Kimkim Trip Reviews

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.

Our 12-day trip across Vietnam was hands down one of the best travel experiences we have ever had, and it is entirely thanks to our Kimkim local specialist, Trang.

We packed an incredible amount into 12 days—covering Hanoi, Ninh Bình, Ha Long Bay, Hội An, and Ho Chi Minh City. While that itinerary sounds ambitious on paper, Trang organized every single detail so seamlessly that the entire vacation felt completely relaxed, unhurried, and genuinely luxurious rather than stressful.

Every destination brought something special, but Ninh Bình and Hội An were absolute standouts for us. The highlight of the entire trip was the "I Am a Farmer" tour in Tam Cốc—it was an unforgettable, authentic hands-on experience that we talk about constantly.

From the very beginning, Trang took the time to tailor the itinerary precisely to what we wanted. Her support on the ground during the trip was where she truly shined: whenever we needed to adjust excursion dates or times in real time, she handled everything immediately and effortlessly. We could never have pulled off this itinerary or enjoyed it to this level had we tried to coordinate it on our own.

A huge shoutout as well to Brian, our guide in Hanoi. He was incredible at getting us settled in right away and pointed us toward some of the best local food spots we experienced all trip.

This was our first time booking an organized trip like this, and our only regret is that we didn’t try it sooner. It completely changed the way we travel. Everyone should experience this style of seamless travel at least once—we will definitely be booking through Kimkim again!

This is my second trip with Kimkim - and I am about to book a third trip for my entire family. Kimkim took our site preferences and made them one of my best trips. Alfonso (their agent in Spain) provided extraordinary detail about guides, meeting points, excursions and accommodations. I cannot say enough about the quality of most of our guides or the excursions themselves (especially our cooking class)! When our party of five (and Kimkim) was surprised by ubiquitous construction at one of our hotels, Kimkim immediately arranged a substitute accommodation that was among our best. By the time we returned from our excursion, our luggage was moved and we were already checked in. Transfers in particular were seamless. If I had to do this trip again, I would rely on Kimkim to book all transfers - especially with a group of women who may find it difficult to manage larger pieces of luggage. I could not be more satisfied.

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Our guide in particular was knowledgeable and flexible. She made this site one of the highlights of our visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Experience

Spain

Kimkim and Alfonso arranged front-row seats for our party of five. The experience (and my photographs) wete amazing!

Quality of Experience

Cooking Class in Seville

Seville

I have attended several cooking classes - and this is one of my favorites. Our chef (Maria) and sous chef (Gaia) were knowledgeable and friendly. They interacted with guests and explained the uniqueness of Spanish cooking. I am a seasoned and knowledgeable cook myself, but I would return to attend this school as a student!

Prado Museum Private Visit with an Art Historian

Madrid

Once again, our guide was the “secret” to the success of this tour. The Prado is not to be missed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Across the board, our adventure was a trip of a lifetime thanks in part to KimKim and Micaela! Thank you for putting us in the right places with the right people!

Hotel Reviews

La Masía Hotel Boutique

Chacras de Coria

The staff of this hotel is what makes this property a 5 STAR experience! Highly Recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Union Hotel Cusco

Cusco

The service staff in the restaurant were so personable and made the experience even better. Also, Kiki was a joy to see roaming around the property.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Miraflores Benavides

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-Day Cooking Class & Lunch at Lamadrid Winery (Lujan de Cuyo)

Chacras de Coria

This is one of my favorite highlights of a 14day trip to South America. The cooking class is what made it even more special. Leo was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot explain how grateful we are for all of your help planning our trip to Japan.

We had the most magical time and wish we could have stayed longer. From Ellen helping me plan the perfect itinerary to our guides- Yuki, Tammy, Meri and Nao, and all of our drivers, we are so thankful for your knowledge and help and expertise in making sure that all of us enjoyed the tours- from my kids (ages 6 and up) to my mom. You all really helped to craft the trip of our dreams. I cannot thank you enough. Your country is filled with peace and culture that can only be truly appreciated when you walk the streets and meet the wonderfully kind people that Japan is filled with.

Thank you doesn’t really convey the appreciation that I have for you all. We will be back one day and would be honored to use your services again! We loved every moment.

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

The location was PERFECTION! The staff was kind and accommodating. The rooms were comfortable and so clean! We loved the breakfast. This was perfect for our family. Arigatō gozaimasu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easily walkable to amazing restaurants and sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were spotless. Beds were comfortable.

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Beautiful hotel in a perfect location. Close to many things. Super comfortable and clean. Has a wonderful breakfast!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easily walkable to amazing things! Close to many restaurants.

