort

The boat was very clean and if we needed anything, they would bring it right away

Tolip Hotel Gardens

Cairo

We didn’t love this hotel. It was very impressive, but the rooms were not clean. There was debris on the floor of the hotel rooms as if it hadn’t been vacuumed very well. Also, there was scribble marks in pencil on the walls and shelves. The mirrors and windows hadn’t been cleaned. The countertops had not been cleaned. When I go to a hotel, I like to feel like no one has been there before me. It didn’t feel like that. Beautiful hotel, though.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and impressive hotel

Location

Beautiful location and views

Staff

Staff was OK

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was not clean

Invidia coral beach Tiran

sharm

Gorgeous resort with lots of amenities

Authenticity & Character

It was a lovely hotel and beautiful grounds

Location

Location was incredible and breathtakingly beautiful

Staff

Staff was very friendly and helpful if we ever needed anything

Cleanliness & Comfort

The towel was very clean and we were always able to get clean towels, etc., when we needed them

Mars Land Camp

jordan

The Mars land camp was incredible! Our rooms were beautiful, clean and very comfortable. It was amazing to sleep in a dome on the desert.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic I felt like I was in a space movie

Location

Absolutely breathtaking location

Staff

Staff was very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Sulaf Luxury Hotel

Amman

This hotel was very nice. Beautifully built with modern vibes.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel was lovely and authentic in a modern boutique way

Location

Location was beautiful on a main road in Amman

Staff

Staff was very nice and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was very clean and beautiful

Activity Reviews

Horse ride on the beach

Sharm el-Sheikh

Our horseback ride on the beach was top-notch! The stable where we got the horses was beautiful. The horses were well taken care of. Our guide was very kind and careful with us.

Quality of Experience

This is one of the most amazing experiences!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The horseback guide was just so wonderful!

Transport

We ended up using an app to get a ride over there and that was great

White Island & Ras Mohamed National Park Snorkeling Boat Trip

Sharm el-Sheikh

Being able to take the boat to a world class scuba diving, and snorkeling site was great!

Quality of Experience

The whole boat experience was fantastic

Food

The food on the boat was super delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff on the boat were excellent!

Transport

Getting to the boat was great

Giza Pyramids & the Grand Egyptian Museum

Cairo

The pyramids were amazing! And getting to ride a camel was very exciting for us

Quality of Experience

The experience was wonderful, safe and exciting

Food

The food was so delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers were great and our guide was wonderful

Transport

The driver was fantastic

Tour to Cairo Citadel, Khan El-Khalil and Coptic Cairo

Egypt

This was also an amazing adventure. We ended up going to the Saqarra ruins instead, and it was incredible

Quality of Experience

Quality experience!

Food

Food was amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A wonderful driver and guide

Transport

Excellent driver

kom Ombo, and edfu Temples

Egypt

This was such an amazing temple and going to it by boat, made it really special

Quality of Experience

Beautiful experience

Food

The food was so delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable guide, who knew all kinds of information about this temple

Transport

The boat driver was wonderful

Luxor East Bank

Luxor

Box Luxor was over the top amazing.

Quality of Experience

It was incredible to see these ancient ruins

Food

The food was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide and our driver were both wonderful

Transport

The driver was excellent

Check out to Luxor West Bank

Luxor

This adventure was also amazing. Overwhelming how many incredible sites there are to see.

Quality of Experience

This was this was just beautiful

Food

Food was super yummy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so knowledgeable about all the little detail details of this site

Transport

The driver was amazing

Amman City Tour - Dead Sea Beach – Amman Airport

Amman

Seeing the castle above Amman and the temple of Hercules was just incredible

Quality of Experience

Wonderful experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver and guide were wonderful

Transport

Our driver was the best!

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk

Aswan

This was an amazing thing to experience. The dam was very impressive. Seeing the unfinished obelisk was really cool.

Quality of Experience

Great experience

Food

Food was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful guide and driver

Transport

Wonderful driver

Travel from Aswan to Luxor via kombo and Edfu

Egypt

Excellent experience seeing this ancient site

Quality of Experience

Amazing site

Food

Food was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable

Transport

The transport to the site was excellent

Trip Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor, Egypt cruise

Luxor

This hot air balloon ride was amazing! 32 people in the basket! The ride was smooth, safe and incredibly beautiful

Quality of Experience

The best quality experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and staff were great

Transport

The drive to the balloon site was great

Day 2: Wadi Rum Camp - Petra Visit – Amman Hotel

Amman

I had no idea how incredible Wadi rum was. One of the most amazing places on earth. The dome camp was so beautiful and very comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Incredible experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful guide and staff

Transport

The best driver in the world

Trip to Nubian Village by Motorboat

Aswan

This was a fun experience! The boat ride was really nice and the Nubian village was beautiful. The people were very kind. Also, we got to go to a spice shop, which was really interesting.

Quality of Experience

Quality experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great driver and staff and boat man

Transport

Great transport

Aqaba Port – Wadi Rum 2 Hour Jeep Ride – Wadi Rum Camp

Wadi Rum

This was beautiful and amazing. They even got my son a snowboard so he could sandboard the dunes. The petroglyphs in the little canyon were so beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Super experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The absolute best guide

Transport

The absolute best driver

All arrangements occurred as promised by Francisco. Guides and others were reliable, helpful, knowledgeable and intent on addressing my concerns. Patagonia is an otherworldly wilderness requiring physical exertion to enjoy and avoid mishaps, couldn't be done without the Kimkim team's assistance. Thanks, be well and good luck in all matters, Craig Hong

The only real bummer was the hotel in Cortina d'Ampezzo, it was not a friendly or helpful personnel, the hotel is dark and depressing, the "free" breakfast" was especially underwhelming. Also the prices in the available restaurants were very high for the most part, we should have been warned. We really got ripped off in one meal experience. Milan too was too busy and not comfortable though the hotel was high end, we were only there 18 hours and needed the airport to begin our travel home. We would have much preferred to return to Verona from Lake Como as it is where we began and did not have enough time there.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Indigo Verona - Grand Hotel Des Arts

Verona

I especially loved the outside seating in our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit of a walk to the shopping area though we liked that and walking was essential

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal

Cortina d'Ampezzo

I mentioned this in previous question. I did not enjoy this home or hospitality. The breakfast was very weak and the gathering room to eat was dark and soulless.

Authenticity & Character

Dark, reception was poor...dining area...unimaginable

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cannot understand how dining area was chosen, not comparable on any level to other hotels

Olivi Thermae & Natural Spa

Sirmione

Bright, clean, excellent service, grounds were beautiful, This is a well run family owned hotel with much pride.

Authenticity & Character

elaborate, spared not expense, pride is plentiful

Location

Its a bit of a walk though we loved that

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Terminus

Como

It seems like the hotel was doing small renovations while we were there. Very dated though lovely. The dining room was divine and easily my favorite of all hotels

Authenticity & Character

Location

central to where we were

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel The Square Milano Duomo

Milan

Beautiful property. Rich and elegant. Rooms were by far the most plush, rooftop bar was a pleasure and bonus

Authenticity & Character

High end, elegant,

Location

Central in a very bustling city

Staff

could have been warmer

Cleanliness & Comfort

High standards, excellence

Activity Reviews

1-Day Experience – Easy Hike Around Lago di Braies

Italy

Very laid back, educational and fun, good exercise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

relatable and friendly

Transport

upbeat, positive and patient with us

E-Bike Adventure in the Ampezzo Dolomites (2–4 hours)

Italy

Rain and cold and we went anyway. It was uncomfortable to be sure though no regrets. I would do it all again and imagine with dry, even sunny weather this would have been more of a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was under the weather so a bit limiting, I am sure he did not want to go given the weather, though he was a trooper