Staff

Super nice and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable beds. Rooms were spotless and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

*Private Samurai Swordsmanship and Katana Experience in Tokyo

Tokyo

What an amazing experience and a top highlight for my boys! Everyone was so helpful and knowledgeable and kind. We learned a lot about katanas and respect and fighting. My kids won’t stop talking about it! It was also so fun for adults. We loved every second! Thank you so much for this recommendation.

Quality of Experience

The expertise was unmatched and the passion behind it was contagious! Amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so passionate and patient.

Transport

We took a taxi here and it was easy to find.

*Private Guided Tour in Kyoto: Heritage and Timeless Paths

Kyoto

Tammy made this trip for us! She is a wealth of knowledge and expertise. We could not be more thankful for her and her time spent with us. We learned so much and visited life changing locations. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We want to come back so badly!

Quality of Experience

Tammy was the absolute best! We love her and the locations she helped choose to take us. Thank you!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tammy was like part of our family and knew exactly how to keep my 3 boys interested in everything we were doing.

Transport

Our driver was so nice and accommodating. Transport was easy and efficient.

*Group Exciting Sumo Live Performance with Traditional Hot Pot Meal

Tokyo

From Genki and Kao to the MC, this experience was so fun and entertaining. The Chanko Hot Pot prepared for us by Kao (one of the wrestlers) was delicious! We learned so much about sumo and had a blast!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so kind and fun!

*Private Experience a Classic Japanese Game an Apprentice Geisha

Kyoto

This experience was really special. What a beautiful form of art and culture. We really enjoyed our time with the Maiko! She was eloquent, super sweet and knowledgeable. The fan tossing game was so fun and my kids want to buy a version of it now! :) We love our hand painted fans we got from the shop and feel very fortunate to have had this experience.

Quality of Experience

A beautiful experience and fun for all!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maiko was a beautiful soul inside and out. We learned so much from everyone there. Thank you!

Transport

We walked with Tammy to the location and it was great!

*Private Guided Tour in Tokyo: Highlights and Hidden Gems

Tokyo

Yuki was amazing! She took us to great locations in Tokyo and we learned so much! We loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so nice and patient!

Transport

We had so much help navigating the trains. The drivers were awesome too!

*Private Guided Tour in Hakone: Nature and Art Escape

Hakone

Although we didn’t get to see Mount Fuji due to the clouds, we had the best time riding the pirate ship, climbing up the mountain in a gondola and adding seven years to our lives by eating the infamous black eggs! We entered the day by going to the Hakone Open Air Art Museum, which was incredible for adults and children! The kids could run around and they were interactive art installations where they could climb and play.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful scenery and great food and tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yuki was great and we had a blast. The drivers were so nice and even bought my children some snacks!

Transport

Amazing drivers! They were super sweet!!!

*Private Guided Tour in Nara: Temples, Deer and Sacred Traditions

Japan

Nara is quite the experience! The bowing deer are definitely a highlight of the trip. My children loved petting them and feeding them. We had no problems with them being aggressive, like some other reviews I read, and we had the best time. The temple was incredible. We went to an animal café afterwards, and held some amazing animals. Meri was super sweet and fun as a guide! Thank you so much!!!

Quality of Experience

Fun from the time you exit the train!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The train ride was pretty special! Meri was awesome and so sweet! She knows so much about the area too. :)

Transport

Beautiful train and train ride up to Nara!

*Private Hiking tour around a Hidden Route of Fushimi Inari Taisha with a Local Lunch

Kyoto

Nao was an amazing guide! We had the best hike up to the top of the mountain passing bamboo forests and shrines. What an incredible place and has to be my favorite shrine of the trip! It is beautiful there and we even had the opportunity to meet a wonderful and kind man who makes the torii gates by hand. He’s done this for 50 years. He even let my boys try his special tools! It was a special experience that we will never forget!

Quality of Experience

The hike, the special woodworking experience and the overall beauty of the shrines.

Food

Our soba lunch was excellent!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nao was great and energetic and knowledgable!

Transport

We went by train and it was super easy.

*Group Postcard making with Washi traditional paper and pressed flowers

Kyoto

I never in my life imagined how much goes into making washi paper from start to finish. Wow! We learned a lot and had such a great time! Everyone there was super nice and talented. We all enjoyed making our paper and decorating it with the dried plants and flowers. We would love to come back and make other things one day!!!! Thank you so much for helping us and this experience! We loved it!

Quality of Experience

A unique and amazing experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was the best! Everyone was so helpful and kind!

Transport

We walked there with no issues.

Planning our trip to Zambia with Anne-marie could not have been a better experience! She answered all of our questions and we were well prepared for a trip with many travel logistics. Everything went so seamlessly on the trip and we never felt stressed about getting from one camp to the next.