Transport

actually just walked from hotel to get bikes, the rest was just the ev bikes

The Valpollicella wine region

Italy

Another not pretty day so a bit cool and overcast, the guide did well with 2 different groups at once. It was interesting and I think guide did well to keep it on track

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She did great and handled it professionally

Transport

Long drive to and from

Our trip to Iceland so much fun. The itinerary Adam designed gave us the right amount of driving and sight-seeing to fill the entire day. We decided not to do the Ring Road which was the right decision for us. We had an issue with the rental car which was promptly resolved. Hotels were very good and when we were able to eat at a recommended restaurant, the food was fantastic.

I can highly recommend our itinerary for number and types of sights seen and time behind the wheel. The summaries of the sights were helpful.

I contacted Adam during the trip and he was prompt in all his responses. He had provided and "emergency" number but I took that to mean a real emergency rather than issues we had when we were on the ground! So I probably bugged him more than necessary but he took it with good humor.

Activity Reviews

Reykjavik Food Walk

Iceland

This was ok but the food provided was not that good. We did get the opportunity to try the fermented shark!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

The perfect time to do this is after the overnight flight, which is what we did on our way to Reykjavik. Would not have wanted to skip this at any price.

Quality of Experience

My wife and I had our first trip to Italy this fall and decided to use KimKim as our trip organizer. We could not have been more satisfied with the service provided and how smooth the process was. Andrea who was in charge of organizing the trip was always in communication, professional and on top of every detail. The hotel selections where perfect and in the right location, the reserved transportation always on time, the restaurant recommendation on point; and every single guide we interacted with was very knowledgeable, passionate about their city and very pleasant. Honorable mention to Mariapaola and Arianna in Rome and the Vatican. Even when one of the guides could not make it at the last minute while in Florence, Andrea was able to get a substitute guide that was amazing (Ruta). One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the beautiful city of Assisi. You can breathe "peace" as soon as you step into the city. There we met with Maura as our guide and she was a delight. She was in constant communication with us even before we arrived. We also loved the wine tour in the Chianti region, but what made it really special was our tour guide, Quentin. He was so charming, full of life, passionate about wine and a wealth of knowledge.
I will be using Kimkim travel for our next trip to any part of the world.

Jimena and team put together an amazing adventure in Peru for our family. We have used KimKim before and found it quite easy to use; this time was no different. We were able to give insight into some of the things our family enjoys and from there an itinerary was created which we refined to meet our families specific interests and requests. We even made some last minute adjustments that were graciously accommodated.
To add more detail, we are a family of 5 with two adult children and one younger child. We had asked to see Machu Picchu as well as the Amazon rainforest and Jimena delivered an amazing trip plan. Every detail seemed well planned. Each transfer (and there were many) was seamless and our guides brought us to the airport or train station and ensured we were all set. On the other end of each transport, someone was there to receive us. We always felt safe and taken care of. Our guides from Peruvian Soul were all lovely and informative. They made sure we were comfortable and all our needs were met. We also had a separate driver so the tour guide was able to focus just on sharing stories and information with us. The places we stayed were all beautiful and great for our family. People there were friendly and accommodating.
I could go on and on about all the details, but suffice it to say that this trip was packed with activities and internal travel to multiple different locations, which would have been extremely difficult for us to plan on our own. Kim Kim and Peruvian soul made sure all of these details were perfect.

We loved that Caterina really listened to us as to what we were looking for in this trip, including nature and culture. We loved Verona and Cecilia our guide. (We wished we could have stayed there longer because the museums were not open when we were there.) We loved the garden she took us to, the amphitheater and the synagogue. She also followed up with us after the tour and was available for questions, directions, and recommendations. The next stop was Cortina and we also loved our guide there, Simone, who took us to Lake Braies-loved the hike around the lake and the e-bike ride through the forest. (By the way, all the drivers were prompt and courteous, and great drivers.) Then we went to Sirmione, and Lake Garda, where we toured a winery (Alleghrini) with a great tour guide and lovely vegan cheeses to sample while drinking their wines. Then we went to Lake Como where we loved our guide (can't recall her name) who took us on the boat tour to Bellagio. She spent all day with us and was full of information and advice. Every guide and driver was on time. We never had to ask where they were. We were also very happy with all the hotels you chose for us. We ended in Milan where we had an informative Jewish tour of the city and our tour guide (Pierre?) was very informative and flexible to our interests. We really appreciated getting daily updates and check-ins from Anna to make sure we knew who our guides were and how we were doing. That made us feel very comfortable. All in all, no complaints whatsoever. We loved the services you provide and plan to use you again for future trips elsewhere, and would happily recommend your company to friends and family.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel The Square Milano Duomo

Milan

REALLY LARGE ROOM,NICE STAFF, BEST BREAKFAST! GREAT LOCATION. BEAUTIFUL.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Indigo Verona - Grand Hotel Des Arts

Verona

LOVED THE BALCONY. A RATHER SMALL ROOM.

Authenticity & Character

Location

CLOSE TO A GREAT VEGAN BURGER RESTAURANT AND CITY CENTER

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal

Cortina d'Ampezzo

BED BLANKET WAS DIRTY. NO AC OR HEAT-THEY DID GIVE US AN ELECTRIC HEATER. GREAT LOCATION. ROOM WAS A BIT SMALL.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olivi Thermae & Natural Spa

Sirmione

BEAUTIFUL SPA. WISH THE ROOM HAD A BALCONY. GREAT LOCATION.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Terminus

Como

NICE ROOM AND LOCATION AND BEAUTIFUL HOTEL WITH A GREAT STAFF. BUT THE ROOM FACED AN ALLEY AND TRASH CANS AND EVERY NIGHT WE WERE AWAKENED BY TRASH PICKUPS AT 4 AM. NOT FUN. WISH WE COULD HAVE FACED THE LAKE.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private excursion to Borghetto sul Mincio

Italy

STARTED WITH THE GARDEN TOUR OF PARCO SIGURTA WHICH WAS THE BEST PART OF THE DAY-SIMPLY GORGEOUS. VILLAGE WAS SMALL AND IT RAINED SO WE DID NOT END UP EATING THERE.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1-Day Experience – Easy Hike Around Lago di Braies

Italy

LOVED THIS. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PARTS OF THE ENTIRE TRIP. LOVED THE VIEWS, THE HIKE, THE GUIDE.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike Adventure in the Ampezzo Dolomites (2–4 hours)

Italy

IT WAS RAINING THE WHOLE TIME BUT WE STILL WENT AND ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE. GREAT GUIDE, GREAT VIEWS.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Valpollicella wine region

Italy

TERRIFIC WINERY AND WINERY TOUR GUIDE. TOOK US TO VINEYARDS AND GAVE US HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF VINEYARD AND REGION. VERY GENEROUS WINE SAMPLES PLUS VEGAN CHEESE BOARD WHICH WAS A LOVELY SURPRISE. WINE TASTING ROOM WAS GORGEOUS.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private boat tour of Lake Como - Explore Bellagio

Italy

TERRIFIC TOUR GUIDE, GREAT BOAT DRIVER, WONDERFUL HISTORY OF REGION, ANSWERD ALL OUR QUESTIONS, AND BELLAGIO WAS CHARMING IF A BIT TOO TOURISTY.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from Illasi to Verona city center

Verona

THIS WAS JUST TRANSPORTATION BUT HE WAS ON TIME AND COURTEOUS AND A FINE DRIVER.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of Verona highlights

Italy

WE LOVED CECILIA. SHE WAS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND A GREAT PERSONALITY. ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. OUR FAVORITE TOUR GUIDE! SHE TOOK US EVERYWHERE!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Jewish tour in Milan