My favorite lodge/camp of our trip was Ila Lodge with our guide Ali. We had many memorable game drives, a surprise boat lunch cruise, a boat safari, and riverside sundowners with the most amazing sunset.

All of the lodges and camps through Green Safaris were amazing. There were surprises around every corner. We were not only able to see so many different animals. but we learned so much about the different national parks and Zambia. We had once in a lifetime experiences at each camp, including lunch in the river with elephants, a community dinner in the bush, and a community dinner complete with singing and dancing.

This trip was truly amazing from start to finish.

The Guides, who assisted us in each city were absolutely outstanding. The kimkim logistics of arranging hotels and notifying us who and where we would be met and transferred was terrible. We had to reach out to KimKim multiple times to receive answers. Our local agent was unresponsive during the trip... we had to reach out repeatedly. This was my 4th KimKim trip. We reserved western style rooms in hotels twice and received futon bedding laid directly on the floor and were told western beds would cost several hundred dollars per night additional. We deliberately arranged several nights of ryokan experience. Kimkim was unresponsive. Please understand we LOVED our Japan experience. Kim Kim was terrible! There will not be another KimKim experience.

My husband and I began planning a three-stop trip to Italy about a year ago with KimKim. (We are from the U.S. - Texas) We worked with two travel specialists, Elisa and Sabina who conducted a deep dive into what our goals were and our preferences. We wanted to experience Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. They coordinated our hotels, private drivers (always in a mercedes), private tours, high-speed train tickets, ferries, tickets for excursions and more. Prior to departure, we were provided an App on our phone to download that made navigating the entire experience incredibly easy. Additionally, all of the tickets to anything were downloadable from the app. (so, no need to print out prior to departure, unless you really wanted a paper copy).

In Florence, we were met with a private walking tour of the city by Alicia, a local to Florence. We experienced local cafe food, a local jewelry artisan and a beautiful perfume store. Alicia shared information on Florence and was very lovely. The next day, we toured two wineries with a tour (Fun in Tuscany) with a great guide, Daniel. We were in a nice van with two other couples. We drove to San Gimignano and we would have to say that this was the highlight of our trip and our favorite excursion.

We took a high-speed train to Rome. When we checked in, we had a lovely note from Sabina and Elisa with a bottle of Prosecco in our room wishing me a happy birthday! (so sweet). Thereafter, we met with an art historian, AnnaMaria and took a 3.5 hour foot tour of Rome. The next day, we had a semi-private tour of Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. That evening, and for my birthday, they arranged for us to see an incredible opera performance on a Roof Top complete with wine and meats and cheeses. (it was spectacular)! The next day, we met with Pamela another art historian and was taken on a one-on-one tour of the Vatican and St.Peter's Basilica. (wow!)

The next day, we took a high-speed train to the Amalfi Coast. We were picked up and immediately shuttled to Pompeii where we met Eduardo and Professor and art historian and experienced Pompeii one-on-one with him. It was spectacular. Our driver waited for us while we toured and when finished, we drove up the absolutely stunning Amalfi Coast. We took a ferry the next day to Positano and KimKim had arranged for us to meet with a local artisan, Valentino and his wife Lalla and we made homemade Limoncello. The experience was a highlight and Valentino was so fun and engaging! (highly recommend). The next day, we took a ferry to Capri and then took a taxi to AnaCapri and took the chair lift to the top. The scenery from the top is one of the most beautiful sites I've ever seen, in my life!

Should you take a similar tour, I would recommend exchanging money prior to leaving and plan for tipping each tour guide and each driver. (this was about 20 Euros for each).

I can't recommend these folks enough! Our experience was top notch and very orchestrated and organized!

Kimmie Delaney and Dan Scheffler

Activity Reviews

Food & artisans tour of Florence

Italy

We loved our tour with Alicia! She was fun and engaging. We walked the streets of Florence, experienced local cafe food, toured a local jewelry artisan and a gorgeous perfumery. So fun and highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limoncello Experience & Tasting

Italy

This is a must-DO in Positano! This was a highlight of our trip to Italy. We met Valentino and his wife Lalla who are local artisans who make food items and have an adorable little shop. We made homemade limoncello and tasted chocolates. Valentino is a character - so so fun! He also walked us across the street and took our picture. This was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rooftop bar Opera show

Rome

This experience was a highlight for us in Rome! This was such a classy event and an incredible treat. The two opera singers were so entertaining. We were not sure what we were going to experience with this and it was such an unexpected 10 out of 10! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

All of our guides, we had 4, were very helpful, they were especially helpful negotiating around weather and certain locations where there was mass tourism. The trip was well laid out and planned. Our contact in Turkey kept us up to date about each step of the way. We knew each tour guide, driver, including telephone numbers, as well as well as license plate numbers of drivers car. The hotels selected were all very good, with good locations. Well done.