Italy

VERY FLEXIBLE TO OUR JEWISH INTERESTS. PLUS HE SHOWED US THE BIG TRAIN STATIOIN WHICH WAS OF INTEREST TO ALL OF US.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Concierge remote assistance during the trip

Italy

REALLY HELPFUL AND GRACIOUS AND WONDERFUL. EASY TO REACH. ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE. VERY IMPRESSED.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Family Trip to Japan — A Review of Kimkim

Shona did a wonderful job crafting a personalized itinerary for our family. She was patient through multiple revisions to ensure everything was just right, and the result was the trip of a lifetime, filled with memories we will cherish forever!

Tokyo: We loved the Keio Plaza Hotel’s convenient location, helpfull staff, and exceptional breakfast buffet. Highlights included the mesmerizing TeamLab Borderless, an outstanding hands-on sushi-making class, and a full-day tour with Bea Hirata. Bea was professional, friendly, and attentive, seamlessly guiding us through Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, Tsukiji Market, Meiji Shrine, and Harajuku. Exploring Tsukiji with her was especially memorable, with incredible fresh food and local specialties.

Hakone: This was where Shona and her team truly demonstrated their value. With a typhoon approaching, they quickly adjusted our plans, ensuring Bea and our driver got us safely to Hakone before the storm. Although some activities were canceled, we enjoyed a longer, relaxing onsen experience at the spectacular Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu. The private in-room onsen, mountain views, and outstanding crab and beef shabu-shabu dinner made this a trip highlight. Without the team’s quick thinking, we might have missed Hakone altogether.

Kyoto and Nara: The Cross Kyoto Hotel was comfortable, well located, and offered an excellent breakfast. Our guide, Hideki (Hal) was good-natured and thorough. He expertly showed us Kyoto’s highlights, including Arashiyama’s bamboo grove, Tenryuji Temple, and Nijo Castle. In Nara, our daughter loved the deer, and Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha was among the most impressive sights of our trip. Fushimi Inari’s iconic torii gates were unforgettable. We also enjoyed a wonderful calligraphy class with Aya and a magical evening walking tour of Gion with Sophia, whose insights into geisha culture made the experience especially memorable.

Kanazawa and the Countryside: The Hyatt Centric Kanazawa was convenient, comfortable, and close to the station. Nozomi introduced us to a talented ceramic artist and guided us through the samurai and geisha districts, sharing her extensive knowledge of Japanese history. Our final excursion to the UNESCO-listed villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama with Ian was a wonderful way to experience Japan’s beautiful countryside.

Seamless Logistics and Exceptional Support: Shona arranged excellent private transfers and Shinkansen tickets, making travel between destinations effortless. Our drivers were punctual, professional, and reliable, and the vehicles were immaculate. Shona’s team checked in daily, and our guides and drivers communicated clearly throughout the trip. Most importantly, when unexpected challenges arose, we knew we had knowledgeable, dependable support on the ground.

Overall, we cannot recommend Shona and Kimkim highly enough. From thoughtful planning to flawless execution, their expertise made our family’s Japan adventure truly exceptional. Japan is fascinating, and with the right team, it is an unforgettable destination. Good luck with your trip!

This was our third time traveling with KimKim - each trip a little different but every experience with KimKim has been just what we wanted and beyond our expectations. The accommodations that were chosen for us on each adventure have been excellent -only one on this holiday in Paris was a little off the usual quality but maybe that’s just Paris?? All of our transportation was wonderful -the drivers contacted us as we were told they would to let us know where to meet them and everyone was professional. The guides for the 7 tours that we were on were very impressive, knowledgeable, accommodating (except for one at the Eiffel Tower - he basically gave us a quick rundown, took us up to the second level, showed us where to go down when we were ready to leave and he left)…we can’t say enough good things about them. We will definitely be using KimKim for our future travels!

We had a great trip. Our drivers from the airport to various areas around the country were timely and nice. Some quieter than others. Our best driver was Gerry who drove us to the Cliffs of Moher. He was so delightful. We loved interacting with him. A lot of laughs.
The hotels in Dublin and Belfast had wonderful bellman and staff. When we were in Galway we would have preferred a different hotel. It was nice but not quite up to the Grafton Hotel and the Grand Central Hotel . All the tours arranged were fun and entertaining. I’m hoping to return one day to see Southern Ireland.

Kate did an amazing job!
She was knowledgeable and helpful, making suggestions as we refined our itinerary.
She was very responsive as we planned the trip and for minor questions that popped up while we were in England.
We really appreciated how the itinerary grouped nearby attractions together, and lodgings were unique and in great locations- we would not have been able to find them ourselves without stress and effort.

The Kim Kim team (Noga & Chinh) did a wonderful job planning our trip to Spain. Our guides, drivers, hotels were all 5 star.
Starting in Barcelona (4 days), Madrid (4 days) and finishing in Granada (2 days). It was a trip to remember.
Barcelona we had a walking tour of Casa Batllo, Casa Mila & Park Guell with Anna. 10/10 Amazing architecture and knowledgeable friendly guide.
Trip to Montsserat with Pol with driver Diego 10/10. Nice ride to Montsserat, an amazing holy place. Toured the cathedral and saw the Black Madonna. Visited its museum and climbed up one of the trails. We also went to a family run winery to sample their wines and Cava, in the Penedes region, had a nice lunch and toured their winery. In Barcelona we stayed at the lovely Mercer Hotel. The staff was amazing and helped us with anything we needed. Kim Kim arranged a car for us to the train station as well as train tickets on the speed train to Madrid.
Arrived in Madrid and a driver was waiting to take us to the hotel. We stayed at Palacio de los Duques Gran Melia. Beautiful hotel filled with museum quality artifacts. Located a block from the Royal Palace you could walk to many of the sites in Madrid. We enjoyed a tapas tour our first night with Nacho. 10/10 the food was amazing he took us to so many different places we tasted the best of Madrid. The next day we met our guide Ava and walked to the Prado museum she was so knowledgable about art history. 10/10 Later we met Enrique for a walking tour unfortunately the Royal Palace was closed but we pivoted and went all around the city sampling the best desserts and learning all about Raton Perez (Spains tooth fairy) and all his secret spots in the city. The next day we took a full day trip to Segovia and Avila with Geza 10/10. He was so personable and knowledgeable. First we drove to the medieval city Avila the birthplace of St. Theresa of Avila. We walked the ramparts of the walled city then visited its grand cathedral. We then drove to Segovia we enjoyed the traditional menu of the day at a lovely Spanish restaurant. The Roman aqueducts are a sight to see we walked all through the town and ended our tour at the Alcazar of Segovia an amazing castle. The next day we travelled to Granada on the speed train. Kim Kim had a driver waiting for us at the station that was worth it the taxi line was so long! We stayed at the Alhambra Palace . The hotel is beautiful, sits high on a hill it overlooks Granada and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The decor resembles the famous Alhambra and is truly sumptuous. We me our guide Marcel in town went to an amazing flamenco show and did a food tour of local Granada. 10/10. The next day Marcel texted us a walking tour all around Granada, we bought cookies from the nuns, and had a delicious lunch in town. Later in the day we toured all the sites of the amazing Alhambra with Christian 10/10. He took us all around the sites and had so much information to share. Then it was back to Madrid to fly home. The Spanish people were so lovely and hospitable we had such a great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Mercer Hotel Barcelona

Barcelona

The staff is amazing, the rooms are so comfortable its in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.

Authenticity & Character

It has actual roman walls in its wine room

Location

Staff

Personally walking us to restaurants, atm etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá

Madrid

Located near the Royal Palace, easy walking to many sites

Authenticity & Character

Artwork and artifacts are amazing, restaurant garden in heart of the city

Location

Staff

helped us store luggage, found us a driver when we could not get a taxi

Cleanliness & Comfort

the beds

Hotel Alhambra Palace

Granada

architecturally beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Moorish design

Location

Right near the Alhambra

Staff

had a small problem in bathroom was addressed immediately

Cleanliness & Comfort

the room was huge and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Private Gaudí Experience with La Sagrada Família & Park Güell

Barcelona

so interesting our guide had to deal with large crowds and she managed it with ease

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

so knowlegeable

Private Montserrat & Penedès Wine Region Day Trip

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Cava, fuet, chorizo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Trip to Ávila & Segovia

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendliness

Transport

Private Alhambra & Generalife Gardens with a Historian

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Prado Museum Visit with an Art Historian

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Evening Tapas Walk with a Local

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We worked with Beatriz on our travel to Italy, with 5 different locations in mind. 3 of these locations were new to us (Perugia, Cinque Terre and Milan). Our trip began in Rome. We chose to explore the city on our own, but were still provided suggestions for an itinerary, which we greatly appreciated. From there we went to Perugia, where Bea identified stops in Spoleto, a winery for tasting and Spello. At each location we were provided specific recommendations for walking throughout the small villages. Next was Florence. Bea arranged a food tour, which was enjoyed by us both. We had not been to Cinque Terre. The 5 cities were fabulous! We loved our stay in Monterosso. It is the only relatively flat city, the only one with a beach and many restaurant and lodging choices. It was easy to use the trains to travel from city to city. In Milan, we had an aperitivo tour upon arrival. That was one of the highlights due to our guide Marco! He made the trip fun due to his lively personality and considerations for our personal tastes. We also took a city walking tour with Beatrice as our guide. She was very knowledgeable and personalized the locations we visited according to what she thought our interests might be.
Beatriz was easy to work with and flexible in changing itinerary and arranging transportation. We would highly recommend her services as a travel consultant on Italy!

Activity Review

Eat Like a Local: Florence Street Food & Market Experience

Italy

Charlotte worked very closely with us in all the planning stages of our trip. She was knowledgeable, competent and very receptive to our ideas and needs. She scheduled various zoom meetings so we could discuss and fine tune our trip. She was pleasant, friendly, personable and always aimed to please.
Unfortunately, we had a medical emergency in Australia and never made it to New Zealand. During the medical emergency Charlotte provided us with incredible support 24/7 and helped us immensely. We were very fortunate to have had her as our resource person and advocate.

Coriama was lovely to work with. I communicated with her for months and she remained patient and arranged every detail to ensure that our trip was exceptional.! We absolutely loved the H10 Madison. It is a lovely hotel with exceptional customer service. We loved drinking red wine on the rooftop area overlooking the cathedral.

All our tour guides were exceptionally wonderful. They were very attentive to our needs and punctual.

Hotel Reviews

Semeli Hotel Mykonos

Mykonos Town, Cyclades

Pro: easy walking distance to town. Friendly staff, spacious room. Cons: Located near elementary school, so you can hear the children playing in the play ground. Drop off and pick up is on top of the hill from the hotel, approximately 50 yards

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Katikies Chromata Santorini - The Leading Hotels of the World

Santorini

Pros: AMAZING view Cons: air conditioner does not work well. no ventilation in the bathroom Note: stairs to climb from room to main street, so if you are out of shape this may not be the hotel for you

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pepi Boutique Hotel

Rethymnon

Pros: located in the heart of old town. easy access to restaurants, shops Cons: certain transport vans are not able to enter narrow street to pick you up in front of the hotel. No busboy which means you need to carry your own luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Delfino

Chania, Crete

GORGEOUS! Purchased by Venetian captain as his house, now transformed into a beautiful hotel. Passed on generation to generation. Hotel is run by 3rd generation granddaughter. In the heart of town. We loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private White Mountains Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings

Chania

Private tour into the mountains of Crete. Lush, green, sheep and goat along the way. Grapes straight off the vine (soooo sweet). This island is very different from Santorini or Mykonos we've also visited.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Off-the-Beaten-Path Villages & Countryside Excursion

Santorini

I liked that our tour guide took us into a town where the locals live. He knew where all the good spots for photo were.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Yacht Caldera Cruise

Santorini

THIS was an awesome experience. We yachted around the island of Santorini. The best part?! The lunch. I was expecting a little bite, but NO! It was a spread. Salad, pasta, kabob, wine, dip, etc.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The experience planning and going on our trip to Peru utilizing KimKim and Andean Travel Experience was outstanding! LizKaren was our point of contact during the planning stages and she provided great recommendations, strong guidance, answered all our questions, and was extremely responsive. Once on the ground in Peru, Lisbeth took over as our primary contact and was always available whenever we needed to reach out via WhatsApp.

The trip itself was seamless. Our drivers and guides were always on time and communicated well. In addition to the obvious highlight of exploring Machu Picchu, other highlights included our ATV tour to Maras and Moray and our Michelin-quality lunch at Hacienda Sarapampa.

Thank you LizKaren and Lisbeth for all your help!

Albania is a fascinating country with a complicated history. It's also beautiful with friendly people. We were able to see a lot in our 10 days in country. Highlights include visiting the city of Berat, a wine tasting at Alpeta winery, relaxing time in Ksamil and the ruins at Butrint. We also were thrilled with the beautiful drive through the Llogara pass to Kruje. Our itinerary, which local agency agent, Violaine put together included lovely hotels. Our local guide and driver, Migan Avdullaj, was fabulous. He was very knowledgeable, a safe driver and easily directed us to some options when there was unscheduled time open.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Panorama Kruje

Krujë

Excellent dinner and breakfast, convenient location

Authenticity & Character

beautiful views

Location

convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Faces & Places Boutique hotel

Tirana

This hotel was difficult to find, especially after being dropped off late at night. There is no elevator and our room was on the third floor. The breakfast was good and the bed was comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

better directions

Staff

Not much interaction, as there were limited staffing hours

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wait n sea

Himare

Lovely views from the room

Authenticity & Character

Location

There is a fabulous restaurant a minute's walk away.

Staff

The owner was very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great view from the shower!

Hotel Mangalemi

Berat

Loved the old-world character of this hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

we could walk to the center of town easily

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rose garden Hotel

Gjirokastra

The hotel is located within walking distance of the castle and the old town which invites wandering!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arameras Beach Resort

ksamil

Great place to relax

Authenticity & Character

Resort atmosphere, relaxing

Authenticity & Character

Resort atmosphere, relaxing

Location

Beautiful setting on the riviera

Location

Beautiful setting on the riviera

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bella Venezia Historic Boutique Hotel

Corfu

A very attentive staff made this stay lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to old town Corfu and explore

Staff

attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds and nice bathroom

Activity Reviews

Welcome in Tirana

Tirana

The pick up from the airport was fine, getting to the hotel was difficult

Quality of Experience

friendlier driver

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver from the airport basically dropped us off in the middle of the street without showing us the wat to the hotel which was tucked away. This was near midnight.

Transport

See above

Discovering Corfu – guided exploration of the island

Corfu

Out guide in Corfu was great, I don't have her name though. We went to dinner with her and she helped us order traditional food and suggested things to do.

Wine tasting in Alpeta Winery

Berat

Very entertaining evening, great wine. Beautiful drive to get to the winery.

Quality of Experience

The master of ceremony was very fun!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private halfday boat tour in Corfou

Corfu

Unfortunately, this was canceled due to weather. Also it was unfortunate that there wasn't much of an alternative plan.

Sightseeing tour of Tirana

Tirana

This was a good introduction to Albania.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport